NEWRY, Maine (ACP Racing) July 19, 2010 NOS Energy rally driver Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard suffered an electrical fire in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 on the second-to-last stage of the New England Forest Rally this past weekend and were unable to finish the hot and difficult event.

Despite running as high as fourth overall, the team suffered from an exhaust leak that melted the shift linkage, damaged the wiring harness, and melted Comrie-Picards right shoe to the floorboard.

It was just one of those things a downpipe failed, and given the high ambient temps and the heat of the exhaust, things just started melting. Thankfully my high-temp suit and race boots allowed me to keep driving even when it got so hot that the shift cables distorted, which made shifting really hard. But when the harness melted, the car quit said Comrie-Picard.

ACP and the ACP Racing team use Oakley safety equipment. The paint and sealant on the footwell melted but ACPs shoe was undamaged.

The damage to the wiring harness caused a small electrical fire which the team put out on the side of the penultimate stage. Co-driver Adam Kneipp kept his composure reading the notes even while coughing from the smoke.

It was disappointing for sure, said Comrie-Picard, but the car is basically undamaged so were looking to the next event already.

The team is en route to California and preparing for the X Games on July 30-31. Comrie-Picard will run both Rally Car Racing and SuperRally events, and his teammate on the SHR Dodge Motorsports Drift team, Samuel Hübinette, will compete in SuperRally in one of ACP Racings cars also.

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