FJ Team Shines in Canada with Max McRae

Based in Bancroft, Ontario in eastern Canada, the Lincoln Electric Rally of the Tall Pines consisted of 15 special stages. A little over 170 km of timed stages were to be tackled during the single day. For its 3^e race with his Peugeot 208 Rally4, it was not Maxime Galpin who was at the wheel as during the first two outings (at Gravel Witch in the USA and at Charlevoix in Canada), but Max McRae. The latter already knew the car for having used it in ERC this year. Navigated by Cameron Fair, the 20-year-old Englishman gradually picked up the pace. Immediately installed at the top of the 2WD classification, he gradually got closer to the podium. At the end of SS6, Max moved up to 3^e then his first best time allowed him to gain another place. Wanting to keep his position, he awarded himself 3 additional scratches bringing an excellent result to the young team.

« It was awesome, McRae exclaimed upon arrival. It really gave us the opportunity to show what this car can do. The key for us was good recce and good pace notes to make sure we could keep a high pace on these tracks with high-speed corners and big bumps. Honestly, the roads were great. There were a lot of firsts for me here. I don’t have a lot of night experience, so to win a night stage and take over 20 seconds off a Rally2 was really nice. It was a great rally, completed without any problems. Winning the category and finishing second overall is the perfect way to thank the FJ team who have been incredible. »

This more than encouraging result reinforces the French structure in its desire to develop its activity in the USA and Canada next year. With the championship resuming in January, the French team should have a short, busy off-season.