RallyBuzz

Ligato to make PWRC return
Callum Black continues in the fast lane with Millers Oils
Subaru Driver David Higgins Defends Title with Dominating Win at the 2012 Sno*Drift Rally
Female team in World Rally Championships!
Galway International Rally – Mark Parsons Interview

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 04:05 AM PST

Ligato to make PWRC return

Marcos Ligato will mount his first Production Car World Rally Championship title challenge since 2006 after it was confirmed that the Argentine has registered for the series for 2012.

The 34-year-old will drive a Subaru Impreza WRX STI for the Italian Top Run Motorsport operation alongside long-term navigator Ruben Garcia.

He will begin his campaign on his home event, Rally Argentina, from 26-29 April and contest the remaining rounds in Greece, New Zealand, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Joint team boss Alfonso Agnello said: "We are very pleased to have Marcos and Ruben back because they are part of the history of our team. It is very important to have a talented pilot with experience of all the rallies in our team. Hopefully we can win the title."

Ligato's Subaru is one of three already under construction at the team's base in Castiglione Olona in northern Italy. An intensive testing programme is planned before Ligato's first appearance of the season in Argentina.

Ligato took part on his first world championship rally in Argentina back in 1998 when he finished 14th overall and third in Group N4. The highlight of his career is undoubtedly his capture of third overall in the PWRC standings in 2005.

Links Note: http://www.wrc.com/news/ligato-to-make-pwrc-return/?fid=15981

www.wrc.com

Pablo MACHI

Media Top Run Motorsport Italy

www.toprunracing.com

Callum Black continues in the fast lane with Millers Oils

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 03:40 AM PST

Talented young driver, Callum Black, has been selected to receive a year's sponsorship for the second year running, from leading oils and fuel treatments manufacturer Millers Oils.

The deal will see 20-year-old Black provided with Millers Oils' top-of-the-range high-performance products, including its new innovative low-friction Nanodrive range of engine oils. As well as supplying products, Millers Oils will provide full advice and technical expertise throughout the year from its experienced technical team to help Black reach his goal of becoming the youngest ever winner of the British Rally Championship.

The ambitious driver first secured the backing of Millers Oils after impressing as one of the Millers Oils Rising Stars in 2010, Black continued to impress last season with two podium finishes, opening with a third place in the Sunseeker Rally and closing with a fifth place overall in the competitive BRC F2 category, in his fully-branded Millers Oils Suzuki Swift S1600.

Aiming to improve on his second season in the championship, Black said: "Millers Oils has been a terrific help to me over the last two seasons and I'm extremely proud to have been selected for a second season.

"I'm working hard to improve in every rally and I'm ready to hit the ground running in 2012. Winning the BRC is a big focus for me, so to have the extra technical support from Millers Oils and its range of high performance motorsport products to call upon, is a fantastic boost to my season.

"I'm currently in preparations for the new season, testing new parts to make my car the best it can be ahead of the Wyedean Rally in February, which will be a warm up for the first round of the championship, the Sunseeker Rally, on February 24th."

Commenting on Black's success this past season, David McCann, Market Development Manager at Millers Oils, said: "Our Rising Stars programme aims to identify and develop young talent. Callum is one driver who has made great strides over the last two seasons since becoming a Rising Star - not only competing, but winning at such high levels of motorsport. Last season, Callum made his debut in the British Rally Championships and finished in 9th place overall, and I'm sure Callum will do well in this year's championship in title bid.

"Callum thinks about what he needs to do to improve his performance overall, then works on it and gets results. We'll make sure he gets our full support again this season to help him make significant advances to achieving his life-long ambition."

For further information regarding the Rising Stars and Millers Oils' motorsport pedigree and products, visit www.millersoils.co.uk.

Subaru Driver David Higgins Defends Title with Dominating Win at the 2012 Sno*Drift Rally

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:54 PM PST

Watch video highlights of David Higgins winning the Sno*Drift Rally:

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. Defending 2011 Rally America National Champion David Higgins launched his 2012 title defense with Subaru Rally Team USA by achieving a decisive victory this past weekend at the Sno*Drift Rally. Higgins, driving a 5-door 2012 Subaru WRX STI rally car, dominated the rally leading from the start and winning 15 of the event's 24 competitive stages. Higgins finished nearly two minutes clear of his closest rival. The Sno*Drift Rally was not easy by any respect; David's biggest challenge was keeping his STI on the event's treacherously icy roads. Higgins proclaimed the variable and slick road conditions as the toughest rallying he has ever encountered.

The Sno*Drift Rally, round one of the six-event 2012 Rally America National Championship, challenged nearly 70 top rally teams with over 130 miles of snow and ice-covered roads in northern Michigan. Constant changes in weather and road conditions coupled with several stages run in total darkness make this rally notoriously challenging. Drivers will attest that the biggest challenge of the rally is that spiked or studded tires are not allowed, making traction extremely elusive when conditions are icy. Drivers this year were greeted with exactly that; a recent thaw and subsequent freeze turned many of the stage roads into sheets of smooth ice.

Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew were up for the challenge from the onset and all but sealed their victory with a commanding performance on the first loop of stages where Higgins posted several blisteringly fast stage times while his rivals struggled with the icy conditions. After winning the opening four stages, Higgins had amassed a nearly two-minute lead on his rivals before the first service halt. However, maintaining that lead on the treacherously ice-covered roads was one of the biggest challenges the veteran rally pro Higgins has ever tackled.

"The icy roads combined with lack of spiked tires makes this one of the toughest rallies and a challenge I think that is unique in rallying anywhere in the world," explained Higgins. "Mentally it's very draining, as you are constantly on the edge all weekend with the knowledge that any small mistake could just end the rally. The grip levels would go from variable to non-existent in a flash."

The lead Higgins had amassed on the opening day of competition was only briefly under threat for the first loop of stages on the morning of day-two. Higgins, running on ice tires, encountered fresh snow on the stages allowing his chief rival Antoine L'Estage, who had chosen a snow tire, to claw back some time. After switching to snow tires at the first service, Higgins responded to the threat and won five straight stages to regain nearly all of the time lost in the morning while sealing his victory.

"This was a great victory and a strong result to start our title defense," explained Higgins. "Our Subaru was perfect all weekend and allowed Craig [Drew] and I to just concentrate on the job under these wild conditions."

Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., "David and Craig drove prudently to a tremendous result, and Subaru Rally Team USA prepared a car in our 2012 Subaru WRX STI that has proven to be the class of the field this weekend. Having to constantly assess traction levels under such difficult road conditions within the context of competition driving rapidly takes a mental toll, and our #75 driver pairing truly rose to the occasion and ultimately prevailed."

Higgins and Subaru Rally Team USA head next to the high-speed gravel roads of The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Feb 24-25, in central Missouri.

Female team in World Rally Championships!

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:44 PM PST

Female team in World Rally Championships!

Ramona Karlsson and Miriam Walfridsson are ready for PWRC 2012. With their own team Ramona Rallying they will drive a full PWRC season. It will be 6 rallies with start in Mexico in March. Ramona and Miriam will be the first female Swedish team ever who will drive full season in Rally World Championships. – For me this has always been a dream, and it's a really great feeling that we have reached this goal, Ramona Karlsson says. After strong support from our main partners such as Höganäs, Sandå, Mitsubishi etc. we can make this possible, Ramona says.

Ramona is not only just a driver but also a team manager for the own team. She is also the first Swedish female driver who compete in a full Rally World Championship season. Ramona is aware of the high level of competition, but she aims high: – This will be our very first year in the World Championships and it's difficult to set up goals. But we know that Swedish drivers are fast and we think that we have good speed and experience from our national competitions.

-We also have a fantastic and experienced team with our chief mechanic Mikael Gustafsson that gives us 100% support and comfortness through his valuable international experiences. Of course we aim for top positions, you must always aim high. Nothing is impossible, Ramona says.

Female team in World Rally Championships!

Ramona Rallyings press conference were very successfull. All the largest newspapers, magazines and TV channels attended the press conference and were very curious and interested in this historical and unique concept.

Ramona has a strong and close cooperation together with her co-driver Miriam Walfridsson and they have worked together the last 5 years – and will continue their positive cooperation also in PWRC. It was an obvious choice for Ramona. – Miriam and I work perfectly together in the car, and there is noone I'd rather have with me. Miriam is young but very experienced and has the same winning instinct and is as goal minded and focused as I am. And we will need that more ever this year.

Ramona Rallying will compete in 6 rallies in the World Championship class PWRC in a Mitsubishi Evo 10, in following calendar: Rally Mexico, Argentina, Nya Zeeland, Germany, Italy and Spain.
2012-01-30