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Showing posts with label WRC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WRC. Show all posts
MINI 2 Mexico: Chris Wilson for WRC Mexico Rally 2017
WRC MINI gets power increase
Working within the engine's existing homologation, the performance has been improved by increasing the compression ratio and optimising the cam timing and knock control.
Prodrive's race engine team has been working on this development since the beginning of the year. Jason Hill, chief engineer, race engines, said: "We have taken advantage of the latitude within the engine's current homologation to make some significant improvements. While the peak power and torque figures speak for themselves, the area under the power curve is much greater, and this is the most important change as it makes the engine far more responsive and flexible, something drivers will immediately notice."
The engine will be first used in competition by Michal Kosciuszko in his Lotos Team MINI WRC at Rally Portugal next week and is available as an upgrade to all existing MINI WRC and S2000 competitors with the latest specification of car.
www.prodrive.com
WRC: RALLY SWEDEN DAY 4
Jarkko
Nikara, driving his John Deere-supported MINI John Cooper Works WRC, set
three top ten stage times on the final day of Rally Sweden, as he
continued to sweep the road for the following drivers. Indeed it would
have been four top tens, but for stalling off the line on stage 21,
which cost him around ten seconds.
Sweden is only the
Finnish driver's second outing in a World Rally Car, following his
amazing fifth place on his debut at Rally Spain in November. Nikara's
poor road position over the weekend hampered his progress. It was
initially a consequence of missing qualifying after a high speed
accident during free practice, but then he lost 45 minutes in a snow
bank on stage three, meaning he was set to sweep the road for the rest
of the rally. The highlight of his weekend was his third place on stage
12.
Dave Wilcock, Prodrive
WRC Team principal said: "You have to say that Jarkko has driven his
first full snow event in a WRC very well. Despite driving on loose snow
at the front of the field, he has still been able to demonstrate his raw
pace with some excellent splits, while showing maturity to complete all
22 stages. Only the excursion into a snow bank on stage three has cost
him a top ten finish, which in a field of this strength, with so many
full works drivers with so much testing under their belts would have
been quite an achievement. I look forward to seeing him back in the car
for Portugal and hopefully some further events. All he needs is time
behind the wheel to really show his true potential."
Jarkko Nikara said:
"When the roads were clear and icy the car was really fun to drive, but
when there was loose snow on the surface it was much harder for me. I
have definitely improved as the event has gone on and I am pleased with
my speed and I have learnt the car more and more as I only had 70km of
testing before the event. The other guys here have had a lot more time
in their cars and they know these stages much better than me, so I am
pleased with my performance. I am now looking forward to Portugal. I
drove there in 2009 in group N and it is an event I like."
Nikara will compete
for the Prodrive WRC Team at Rally Portugal in April and it is hoped to
add further events including Finland.
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