historic
Stefan Helin and Annie Seel claim podium finish in Lausitz Rallye Historic European Championship
What a fantastic result! Stefan Helin and Annie Seel on the podium, finish third general in the European Historic Champiobship Lausitz Rallye in Germany. And also winning their class!
The rally was very demanding on the historic cars. 170 km of special stage on many different types: gravel, asphalt, concrete, soft sand and slippery mud. The second lap the stages ver rough and rutted from all previous cars. Six of the stages were run in the dark, making the drive even more of a challenge.
The team worked hard to keep a good pace, still saving the car. Some technical issues with overheating at the first night stages. A quick change of radiator at service by super mechanics Lucas and LP.
Then later on radiator fan stopped working causing overheating again, and hot coolant water spraying the windscreen.
Second day stages varied from twisty narrow and slippery to really fast. The poor Opel Ascona was on top revs but only reaching 145 km top speed, loosing time to the faster cars doing about 180-200 km per hour. The strategy was to try and keep the car out of trouble, and make clean stages. Some of the other competitors had trouble, two got a few turns wrong and got lost, and some others even got stuck in the soft sand! Last two stages took their toll on the historic cars, forcing Jari Latvala in his Toyota Celica to withdraw with electrical problems.
– It feels great to reach the finish and be part of the team’s success. Our smooth drive strategy worked out and the service crew did a great job.
Thanks to team Helin Motorsport for having me onboard. And wishing codriver Lotta Lundqvist a speedy recovery. I’m happy I could jump in on such short notice and help out. Even happier now that we claimed a podium finish!
Also thanks to the organisers of Lausitz Rallye for a challenging and nice rally.
More thanks to all the fellow competitors, everyone being helpful and in good spirit. Hope to see you soon again.
We finished 14th in the challenging Historic Vltava Rallye
Stefan Helin and I finished 14th overall, and 5th in class, in the Historic Vltava Rallye after an eventful race!
The weather in Czech has been very challenging, cold, snowy, rain, sunshine!
Our extra night lights went black after a couple hundred meters, so we had to drive in the dark in the night stage…
Last day was raining and we only had dry tyres on, due to new tyre regulations our wet tyres were not eligible. It was slippery all the way to the finish. Our Opel Ascona A 1972 has worked perfectly every day!
We are so happy to roll over the podium. Only 25 out of more than 70 starters reached the finish!
Thanks to my Helins Motorsport Stefan Helin, and mechanix Lucas Helin and Peter Larsson, excellent job.
Congrats to winner Erik Comas in the white Lancia Stratos #2
Leg 2: Winner class, 10th position general #Rally Estonia
We had a great day today! Starting this morning in 11th position, behind very fast and powerful cars like Audi Quattro, Porsche, Opel 400, Ford Escort, Lancia Integrale… And the two first morning stages were very fast and flowing. I expected maybe some of the faster cars catching up. But my strategy was to keep focusing on pace notes and let the car flow with the track. The pace notes I’ve been using are a new system from Jemba, that worked better and better the faster I drove.
Actually driving quicker and not loosing too much time. One Escort in front had mechanical trouble and dropped out, so I was in 10th place!
I am very happy in this my first European championship to finish in 10th position general, and also winning my class 1300 cc.
It was a great result for all Swedish drivers:
1. Johnsen/Johnsen
2. Myrsell/Junttila
5. Jansson/Dawidsson
10. Seel/Sundh
11. Renstål/Westlund
Super big thanks to my codriver Marcus Sundh and team mechanics Benny Öberg and Kjell Lundberg. We’ve had a clean race from day one.
And thanks to my team partners WoodTech AB, Årets Bilsport, Krutcupen, Trygg Racing and G-partners.
And thanks to Team Killer Starlet supporters!
Leg 1: SS2-SS7 – result #RallyEstonia
Leg 1 completed, we are in 11th pos general, and first in category 1300!
Started pos 18 this morning and worked my way up. My codriver Marcus has been doing a great job becaus it’s been two years since I drive with real pace notes last time. And this is only my 5th rally ever with real rally pace notes, so it takes a lot of focus to keep listening in this very fast rally. Made one mistake on stage 2, missed a late right hander in fork, had to go straight and stop. Then reverse back, loosing some 25 sec. But after this no more mistakes and really trying to listen more and look less.
At lunch service we were up to pos 14, and then just kept moving on. Some cars have had technical problems so moved up more after lunch.
Other Swedish Drivers doing well: Johnsen/Johnsen leading and Myrsell/junttila second. Jonsson in fifth.
KillerStarlet is in parc ferme and ready to go tomorrow.
My team is great: codriver Marcus keeping me on track, mechanics Benny & Kjell keeping Killer Starlet happy!
Lets rock tomorrow!
Swe:
Jag ligger 11:a totalt efter idag!
Varit roliga sträckor och mycket snabbt. Jag har fullt upp att hålla fokus på att lyssna på noterna – det går fort! Försöker hinna lyssna på Marcus och samtidigt få en bild i huvet hur svängen ser ut. Inte lätt – senast jag körde med rally noter var två år sedan och detta är min 5:e tävling totalt med noter.
I morse kört upp mig till 14:e Ss2-ss5, trors en miss på ss2. Missade jag en “sen” höger och fick styra rakt, sen stanna och backa tillbaka. Tappade ca25 sek.
Men sen har det flutit på bra.
Bilen går kanon! Mitt team är kanon! Marcus är grym codriver. Och meckarna Benny & Kjell gör ett kalasjobb. Inget att laga heller, bara termostatorsladden som gått av men det var fort fixat.
Shake down #RallyEstonia
Today was the official shake down stage. The Killer Starlet feels good and eager to race. Fastest in class and fastest Toyota. Stages will be very fast, ondulating and many turns over crests.
My codriver Marcus and I are testing a slightly new pace note system. Trying to get the hang of it. A lot of information to process at race speed.
Killer service crew Benny & Kjell only made some small adjustments and service after.
Pressmeddelande: Dakarföraren Annie Seel gör EM-premiär i Rally Estonia Historic, 17-19 juli
Pressmeddelande 2015-07-16
Dakarföraren Annie Seel gör EM-premiär i Rally Estonia Historic, 17-19 juli
Annie Seel skrev tidigare i år svensk motorhistoria, som första svenska kvinna någonsin att köra Dakarrallyt i bil. Nu är det dags för en ny utmaning – rally EM. Om allt går bra finns möjligheter att hon får köra för ett team nästa år.
2012 sadlade Annie Seel helt om från motorcykel till rallybil, efter att en elak axelskada satte stopp för motorcykelkarriären. Sedan dess har hon flera gånger vunnit sin klass i det historiska Midnattssolsrallyt med sin Toyota Starlet.
Planerna för internationellt tävlande i historisk rally har vuxit, men det har krävts en del ombyggnad av bilen för internationellt reglemente. Bilen blev klar sista dagarna i juni så det blev ett snabbt beslut att ställa upp i Rally Estonia. Samma dag som anmälningstiden gick ut kontaktade Annie Seel tävlingsledningen och säkrade en startplats.
– Jag har planerat att köra internationellt sedan förra året. I januari blev det Dakar. Och nu när bilen precis hann bli klar så var det självklart att jag ville ställa upp i Rally Estonia.
Under Rally Estonia körs både vanliga rally EM och det historiska mästerskapet. Karaktären på vägarna är mycket snabb med många lyft över krön.
– Jag har kört rekognoseringen och det kommer gå väldigt fort. Min avsevärt motorsvagare bil kommer inte kunna hänga med de snabba bilarna. Men jag struntar i totalresultatet den här gången – jag är här för att lära, och kanske tar jag en bra placering i 1300-klassen.
Med sig i högerstolen har hon Marcus Sundh, som tidigare bland annat åkt med stjärnföraren Mattias Adielsson. Deras mål blir i denna första EM-tävling att ta sig i mål och skaffa sig erfarenhet.
Foto: Griddd.se
Dakar-driver Annie Seel to Rally Estonia Historic, 17-19 july
Pressrelease
2015 July 10
Dakar-driver Annie Seel to Rally Estonia Historic, 17-19 july
Very last minute it is confirmed that Swedish rally driver Annie Seel will participate in the Auto 24 Rally Estonia Historic.
Last year she was a co-driver in Estonia, and enjoyed the event she now returns.
And this year she will be driving her Toyota Starlet 1.3 lit.
Annie Seel, also known as the Rally Princess, is one of the few women drivers competing in both motorcycle and car rallies. She has completed five Dakar rallies on motorcycle, and in January this year she switched to drive a car for the first time.
In car rallies she is still considering herself a beginner, and this will be her first European Championship rally. In Sweden she has raced the Toyota Starlet in the Midnight Sun Rally Historic only three times, but still winning the 1300 class in 2012 and 2013.
– I have been looking forward to the Rally Estonia since I was here last year. It was a great event, and I know it will be even better this year – because now I am driving myself.
The co-driver will be Marcus Sundh, who accompanied Annie in the Midnight Sun Rally 2013.
Press contact:
E-mail: press(a)happy.se
Annie Seel - Rally Princess of Dakar 