Motor Image Racing Team Exits Asia Pacific Rally Championship on a High Note

[Burai]

Motor Image Racing Team (MIRT), sponsored by Motor Image Enterprises, will no longer participate in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) after finishing the 2009 season, ending its decorated three-year association with the rally.

Since entering the APRC in 2007, MIRT's two teams - Driver Cody Crocker and Co-driver Ben Atkinson, and first-ever female team consisting of Driver Emma Gilmour and Co-driver Claire Mole - have been extremely successful in their "Made in Singapore" Motor Image Subaru Impreza WRX STI cars.
Notable in 2009 was the consistent podium finishes for both teams in all six rallies that MIRT participated in. From the cold and deep gravel roads of Whangarei in New Zealand, to the slick red mud in humid Malaysia, MIRT conquered each rally location and emerged triumphant. The year also saw Crocker breaking the record as the first driver to ever win four consecutive APRC titles.
In its three years of participation at the APRC, MIRT won three consecutive Manufacturers' Title, Driver's and Co-Drivers Championship Titles.
"MIRT's strong showing over the past three years is testament to the skill and hard work of our team, and a tribute to the rally heritage of the Subaru brand," said Mr. Glenn Tan, Group Chief Executive of Motor Image Group, and MIRT Team Principal, "We had a good run with the APRC and I am proud to say that our team has achieved what we set out to do - to make a lasting impression on Asia Pacific's rally circuit."
The departure of MIRT will undoubtedly close a significant chapter in the history of the Motor Image Racing Team.
Said Mr. Tan Keng Hock, Managing Director, Motor Image Racing Team, "All the success during our involvement with the APRC could not have been possible without a good team of outstanding people behind us. We've also received tremendous support from the fans and we would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for their enthusiasm and dedication."
Motor Image Racing Team wishes the Asia Pacific Rally Championship all the best for the upcoming seasons.

my main question would be ----> WHY!?
guys any comments or news regading this matter?

[speed unlimited]

Motor Image Racing Team (MIRT), sponsored by Motor Image Enterprises, will no longer participate in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) after finishing the 2009 season, ending its decorated three-year association with the rally.
I dont know what the reason but subaru cars are well known as rally cars and lot of potential but this coming Manila International Motor Show They will sponsor Russ Swift Exhibition show here are some pictures.

[niky]

Probably money. We are still recovering from a recession.

[ghosthunter]

The reason is money. It costs a lot of money just to maintain a single car through an entire racing season. And money spent on the racing team doesn't directly translate to better sales of the cars.

Spending the same money on publicity stunts like the driving exhibition by Russ Swift seems to generate better publicity for the brand.

[pup2]

Money issues lead them to do an MJ eh. Sayang di na sila maka go for a 5-peat. I hope they don't stop too long though. While the rally participation doesn't translate to sales directly, pag tumagal yan magkaka epekto din siguro.

Pero apparently, di totoo na kaya sila umatras sa WRC ay dahil di manalo si Solberg lately. Yun nga lang sayang yung 5-peat talaga.

[eggman]

Nasa IRC ang Subaru Rally Team pero ibang division sila pero sa IRC mas powerful at mas reliable ang S2000 Peugeots,Skodas,Fiat Abarths at Fords na IRC Rally cars!

Wala namang masyadong competition sa APRC at baka nagsawa na ang Motor Image sa mga panalo nila lagi.

[Burai]

yun nga rin sir eggman eh, if they always win, issue pa rin yung money?
bakit yung ford, alam ko mas malaking stakes ang kailangan nilang kitain kaso sa WRC mostly nung start ng recession, 2nd at 1st ang labanan nila lagi pero 1st pa rin madalas citroen. but they could still participate. i know they might have many money than subaru, pero gusto ko lang malaman baka may iba pa silang dahilan?
one time kasi nung nabalitaan ko yan, hinanap ko si crocker at nasa P-WRC na siya bigla pero hindi yata subaru sponsor niya but still drives an imprezza. yung nga lang, hindi ko alam kung temporary lang yung pagsali niya or pang buong season na
pano na rin kasi yung future nung babae niyang team mate na nakakapag 2nd nung nasa aprc pa sila? ang last ko lang na balita dun base sa website niya eh binebenta na niya yung previous model niyang black 06 or 07 STi.

[Burai]

honga pala sir pup2, what's an MJ at yung 5 peat na you were talking about? thanks.
di man manalo solberg, i think i should also be blaming him for the current imprezza's design xD sa mga interviews sa kanya ng wrc na nabasa ko before, it was like gusto niyang sabihing maling mali pagka design sa imprezza but since the day 1 nung assembly ng 08 model diba kasali siya dun
sure he's a good driver because he can finish at least 3rd and that's not bad afterall
anyway back to topic (nadala ako kay solberg xD)
akala ko rin kasi yung napapanalunang money sa wrc is sobra pa for the winning team to participate again in the next season

[Quint]

double post, sorry.

[Quint]

I think that the current model, especially the hatch, handles very poorly in rally conditions. I think that they made a mistake on this one...performance wise. Design-wise, its a hands down winner. Pero sa handling, its all over the place...I'm not sure whether the same is true for the sedan model. But they came in too late with that not-so-pretty variant. Pangit.

In 3 years, when the new model comes out, I think that they'll get back to racing. Kaysa mapahiya, nag pull-out na lang. Smart move, if you ask me. Timing is good as most people think its about money...

But if you dig deeper into the company's background, Fuji Heavy industries was one of the few, if not, the only one who made a profit in a contracting car industry worldwide. Go Subaru!

[Burai]

I think that the current model, especially the hatch, handles very poorly in rally conditions. I think that they made a mistake on this one...performance wise. Design-wise, its a hands down winner

baliktad tayo, ako pabor sa handling while di pabor sa design but still loves it
3 yrs pa for the new model? yung coupe hatch? buti pa yung FT86, yung brother niya, naunang mailalabas. kung hindi this year then i think next year

sino may balita din about sa 2 drivers nung MIRT?

would SRT usa suffer the same fate with MIRT? lalo na ngayong wala na rin si Block sa SRTusa

[pup2]

MJ=Michael Jordan. Left at the peak of his career, puttered around with baseball, then made a comeback.

5-peat. This year was their 4th consecutive APRC crown. It was unprecedented since before that, several 3 peats rotated between Subaru and ... tadaa ... Mitsu (you know which Mitsu you are). If they went again this 2010, it could've been a 5-peat.

AFAIK, VW grew and made money also. Pati ata hyundai (which AFAIK just recently joined APRC). Di din ako masyado convinced na sa platform eh. Kasi yung 09 na hatch na yung ginamit na platform this year sa APRC -- which they won.

Puwede sabihin na dahil sa poor platform kaya umatras sa WRC ... eh sa APRC naipanalo na yung platformumatras pa din eh.

Pero folks, let's not forget. Chuvaroo made money ... pero the parent FHI DIDN"T. in fact, FHI seemed much happier when Chuvaroo was LOSING money pero FHI was earning (mas malaki kasi).

[pup2]

BTW, Lots of guys also got confused with the MJ analogy. Akala nila Michael Jackson. hahaha.

[eggman]

I think that the current model, especially the hatch, handles very poorly in rally conditions. I think that they made a mistake on this one...performance wise. Design-wise, its a hands down winner. Pero sa handling, its all over the place...I'm not sure whether the same is true for the sedan model. But they came in too late with that not-so-pretty variant. Pangit.

In 3 years, when the new model comes out, I think that they'll get back to racing. Kaysa mapahiya, nag pull-out na lang. Smart move, if you ask me. Timing is good as most people think its about money...

But if you dig deeper into the company's background, Fuji Heavy industries was one of the few, if not, the only one who made a profit in a contracting car industry worldwide. Go Subaru!

Pangit ang pagkakagawa ng suspension ng Impreza ngayon kaya laging sira at talo sya sa rallies(I'm talking about those Production class rally cars).Mas matino pa nga daw yung suspension ng S2000 cars kaysa sa Impreza which is odd..Yun namang Lancer eh sobrang bigat naman..

Last year sumali si Crocker sa PWRC sa New Zealand event ng WRC.This year eh regular entrant na sya.

[Burai]

thanks sir pup2 for the clarification

mas maganda kung may maisip yung engineers ng impreza na pangtatapat sa active yaw control ng lancer para dagdag control points tapos iadd nila yun sa upcoming brother ng FT86 at sana di ma retain yung muka ng current sa bagong ilalabas (kahit na ba base sa camouflage nun eh mukang same pa rin ang lalabas...).

si crocker regular entrant na? pero not under mirt na right?
sana sa sites nung mga drivers ng mirt (before) e maglabas sila ng statement nila about sa pag alis ng mirt sa aprc

[niky]

Pangit ang pagkakagawa ng suspension ng Impreza ngayon kaya laging sira at talo sya sa rallies(I'm talking about those Production class rally cars).Mas matino pa nga daw yung suspension ng S2000 cars kaysa sa Impreza which is odd..Yun namang Lancer eh sobrang bigat naman..

Last year sumali si Crocker sa PWRC sa New Zealand event ng WRC.This year eh regular entrant na sya.

The fact that the new Impreza is a much heavier car than before might have somthing to do with that suspension issue. Both the Lancer and Impreza are now porkers...