WELLSBORO, PA Rally driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard overcame a series of
big challenges at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally last weekend to
move into second place in the Rally America points race.
“It was a tough weekend for us,” said Comrie-Picard. “But every point
counts in this championship and we’re in it for the season.”
Comrie-Picard and Irish co-driver Marshall Clarke fought back from 31st
after a rollover crash to finish the race in 13th overall. The result gave
them the handful of points they needed to climb up one rung in the tight
championship race.
“Marshall and I were actually able to roll the car back onto its wheels and
keep going,”said Comrie-Picard. “It was a soft rollover and with a new
windshield, the car was back to 100 per cent but we lost a lot of time.”
Comrie-Picard is in second-place overall after five rounds in the Rally
America championship, behind Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana
and ahead of Rockstar Energy¹s Tanner Foust.
The Susquehannock Trail event has long been known as one of the most
demanding events on the U.S. calendar. The 2009 running of the contest
featured a return to the popular two-day format, with a spectator-friendly
daylight schedule and super special stages on each day.
³The spectator stages at the fairgrounds in Wellsboro were huge this year,²
said Comrie-Picard. ³It was great for us to see so many fans out there.²
The contest is renowned as one of the toughest on the Rally America calendar
and the team was not alone in having problems. Factory-backed Travis
Pastrana lost a minute on the first day to a suspension failure, Polish ace
Andi Mancin battled braking issues and the Swedish World Rally team of
Patrik Sandell and Emil Axelsson were out with a blown engine on the first
day.
The Rally America national championship includes nine events in a
cross-continent season that extends from January to late October. The
Canadian Rally Championship has six events from coast to coast. ACP Rally
will contest a busy season, with rally events on both sides of the
Canada-U.S. border, select drift events — and the X Games.
The next U.S. event for the team will be the X Games in Los Angeles.
The ACP Rally program is made possible by:
- NOS Energy (www.drinknos.com)
- K&N (www.knfilters.com)
- Mitsubishi Canada (www.mitsubishi-motors.ca)
- Yokohama Canada (www.yokohama.ca)
- Motul (www.motulusa.com)
- AMS Performance(www.amsperformance.com)
- Works (www.worksevo.com)
- Brian Crower(www.briancrower.com)
- JE (www.jepistons.com)
- Exedy (www.exedyusa.com),
- Öhlins (www.ohlinsusa.com)
- Pfitzner Performance Gearbox(www.ppgearbox.com.au)
- Mishimoto (www.mishimoto.com)
- Oakley(www.oakley.com)
- Innovate Motorsports (www.tuneyourengine.com)
- Team Dynamics (www.teamdynamicsracing.com)
- Endless (www.endlessusa.com)
- NBB(www.nbblights.ca)
- Sparco (www.sparcousa.com)
- NGK (www.ngksparkplugs.com)
- Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com)
- Piloti (www.piloti.com)
- SkullCandy (www.skullcandy.com)