02.01.2008 WINTER RALLY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FROM JOHN HAUGLAND |
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| NEWSLETTER WHEN ENTERING A NEW YEAR We are now just finished with the first part of the Winter Rally School this winter, which took place in the two weeks before Christmas. We started 8th. and 9th. of December, with a two-days course for the new young Peugeot Super-Cup driver Petter Kristiansen from Norway. He drove on the lake on Saturday, and on a stage on Sunday. Very promising young driver, coming from a very successful go-cart career. He drove this year as a 17 years old in the Norwegian Junior category in a Citroen Xsara Gr. N with very good results. Victor from Romania was with us for 1 to 1 course from 10th. to 13th. December. Had good improvements, we will see next year how it will help him, as he had a lousy season with a lot of mechanical problems this year. The NMK scholarship-winner Vegard Gjellum was with us for a 1 to 1 course the 14th. December. Drove on the lake in a Evo 6, which broke down with a broken fan-belt just before we should move to the stage. Very good progress. For the week-end we had bookings from 6 Norwegian drivers, but only two turned up ! That was two other young lions for the Peugeot Super Cup, Stig Rune Skjærmoen and Sebastien Andresen. They drove one day on the lake, and one day on a stage. Stig Rune impressed a lot, he is young, but experienced, he won the Volvo Original Cup this year, and has also been a co-driver, also for Christian Andresen, winner of the Norwegian Peugeot Super Cup this year. I think he will give the regular Peugeot Super Cup drivers a good match. He set a very good lap-time on the lake which is 2,5 km. long, just 3 seconds slower than the 4WD cars on the day. Sebastien is very enthusiastic, but young, new and inexperienced, he will need a number of Rallies to get up to speed, but it will be very interesting to follow him, he will do well, for his experience and his name ! On the 17th. we had a 1 to 1 course with Stein Pettersen, the Editor of the Norwegian Motor magazine BIL. He is making an article of how to be a Rally-driver, and using a Peugeot Super Cup car. This car belongs to Kristian Svendsen, another young lion in the Peugeot Super Cup. He had a 1 to 1 course the 18th, drove on the lake until he got a gearbox oil-leak, and could not then drive on a stage. Kristian has experience from banger-racing and a Seat Gr. N rally car. Also very enthusiastic, it will be interesting to follow him as well.
Ole Barløvlien was with us
the 18th. and 19th. with his Gr. N Impreza. He is
one of the quickest Volvo drivers in Norway, and have now changed to 4 wd.
He needs some tuition and practice to learn to drive with under-steering,
not over-steering. He drove for two days on the lake with good
progress. We also had Herman Tank Nilsen practising with good
progress in his Impreza, but had to stop early as he ran out of fuel !
Best
regards |
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