Already crowned North American Rally Champion earlier this season, by the end of this weekend’s Rally of the Tall Pines, where he finished second, Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage (of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu) added 2013 Canadian Champion to his list of a accomplishments. This marks the Rockstar team driver’s sixth national title, after a rally that was packed with suspense.
Final round of the 2013 season, the Rally of the Tall Pines, contested in Bancroft, Ontario, was not a relaxing event for Antoine L'Estage and his Welsh co-driver Craig Parry.
“We started the event by sticking to our plan, which was to drive conservatively in order to ensure me the title,” L'Estage said. “The road conditions were extremely tricky with ice-covered hard frozen gravel. Almost no team was able to avoid flat tires in these conditions. In the third stage, an electrical problem forced us to lose several positions. We were then able to climb back from 14th spot to second place, which was enough to win both the drivers’ title and the Manufacturers’ title for Mitsubishi. Mission accomplished!”
This result earned Antoine L’Estage his sixth Canadian championship title, which ties him with Frank Sprongl and Tom McGeer for top spot in the more than 50 years of Canadian rally history. With his titles and rally victories, Antoine is the most decorated Quebec performance rally driver.
“It’s really a testament of another fantastic season,” L'Estage said. “I have to share this success with John Buffum and all the members of the Rockstar team for their work during the year. Thanks also go out to the three co-drivers with whom I have shared the joys of victory in 2013: Nathalie Richard, Karl Atkinson, and particularly Craig Parry, who finished the season off with me by winning two of the last three events”
Antoine and the Rockstar team won four of the six rounds of the Canadian Rally Championship. For 2014, their plans are not finalized, but L'Estage says, “we will be back in the series to attempt to win my seventh national season, which would move me into the sole lead as drivers’ title holder.”
