Throwdown Showdown: Rally of the Tall Pines 2008

Posted on 21. Nov, 2008 by Dean in Tall Pines 2008

The stage is set for the final round of
the Canadian Rally Championship – the Rally of the Tall Pines. The
teams have been out on their recce passes and are due into the
service area any moment. Cold temperatures in the Bancroft, Ontario
area mean that roads are frozen, some consisting of frozen gravel,
others covered in ice and snow. The 2008 edition of Tall Pines is
living up to its reputation of a rally with winter roads and summer
ditches!

“I think there will lots of crashes
tomorrow,” offered John Vanos, sixth on the road at the start
tomorrow. “the forest stages are all snow covered and after a
couple of passes, they'll be all ice.”

“It will be tricky for tire choice,”
explained Antoine L'Estage. “Conditions are always changing, some
gravel, some ice and snow, so your driving always has to change.”

Light snow outside has given way to
sunshine and clear conditions. The current weather conditions are
expected to hold tomorrow, but the sun won't be enough to raise temps
above a forecasted five degrees below zero. This will keep the road
surface hard, and perhaps help to ease the usual uncertainty of tire
choice at this landmark event.

While the Canadian Rally Championship
was won at the Pacific Forest Rally last month by Pat Richard and
Alan Ockwell of Subaru Canada, the North American Rally Cup is coming
down to the wire here at Tall Pines. Ken Block and Antoine L'Estage
are neck and neck in the points standings for the North American
Rally Cup and will be battling tomorrow not only for a top result
here, but also the North American title.

“Antoine has done really well at Tall
Pines, and I have only ever failed,” said Ken Block of the Subaru
Rally Team USA. Block has done over fifty rallies over the last few
years, and is well aware of the challenges this rally presents. “Tall
Pines is probably the most technical rally in North America.” With
over forty competitors due to start tomorrow, teams will all discover
how technical this rally is.

Before drivers left for recce today,
CARS representatives made some unofficial announcements. Next year,
crews will be required to use SFI/FIA rated seats and seat belts in
their cars. Each will be date checked, and this will also mean no OEM
seats will be allowed. To increase safety further, use of a HANS
device will be mandatory. Door numbers will also be changed to a
smaller horizontal format, much like the ones used in the WRC.

In addition, the Canadian Rally
Championship will be getting more exposure. The entire 2008 and 2009
Canadian seasons have been picked up by a European motorsport program
and will be aired throughout Europe.

Finally, beginning next year, the
Production One, Two and Three classes will be merged into one, and
there will be the addition of a Two Wheel Drive championship.

Flatovercrest.com is live from Bancroft
with all the news from the 2008 Rally of the Tall Pines. We'll be
bringing you all the news from this years event, as it happens!