X Games 13 Rally Coverage

[Ed note: Our correspondent on the ground leading up to this year's X Games Rally is rally co-driver and CBC reporter, Catherine Woods.  Andrew Harvey will be on the scene on the weekend, and I'll be back here posting news and updates throughout the event. You'll also notice the new look to FOC. With so many backend database problems with the old system, we are developing a new site and you can expect to see several revisions and changes...here's our first update from Catherine.]

by Catherine Woods

After two flights from Ottawa, Canada, I have finally arrived in beautiful Los Angeles, California. Palm trees everywhere, sunny skies and beaches fill the view from my car window. As you arrive at the Home Depot Center, all you can see is team rigs taking up most of the parking lot! Once again, the Home Depot Center is home to this year’s rally car racing event, but things are a little different than last year. There are no stages outside of LA. For 2007, there is one Super Special Stage in the HDC on tarmac and dirt/sand highlighted by the mega jump! The way the rules work is also different than a normal rally. It’s head to head competition, one car against another. Who races against who, you ask? Simple. The three X Games 12 medalists get a bye into the quarterfinals, including Pastrana, McRae, Block, and this year’s Rally America points leader, Andrew Pinker. The other 8 competitors will have to qualify to make it to the quarterfinals. That means, ACP, Iorio, Foust, Lagemman, Moro, Said, Choiniere and L’Estage. If you win your race, you advance and if you don’t, it’s over.

The event takes place this Sunday 4:30 pm Eastern time, live on ABC. Competitors have already been here since Saturday practicing the infamous jump about two hours outside of LA. Today, the 12 rally cars have reunited in the Home Depot Center to practice the tarmac sections of the Super Special. They will be practicing from noon until 2 pm, hoping to tweak their cars for the tarmac which makes up about 80% of the stage.