July 2017
Maloigne takes solid victory in Kerlabo, Scott finishes fifth on rallycross return
Kerlabo, France – 31 July 2017: Philippe Maloigne took a solid win in round five of Rallycross France in Kerlabo on Sunday, powering his SamShield-backed Albatec Peugeot 208 RX to a 1.3 second advantage over Jonathan Pailler. The Frenchman was never out of the top three across the four qualifying heats, including outright victory in Q3 on Sunday.
Second in his semi-final put him on row two for the Final and despite a sudden downpour just before the start, a controlled drive over the seven-lap race earnt him his third French RX win and first of 2017.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017, Rallycross of Kerlabo enjoyed a 22-strong Supercar entry, that included the return of Dumfries racer and Albatec Team Principal Andy Scott. After a year away, Andy returned to Kerlabo looking for a solid result, and delivered the goods, leaving France with fifth place in the ultra-competitive championship.
Consistent lap times across the heats kept him in the hunt for a place in the Final from the off, but a heavy hit in Q4 compromised his overall position. As a result, he started his semi-final from the back row, but he made it through to the final, where a determined drive from the double British RX vice-champion netted fifth.
Rallycross France now enjoys a summer break and resumes in Pont de Ruan over the weekend of 26&27 August.
Andy Scott, Driver and Team Principal Albatec Racing:
“It’s great to be racing in rallycross again. Although I’m a little disappointed with the result, I’m happy with my pace as I was consistently setting top times all weekend. The first three races were pretty uneventful, but I was looking good for a win in Q4, leading into the second corner until I took a heavy hit.
“That dropped me down the order, and onto the back row for the semi-final, which isn’t great at Kerlabo as everyone funnels into the first corner, so a good start in necessary. After a year away fifth is a good result; the speed we had across the races meant we could have been in a podium position had we been able to start higher up the grid. Overall it was a positive weekend. Philippe did a great job all weekend, consistently at the front across both days he kept his pace in every race, and I’m very happy for him.”
Philippe Maloigne, Driver Albatec Racing:
“I’m very happy to win in Kerlabo, thank you to the entire Albatec team who did an incredible job. We had good pace all weekend, the opening race was straightforward, but I made a small mistake after the joker lap in Q2 which cost me some time, but I still managed third fastest. Taking the overall win on Sunday morning was a good start to the day, but in Q4 I had some contact that damaged the steering.
“For the final, it started to rain just before the start, so we changed to rain tyres, and a good joker strategy and the hard work of the mechanics, allowed us to take our first win of the year.”
Marc Scott wins on Mondello RX150 return
Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — 27 July 2017: Marc Scott made a welcome return to the top step of the RX150 podium, with a dominant performance in round four of the Toyo Tires British Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park, Ireland on Saturday.
Saturday’s activities were run in an anti-clockwise direction, and saw Marc off to a great start aboard his Albatec Racing-run, Atlas ICT-sponsored buggy with a strong pace in practice before heading into the first of three heats. Lining up seventh, the Dumfries racer was up to second by lap two, but spun on the last corner before the finish straight and finished fifth.
Heat two was where it all came good for the double champion, moving up from seventh at the start into second on the opening lap, chasing down defending champion Chrissy Palmer. Marc’s experience came into play, with a superb pass around the outside of the long right hander to take the position, and he went on to win by just over a second.
Another seventh place start in the final qualifying heat again saw a masterclass in RX150 racing, taking an early lead which he held to the finish. His results put him second for the Final, when he got the drop at the lights to lead into turn one. Despite slight contact at the first corner, Marc held on to the position, put in some quick laps to extend his lead, and took the outright win on only his second race back racing.
Sunday’s round five started well, lining up fifth for the first heat, a lights to flag battle with Kirk Langley saw Marc finish second to kick-start his day. Lining up on pole for heat two gave him the advantage from the off, he led from start to finish and set the fastest time of the day.
The third and final heat put Marc seventh, but a good start saw him up near the front into turn one. Unfortunately, he ran wide on the exit of the loose surface, and tangled with Brett Harris who in turn made contact with Jake Taylor, with all three off into the barriers. The resultant front-end damage brought Marc’s hopes of a second successive win to a premature end.
Marc will resume his bid for victory in round six at Lydden Hill, Kent on August Bank Holiday Monday 28 August.
Marc Scott, Driver Albatec Racing:
“Overall, I’m extremely happy with how my pace was in Mondello Park, I felt comfortable and confident in the setup of the buggy and the track conditions really suited my driving style. It felt so good to put the buggy back on the top step again after such a time out.
“Having my family there to share it with me made the experience even more rewarding. I’m obviously disappointed of the outcome from Sunday’s crash but have been around long enough to know that’s just how it goes. I now have a lot of work to do to be out fighting for the first place honours at Lydden Hill in just over a month’s time.”
Andy Scott returns to French RX action joining Maloigne in Kerlabo
Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — 26 July 2017: Andy Scott will return to the wheel of his Motis/Rock Oil-backed Peugeot 208 RX Supercar in round five of Rallycross France at Kerlabo this weekend (29&30 July). The former double British vice-champion, and Albatec Team Principal will join series regular, Philippe Maloigne for his first rallycross event of 2017.
Andy had his first competitive outing in Rally Barbados last month, but now returns to rallycross action after 12 months out of the driving seat. His appearance marks his second outing at Kerlabo, having made the trip alongside Philippe last season, where after a strong start, substantial damage sustained following contact in Q2 ended his weekend.
Philippe has been consistently fast across the previous four rounds, setting a scintillating pace in his SamShield-backed Peugeot 208, and claiming the lap record last time out in Lavaré. Now with the benefit of two, two litre, 16v Peugeot 208s under the Albatec awning, hopes are high of leaving the event with a doubly solid result.
This weekend’s event will see another quality field, with Jean-Luc Pailler joining the entry amid a strong Supercar contingent that also includes Fabien Pailler, Florent Beduneau, Jonathan Pailler and Guerlain Chicherit.
Practice gets underway at 09.45 on Saturday, followed by the first two qualifying races at 13.30. Sunday’s track action resumes with warm-up at 08.00, and the final qualifying races at 09.00 and 12.00, followed by the semi-finals and Final from 13.45. All times CEST.
Andy Scott, Team Principal Albatec Racing:
“I’m very excited about returning to rallycross action this weekend. It seems such a long time since I was behind the wheel of the Peugeot 208, and Kerlabo is the perfect place to do it. Last year we started well, with a very strong performance in Q1. However, accident damage in Q2 ended our weekend prematurely so I have a lot to prove this weekend.
“Philippe has had a good start to the season, his consistent and fast pace across the earlier rounds shows that the hard work we’ve done across the winter, and pre-season testing has really paid off. I’m looking forward to working with him again in Kerlabo, where hopefully we can convert the pace into results.”
Philippe Maloigne, Driver Albatec Racing:
“Kerlabo is a track I love; it’s fast and deserves to be at International level. We had good speed there last year, I just missed the podium when I took my joker on the first lap but unfortunately the others didn’t take theirs on the second, which was unexpected. I think we could have had at least a podium and now the car is even faster so it should certainly be possible this year.
“I’m really excited to have Andy back in the team in Kerlabo too, it’s always interesting to have another driver within the team to compare data, times, video and to pool resources. It will be interesting for him to be there on a personal level too, as he’s got a lot of experience in the car which can only be good for the whole team.”
Albatec and Maloigne set record-breaking pace at Lavaré French RX
Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — 14 July 2017: Philippe Maloigne finished seventh in the latest round of Rallycross France, and left the event with the outright fastest lap and fifth place in the overall standings. The Albatec racer powered his 600bhp Peugeot 208 RX Supercar to the fastest lap in practice and warm-up, and twice in the qualifying heats, and ended the day with the track record to his credit.
Heading into the event at Lavaré the SamShield-backed racer was on perfect form in Saturday practice, steering the two-litre, 16v Peugeot to the top of the times sheets and giving the former motocross racer an early psychological advantage over his rivals.
Lining up for Q1, the Frenchman showed the form that twice netted outright victory in 2016, setting an even faster race lap on his way to third overall. His pace continued into the second qualifying race with the third fastest lap, although excessive dust caused visibility issues, leaving him sixth overall.
Sunday morning warm-up again saw Philippe on top and was immediately followed by Q3, where he started from pole position. Despite a small mistake he went on to take the win, the fifth fastest overall lap time, to lie fourth overall.
The fourth and final qualifying race proved difficult for the Albatec racer, but also saw a recovery that matched his determination. Starting on new tyres, Phillippe was pushing for another race win, however a first lap incident pushed him off the track and down the order. Re-joining the track, he fought back to set the fastest lap each lap, culminating in the outright lap record on lap three with a 43.019sec lap. His combined results kept him easily within the top 12 qualifying positions.
Starting from row two for his semi-final, the newly watered track threw up its own challenges, including a lot of contact as the cars scrabbled for grip. Fourth position ensured a place in the Final, but once again it meant he would start from the back and with a monumental task ahead.
As the lights went, Philippe made a good start, but a car ahead suddenly suffered gearbox problems and stopped on the straight right in front of Philippe, leaving the Albatec driver nowhere to go. The subsequent contact caused damage to the front of the #4 Peugeot and hampered Philippe’s progress, as he struggled on to finish seventh.
Andy Scott, Team Principal Albatec Racing:
“Philippe once again showed incredible speed across the whole weekend. We have the car exactly right, with set-up and strategy, we now need just a little luck so he can convert the pace and reliability into the results we know he’s capable of.”
Philippe Maloigne, Driver Albatec Racing:
“After practice I was very happy, and feeling confident going into the races. The track is an evolution of the old one, it’s much faster and our set-up and performance was very good. Across the first three qualifying races we had a number of small problems, like the dust in Q2 and a mistake in Q3, but I really should have won the fourth. We’d saved the tyres for that but I just couldn’t avoid hitting the car that stopped in front of me, which compromised my whole weekend.
“To come away with the fastest lap is some consolation, but we really could have been fighting at the front in the semi and the Final. Over the weekend we were really fast and competitive so of course it’s disappointing as we had the capacity to win and didn’t deserve the result we left with. It just makes me more determined to get back onto the podium in the next race.”
Albatec pace nets race wins and fast lap times in Höljes
Höljes, Sweden — 3 July 2017: After a stunning performance across qualifying in Sweden by both Tommy Rustad and Jere Kalliokoski this weekend, hopes were high of both Albatec Peugeots reaching the Final in round three of the FIA European Rallycross Championship. Jere on his first race weekend at Höljes was impressive, three race wins from four, put him seventh in the intermediate standings, which guaranteed a second successive semi-final appearance.
Former Euro RX champion Tommy was on equally strong form. Two wins and a third kept him easily in the top 12 qualifiers across the four heats, but a big crash on the opening lap of his semi-final ended his weekend, but he leaves Sweden third in the championship.
The event got off to a great start with both winning their Q1 races at the event dubbed the ‘Magic Weekend’. Up in race two Tommy got a decent start to lie second into turn one, with an excellent move for the lead on lap two which he held to the flag. A great start for Jere in his race from pole, put him into the lead and he cruised to race victory.
Q2 promised much of the same; a second win in a row for Jere kept him in the hunt for a semi-final position, but disaster for Tommy saw him suffer a spin and drop to 17th in the heat, but after two races they were placed P5 and P8 in the overnight standings.
Sunday morning’s Q3 saw Tommy return to the winner’s enclosure, a seven second winning margin putting him third in the heat and back up to fifth in the intermediate standings. For Jere, a broken spark plug meant he was unable to challenge for the race win, but a quick race time kept him sixth overall after three races.
The day’s final qualifying races had Jere up first, and a controlled, mature drive from P4 gave him the immediate lead into turn one. A late joker worked perfectly, as he went on to record his third race win, and hold seventh overall. A challenging Q4 for Tommy from the middle of the grid saw him squeezed out on the straight, and a fierce battle for the lead on lap two ultimately went the way of Robin Larsson, as Tommy fought on to claim the second fastest overall time, and maintain fifth in the intermediate standings.
With both Peugeot 208s through to the semis for the second race in succession, it was Jere up first and with a good start he was up into third into turn one. Despite his best efforts he was unable to get on terms with the top three, and eventually finished fifth, just outside the qualifying positions.
For Tommy, a front row start allowed him to get a good start, however a crash at turn one on the opening lap caused extensive damage to the HTB Racing-backed #24 Peugeot and ended his chances of progressing. Despite the result, the team come away from Sweden boosted by competitive lap times and a strong performance across the weekend, and more determined than ever to take victory in the next round of Euro RX at Lohéac, France on 1-3 September.
Andy Scott, Team Principal Albatec Racing:
“Obviously it ended up as a disappointing weekend, results wise, but as predicted Jere really lifted his game and had the pace to go comfortably into the semi-finals and fight for a place in the Final. I’m sure it’s not going to be long before he’s in the Final which is some good, positive news. Hopefully Jere’s confidence is growing all the time and I’m certain he’s going to deliver some stunning results before the end of the year.
“Tommy has had a mixed weekend, with a small mistake in Q2 which put him down the times, but he fought back as we know he could, and set some really good lap times including second fastest in Q4 which gave him a front row start for his semi. Unfortunately, as quite often happens in rallycross there was a little too much contact in the first two corners and Tommy came off worse. We have a lot of damage on the car, and I’m disappointed that neither of our drivers reached the Final but on the positive side, we have two cars that are on the pace, two drivers that are on the pace and we’ll come back stronger in Lohéac.”
Tommy Rustad, Driver Albatec Racing:
“I wasn’t too happy with the balance of the car in practice, but the team made some changes and for Q1 it was very good. I was in an earlier heat and the track got better but I was satisfied with the race win and fifth overall. I made a good start in Q2 and was pushing hard, I went to the joker but slid into the barrier and spun dropping from a possible top five position to 17th. In the final qualifying race, I managed to get second off the start chasing [Robin] Larsson, we swapped places a couple of times and I finished just behind him with the second fastest time which was a good result.
“I’m disappointed with the semi-final. I made a good start from the front row but had to back off behind Larsson but then got hit by [Anton] Marklund which spun me round, then I was hit by [Magda] Andersson. I’m disappointed not only because we definitely had the speed to be on the podium, but also with the decision not to take any action against Marklund. However, there are lots of positive going forward and we had great speed this weekend. I’m now really determined to get back on the podium in Lohéac.”
Jere Kalliokoski, Driver Albatec Racing:
“Yesterday we started our weekend with two really good results, two wins and two strong overall positions which put me fifth overall, which I was very happy with. In Q3 we had a broken spark plug and I could only manage the 14th fastest time, but I was still comfortably in a qualifying position.
“Q4 was another strong race, and I was very pleased to reach the semi-finals for the second successive race. In the semi, I made a decent start and jokered on the first lap. I was confident that I’d be able to reach the Final but the speed wasn’t really there, so this time I couldn’t do it. But after reaching the semi-finals two races in succession, I’m more determined than ever to make that the aim in Lohéac.”