Subaru’s Pat Richard fights hard for the win, remains undefeated in the Canadian championship

Motorsports News

Subaru Rally Team Canada’s Pat Richard continued his winning streak on July 5th, finishing 13 seconds ahead of rival Andrew Comrie-Picard for a win in the Canadian Rally Championship’s wildly popular third round.

But it was a tough fight for the Whistler, B.C., driver.

After pulling into a comfortable lead early in the Baie-des-Chaleurs Rally, Richard’s Subaru WRX STi suffered a fuel pump problem. It cost him nearly five minutes at the side of the road and put him in second place overall, behind Comrie-Picard in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV.

“After we had the problem, I thought the rally was over, but I decided to give it our all anyway,” said Richard.

He, with his sister Nathalie in the co-driver’s seat, pushed hard, clawing back the lost time and narrowly reclaiming the lead.

With everything to lose, both teams drove to their limits. Crowds of spectators thrilled at the sight of these top drivers launching over jumps and sliding hard through the notoriously tight and twisty roads of the Gasp Peninsula course.

Edmonton-native Comrie-Picard said he was pleased with his second-place finish.

Third place overall went to top two-wheel drive competitor Jon Nichols of Lachine, Que., in his Group 2 Volkswagen Golf GTI. He said rain that fell on and off throughout the race gave him a better chance for a win against many more powerful cars in the field.

At the halfway point in the Canadian championship, unofficial rankings show Richard with 60 points, leading Comrie-Picard, with 30. In third place with 22 points is Jon Nichols. He is followed closely by Frederic Labrie of Beauport, QC, with 21.

Despite Richard’s imposing lead, the championship is still up for grabs. It is the best four events that count towards the final standings and there are still three remaining.

The series will be broadcast nationwide on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS this fall, check www.CRC-Rally.com for more information.