Heading into the first of four Global X Games this year, Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block hit X Games Brazil in his brand-new Ford Fiesta ST RX43 RallyCross with one goal: add to the collection of X Games medals on his wall at home. Unfortunately, that dream came to an abrupt end 100 feet into the RallyCross final when Block was hit from behind and into fellow Ford driver Tanner Foust, causing suspension damage to both drivers cars and forcing them out of the race.

The race-ending hit and sustained damage were the icing on the cake to an already long and adverse pre-race buildup. Upon arriving to Foz for RallyCross practice, drivers and teams were met with a track that wasn’t properly prepared for competition. A series of off-camber turns with zero compensation for the fact that competitors were forced to run on grooved slicks, extremely loose surface materials and copious amounts of dust all combined to make a racecourse that many of the drivers considered extremely subpar.

“I came to this event really excited about competing and running my new Fiesta for the first time in competition,” said Block. “But the event ended up being a real disappointment. Myself, Travis [Pastrana] and Tanner [Foust] all got taken out in Turn 1 of the final, which sucks. Combine that with the fact that the track here in Foz is the absolute worst track I’ve ever raced on and it’s just been a tough weekend here in Brazil. I’m passionate about racing, especially in the X Games, and unfortunately this track didn’t maintain the level of quality that previous X Games rally courses had. I’m hopeful that it gets corrected and improved upon for our next stop in Barcelona.”

Despite the hardships of the un-penalized hit, race-ending mechanical damage and dismal course design, Block came away from the race weekend with one highlight: putting down the fastest lap time prior to qualifying on Saturday morning.

With X Games Brazil behind him, Block now shifts focus towards his next competitive event, which is Rally America’s Oregon Trail Rally, May 3-5 in Hillsboro, Oregon.

British motorsport specialist MML Sports Ltd has announced that it is to take part in the Rally America series for the first time, supplying reigning NORTH AMERICAN and Canadian Rally Champion Antoine L’Estage with one of its Mitsubishi Lancer World Rally Cars. L’Estage, who holds second place in the 2013 series after two rounds, has already tested the Lancer WRC and is looking forward to more action against current Rally America Champion David Higgins (Subaru) and Gymkhana star, Ken Block (Ford).

The MML Sports Mitsubishi Lancer WRC has seen competition in numerous countries around the world, since the company was created from the former works Mitsubishi rally team. It has gained a reputation for being a car which drivers are able to become competitive in quickly and is perfectly suited to the Rally America series.

The current regulations require very little changes from its existing specification: the series stipulates the same 34mm restrictor as specified by the FIA while the main modification will be the removal of the pneumatic paddle shift gear system, reverting to a fully mechanical shift for the sequential gearbox.

L’Estage tested the Lancer WRC in the Czech Republic at the end of 2012 and was immediately impressed with the performance and handling of the car, which on paper would appear very similar to the Open Class EvoX he had been using. However, the systems which MML Sports developed for the car, in its previous guise as MMSP Ltd, should give the multiple champion – with five North American and five Canadian championship titles to his name – the tools he needs to add another highly competitive series win to his CV.

Commenting, L’Estage told his website; “This is big news! To take part in rallies at the wheel of a car that has been in the [FIA] World Rally Championship is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to more great battles with Ken Block and David Higgins.”

The program will be the first time a Canadian driver has used a modern WRCar from the WRC and the first time that MML Sports has been involved in rallying in North America. However, MML Sports MD John Easton has some experience of the series, having worked with David Higgins in 2003, when he won the championship with the official American Mitsubishi team.

The company will also support Rifat Sungkar in an Open Class Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionX, run by John Buffum’s Libra Racing operation. This car will use MML Sports’ R4 suspension kit, an engine producing close to WRC-specification power and torque and a sequential gearbox. Sungkar is also no stranger to rallying, having won the Group N ‘Rally Class’ category of Rallye de France in 2012.

Commenting, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said; “I am delighted that we have reached an agreement with Antoine to provide him with a Mitsubishi Lancer WRC and on-event support for the 2013 Rally America series. This will be a program of firsts – for us, for Antoine and for Canadian drivers – yet one which is extremely exciting. We know that the Lancer WRC can be extremely competitive from various campaigns around the world and Antoine’s credentials are beyond compare, so I am very excited about this Rally America season.

“I am also thrilled to be involved in Rifat’s campaign. We will be supplying the R4 suspension kit, which we co-developed for Mitsubishi as the official R4 conversion, as well as assisting with set-up and on-event work, supporting John Buffum’s Libra Racing specialists.

“I think that with Antoine in the Lancer WRC, David [Higgins] in the Subaru, Ken [Block] in the Fiesta and Rifat in the EvoX, there will be some fantastic action in North America this year.”

The first event for MML Sports with L’Estage and Sungkar will be the third round of the series, the Oregon Trail Rally over the first weekend of May.

Image: Aaron Kathman

After two wintery Rally America National Championship rounds 70 national and regional rally teams – the largest entry list this year – are ready for warmer temperatures and the fast sweeping stage roads of the Oregon Trail Rally, the third round of the Championship on May 3-5th in Portland, OR.

The Championship has already seen early overall standings lead changes and the emergence of new Super Production and Two-Wheel Drive category leaders at the first two events. Now the Oregon Trail Rally will play a pivotal role as teams attempt to solidify their positions or close the gap to the current points leaders.

Defending Rally America Champions, Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and Craig Drew, are back in familiar territory leading the National standings following their second round Rally in the 100 Acre Wood win last February. The Oregon Trail Rally comes at a good time for Higgins and Drew who have won Oregon by at least three minutes the last few years giving them a psychological edge over their opponents.

Right behind Higgins is Canadians Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard from the Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team. L’Estage and Richard began the season with a strong Sno*Drift Rally win, but lost the lead by not finishing the second round. The team is currently in the best position to retake the points lead if Higgins does not perform well at the Oregon Trail Rally. The Rockstar duo has never won the Oregon event and would love a win here to add even more pressure on the Subaru team.

Notably an all-out-attack is expected from Gymkhana viral video star and Hoonigan Racing’s Ken Block as he seeks to reestablish his Rally America title hopes. Block is a constant pressure to the other top contenders with his longtime co-driver, Alex Gelsomino, but the team experienced mechanical failures at the first events of the season that knocked them backwards in the standings. A good Oregon Trail Rally result will ensure that Block reinserts his name at the top.

In an unexpected move, Super Production (SP) Class leader Evan Cline from Brighton, MI is continuing his dream season at the Oregon Trail Rally. Cline was last year’s SP Class runners up and was not expected to return to Rally America competition. However, Cline made an appearance at January’s Sno*Drift Rally and took first in Super Production. He followed up his first SP podium with a second place SP finish at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood and now finds himself leading the SP standings by 14 points over fellow Michigan native, Mason Moyle.

However, the 2013 Oregon Trail Rally SP Class field has been made deeper with a number of Pacific Northwest teams entering the fray who have had success in the SP national ranks. Bend, OR’s Byron Garth, has placed well in his local events and nearly made the podium at the 2012 Olympus Rally, and David Henderson from Hood River, OR has taken2nd place in class at last year’s Oregon event.

The Oregon Trail Rally comes at the right time for Scion Racing Rally xD’s Andrew Comrie-Picard who leads the Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) national category. Comrie-Picard took Scion to their first podium finish at Oregon in 2011 and another Oregon win will add a points cushion over Ford Fiesta R2 driver and 2012 Rally America Rookie of the year, Edward McNelly.

McNelly is a Tim O’Neil Rally School trained driver who has quietly finished on the podium each time this year. Any slip-up from Comrie-Picard and McNelly can easily move into the 2WD top spot.

In the B-Spec Championship Honda Performance Development’s James Robinson currently leads in points over rookie Edward Stiefvater. A victory at Oregon will extend Robinson’s win streak to three consecutive events and can position the longtime rally driver comfortably in the B-Spec standings near the season’s midpoint.

The Oregon Trail Rally is Rally America’s only three-day event and will begin with a lunch hour driver meet & greet at the Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland, OR on Thursday, May 2 at 11:00am PT.

The first competition day takes place on the tarmac and gravel roads of Portland International Raceway. It is the most spectator friendly evening of racing with multiple viewing locations amidst a festival atmosphere. Gate’s open at 5:00pm, tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, and kids under 6 with an adult are free.

For Saturday and Sunday the Oregon Trail Rally moves to Hood River where fans can continue to watch the rally event in its natural gravel stage road environment. Spectator viewing areas, directions and schedule will be available via an online spectator guide soon. Be sure to check www.oregontrailrally.com for more information.

Jon Kramer from Ligonier, PA with co-driver Adam Kimmet from Leesburg, VA completed an amazing rebuild of their Open Light Class 1993 Subaru Impreza in a single week. The team recorded their rebuild processes in a timelapse video sequence displaying their level of dedication.

The rebuild apparently went pretty well as the team finished in first place in the Drift Regional Rally and third in the Sno Regional Rally.

You can see more at Rally America

The sudden arrival of winter ice and snow conditions could not prevent Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and Craig Drew from winning the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood held on February 22-23rd in Salem, Missouri. The hard fought victory gave Higgins his first 100 Acre Wood Rally victory in three attempts at one of the more slippery events in recent memory.

On the first day Higgins and Drew fell behind early to Hoonigan Racing’s Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino and to Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team’s Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard until a fateful stage 6, the first nighttime stage. Block suffered frontend damage and L’Estage retired from the event with overheating issues that left Higgins with the overall lead.

It was a disappointing withdrawal for L’Estage who hoped to build on his Championship points lead after winning the Michigan based Sno*Drift Rally in late January.

Block rejoined the event at the beginning of the second day using SuperRally rules, which allows a team to reenter with time penalties, only to retire again from the event with an electrical throttle problem on stage 10. Block held a psychological advantage having previously won six 100 Acre Wood Rallys – the most by any Rally America driver.

Higgins then commanded a six minute lead over Joseph Burk and Alex Kihurani in second place and Lauchlin O’Sullivan and Scott Putnam in third place. Higgins won 9 of the last 10 stages of the day towards his overall victory.

“This is one rally we haven’t won before and to win it now is a great feeling especially the way things happened,” said Higgins, “Our victory appeared not to be close, but giving the difficulty of the rally and the conditions that margin could have disappeared in an instance.”

Higgins is the reigning 2012 Rally America National Championship. With this win Higgins assumes the Championship lead on route to defending his title.

Joseph Burke and Alex Kihurani strategically piloted their 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX to second place for their first Rally in the 100 Acre Wood podium. Burke last competed in September 2012 when he severely rolled his car and had to rebuild in the offseason. The new rally car kept pace with the top of the field even when his car experienced electrical problems.

Lauchlin O’Sullivan and Scott Putnam also put a newly minted Super Production (SP) Class 2008 Subaru WRX STI through the paces and were extremely pleased to not only take third overall, but to win the SP Class. O’Sullivan and Putnam are the 2012 Super Production Champions and returned this season at 100 Acre Wood to defend their title after missing the first event of the year.

“For the maiden voyage of this car it is was pretty much infallible,” said O’Sullivan, “I know two of the top guys didn’t finish to make this happen, but we will take it. We missed third overall so many times last year that we just wanted to get it this year. It’s really cool that we got this.”

2013 Sno*Drift Rally SP Class winners, Evan Cline and Jake Blattner, patiently drove a consistent race and overtook David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski on stage 15 to place second in class, and in the process maintained their SP Class points lead. Sterckx lost considerable speed because of turbo boost problems and took the third place spot for their first podium this season.

Cline and Blattner also added both the Trespassers Wil and 100 Acre Wood Regional Rally victories to their list, and became the top all-wheel-drive regional winner for the Honey Jar Challenge prize fund.

Scion Racing Rally xD’s Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey took the Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) Class victory, their second consecutive class win, in a tight battle with a contingent of Ford Fiestas. Comrie-Picard was locked in a battle with Dillon Van Way and Andrew Edwards until stage 11 when Van Way crashed and gave up his second place position to fellow Ford Fiesta drivers, Edward McNelly and Ole Holter.

“The event was nearl perfect except for a bent rear beam from a rock I hit,” added Comrie-Picard,” I came into service a bit sideways. The team came through for me. We are really crushing it this year and happy with the results.”

Long-time rally racers Tim O’Neil and Travis Hanson completed the 2WD podium. O’Neil is the founder of the Team O’Neil Rally School in Dalton, NH which trained many of the drivers competing in Rally America competition.

In Rally America’s Manufacturers’ National Championship Subaru tied Mitsubishi in the overall category. Subaru also adds an additional Subaru victory to their Super Production Class manufacturer’s lead. Scion adds another 2WD victory in their quest to dominate the 2WD manufacturer standings, and Honda also their manufacturer win streak in the B-Spec category at the 100 Acre Wood Rally.

The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is the second round of the Rally America National Championship. The next round takes place at the Oregon Trail Rally in Portland, OR on May 3-5th. More information at www.rally-america.com