Flatovercrest.com - North American Rally News: Perce Neige Preview

The start of the 2008 Canadian Rally Championship is almost upon us, and already the season looks to be very exciting. New sponsors have stepped on board and in so doing have encouraged the reappearance of some familiar names. All of this energy and excitement will come together in just under a week for the snowy season opener, the Rallye Perce Neige in Maniwaki, Quebec.

Located north of Hull, Maniwaki has played host to Canadian rallyists for over forty years. The only true winter event on the calendar, the rally starts off with some in town stages for easy spectating before moving west into the forest and park land for the longer stages. Locals are reporting perfect rally conditions - big snowbanks and cold conditions.

Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard are looking for a win to open their season. The pair have claimed back to back Canadian Rally Champion titles and with backing from Hyundai, are one of the fastest and most experienced crews in the series. "We've won the championship for the past two years and everyone wants to take that from us. We're going to have to work hard to win again this year." Antoine kicked off his season with a surprise win at the Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan, after Travis Pastrana hit a deer.

One team looking to stake a claim on the championship title is Andrew Comrie-Picard and co-driver Marc Goldfarb. The two have campaigned together in both Canada and the United States and were the winners at last year’s Rallye Perce Neige. "It's a very exciting time in Canada right now," said Comrie-Picard. "Mitsubishi's entry into the series has brought out a lot of new cars and the competition in 2008 is going to be incredible." Andrew is also fresh from a second place finish at the Sno*Drift Rally, the first in the Rally America series.

After dissolving their team in 2004, Subaru Canada has returned with a strengthened Contingency program, and a new rally team. To head up their efforts for the title, Subaru have called on former team driver Pat Richard, two-time Rally America Champion and two-time Canadian Rally Champion. Richard will be at Perce Neige with a new co-driver, Alan Ockwell, and the two will appear in a freshly-prepared 2007 Subaru STI. The new 2008 STI models arrived at Rocket Rally recently, and will be built in time for the Rocky Mountain Rally in May. With a win at Perce Neige, Richard would be the first driver in nearly twenty years to take top honours three times at this event. The only other driver who could claim the same is Sylvain Erickson.

Sylvain Erickson and co-driving daughter Chloe Erickson will be returning to competition, with a completely rebuilt Subaru Impreza STI. Most of the parts from the ex-Thomson car were removed for a rebuild when a disastrous fire struck Sylvain’s business and shop. The shell was spared, however, and the car currently has a stock STI setup that will not have the power of the more developed cars. Known for his speed at this event, Sylvain said that for him to win he will need to be really aggressive. “People say you don’t need the power on snow, but you do! In the snow on the long stages, you need the power for fifth and sixth gear.” Sylvain is known for almost god like abilities when driving on ice and snow, and will be a crowd favourite.

2005 Canadian Rally Champion Peter Thomson is looking at running a nearly full season this year, after almost a two year hiatus. “I’ll probably go as far west as Calgary this year,” commented Thomson. The contingency plans announced by Subaru and Mitsubishi this year are expected to bring out a bigger field.

Keep an eye out for Mathieu L’Estage, brother to current champion Antoine. Mathieu purchased a Mitsubishi EVO VI in the off season after a strong day of testing. “At the beginning of the test day, it was a bit difficult but at the end of the day, the split times were very good in comparison with Antoine. After a few rallies, it should be interesting.” Known for campaigning an older Subaru, this has been a big step up for Mathieu. “It is a complete different kind of car than all the rally cars I drove before. It's a real open class car with impressive power and torque.” Mathieu also has a keen desire to show his brother what he can do!

Also in the mix are drivers like Martin Gauvin, Bruno Carre, Jon Nichols and Craig Henderson who are sure to put in a solid charge, showing their ever-increasing speed. In Group 2, Sergei Grishechkin and Eric Grochowski will be dueling in a pair of Volkswagen Golfs. Grochowski and co-driver, Leanne Junnila, are making the long tow from Alberta for this event. Also hailing from the Western provinces are the Zedril brothers from Winnipeg who will be gunning for another North American P3 championship in 2008.

The Rallye Perce Neige is a test of driver skill and endurance with long stages running into the night, and grip that can disappear without warning. Even the best can get caught out at this event, as proven by Antoine L’Estage and Sylvain Erickson last year. If the past is anything to go by, many teams will finish their rally sitting on a snow bank next to a stuck car and dashed dreams, while the winners will bide their time and wait for the right moment to attack. It's a new season, a fresh start, and another Canadian Rally Championship up for grabs!