Montréal (Québec), December 1, 2013.- Already crowned North American Rally Champion earlier this season, by the end of this weekend's Rally of the Tall Pines, where he finished second, Quebec driver Antoine L'Estage (of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu) added 2013 Canadian Champion to his list of a accomplishments. This marks the Rockstar team driver's sixth national title, after a rally that was packed with suspense.
Final round of the 2013 season, the Rally of the Tall Pines, contested in Bancroft, Ontario, was not a relaxing event for Antoine L'Estage and his Welsh co-driver Craig Parry.
"We started the event by sticking to our plan, which was to drive conservatively in order to ensure me the title. The road conditions were extremely tricky with ice-covered hard frozen gravel. Almost no team was able to avoid flat tires in these conditions," explained Antoine
He added, "In the third stage, an electrical problem forced us to lose several positions. We were then able to climb back from 14th spot to second place, which was enough to win both the drivers' title and the Manufacturers' title for Mitsubishi. Mission accomplished !".
This result earned Antoine L'Estage his sixth Canadian championship title, which ties him with Frank Sprongl and Tom McGeer for top spot in the more than 50 years of Canadian rally history. With his titles and rally victories, Antoine is the most decorated Quebec performance rally driver.
"It's really a testament of another fantastic season. I have to share this success with John Buffum and all the members of the Rockstar team for their work during the year. Thanks also go out to the three co-drivers with whom I have shared the joys of victory in 2013: Nathalie Richard, Karl Atkinson, and particularly Craig Parry, who finished the season off with me by winning two of the last three events."
Antoine and the Rockstar team won four of the six rounds of the Canadian Rally Championship.
"Our plans for 2014 are not totally finalized as of yet but we will be back in the series to attempt to win my seventh national season, which would move me into the sole lead as drivers' title holder," concluded the Quebec driver.
Antoine L'Estage holds six North American championship titles (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), six Canadian titles (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013), one American title (2010), and forty-two overall victories in Canada and the US.
Antoine L'Estage participated in the 2013 Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Fenetres Concerto, Mitsubishi Canada, Yokohama Tires, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Énergie Cardio, Formica Group, Alpinestars, VP Racing Fuels, Exe-Tc Suspensions, Driver's Edge Autosport, and Libra Racing. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit antoinelestage.com.
From: Coyote Rallye Media Services, (514) 825 - 4332
2013 Canadian Rally Championship Calendar
Date Event Location
February 2 RALLYE PERCE-NEIGE Maniwaki, Québec DNF
June 29 – 30 RALLYE BAIE-DES-CHALEURS New Richmond, Québec 1st
September 6 – 7 RALLYE DÉFI Ste-Agathe, Québec 1st
October 4 – 5 PACIFIC FOREST RALLY Merritt, British Columbia 1st
November 2 ROCKY MOUNTAIN RALLY Invermere, British Columbia 1st
November 30 RALLY OF THE TALL PINES Bancroft, Ontario 2nd
Rally America Series 2013 Calendar
Date Event Location
January 25 – 26 SNO*DRIFT Atlanta, Michigan 1st
February 22 – 23 100 ACRE WOOD Salem, Missouri DNF
May 3 – 4 OREGON TRAIL Portland, Oregon DNF
May 31 – June 1 STPR Wellsboro, Pennsylvania Absent
July 26 - 27 NEW ENGLAND FOREST RALLY Bethel, Maine DNF
August 22 – 23 OJIBWE FORESTS RALLY Detroit Lakes, Minnesota DNF
October 18 - 19 LAKE SUPERIOR PRO RALLY Houghton, Michigan 2nd
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