THE LINE

February 15, 2012

(Ford)
Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS WRC, pictured above and below) won Rally Sweden Sunday (2/12) by 16.6 seconds, the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship. It was Latvala’s second win in Sweden and Ford’s sixth consecutive victory at the only true winter rally of the season. It didn't come without some drama, as Latvala's comfortable lead was slashed after colliding with a rogue rock that punctured a tire with just two speed tests remaining before the finish. The Mikko Hirvonen/J Lehtinen Citroen DS3 finished second, while the Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson Ford Fiesta RS WRC finished third. Although temperatures were milder than normal, the snow and ice-covered roads presented a tough challenge as the mercury hovered around -10ºC.  After an opening leg based mainly in Norway, the rally returned to Sweden for the final two days’ competition close to Hagfors.  Drivers tackled 24 special stages covering 349.16km before the finish in the host city of Karlstad. Next up is round three of the FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Mexico based in Léon on March 8-11 - the first long-haul round of the season and the opening gravel event of 2012.  Sebastien Loeb (39) leads Hirvonen (32) by seven points, while Citroen leads Ford, 65-55 in Manufacturers points going into the third round.

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: It's that time of year again, folks. The 12 Hours of Sebring - America's most prestigious endurance road race - is right around the corner and the American Le Mans Series staged their annual Winter Test this week at the historic Sebring International Raceway. Photographer extraordinaire John Thawley was there to record all of the action, and we're thrilled to be able to bring you John's work here at autoextremist.com for another racing season. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Memo to all of the racing enthusiasts out there who have heard about the magnificent "Silver Arrows" German Grand Prix cars from the 30s but really don't understand the impact of those fantastic machines or that golden era, Goodwood, in September, is where you'll want to be. The Audi and Mercedes-Benz factories will bring their most priceless racing cars from that era to actually race in the Goodwood Revival. Go here to read more in Motorsport Magazine, but it's sure to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime events that cannot be missed. - PMD

(John Thawley ~ Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com)
Check out John Thawley's latest from the 2012 Winter Swamp Buggy races here and watch the video here.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out Michelin's racing website - "Michelin Alley" - and get in on all of the behind-the-scenes buzz. Go here. - PMD

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