Xlerate | Motorsport Magazine

ERC | RD5 – AZORES RALLYE 2021

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 adminazores rallye, erc, FIA ERC, FIA EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, RALLY AZORES

The fifth round of the 2021 FIA European Rally Championship arrived on the stunning beautiful Mid-Atlantic Ocean island of São Miguel for the rescheduled 55th running of the Azores Rallye. This gravel rally would cover some 201km across just 13 stages and would take in some breathtaking scenery, which once again included that iconic Volcanic stage Sete Cidadesand TOK Sports Andreas Mikkelsen arrived on the Island leading the Championships with his new Co-Driver Elliot Edmondson, having only competed recently together for the first time on the WRC Acropolis Rally Greece.…

BTCC NEWS & FEATURES RACE

BTCC | RD 19/20/21 -CROFT 2021

September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 adminBRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP, BTCC, KWIKFITBTCC

The BTCC circus headed to Yorkshire for the seventh round of the championship with Ash Sutton coming into the round with a clear lead in the championship. Aiden Moffatt put in a superb qualifying session to claim his first-ever BTCC pole position, alongside him is the MB Motorsport driver Jake Hill. Colin Turkington, looking to reignite his title hopes, was in third next to Senna Proctor. Moffatt made a good start and got away from the pack, leaving Hill and Turkington to squabble for second spot. Hill was just about…

NEWS & FEATURES RALLY WRC

WRC | RD 9 ACROPLOIS RALLY GREECE | LEG 3

September 12, 2021September 12, 2021 adminAcropolis Rally, FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, WRC

On the final day of the Acropolis Rally Greece 2021, the Greek Gods sent rain. The long-awaited return of this iconic rally had certainly delivered unexpected conditions, couple this with significant improvements to the roads used on the event; made for an entirely different rally to what it has been synonymous with in the past. Therefore I don’t think one should compare today’s event to the rough, tough and dusty rally, that the drivers of the past had to endure, but it was certainly a welcome return to the World…

NEWS & FEATURES RALLY WRC

WRC | RD9 ACROPOLIS RALLY GREECE – LEG 2

September 11, 2021September 11, 2021 adminAcropolis Rally, FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, WRC

The second full day of the Acropolis rally began with just 3.8 seconds separating the top 3, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä was leading Ott Tänak with Sébastien Ogier close behind in third. The opening test of the day, SS7 Pavliani was 24km long but the early morning conditions made for a moist surface and some likened the stage to perhaps more like Rally Chile rather than Greece. Rovanperä opened up the morning by beating Tänak by 5.6 seconds to take his first stage win of the day. Photo: WRC.com In the…

NEWS & FEATURES RALLY WRC

WRC | RD9 ACROPOLIS RALLY GREECE 2021 | LEG 1

September 10, 2021September 12, 2021 adminAcropolis Rally, WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, WRC

The first full day of action at the Acropolis Rally Greece featured just five stages over approx 90km; but there was no service halt. The conditions since Thursdays Shakedown had improved overnight and were more typical of what is to be expected on this legendary rally, in that, it was now hot and dry. Photo: Hyundai WRT The opening Aghil test was 17.5km in length and was the only stage on the days’ route with double usage. Hyundai’s Ott Tänak took that first stage win beating current Championship leader and…

NEWS & FEATURES RALLY WRC

WRC | PREVIEW | RD9 – ACROPOLIS RALLY GREECE

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 adminAcropolis Rally, FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS, WRC

After an 8 year absence, the Acropolis Rally Greece also known as “The Rally Of The Gods” has returned to the FIA World Rally Championships for the 9th round of the 2021 season. First held in 1953, The Acropolis was one of the original founding members of the WRC back in 1973. This iconic rally last ran as part of the World Series back in 2013, where current Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Boss Jari-Matti Latvala won in the VW Polo. It is typically known as a rough, tough, hot and…

MSUKARC NEWS & FEATURES RALLY

MSUK ARC | RD2 THREE SHIRES STAGES 2021

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 adminPROTYRE MOTORSPORT UK ASPHALT RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP, RALLY, THREE SHIRES STAGES

Just a week on from the opening round of the 2021 Pro Tyres Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championships on the Welsh Epynt ranges, the series moved just across the border and into England for some action on closed roads. The Cheltenham Motor Club organised, Hills Ford Three Shires Stages based around Ledbury, with its 14 stages covering 105km, offered up an exciting challenge for the second round of the Championship. With its opening ceremony in the centre of Ledbury on Saturday evening, rallying was once again brought right to the…

BTRDA NEWS & FEATURES RALLY

BTRDA | RD3 WOODPECKER STAGES 2021

September 7, 2021September 9, 2021 adminBTRDA RALLY, RALLY, WOODPECKER, WOODPECKER STAGES

Following the unfortunate cancellation of the Plains Rally, the Event Signs Woodpecker stages hosted Round 3 of the 2021 MRF TYRES BTRDA Rally Series. Organised by the Sixty and Worcester Motor Club, this ever-popular rally which first ran in 1983 and whose home has been Ludlow since 1988 was now in its 37th year. Whizz forward to the present day and fresh challenges were thrown the way of the organising team which required not only a rethink but a whole heap of effort to ensure that the event could even…

BTCC NEWS & FEATURES RACE

BTCC | RDS 16/17/18 | THRUXTON 2 – 2021

August 31, 2021September 9, 2021 adminBRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP, BTCC, KWIKFITBTCC

The second half of the BTCC season got underway at the weekend at Thruxton. The championship paying its second visit there this season after hosting the season opener. Ash Sutton came into the event leading the championship, hotly pursued by Tom Ingram. Dan Rowbottom continued his impressive form by putting his Honda on pole position, just 0.08s ahead of Jake hill in second. On row two was Josh Cook, looking to emulate his spectacular double win here at the start of the season with Rory Butcher alongside him. Rowbottom made…

MSUKARC NEWS & FEATURES RALLY

MSUK ARC | RD 1 – MEWLA RALLY 2021

August 30, 2021September 9, 2021 adminPROTYRE MOTORSPORT UK ASPHALT RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2021 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship finally got underway with the opening round, The Old Forge Garage Mewla Rally. After an enforced break from the action last year when the entire Championship was cancelled due to the global pandemic of COVID. The old saying of “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” was fitting here, as everyone was itching to get back out on the stages. Organised by the Epynt Motor Club, the Mewla rally held the honours of restarting the National Asphalt Series over the ever-popular Epynt Military…