(By Eric Rood) – Ah, Rally Sweden, the world’s best snow rally. When not contending with mixed ice and snow conditions on the country’s back roads, drivers are fighting the difficulty of tough night stages against a snowbound canvas. While we enjoy watching these guys hoon over all the backroads between snowbanks, the rally’s big highlight comes on Stage 12, the 24-kilometer Vargåsen. Near that stage’s halfway point is the famous Colin’s Crest, a ramped section of the narrow stage named after late Scottish rally hero Colin McRae. The Crest is taken at super high-speed and the ballsiest drivers awe the gathered Swedes with some of the biggest jumps the series sees all year.
Last year, Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville set the Colin’s Crest record with a 40-meter launch, but this year, WRC2 competitor Eyvind Brynildsen annihilated Neuville’s record with a resounding 45-meter leap (which is a bit over 49 yards or just a few inches short of half a football field). The Norwegian’s Ford Fiesta may not have come first in the rally or even in Brynildsen’s class, but who cares? This is ridiculous. Appreciate the slow-motion replay where you can clearly see enough air to jump cleanly over an entire football team and you get a peek at how much suspension travel the WRC’s super hatchbacks have to accommodate the long jump antics.
Also note that this is a WRC2 “R5” Ford Fiesta that is roughly one quarter the cost of the top flight WRC versions. Considering most R5s use a lot of off the shelf manufacturer parts to keep costs down makes this jump even more impressive. More weight, less power, less technology, and yet makes record jump. It’s simply awesome, and makes me think Ford’s Fiesta would make a great daily commuter that doubles as a weekend SCCA rallycrosser.