Atlanta, Michigan. (August 5, 2017) – Maxxis renewed its partnership with Honda Performance Development to continue campaigning the 2015 B-Spec Fit and the 2017 2WD Honda Civic Sport at the third running of the Sno*Drift Summer Rally.  This one-day rally utilized many of the same roads as the first round of Rally America competition earlier in the year. While the roads were familiar, driving them without the usual covering of snow was a first for the team.   

The absence of snow and temperatures in the 70s were not the only changes.  This rally was the first of the year to not provide stage notes or to allow ‘recce.’  This forced competitors to rely heavily on how they could read the road, and much less on the co-driver’s instruction.  With the team’s streak of podiums having continued in the previous round at Rally Colorado, the pressure was on to finish well at Sno*Drift Summer.   

In preparation for the event, the HPD/Maxxis Civic underwent a transmission swap.  Out came the stock CVT and in went a six-speed manual.  “While it is not quite the Type R engine and transmission swap that we have in the work, it will be nice to be able to attack these stages with a true manual transmission,” said driver James Robinson.  

The event kicked off in Lewiston, Michigan, with 31 cars at Parc Expose.  The rally was broken into two separate legs of around 20 stage miles each, split by an unusually long but appreciated 90-minute service. 

 

After the first leg of competition, both the HPD/Maxxis Civic and Fit rolled into service in good shape and in good standing on the time sheets.  “The B-Spec car is having to work very hard in the soft and sandy conditions,” driver Dan McCarron noted at service.  “We’ve gotten the hang of [having] no pace notes and are ready to keep the momentum going into the second leg.”

With no major issues at service for either car, the team set about clearing the sand and rocks from the Civic’s radiator and intercooler.  “We pulled some rocks the size of baseballs out of the inside of the bumper,” detailed crew chief Steven Olona.  At the conclusion of 90-minute service, both cars fueled up and headed out for the final leg of the rally. 

Continuing to show how competitive the Civic platform is, the team of Robinson and Terry Hansen was able to finish second in 2WD, and sixth overall.  “I’m so impressed with how durable this new Civic is,” observed Robinson before the start of the final stages. “Even with the disadvantage of the stock suspension, it’s amazing that we’re able to keep up with the top teams!”

The team of McCarron and Justin Lumbard built on its first-place championship lead by winning in B-Spec, finishing fourth in 2WD, and 15^th overall.  McCarron/Lumbard left Michigan with a 48-point lead in the B-Spec national championship.  “It feels great to come up to Michigan, run a strong race and leave here with points and a car in great shape,” said McCarron afterward. 

Rangely, Colorado. (July 22-23, 2017) – Maxxis renewed its partnership with Honda Performance Development to continue campaigning the 2015 B-Spec Fit developed specifically for Rally competition at the Rally Colorado (RCO), the seventh and eighth rounds of the 2017 Rally America National Championship.  In addition, the veteran Honda rally team would finally be debuting the 2017 Honda Civic Sport hatchback in overall two-wheel drive (2WD) competition. 

This Colorado Rally would serve as the second round for display of the new Civic Sport Rally car.  With a strong finish at the Southern Ohio Forrest Rally, the Maxxis / HPD team was hopeful of maintaining the momentum at the new Colorado Rally.

“It’s awesome to get to work on the brand new Civic platform,” stated James Robinson, Honda engineer and driver for Maxxis/HPD. “Although we’ve had to postpone our plan to utilize the 300-horsepower engine from the new Civic Type R, we are still looking forward to having more horsepower than the Honda CR-Z that we ran at 100 Acre Wood event [earlier in the season].”

The team was still struggling to get an updated suspension for the Civic Rally car, which would leave it at a distinct disadvantage in the rough terrain of Rally Colorado.  “We were hopeful that the rally springs and dampers would arrive in time for the car to be shipped to Colorado,” explained James at Scrutineering.  “Running stock ride heights and soft springs will definitely add some complications to our race.”

The Rally Colorado is set in the rugged, mountainous terrain of western Colorado, making it a beautiful and challenging round in the National Championship. The rough, fast, yet technical roads for the RCO would allow drivers to test their courage while dealing with dangerous exposure and sheer drop-offs. The high altitude offered an additional challenge, sapping power and the concentration of the teams. 

“This is the first time for any of us to run these roads ever,” Robinson explained, “Considering our stock suspension and the new platform that we’ll be testing out, we are very interested in keeping our Civic in one piece, while hopefully keeping some competitiveness with our competition.”

With six stages to contest on the opening day, the new Civic and the B-Spec Fit teams set out to establish a strong pace against the competition.  “The B-Spec cars will have to work very hard to keep their pace in these conditions,” driver Dan McCarron noted at the first service of the day.  “The stages are really challenging, but we’re ready to attack!”

After Stage 3, the new HPD / Maxxis Civic rolled into the first service with no problems.  The veteran team of James Robinson and Brian Penza was playing it safe, balancing speed with care over the rough terrain.  “These stages are incredible!  The backdrop for these roads is second to none, and I’ve never before seen such a wide variety of terrain,” noted Robinson at service.  “We’re trying to push the pace on the smooth sections, and take extreme care in the rough bits to save the car.”

In addition to the B-Spec Fit and the new Civic, the Maxxis CR-Z returned in the hands of 2016 B-Spec National Champion Jordan Guitar.  This would be the second event where the Maxxis / HPD team would field three National Rally cars at the inaugural running of RCO. 

By the end of Day 1, all three cars were running well and trouble free.  “So far, we’re very excited to be here at RCO,” Jordan said during service, “The stages are fantastic, and you can’t beat the scenery!”

Moving into Day 2, the Civic team was making up time against its competitors.  “We’re working hard to get our car on the 2WD podium,” observed Robinson before the start of the final stages, “It’s definitely going to be a race to the finish.”

Unfortunately, for CR-Z team, a hard hit on the skidplate did significant damage to the engine mounts.  “We were really starting to get the hang of the stages here at RCO, but we took a big hit on a jump and it unfortunately forced us to stop so we wouldn’t do further damage to the car!” said Guitar at the second service on Day 2. 

Proving that the new Civic platform will be a contender, the team of Robinson and Penza was able to move the Civic into third place in 2WD and 10^th overall.  “I’m so impressed with how durable this new Civic is,” Robinson observed. “Even with the disadvantage of the stock suspension, it’s amazing that we’re able to keep up with the top teams!”

By the end of Day 2, the Maxxis / Honda team had secured some excellent finishes, taking third in 2WD, 10^th  overall for the new Civic; and first in B-Spec, 16^th overall for the B-Spec Fit. In addition, the CR-Z had finished third in 2WD during the Friday regional event.

“What an amazing event for our team,” said Robinson at the event’s conclusion.  “Even with the DNF from the CR-Z on Day Two, we were able to get three podium finishes!”

Rally Colorado Rally Results:

Car	Driver/Co-Driver	Overall Finish Time	Overall	In Class
Honda Civic	J.Robinson/B.Penza	2:21:08.1	10th	3rd
Honda Fit	D.McCarron/M.Blake	2:40:17.5	16th	1st
Honda CR-Z	J.Guitar/J.Sharps	DNF	DNF	DNF

Look for the THR B-Spec Fit, CR-Z and the new THR Rally Civic throughout the 2017 Rally America Series.

Maxxis renewed its partnership with Honda Performance Development to continue campaigning the 2015 B-Spec Fit developed specifically for Rally competition at the Southern Ohio Forests Rally (SOFR), the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2017 Rally America National Championship.  In addition, the veteran Honda rally team would finally be debuting the 2017 Honda Civic Sport hatchback in overall two-wheel drive (2WD) competition. 

Over the past several years, the Maxxis/HPD Rally Team had already built up an impressive four National Championships in B-Spec, as well as some strong finishes in the 2WD Category.  Leading into 2017 season, the Ohio-based Rally team has begun plans to expand into outright competition in the highly competitive 2WD category. 

The overall plan has been to build a Type R-powered Civic and to work on getting its speed up to a level where the Maxxis team could complete with the fully prepared Ford Fiesta rally cars;  however, this plan became delayed due to the unavailability of certain key powertrain parts. 

“It’s awesome to get to work on the brand new Civic platform,” stated James Robinson, Honda engineer and driver for Maxxis/HPD. “Although we’ve had to postpone our plan to utilize the 300 horsepower engine from the new Civic Type R, we are still looking forward to having more horsepower than the Honda CR-Z that we ran at 100 Acre Wood [earlier in the season].”

An additional complication for the SOFR event was that the team was cutting it very close on the arrival date of key rally equipment – the suspension.  “We were hoping to receive the rally springs and dampers prior to the start of the Rally, but unfortunately, we had to run with what the car with stock parts,” explained James at Scrutineering.  “Running stock ride heights and soft springs will definitely add some complications to our race.”

The Southern Ohio Rally is set in the middle of the picturesque forests of southern Ohio, making it a beautiful and challenging round in the National Championship. The smooth, fast, yet technical roads for the SOFR take advantage of the unique hilly terrain in Ohio. They challenge 2WD competitors to find the best way to keep the cars moving quickly, despite the dangerous and tight nature of the corners. 

“This is the first time for any of us to run these roads ever,” Robinson explained, “Considering our stock suspension and the new platform that we’ll be testing out, we are very interested in running an exploratory Rally, just to get the feel for the car and bring it home in one piece.”

With 15 stages to contest on the opening day, the new Civic and the B-Spec Fit teams set out to establish a strong pace against the competition.  “We’ve got a super tough field here in B-Spec, so we’ll have work hard to get to the top of the podium,” driver Dan McCarron noted at the first service of the day.  “The conditions are fantastic, though, so we’re going to go as fast as we can!”

After Stage 5, the new HPD / Maxxis Civic rolled into the first service with no problems.  The most surprising situation was that, despite the new car and challenging vehicle setup, the veteran team of James Robinson and Brian Penza had moved up to fifth overall and second in 2WD.  “I am entirely shocked at how well this is going!  This is completely a blessing to be where we are, and I think this is a real testament to the drivability and speed of this new Civic,” stated Robinson at service.  “We were actually worried about having any competitiveness at all, but this car is really surprising us with its speed.”

In addition to the B-Spec Fit and the new Civic, the Maxxis CR-Z returned in the hands of 2016 B-Spec National Champion Jordan Guitar.  Quickly coming to terms with the new platform, Guitar and teammate John Sharps were setting competitive times in the 2WD class. 

Unfortunately, for the B-Spec Team of Dan McCarron and Matt Blake, an “off” on Stage Five put the B-Spec Fit on its roof.  “We had a super slow roll on Stage 5, which puts us down quite a ways on the leaderboard,” Dan said during service, “We’re lucky the Fit is so robust, because there is only cosmetic damage to the car and we’re ready to get back after it!”

By the end of Day 1, the Maxxis team had all three team cars running strong.  “We definitely slowed a bit during the night stages,” Robinson stated at the end of Stage 15.   “We’re feeling pretty confident about the Civic, though, and we’ll be ready to push again tomorrow,” he stated.

Moving into Day 2, the B-Spec Fit team was clawing back time against its competitors.  “We’re making time back against the Yaris [driven by the talented Tracey Gardner],” observed McCarron before the start of the final stages, “It’s definitely going to be a race to the finish.”

The new team of Jordan Guitar and John Sharps were keeping the CR-Z quick and consistent all day, as well.  “We’re really starting to get the hang of this car, and we’re going to ramp the pressure up!” said Guitar at the second service on Day 2. 

Proving that the new Civic platform will be a contender, the team of James Robinson and Brian Penza was trading overall fastest times in 2WD with the top teams.  “I’m so impressed with how drivable and easy this new Civic is,” observed Robinson before the start of the final stages. “We’re going to have a really fast car on our hands when we finish the conversion to the Type-R spec!”

By the end of Day 2, the Maxxis / Honda team had secured some excellent finishes, taking second in 2WD, sixth overall for the new Civic; fifth in 2WD, 11^th overall for the CRX; and first in B-Spec, 26^th overall for the B-Spec Fit. “What an amazing event for our team,” said Robinson at the event’s conclusion.  “Not only could we get all cars to the finish, but we were able to also get two of our cars on the National Podium!”

“We had an overall great event,” Robinson said at the awards ceremony. “I’m so impressed with Dan McCarron and Matt Blake, to see them get the B-Spec Fit to first place after rolling!  In addition, I am very grateful to have Jordan Guitar and John Sharps back in Rally [competition].  I’m very much looking forward to the next round and hopefully, driving our Civic with a lot more horsepower!” 

Southern Ohio Forests Rally Results:

Car	Driver/Co-Driver	Overall Finish Time	Overall	In Class
Honda Civic	J.Robinson/B.Penza	2:18:9.4	6th	2nd
Honda CRZ	J.Guitar/J.Sharps	2:27:59.3	11th	5th
Honda Fit	D.McCarron/M.Blake	2:48:30.0	26th	1st

Look for the THR B-Spec Fit, CR-Z and the new THR Rally Civic throughout the 2017 Rally America Series.