I was out of pocket for a few weeks and completely missed this one. According to reports Dani Sordo did well for 11 stages and then had some big problems on Stage 12, the last stage of Day 2. He ran strongly again on the final day and still managed to finish 10th overall. New MINI driver Chris "Atko" Atkinson (filling in for Araujo) was working to learn the car and get comfortable with it and still managed to come in 5th! I'll post a few bits and pieces. ADAC Rallye Deutschland (WRC.com)
A few videos of Dani Sordo testing for Germany before the rally: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75CzgNDXK6o]Dani Sordo testing for Rally Germany at Prodrive Warwick - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyjBwNNUwj4]ADAC 2012 - Test Day 1 @ Prodrive - Dani Sordo Mini JCW WRC - July 2012 - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1MbGXxiLKU]MINI WRC Test Dani Sordo (Pure Sound) - Rallye Deutschland 2012 - YouTube[/ame]
Day 1 highlights video: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjlWH__HAD0]First leg - 2012 WRC Rallye Deutschland - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame] Martin Prokop's car-b-que: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKzjDiichH4]WRC Adac rally deutschland 2012 - Martin Prokop's car on fire - YouTube[/ame]
A few Day 2 articles with info about Atkinson's success and Sordo's misfortune: Sordo reveals Germany frustration (WRC.com) SS12: Disaster for Tanak (WRC.com) Chris Atkinson sails through a chaotic day (RallySportLive.com) Prodrive hopeful of Sordo return (WRC.com)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWgZFYKrTmQ]Oliveira small crash | ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2012 [HD] by JM - YouTube[/ame]
Couple Day 2 videos: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRU6a32CBuw]RALLYSUPPORT.NL - DAY TWO WRC ADAC RALLYE DEUTSCHLAND 2012 - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M66WGr7Vg80]Panzerplatte - 2012 WRC Rallye Deutschland - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xymmc61MTRs]WRC ADAC Rally Deutschland 2012 - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUORjvR7m8w]WRC Adac Rally deutschland 2012 (HD) - YouTube[/ame]
Dani made a bit of a mess of this artificial chicane: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67dgi97VEeE]Sordo hits chicane at the Panzerplatte - WRC ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2012 - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPA1Fke_lQc]The Race - 2012 WRC Rallye Deutschland - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]
Since I know ya'll are scratching your heads and saying..."WTH is a hinkelstein?" I looked it up. It's German for a large upright stone also know as a menhir.
Petter Solberg taught us what those were a number of years ago. You must have missed class that day. O think there is a youtube video of it. Scary stuff!
Thank you YouTube [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV9_mZboEC0]Petter Solberg crash in Germany 2004 - YouTube[/ame]
Thanks for finding that Nathan. I wonder if that is part of the reason Phil Mills no longer codrives for Petter?
Steady on, guys.... Hinkelsteins, as found on Panzerplatte (loosely, tank practice ground), are man-made anti-tank reinforced concrete lumps coming up to knee height. They have two purposes: 1) to stop tanks from straying off the surfaced roads in Panzerplatte and tearing up the ground at corners/junctions; 2) to tear the wheels and suspensions off rally cars. Admittedly the second one hadn't been thought of when these hinkelsteins were made, but they do that job very, very well....... A menhir is generally a much bigger stone, man-sized or bigger. Here is Obelix, a character from the Asterix cartoon series that covers all the rest of the world, who is a charming giant who likes nothing better than carrying a menhir on his back.
Apparently Atkinson did have at least one test day with the car prior to the rally. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTRyUuryRq8]Tests Day Chris Atkinson (OnBoard) for Deutschland 2012 [HD] Rallye-Addict.com - YouTube[/ame]
An excellent 51 min review (in HD): [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS--SoS8Hbo]WRC 2012 Germany Review (HD) - YouTube[/ame]