Moving into the final National Championship round, the
B-Spec Fit was already assured of the Manufacturers’ Championship, based on its
strong finishes through Round Six. With
the B-Spec drivers’ and co-drivers’ championships also locked up over the
second-place Toyota team, LSPR would promise to be an exciting, albeit somewhat
relaxing, event to finish the 2013 season.
“We wanted to come to LSPR to finish the season strong, and
also extend a chance to have the President of Rally America co-drive for us,”
said Honda B-Spec Rally driver James Robinson at the beginning of the two-day
event. “It’s important for everyone to experience Rallying, and we couldn’t
have had a better championship situation to allow us to bring in a guest
co-driver.”
With nine stages to contest on Day One, the Fit set off with
the new team of James Robinson and Bill Fogg Sr. “Our goal for this event is to give Bill a
chance to see Rallying from a new perspective, and to also have a great time!”
James said. The full THR crew came to
support the last-round effort, so there was plenty of support to keep the
B-Spec Fit running strong.
By Stage 4, The Fit was running clean, with no issues. “Bill is really picking up the notes quickly
and I’m gaining more confidence to push the pace a bit!” stated James at the
first major service of the day. “At this
rate, we might be able to give the B-Spec Toyota Yaris a good fight this
weekend. I’d love to help Bill finish his
first race, and get him his first win, as well.”
By the end of Day 1, the new team of James and Bill had
worked up a five-minute gap over the B-Spec Toyota and had finished the day
with no road points or mechanical issues with the car. “This is really an incredible result for
someone who has never co-driven before,” said James at the finish of the first
day. “Not only has Bill gotten better on
each stage, but we’re now building up a good lead over the Toyota.”
Starting Day 2, the B-Spec Fit cleaned up and readied for
the last eight stages of LSPR. Having
had no issues a day earlier, the team elected to make no changes to its
setup. “We really have no issues to
address and our main focus is to keep our lead in B-Spec and stay on the road,”
James said at Parc Expose. “The course
was pretty slippery yesterday; we’re hopeful that the sun stays out and we get
a few dry stages.”
Despite a wild weather mix of sun, rain, and sleet, the
B-Spec Fit continued to gain speed and confidence. “I think we’re both having a great time
today, and it’s a good opportunity for us to yet again showcase the reliability
and adaptability of the Honda Fit,” Robinson said at the second service of the
day.
By the final stage, the B-Spec Fit had built up a solid
10-minute lead over the second place B-Spec Toyota. “Bill has helped us to keep our pace up over
the last eight stages, and this puts us in a great place for wrapping up the
2013 season,” Robinson noted.
At the end of the LSPR event, the Fit had finished first in
B-Spec, sixth in 2WD, and 15th overall. “We couldn’t have asked for a better finish
to the event, or to the season,” said an elated James at the finish. “With the strong result today, we were not
only able to win the B-Spec Manufacturers’ Championship, but also the
Drivers/Co-Drivers Championship, and finish fourth overall in the
two-wheel-drive category!”
Look for the THR B-Spec Fit to defend its title next year in
the 2014 Rally America B-Spec Championship
About Rally America:
Based in Williston, VT, Rally America, Inc. sanctions the Rally America National Championship, which consists of at least seven national-level events located at a variety of venues across the country, from Portland, Oregon to Newry, Maine. Top competitors in the Rally America National Championship reach speeds of well over 100 miles per hour, driving highly modified street cars such as Mitsubishi Evolutions, Subaru WRX STIs, Ford Fiestas and Scion XDs on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt, ice or snow. For more information regarding Rally America’s National Championship or the sport of performance rally, visit www.rally-america.com
Based in Williston, VT, Rally America, Inc. sanctions the Rally America National Championship, which consists of at least seven national-level events located at a variety of venues across the country, from Portland, Oregon to Newry, Maine. Top competitors in the Rally America National Championship reach speeds of well over 100 miles per hour, driving highly modified street cars such as Mitsubishi Evolutions, Subaru WRX STIs, Ford Fiestas and Scion XDs on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt, ice or snow. For more information regarding Rally America’s National Championship or the sport of performance rally, visit www.rally-america.com
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