Antoine L`Estage Breaks a Record and Wins the Rallye Défi

Press Release
For Immediate Publication
Undefeated in the Canadian Championship this season...
Antoine L'Estage Breaks a Record and Wins the Rallye Défi
Montréal (Québec), September 7, 2014.- Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage (of St-Jean-surRichelieu) and his Torontonian co-driver Alan Ockwell, won this weekend’s Rallye Défi,
contested in the Laurentian and Outaouais regions of Quebec and marking the mid-way point of
the 2014 Canadian Rally Championship. Antoine L'Estage and Alan Ockwell dominated the
event from start to finish to end with a lead of more than three minutes over their closest rivals.
This makes it three wins in as many events for L'Estage and his eighth win at Rallye Défi,
setting a new record.
After winning the Perce-Neige and Baie-des-Chaleurs rallies earlier this season, the Yokohama
Rally team driver wanted to continue his streak at the Rallye Défi, a special event for Antoine, in
front of his supporters. « It really was a perfect rally for us. We had a small mechanical worry
half way through the second day, which we managed by reducing the boost. But, as a whole, it’s
a fantastic result. Eight victories at the Rallye Défi, it’s almost unreal ! » explained Antoine.
After this new and critical success, Antoine L'Estage specified : « I thank John Buffum, Matt,
and the entire team, my co-driver Alan Ockwell who did a remarkable job, and the Yokohama
Tires, because even though Day 2’s roads were really nice, the first stages on Day 1 were very
hard on tires. I nevertheless pushed to the maximum with my Yokohama tires, so much so that
at one point I bent a control arm but despite that, we still didn’t get a flat ».
For the seven-time Canadian rally champion, this eighth victory at the Rallye Défi does not only
allow him to re-write the record books, it also builds his lead to more than double the points of
his closest rival in the Canadian drivers’ championship. He can’t help but look forward to the
second half of the season with optimism.
Antoine L'Estage currently holds six North American titles (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and
2013), six Canadian (2006, 2007, 2010 to 2013), one American (2010) and forty-five overall
victories in Canada and the United States.
He is contesting the 2014 Canadian Rally Championship with the support of Yokohama Tires,
Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Énergie Cardio, Method Race Wheels, VP Racing Fuels,
Alpinestars, Exe-Tc Suspensions, Driver's Edge Autosport, and Libra Racing. For more
information on the team or rally in general, please visit the antoinelestage.com site.
Source : Coyote Rallye Media Services, (514) 825 - 4332
2014 Canadian Rally Championship Calendar
Date
Event
Location
February 8
RALLYE PERCE-NEIGE
Maniwaki, Québec
1
June 27 - 28
RALLYE BAIE-DES-CHALEURS
New Richmond, Québec
1
September 5 – 6
RALLYE DÉFI
Ste-Agathe, Québec
1
October 3 - 4
PACIFIC FOREST RALLY
Merritt, British Columbia
October 31 – Nov 1
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RALLY
Invermere, British Columbia
November 29
RALLY OF THE TALL PINES
Bancroft, Ontario
st
st
st
Photos : Antoine L’Estage and Alan Ockwell, winner of the2014 Rallye Défi.
Credit : Mat Janiak. Higher resolution available upon request.
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