Subaru's Richard wins Rallye Baie des Chaleurs

30th June 2009

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Subaru Rally Team Canada driver Pat Richard and co-driver Alan Ockwell, have won the 2009 Baie des Chaleurs rally.

It was a record third win for Richard at Baie des Chaleurs - widely considered
to be one of the most challenging events of the Canadian Rally Championship season - and puts the team alone at the top of the 2009 standings. The pair battled for top spot with the U.S. Subaru team of Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino until the Americans crashed out of the race.

The other two podium positions were claimed by local Subaru teams: Martin Gauvin and Daniel Duchesneau finished a career-high second place, and third spot went to Craig Henderson and Lyne Murphy. "The car ran flawlessly - we had no mechanical issues whatsoever despite the fact that Baie des Chaleurs is the roughest rally on the national
calendar," said Richard. "The fact that it was an all-Subaru podium is a testament to the toughness of the Subaru.". In fact, seven out of the top ten finishers were Subaru teams:

1)  Pat Richard - Alan Ockwell (Subaru Impreza STI) - 1 hour 32 min. 34 sec. 

2)  Martin Gauvin - Daniel Duchesneau (Subaru Impreza WRX 02) 1:37:10

3)  Craig Henderson - Lyne Murphy (Subaru WRX STI 07) 1:38:17

4)  Antoine L'Estage - Nathalie Richard (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 09) 1:38:24

5)  Andrew Comrie-Picard - Jen Horsey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 09) 1:40:27

6)  Joel Levac - Laurence-F. L'Estage (Subaru Impreza WRX 02) 1:41:54

7)  Simon Losier - François Morin (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 05) 1:42:22

8)  Bruno Carré - Yvan Joyal (Subaru Impreza 00) 1:43:34

9)  Hardy Schmidtke - Adam Vokes (Subaru Impreza WRX 02) 1:44:09

10) Leonid Urlichich - Martin Headland (Subaru Impreza STI 07) 1:44:41

The next event in the Canadian Rally Championship is the Rallye Défi Ste Agathe Duhamel taking place September 11-12, 2009.