LSPR Already Has a Crash, Even Before it Starts

"Driving Sports TV" (drivingsports)
10/17/2013 at 07:19 • Filed to: Rally America, LSPR, Racing

This weekend is the Lake Superior Performance Rally, otherwise known as the final round of the 2013 Rally American Championship. While testing yesterday, competitor Rifat Sungkar had an incident with his Open Class Mitsubishi Evo X. See the video.

The main event kicks on on Friday in Houghton, Michigan. The outcome of this race will determine who will be the National Champion, and it's all come down to the wire: A win by Ken Blockenheimer of the Hoonigan Racing Division would clinch the title away from David Higgins and the Subaru Rally Team USA.

DISCUSSION (29)

dinobot666 > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 08:36

That car somehow belongs (or used to?) to Antoine L'estage who used to race it, but sometimes races the Subaru that used to belong to, or was raced by Travis Pastrana.

LSPR is still my favorite race of the year on the Rally American circuit.

Rainer1386 > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 09:04

That'll buff right out

iNvDrZiM > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 09:20

Kinja'd!!!

Desu-San-Desu > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 09:27

This happened to me when hooning my old '94 Hyundai Excel hatchback. Instead of mud, I was driving on a super soft white sand road. It was like driving on talcum powder. Super fun, until I hit a rut and somehow rolled the car only going about 10 miles an hour. It was the slowest roll ever, or at least it felt like it. It just kind of lazily rolled over once and wound up back on its wheels. As soon as I felt it tip, I put one hand on the ceiling (I know, newbie mistake), and grabbed the bottom of the seat with the other. Between that and the seatbelt, I managed not to hit my head.

Since I'd left the windows at home (this car was the epitome of beaters, with no window hardware left. The windows were held up by boards inside the door and if you wanted the wind in your hair, just just took them out, haha), there was pretty much zero damage to the car except for some pockmarks in the roof and sides that looked like minor hail damage. Even the windshields were fine.

But there was sand EVERYWHERE. Sand inside. Sand in the vents. Sand in the dome light. Sand in my clothes. Sand in the gauge cluster. Sand in the ashtray. There was even sand in the tape deck. Driving home was like driving through a tiny little sandstorm that just wouldn't quit.

....I miss that car.

KillerNoodle > iNvDrZiM
10/17/2013 at 09:40

No it isn't, your A-Arm is off!

Davevq > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 09:40

Dibs on the calipers.

VQ35 > Desu-San-Desu
10/17/2013 at 09:54

greencow > dinobot666
10/17/2013 at 09:59

I want to go so bad, but damn is it a far drive. I make Sno*Drift in Atlanta every year, but I'd love to see a warmer, dry-ish rally event for once.

iNvDrZiM > KillerNoodle
10/17/2013 at 10:00

I could not have come up with a better response myself. Well played!

PaulCahill-Go2Fast > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 10:01

Texting while driving!

dinobot666 > greencow
10/17/2013 at 10:13

It's a 14 hour drive for me, and I've been to it 4 times!

pfftballer > PaulCahill-Go2Fast
10/17/2013 at 10:21

Just from looking at him I'd say he was reaching for another donut.

Raptord > dinobot666
10/17/2013 at 11:27

Looks like it's L'Estage's current Evo, that they were renting out to this team for the rest of the Rally America season. L'Estage still races this Evo in up here in CRC.

Brumos59fan > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 11:28

As far as rally rollovers go...that was nuthin'.

Oh, and let me be the first to say, "Sami. You are going to break the car, Sami."

greencow > dinobot666
10/17/2013 at 11:29

Haha, I think it's the fact that I live IN the state, and it still takes 9-10 hours to get there. Not as bad as 14 though....

NotHim > iNvDrZiM
10/17/2013 at 11:31

- No it isn't

- Well what's that then?

- ..... I've had worse!

dinobot666 > greencow
10/17/2013 at 11:34

Then another 14 back! Plus there's at least 12+ hours a day sitting around at different stages if you're marshaling. It's totally worth it though.

dinobot666 > Raptord
10/17/2013 at 11:35

I thought it was something like that. Thanks for the clarification.

Foxtrotzed - Internet Sensation of 2010 > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 12:40

Wait, did Antoine's car come with the support staff as a lease or is Rifat also a Rockstar driver?

Alex Kibler > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 12:49

Anyone have any idea what time it is and where I can watch it online? I've been wanting to get into watching Rally stuff, but I dont' really know where/when to start.

dapper_otter > Foxtrotzed - Internet Sensation of 2010
10/17/2013 at 13:27

I was thinking that was general event support staff but I really have no idea.

Driving Sports TV > Alex Kibler
10/17/2013 at 15:47

No way to really watch it live, online or on broadcast. There will be wrap videos, however. Look for an episode of Launch Control next week, covering the Subaru angle. There will also be an episode of Driving Sports TV with a full event wrap about the same time.

You can watch our wrap video of the New England Forest Rally (from a couple months ago) here:

Squid > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 16:51

You got to love that turbo chatter that sounds like a giggling squirrel. . .

rabbitman > Driving Sports TV
10/17/2013 at 20:44

This reminds me of my teen years driving up on the fire roads up north in a fox body. We weren't even screwing around just driving waiting for one of the local gas stations to open because we where low.
We decided to not do over 35 to save on gas. Took a corner caught a rut, and the car did the same thing but luckily for us when it went up it did not go far enough to roll it and we plopped back down on all 4's. Learned that was to fast lol.

Then had to change our cloths when we got back to camp. Damn cooler in the back seat unloaded on us.

The Stig's graphic designer cousin > Driving Sports TV
10/18/2013 at 12:22

Dude! You rolled it! On a straight!

Foxtrotzed - Internet Sensation of 2010 > dapper_otter
10/19/2013 at 01:02

On second look the truck says L'Estage on the side.

Driving Sports TV > The Stig's graphic designer cousin
10/21/2013 at 18:42

Just to clarify: that was a corner. He was turning on a sharp corner when he rolled.

The Stig's graphic designer cousin > Driving Sports TV
10/22/2013 at 08:25

I figured as much. But from the rear facing camera, it looks like he rolled it on a straight.