Chris Evans buys Opel Astra Div 1 car

[M.Lowe]

Irishman Chris Evans has bought the ex Steiner Joranli Opel Astra rallycross car that was developed jointly between Schanche and Joranli.

The car is being rebuilt by Tony Bardy at his Scotch Corner based Tony Bardy Motorsport.

This should be a force to be reckoned with next season and if the car goes aswell as Evans driving then he could have a chance of the 2004 british Rallycross Championship

[Cryos]

I wouldent jump to conclusions he still has to learn to drive the car, pictures wil as always appear on http://www.christopher-evans.net i as the webmaster will post a few shortly

[M.Lowe]

I used the word IF the car goes aswell as Evans driving, I ain't saying he will wipe the floor with everybody did I

[Stevie A]

Great news!!! Another new driver in Supercar in a different and what should be a competitive car. Which Astra did Chris buy??? Steinar had a 1999 and a 2001 version for sale. I hope he'll have it ready for the GP at Croft.

It now leaves the question of, what happens to the Nissan Micra??? Will it be sold??? Will Tony Bardy drive it?? Or will he rent it out???? Maybe Bardy was eyeing a comeback with his outing in Stock Hatch at Blyton in July!!

[M.Lowe]

He actually says on the recent Men and Motors rallycross programme we have purchased the ex Steinar Joranli Astra Super car then says the words a pair of Astras so could Bardy have the other one? we will have to wait and see

[chunder]

No way will Bardy drive it I reckon, he has too much to do preparing all the cars doesn't he.
Will be interesting to see if Tony manages to do anything to the cars.
Bugger, just realsied, who drove for Bardy last year.. John Haffey and he was looking to come back wasn't he after taking a year off.
Tell you what we might even get a Brit with a real move at having a crack at the ERC aswell. Maybe if Evans has a go that might persuade the likes of Gollop or Doran to have a go again.

[BertMk2]

It'll be good to see another different make represented in the supercars, far too many of those Focus things if you ask me! With Mcanns Impreza and now the Astra it adds a bit more to the overall show. We just need Doran, Haffey, Horsley and whoever else to come up with something a bit different as well.

[moyzer]

Does anyone know what Doran is planning to campain next year? It will be sad to see the end of the RS200 if he is indeed planning to put another machine together. When it was running properly at Lydden on BH Monday, the RS200 seemed to look so much quicker than everything else on track! Massive Power!!!

[Stevie A]

Doran is definitely planning a new car for next year, Brands Hatch will be the last outing for the RS200. There's many rumours on what his car might be....probably between Saab 9_3, Citroen Xsara and Seat Cordoba is what i've heard. He has been linked with purchasing one of Per Eklund's Saabs.
Doran's Ford RS200 is super quick when it runs....the engine is running at 806bhp compared with about 630bhp for Gollop and 670bhp for Carnegie. But that's where he gets his reliability problems from...everything on the car is so highly stressed and therefore temporamental!

[Cryos]

We will clear the confusion here, chris has baught both of the Astras Both Steiners and schanca's (sorry bad spelling), Steiners is Heavaly Rolled and will not appear out next year, The one chris's going to drive was due to come out on the rally sprints in mondello park, however it has been decided that bodywork and mechnical work needed to be done, the car is planned to be set loose May/ June Next year

Rallycrossireland.com have exclusive rights to pictures of the astras which will be flowing in over the next few weeks

[Cryos]

Chris also WONT be driving the Micra next year, this year has only been a developing year for the Rally<<< Car

[Peter S]

I would just like to clarify that the Astra bought IS NOT the Schanche car. Schanches car is now owned by Glen Voie, who bought it at the end of 2001. Both cars that Evans has bought were raced by Steiner.

[Barrie]

At last someone has the common sense to buy one of the euro-spec cars thats up for sale. My prediction's for cars to drivers next year.
McCluskey will buy Marko Jokinens second 206 WRC, Doran will run a Seat Cordoba WRC, Lawrence Gibson, Ford Focus possibly John Cross's and there will be some returnees next year as well as new faces, possibly Austin McHale, and Greer.

[Peter S]

McCluskey confirmed this morning to me that his 306 and truck is up for sale. If the car is sold then he wont race in GP.....unless he buys a WRC spec European car before. Perhaps that means that he will buy a 206 instead of buildling one?

[Cryos]

hehe, no comment from rallycrossireland about mc cluskey. but lets just say some interesting things will happen

[M.Lowe]

So Rixie which Astra is rolled the 99 or 2001 car

[Peter S]

the 2001 was the one that was rolled. Steiner did that at the Norwegian ERC round last year (2002 - september)

The car was very very competitive. the 99 didnt do much work for Steinier as it was more of a development car.

[Peter S]

pictures of the 2001 machine can be found on www.rallycross.nl from which were taken in sweden last year (texaco havoline livery)

the car features a number DTM Opel Calibra parts as Schanche and Steiner were given free access to "old dtm stock cupbaord" at Opel in Germany when they were being built. The shells of the car were from Ray Mallock Limited in England. (based on F2 rally shells as they were being built and used in british rally championship.)

[chunder]

If John buys a 206 then I hope he can afford all the relevant back up that goes with it.
Jokinen's sounds like a good car, but I gather it doesn't really use current Peugeot technogoly. Doesn't it use a 1.7 litre engine or something, making it a little like Tony Bells car?
I know for a fact that if John uses a proper 206 he will have to have back up from PTS as the cars are just too complex to run independantly. Hence why you have not seen anyone using a 206 for rallying in Britain.
I remember talking to Marcus Dodd a few years ago and the prices for the cars were not too bad, but you practically had to double the price and have the back up aswell. All the electronics and data retrieval and stuff. So he went for another Impreza.
Don't know if Pailler has help from Peugeot, probably. Couldn't Joh use the engine out the 306, is only the shell that is illegal coz of carbon floorpan?

[Peter S]

The whole of McCluskeys Peugeot 306 is being sold so there wont be any carry over parts. Jokinens car does have little support from Peugeot sport Sweden, but he has two different cars. He is selling one of them as two are surplus to requirments: the specification of the 206 for sale:

2040 cc, 520 Hp, 730 Nm
Autronic SMC2, Motec dash
Sadev 6-speed sequential dog-box
middle diff 50/50%, front & rear diffs with LSD
Öhlins suspension
Brakes AP Racing with 295 mm discs
17" wheels
Pronal safety tank
OMP fire ext.
Corbeau seat

.....it can be viewed on ads on www.rallycross.nl

As for Pailler, then he has full backing from Peugeot. His technicion is Jean Pierre Nicholas who is hevaily involved in the WRC and Peugeot management. PAillers 206 is also a 2002 Marcus Gronholm car from the WRC. A genuine WRC machine.

[Peter S]

....Jokinenes second car has engine capacity of 1760cc. He hasnt raced that one this year.

[Stevie A]

Jokinen did have a 1.7 litre 206 for sale a while back but he has recently put his current car up for sale which is a WRC spec 2 litre version. I heard that he received some backing from Peugeot Sport Sweden (although he's Finnish) when he built this car.

I honestly thought that if McCluskey was going to a 206, he'd just keep the running gear from the 306 and have a re-shell because even the engines used in the current WRC 206's can be traced back to the Mi16 engine, which McCluskey's is based on as well. He must be getteing a good deal on something if he is putting his complete car and transporter up for sale!! Maybe it's not a Peugeot...that's why he's getting rid of the lot????

Jean-Luc Pailler does get backing from Peugeot Sport France, as does Herve Knapick who races in the French Series and who also done a few ERC rounds this year.

[Stevie A]

Oh well,Peter you got the reply in first!

[Peter S]

Jokinen actually lives in Sweden now, and is married to Susann Hansens sister, which makes him Kenneth Hansens brother in law.

As for McCluskey then his plans will be announced soon enough when sponsorship deals fall into place.

[chunder]

I would imagine then that the 1.7 litre car was either using 205T16 running gear like Pailler and Hansen and also Gollop did initially, or he was doing a Tony Bell and running lower cc to lose weight. Lot of money though isn't it.
If the one he is selling is 2040cc, he has bored it out. Maybe got bored out during the build stage for safety. Sounds like a good car though. Winder why we haven't seen him much in ERC recently. Perhaps the new car is not competetive in ERC spec, but I presume that Swedish championship spec must be the same as ERC.
Perhaps he just needs the money.
Anyway, not sure John has any ties to Peugeot, he used to drive a Subaru in rallying. THink he will just get the best deal he can. Probly annoyed he missed out on the Astras actually!