Fast Agressive Driving Secures North American Rally Championship in Canada for Team ACP

Andrew Comrie-Picard won the North American Rally Championship in the season-ending Canadian Rally of the Tall Pines near Bancroft, Ontario. The win represents the first championship for the NOS Energy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X with K&N products.

North American Rally Championship win for Andrew Comrie-Picard in Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, photo by Neil McDaid
North American Rally Championship win for Andrew Comrie-Picard in Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, photo by Neil McDaid, photo by Neil McDaid
“This is a terrific result, especially given that we were working on developing the new rally car throughout this first competition season for the Evolution X,” said Comrie-Picard. “But our sponsors and our team came through and we won a very tight championship race.”
Aggressive fast driving in the season-ending Rally of the Tall Pines in Canada bent bodywork and tore off bumpers on the 150 kilometer course, photo by Neil McDaid
Aggressive fast driving in the season-ending Rally of the Tall Pines in Canada bent bodywork and tore off bumpers on the 150 kilometer course, photo by Neil McDaid

Team ACP is preparing for the New Year and will defend its championship in 2010, photo by Neil McDaid
Team ACP is preparing for the New Year and will defend its championship in 2010, photo by Neil McDaid

The Rally of the Tall Pines features some of the toughest driving challenges in North America with conditions often referred to as winter roads and summer ditches.

Team ACP was ready for unpredictable weather at this time of year, but it was unusually dry and warm. The cars were very fast and the competition was intense. Comrie-Picard was very aggressive throughout the 150 kilometers of competition. He tore off bumpers, bent bodywork and took out a finish board.

A late-season push, including a win at Rally Colorado and a second-place finish at Rally of the Tall Pines, sealed the driver's title for Comrie-Picard. “We told ACP to win the championship or leave the car in the woods,” said crew chief Eric Vlasic. “He did leave some of the car in the woods, but brought home the championship.”

“We had the car wide open the whole time,” said Comrie-Picard. “I just wasn’t lifting in most corners or over crests and fortunately, the Ohlins TTX shocks were amazing, the Yokohama tires took the super-high sideloads at 200 km/h (120 mph), and our K&N air filter kept the engine safe even through some deep water splashes.”

Comrie- Picard has used K&N filters for more than a decade. “We compete under very tough conditions and do the most extreme things we can do in a car,” he said. “K&N is the perfect formula for our turbo charged motors. There is no compromise with K&N.”

Team ACP is preparing for 2010 and looks forward to defending the championship and competing at the X Games for a fifth time.

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