Introducing The X Games 16 "Rally Car Racing" Line-Up
Thursday, July 29, 2010
 By Aaron Pierce.
As ESPN’s Summer X Games 16 approaches, the athletes invited for “Rally Car Racing” have begun gearing up for their competition. This year’s invited “Rally Car Racing” list of drivers is a combination of new and returning X Games competitors and Rally America has assembled driver introductions to get you caught up with this season’s top stories.
Some are new faces, some are grizzled veterans of the action sports world who have turned to rally in recent years, and some come from halfway around the world who have cut their teeth in other disciplines of motorsports. Some are known for their international competition or videos on the Internet while some are known by their local towns and friends through their grassroots efforts. Regardless, all of the invited drivers are at the top of their class and will be competing on the biggest rally stage in North America – X Games 16.
Due to the popularity of “Rally Car Racing” over the past four years at X Games, ESPN has added a new segment called “SuperRally”. In “SuperRally”, cars will race wheel-to-wheel against one another, versus “Rally Car Racing” where the cars race on separate lanes on the same course. The majority of the drivers below will be competing in “Rally Car Racing”, but the ones who are competing in both disciplines give us a hint as to what to expect in “SuperRally” competition.
Bill Bacon, North Chelmsford, MA –
A privateer rally car racer from Nashua, NH, Bacon has been competing in the Rally America National Championship Series for a number of years. However, 2010 was the first year he was able to contest the entire series. In previous years he was invited to the X Games, but was forced to decline the invitations to avoid the costs of transporting his rally car and team cross-country in a short amount of time.
“This year has been very difficult for us running without a sponsor” stated Bacon recently, “My wife and I actually have gone as far as selling our house and downsizing to an older, smaller home. I hope that puts into perspective the level of commitment we are operating at.”.
By profession, Bacon is a full-time firefighter who does garage door repairs on the side to help support his rally effort, and whose service crew consists of his family members and a friend or two. Despite a lack of funding, Bacon amazingly rallied his way into second place overall in the 2010 Rally America National Championship standings!
“The car is kept in a small garage behind my father’s house. It’s really like a Norman Rockwell painting. My wife is always there for moral support and any other help she can be. Washing stuff, sending out emails, handing us wrenches or other tools, etc. From time to time my mother will come out and question what some new charge is on her credit card. Of course it was for some part for the car that I didn’t have the cash for and my father just said ‘get it, put it on the card!'. As it would turn out, that’s how most of the car has been built. The title is in my name but I could never call it "my" car. It’s "our" car.”
Andrew Comrie-Picard (ACP), Hermosa Beach, CA –
A driver who has been a regular on the Rally America circuit for several years now and has become a familiar X Games athlete made a big splash when he flipped his NOS Energy-backed Mitsubishi EVO end-over-end landing a jump at X Games 13 (www.youtube.com/watch ACP, as he’s commonly known, has expanded his motorsport repertoire this past year to include a stint in the Formula Drift Series and in select European Rallycross events alongside fellow rally car driver Tanner Foust.
“The wheel-to-wheel Rallycross experience in Europe is absolute gold. And will help us get to the (X Games) gold,” said ACP. When asked about what X Games means to him, “It’s the crown jewel of our race year. Challenge, fear, excellence, it’s the best moments and the worst moments of our lives.”
ACP has a new approach to the X Games this year, “Actually I'm planning just to relax and enjoy it. Seems to be working - we had more fun at Oregon and won it, then just had a ball at Pikes Peak and broke the qualifying record. Just chilling is the answer.”
Ken Block, Rancho Santa Fe, CA –
The co-founder of DC Shoes and online Gymkhana sensation with his numerous YouTube videos, Ken Block has turned himself into one of America’s best know icons in Rally. 2010 was his first year with his new Monster World Rally Team driving a 2010 Ford Fiesta.
"I think compared to a lot of my competitors going to X Games, I probably have the most seat time and testing compared to any of the new cars being brought to this year’s event. I'm very confident that I have a great set-up in the new car and I've been working really hard on that. I know exactly what I'm going do in the Fiesta to get it finished for this big X Games race. I'm really excited. The Fiesta has performed exceptionally well for me this year and I'm looking forward to taking down Kenny [Brack] and Tanner [Foust]."
This will be Block’s first X Games with the Fiesta, last year he competed against the Fiesta when he was a part of Subaru Rally Team USA – this year, he’ll be competing against former teammates Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra.
Ken will be one of the few drivers who will be competing in both “Rally Car Racing” and the new “SuperRally” format. “I’m just stoked that there are actually two events this year as compared to one event in past years. X Games has been very happy with the exposure and popularity that rally has had and for them to actually add a second event when they’re dropping other sports is a really positive thing.”
 Travis Hanson, Littleton, NH –
Finishing fourth overall in the 2010 Rally America National Championsip Super Production Class after a strong start of the season, Hanson looks to redeem himself at X Games 16. He makes his second X Games appearance since 2008 where he faced heavy favorite, Niall McShea, a champion rally driver from Ireland, and beat him when McShea crashed his Subaru in a corner reentering the Home Depot Center stadium.
“The biggest upset in X Games rally car racing history came at X Games 14 when Travis beat Niall McShea in their preliminary match up. I expect nothing less from Travis at X Games 16,” said J.B. Niday, Rally America’s Managing Director.
“As a privateer it’s always a goal of mine to pick off a factory driver and there are lots of them to choose from this year. I just don’t know which one it will be!” said Hanson as he prepared his Subaru WRX STI from the Team O’Neil Rally School in Dalton, NH where he works part-time as a driving instructor.
Hanson competes with a family/grassroots based team; in fact his father, Terry, is his co-driver and has competed in each of the six Rally America national Championship events with him this year. Hanson calls both Michigan and New Hampshire home, splitting his time between both states. He has competed the entire 2010 Rally America National Championship series for the first time this year; however he’s done it with no sponsorship support at all. Fans have come to know his car as “that white Subaru” due to its lack of names or major sponsorship stickers on the car.
Travis Pastrana, Davidsonville, MD –
Another of the founding fathers of “Rally Car Racing” at the X Games, 26-year old Pastrana has been an icon in the action sports world for more than a decade, most notably known for his Moto X exploits. In recent years though, he has dominated the Rally America National Championship winning the overall title for the past four years in a row! This year however, he was absent from two rally events as he had to work on his popular Nitro Circus television show in Australia and ended up in 3rd place overall in the Rally America National Championship standings – thus breaking his streak of four consecutive Rally America National Championships.
In his brief career as a professional rally car driver which started with Rookie of the Year honors in 2005, Pastrana has won 19 rallies outright and has stood on the podium 36 times. Pastrana has medaled in “Rally Car Racing” each of the past four years that X Games has hosted it. There’s no questions that Pastrana is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to X Games competition so we should see him going for Gold again this year after a devastating loss to the 1999 Indy 500 winner, Kenny Brack, last year when he wrecked his Subaru WRX STI just before the finish line. Travis will certainly be a man on a mission at X Games 16 this year. Be sure to look for him to focus that competitive edge he’s known for in the “SuperRally” competition as well!
Kenny Brack, Arvika, Sweden –
Last year’s X Games gold medal winner in “Rally Car Racing” in just his first year, Brack is a seasoned professional racecar driver who has been immortalized on the Borg-Warner trophy after winning the 1999 Indianapolis 500. Brack was a surprise winner at X Games 15 last year outdriving all of the other rally drivers, including Travis Pastrana, in a gold medal shootout driving an MSE-prepared Ford Fiesta from Sweden. Because of his success last year, Ford has decided to bring him back again this year to compete in the new 2011 Fiesta in both “Rally Car Racing” and the new “SuperRally” program.
Brack has been mostly retired from racing in recent years following a wreck in an Indy Car that nearly cost him his life. Brack’s Indy car went airborne at over 200mph at Texas Motor Speedway and got caught up in a catch-fence, tearing itself apart and in the process, breaking most of the vital bones in his body. The car recorded 214 G’s, the highest G-load ever recorded since instruments have been able to record gravitational forces on cars.
“I think that rallying in North America is a relatively new sport, compared for example in Europe. I think that X Games is one of the biggest sporting events in the States. I mean they’ve got a huge audience and a lot of fans on site. Like Ken Block was saying, if they decided to put two rally racing events in, then that means their audience is liking it. So let’s hope they still like it after they see ‘SuperRally.’”
Brack not only races cars, but he’s also an accomplished musician. His work can be found on brackmusic.com/ as well as myspace.com/bracklive. Brack was also invited to play his guitar with the Late Show Band on the David Letterman television show.
“I think it will be a serious possibility that the Ford Fiesta can win again,” said Brack about his car. He and the rest of the Ford team drivers are fairly confident that they can beat the competition at X Games this year – only time will tell.
Tanner Foust, Laguna Beach, CA –
One of Ford’s Fiesta team drivers, Foust possesses an amazing background as a driver and is a favorite to win at X Games 16. His resume’ is extremely varied and includes Formula Drift championships in 2007 and 2008, two trips to the Race of Champions in Europe where he represented the USA, the legendary Pikes Peak Hill Climb, open wheel racing, five ice racing championships, a Production Rally championship, the SCORE Baja race, and numerous class records at various tracks around the country in Time Attack competitions. He’s a talented stunt driver, performing in such films as, Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift; Bourne Ultimatum; Dukes of Hazard; Red Dawn; and Iron Man 2. He is currently the on-air host for Supercars Exposed on Speed TV and has been selected as a co-host for the US version of the BBC’s extremely popular Top Gear automotive enthusiast’s show.
Foust has been competing in the European Rallycross Championship this past year, gaining some valuable experience for the SuperRally competition at X Games 16. “It’s usually at least 50% tarmac. That’s the nice thing about it; it showcases the raw speed of the cars. These are some of the fastest race cars on the planet that have doors on them. They go 0-60 mph in just over 2 seconds and are pushing 600hp to all four wheels in an instant. They’re staggering, staggering cars to drive,” said Foust of his European experience. The X Games course will be similar to what Foust has become accustomed to in Europe, except that the X Games SuperRally course will be comprised completely of dirt instead of the usual tarmac and gravel mix he’s seen in Europe this year.
Foust wants the fans to know that, “These cars are going to be violently fast and there’s going to be a lot of carnage.” The fans won’t want to miss Foust or any of the other drivers at X Games 16 this year!
Patrick Moro, Dublin, OH –
Privateer Pat Moro is a regular in the Rally America National Championship series having just won his first-ever Super Production Class title. Moro has competed at multiple X Games, but has yet to land on the podium with a medal.
 This year Rally America heard that Moro would be bringing a new car to X Games, “The only thing I can say is that we are working very hard to finish them and that Rallispec is a big part of the deal, we could not do what we’re doing without them. I hope to have more news soon, but right now that is all I can say.”
Competing in ESPN’s X Games can be a pressure cooker for some, in fact causing some of the best racecar drivers in the world to loose their cool with live ESPN broadcasts and 35,000+ on-site spectators following their each and every move. Moro will take a different approach to keeping his nerves in check this year though, “there’s no pressure - there's no trees, cliffs or rocks to hit.” With ice running through his veins he should certainly be a driver to contend with at X Games 16.
Dave Mirra, Greenville, NC –
An action sports veteran, Mirra has won more medals at X Games than any other athlete in history. A BMX legend for nearly two decades, 36-year old Dave Mirra helped transform ESPN’s X Games into what they are today. In recent years though, he’s traded in his pedals for a steering wheel and now drives a high-powered Subaru WRX STI for Subaru Rally Team USA along with teammate Travis Pastrana and has made some impressive strides forward in 2010 to become one of the top rally car drivers in the Rally America National Championship.
In his short, but successful career as a professional rally driver, Mirra has paired up with some of the best co-drivers in the industry, most notably, former WRC Champion co-driver for Colin McRae, Derek Ringer from England. Mirra has learned a lot over the past couple years while driving for SRT USA and has become a fierce contender to deal with in the Rally America Series as well as at X Games. He impressed not only his peers, but his legion of fans in his Rally Car Racing debut at X Games 14 when he finished one of the qualifying heats with a car that could not steer properly before wrecking it completely after the big 70-foot gap jump. With his competitive nature Mirra and his unsurpassed history of success at X Games, Dave Mirra will be one of the key drivers to watch a she goes for the gold at X Games 16 in both Rally Car Racing and the SuperRally events.
Antoine L'Estage, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec –
One of the strongest rally drivers in the Rally America National Championship, L’Estage proved in 2010 that perseverance and tenacity is what it takes to win the Rally America National Championship title! The Canadian, who also competes in the Canadian Rally Championship, has had an impressive year in the Rally America Series with multiple first place finishes and breaking Travis Pastrana’s streak of four consecutive Rally America National Championships!
Although L’Estage has competed at X Games in year’s past, he has yet to land on the podium. With this year’s success behind him and momentum in his favor going into X Games 16, everyone should look for L’Estage to compete for a podium finish in both the Rally Car Racing and SuperRally competitions. He’s incredibly experienced and could very well walk away with X Games gold if the other drivers and teams aren’t careful.
Christopher Duplessis, Bethel, ME –
At 24 years-old Chris Duplessis competes with a 20-year old 2 Wheel-Drive Volkswagen Golf GTi and beats rally cars with twice its’ horsepower. It has been noted, that the only car on the Rally America circuit to contest Travis Pastrana with the biggest jump is Duplessis’s 20 year-old Volkswagen.
“I love jumping cars! I’m more excited for the (X Games) big jump than anything! I love all the hype and pressure that goes along with it. I’ve been working on some cool new freestyle tricks for the jump,” joked Duplessis.
This kid is impressive and dominated the 2 Wheel-Drive Class in his first full year of national competition, all the while netting an invitation to X Games 16 for his accomplishments in the process.
“I’m honored to have an invitation to X Games 16, it feels really good to be recognized for all the hard work I‘ve put into the sport for the past five years. I think the key to grow the sport of rally is to start at the grassroots level and I hope with me competing in X Games 16, it will make newcomers see that rally is attainable. With hard work anything is possible.”
At this year’s X Games Duplessis will be garaging his signature 20-year old VW Golf GTI and instead campaigning an AWD Subaru WRX STI. If for some reason Duplessis doesn’t come away with an X Games medal this weekend, he’ll certainly bring his fan-favorite presence to the X Games and give us all a show that we won’t soon forget!
Brian Deegan, Temecula, CA –
Is an off road race truck driver who competes in the Lucas Oil Off-Road series for Ford and currently sits second place overall in the championship. Last year he made his X Games debut in Rally Car Racing with the Olsberg’s Ford Fiesta Team, as well as a showing in the Rally America National Championship at the oldest event in the Championship, the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally held annually in Wellsboro, PA in 2009 where he finished 14th overall. He’s the fourth team driver for Ford, competing in a Fiesta like he did last year when he had an impressive showing for a rookie. We expect lots of fireworks out of him again this year.
Jimmy Keeney, Colorado Springs, CO –
Rally America 2009 Super Production Champion Jimmy Keeney will serve as the alternate driver entry for “Rally Car Racing” at X Ga,mes 16 this year in case one of the other drivers or teams is unable to make it into the competition as a result of practice or qualifying. Keeney competed in last year’s X Games, but was unfortunately knocked out in the qualifying rounds. He returns in 2010 for a second chance at an X Games medal after a moderately successful campaign in Rally America’s Super Production class this past season where finished 3rd in class for the year and he hopes to see some X Games competition. For the record, in three out of the past four years of Rally Car Racing at the X Games, the alternate driver has been called on to compete. One of the best drivers in the nation, Keeney just missed the opportunity for a full invitation; he sill might get his shot at an X Games 16 though.
With so many drivers capable of landing podium finishes at this year’s X Games 16, the fans should be prepared to watch some of the best competition in rally to date. The X Games will air on the ESPN network with the rally events set to be broadcast on Saturday, July 31st.
Coverage begins with the Rally Car Racing finals from 4:00pm to 7:00pm PT, and then the SuperRally finals take center stage from 7:15pm – 8:00pm PT. With the addition of “SuperRally”, not only will fans have a chance to see some of the fiercest competition to date, but they’ll get twice the rally action with lots of wheel-to-wheel, door slamming action as well. We wish all of this year’s drivers the best of luck as we look forward to X Games 16!
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