2004 rally USA

1 7 Martin park Ford Focus w 4 h06'46
Park
Ford Focus w 4 h06'46 60 miles/h A8

2 8 Duval
Prevot
The Ford Focus w 4 h07'28 was running about 42.5 seconds off the pace.
+ 00'42"5 A8

3 4 Carlos Sainz
Marti
Citroën Xsara 4 h08'07"1 + 01'20"9
+ 00'38"4 A8

4 1 Petter Solberg
Mills
Subaru Impreza 4 h10'00"9 + 03'14"7
+ 01'53"8 A8

Mikko Hirvonen
Lehtinen Subaru Impre 4 h10'22
Subaru Impreza Lehtinen Subaru Impreza 4 h10'22"4 + 03'36"2
+ 00'21"5 A8

6 5 Markko Grönholm
Rautiainen
Peugeot 307 4 h10'44 + 03'58"4
+ 00'22"2 A8

7 12 Valimaki
Honkanen
Hyundai Accent 4 h18'03"1 + 11'16"9
+ 07'18"5 A8

8 9 Panizzi
Panizzi
Mitsubishi L 4h18'16"8 + 11'30"6
+ 00'13"7 A8

After dropping a massive five minutes and 40 seconds at the tail end of Leg one, Petter Solberg pulled off an absolute masterclass today. He drove that new Subaru Impreza WRC2004 like he was possessed, clawing back enough ground to leapfrog another driver on the leaderboard and secure a fourth-place finish overall. It was a hell of a comeback.

A double win for Ford... this year is going to be an absolute blast to watch.

Let’s just hope things stay like they were last year, because that was solid. If this momentum keeps up, my WRC posts might actually pull more views than Formula 1...👍

I’m happy for Ford, but honestly, I think they dodged a bullet when Sébastien Loeb hit that rock and had to call it quits due to an oil leak...

That said, Petter Solberg would probably still take the win in that new Impreza. He's sitting 3 minutes and 15 seconds behind right now, but he’ll likely get a 5.5-minute penalty because apparently the Impreza decided it didn't feel like starting up...

It's going to be a nightmare for the rest of the field if that new Impreza is really that fast...

wearyraven41 said:If things keep going like this, we might actually see more people watching WRC than Formula 1 by next year!👍

I'm stoked about how Ford is doing, but honestly, I think they just got lucky when Sébastien Loeb slammed into a rock and had to bail because of an oil leak...

Then again, Petter Solberg would probably still take the win in that new Impreza; he's currently trailing by 3 minutes and 15 seconds, yet he's facing a 5.5-minute penalty just because the Impreza was being temperamental and wouldn't start...

The competition is going to have a nightmare on their hands if that new Impreza is truly that fast...

WRC is such a killer sport, it just suffers from terrible media coverage. But man, if Subaru is genuinely this strong and Peugeot actually wakes up with the 307 4 h10'44, this season is going to be legendary...👍

The issue is that WRC isn't circuit racing... which makes it a pain to follow as a spectator. I mean, if you're sitting in one spot, you only get one shot at seeing any given car roll by once.
It also sucks that there’s zero overtaking. Sure, they don't have much of that in Formula 1 either, but people still hold out hope.😁

But when I look at the actual roads these rally drivers are tearing up compared to those pampered elites in Formula 1... it just makes me lose more respect for Formula 1.👎

wearyraven41 said:If things keep going this way, we might actually see WRC pulling more eyes than Formula 1 by next year!👍

I’m honestly happy to see how Ford is doing, though I can't help but think they got lucky when Sébastien Loeb hit that rock and had to bail because of an oil leak...

Still, I bet Petter Solberg would have snatched the win with that new Impreza, especially since he's trailing by 3 minutes and 15 seconds but somehow ends up with a 5 and a half minute penalty just because the Impreza wouldn't start properly...

It's going to be pretty brutal for the rest of the competition if that new Impreza stays this fast...

I absolutely love WRC too... I'm a huge Subaru fan, so naturally, I'm rooting for Petter Solberg as well...
He just didn't have any luck this time—I'm not entirely sure if it was the delays or that penalty, but man, the guy was absolutely flying through those stages...
I really think Solberg will end up being the best driver this year, though the Impreza seems a little too heavy for the asphalt sections, so we might see some slightly weaker results there...

Petter Solberg driving the Impreza is my absolute number one favorite...
It’s such a damn shame his battery died and he couldn't get the car started, and having to rely on the fans to jump-start him? Just brutal. Honestly, if he hadn't been hit with that five-minute penalty, he would've taken first place by over two minutes easy.
As for the media coverage of the rally, it’s not like people aren't watching. It’s just that the local crew here doesn't follow it, which is honestly a relief for me. I'd much rather skip the "expert" analysis you hear in American bars from some gambling idiot who doesn't know a piston from a spark plug.

I’m leaning towards Sebastian Vettel and Ford. I really hope they can get the 307 sorted out because the car is fast, it just lacks reliability. But then again, that’s nothing new when it comes to a new car...