By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

We already seen the clip of Chris Atkinson’s Citroen taking out a utility pole during this rally, but there’s plenty of other sweet footage in this recap. Sometimes I can’t believe what these drivers have to deal with during these races. I mean, the shot of the driver trying to wipe the windshield while he’s ripping along? Come on, that’s just insane. Complete results are posted over at the official Rally of Ireland site, but if you’re like me, you don’t care as much about who won as you do just getting to see these machines in action. Enjoy.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Over the weekend in Greece, Sebastien Loeb lost it during about halfway through the Acropolis Rally and wound up making eight revolutions before coming to a stop.The good news is that Loeb and his driver are both in good shape. Unfortunately, that can’t be said for the pair’s Citroen C4, which is as bashed-up as you’d expect it to be. During interviews following the wreck, the world champion said that he basically came in to the turn too hot and over-corrected, which send the car over the edge of the road and started the tumble. Hopefully he and his team have better luck next time out.

Last weekend’s Corona Rally Mexico was the first WRC event of the year on the loose stuff—for you and me, that’s gravel. It also marked the first gravel-course trial for Pirelli’s test tire, which apparently proved its mettle. On the punishing and rock-strewn course through Mexico’s Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains, a few teams were caught out by punctures. And with the removal of the internal "mousse" system—the pressurized rubber foam that would expand rapidly to refill the tire if it was punctured, allowing the car to continue running—drivers sometimes had to pull over and change tires. In related tire news, Pirelli is now the official tire of WRC events, eliminating the choice that teams previously had between Pirelli and BF Goodrich. What’s more, teams are no longer allowed to "cut" additional grooves into the tread to alter traction characteristics in relation to the track surface.

Unfortunately for Team Suzuki and the new SX4, they were caught out with engine failures in the thin mountain air, where cars are raced hard at 6000-plus feet above sea level. Giggi Galli driving for Ford and Dani Sordo driving for Citroen were both caught out with broken rear sway arms after hitting rocks on the outer corners. The young Jari-Matti Latvala, driving for Ford, was leading the rally until a stone went through his intercooler and caused the turbo to fail. Mikko Hirvonen was also battling the stones as two punctures saw him drop from 2nd to 5th, though he was ultimately able to pull through with a 4th-place finish. Matthew Wilson had a different problem, as a fan threw a rock at his car, damaging his windscreen.

Amidst all the automotive carnage, it was Sebastien Loeb who came out on top, winning this year’s Corona Rally Mexico. Congrats to the Citroen team! And check out these awesome close-ups from the race at the Grassroots Motorsports forum.

Well, it’s been awhile, but it’s time for another World Rally Championship update. So if you’re not following the WRC—which is a little hard to do if you live in the US—here’s the skinny on what’s been happening. Three-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb has found himself fighting the young guns for the top spot in the championship. After dominating in Monte Carlo, he found himself trailing miserably by the end of the Swedish event. An off on the morning of the 2nd leg found him restarting under the "Super Rally" system but, with engine problems for both of the Citroen C4′s, his team decided to pull out. On the other hand, the Blue Oval has had a stellar year thus far, and with top finishes by both of their drivers, they find themselves 10 points ahead in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

The big news was the win by Swedish Rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala, who at age 22 became the youngest driver to win a WRC event. Sweden saw some pretty exciting moments with Henning Solberg driving through Snowbanks and Jari-Matti bouncing off hay bales. Next stop is Mexico! Will Sebastien be able to fight off the young blood or will the Fords stand their ground? Stay tuned…

16 events later, Sebastien Loeb has proved to the world that he is equal to the likes of Tommi Makinen and Juha Kankkunen, winning his fourth consecutive championship. In just ten short years, Loeb has climbed the ranks of the World Rally Championships to become the most successful driver in WRC history. It was a dogfight between Loeb and Marcus Gronholm for much of the season, and the final winning margin was only four points. In the space of just 16 events, that’s some very impressive driving. With the fight for the manufacturer’s championship sown up already, Ford told all of their drivers to go all out this weekend. Mikko Hirvonen took that to heart and ended up winning the final rally, totaling three wins for his entire season. He was quoted in saying "that he had learned a lot from Marcus [Gronholm] being on the same team and hopes to fulfill his duties with Marcus retiring this season." He ended up finishing 3rd in the drivers points behind Loeb and Gronholm.

The coming season promises a lot of exciting developments. With Marcus Gronholm retiring and Suzuki, having successfully tested its SX4, making a full commitment to the 2008 season, there will be new drivers moving into the limelight. Look out, Sebastien Loeb: you could just have a whole new batch of hounds chasing you in the new year.