IT'S SHAKE & BAKE TIME ONCE AGAIN....3 DAYS, 20 STAGES, 354 KMS OF DIRT AND GLORY!
FIA WRC (World Rally Championship) WRC MEXICO FEB 4-7, 2010 is just around the corner and Laredoreon Jose Manuel Ponce will be racing fast against top world drivers such as Sebastian Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen, Dani Sordo, Peter Solberg, Ken Block , and F1 champ Kimi Raikkonen. Over 400,000 fans are expected to attend this year from all over the world in old colonial Mexico. The 20 stages will run through the winding gravel roads of Leon, Silao and Guanajuato, Mexico March 4-7.
WRC is covered by 188 countries via 228 broadcasters, with a total audience of over 633 million plus 12 million visitors to wrc.com. 2009 will see a total of 12 rallies staged across the world!
For more info visit www.rallymexico.com or www.wrc.com
This will be Ponce’s second rally race but this time in his own WRC FIA homologated race car. Ponce has taken up a new form of competition that involves horsepower, gasoline and a steering wheel. In 2008 Ponce took an interest in the European-born sport of rally racing. The ultimate test of swervedriving man and machine, rally racers career along radically different types of roads and conditions in an effort to beat the clock and the competition. In WRC MEXICO 2008 he raced his first rally race in a rental in class A6 sponsored by Tecate, the rig was a homologated WRC PEUGEOT 206 SX which performed very well and he managed to survive his first rally and put on a good show, Ponce was named rookie driver amongst the Mexican teams. He raced for the colonial city of Guanajuato, one of the host cities of the WRC Mexico.
Ponce now returns in 2010 with more bongo power and hopes to convince the city of Laredo to have him run under their gateway flag for this international rally, which would help promote Laredo at a worldwide level. Ponce grew up in Laredo and would be honored to run for the folks of Laredo. He feels that it is very important to promote motorsports to the youth and families. He will race WRC MEXICO 2010 in a Class A6 WRC homologated Peugeot 206 SX. His co driver for this race is Bill Bridge who also resides in Mexico but is out of Dearborne Heights, Michigan where Ponce also resided one summer as a kid. Small world, hey. This will be Bill’s first rally but he has lots of rally experience and like Ponce also drives and races other offroad events. They make the perfect Shake and Bake combo!
Ponce and Bridge have recently returned from racing in the King of the Hammers LCQ race in Johnson Valley, California Feb 8-12 where for the second year in a row have raced as the first and only Mexican team. Their team GTOROCKS RACING TEAM is the only one in the world that races rock crawling, rock racing, desert racing and rally at a professional level.
This makes them a very unique team and more experienced to all kinds racing in different terrains. Ponce has participated in events in the USA, MEXICO, NORWAY, and VENEZUELA. For 2010 the team will concentrate on WRC MEXICO, BULGARIA and GERMANY with one Grimstad Norway rally. Ponce has brought up the car to Laredo to get some racing gear installed by sponsor friends, while getting a complete rally prep by his Crew Chief Johnny Despain. The team will be in town looking for potential sponsors and driving around in the car so keep an eye out for the little Puegeot!
Ponce is doing final prepping on his race and recce car, a euro version 1997 VW Golf. Some modifications include replacing seats and harnesses to pass the strict FIA tech scheduled for this Wednesday. Other work was also done while passing thru Laredo like a new racing exhaust sponsored by Armando of Pronto Muffler and brand new royal purple oil to run thru the veins of the Peugeot , changed by his crew chief Johnny Despain. The team still has some work but they like the pressure and keeps them motivated to push harder. Costa Rican WRC racer Remy Espinosa has been helping Ponce with prep and gear questions, Remy will be driving an S4 pace car for WRC. Puegeot Chagudi of Leon is also helping with parts. Taylor Fell, a new Orleans born MTB and Motorbike racer who now resides in guanajuato, is the team’s backup driver who will be taking recce notes for Bill who arrives on Wednesday.
More info about the GTOROCKS RACING TEAM at www.gtorocksracing.com
VIVA LAREDO! “We don’t only race hard, we also make it look spectacular!”
Ponce dedicates his racing in memory of his little brother Louie Ponce, an Austin texas guitar legend, and his parents Manuel y Maria Ponce.
Similar Posts:
- WRC Rally Mexico 2010: GTOROCKS RACING TEAM – PONCE & BRIDGE SURVIVE!
- Citroen Total World Rally Team: Loeb and Sordo WRC Rally Mexico preview
- Petter Solberg World Rally Team news: Rally Guanajuato Mexico preview
Tags: gtorocks racing team, guanajuato, jose manuel, mxrra, peugeot 206 xs, ponce, rally mexico, wrc
I would like to give a special thanx out to Scott of Rally Buzz, and local business and friends of laredo texas who have helped with the final gear to prep and pass wrc tech! Thanx Armando of Pronto Muffler, Carlos of Casanova Speed Shack, Waldo of Wammel, Johnny Despain of Despain Automotive, Beto Calderon of Calderon Pharmacies, Tecate Beer, Jeff Knoll and Dave Cole of Hammerking Productions, Mike and Rob of Pinned TV, Douglas Nushart and Juan Carlos Gay of Goodyear Tires, Emil of Masterpull, and my parents and girlfriend Maira for all their support.
SHAKE & BAKE…that just happened! BONGO!
Jose Ponce
WRC MEXICO TEAM #62
VIVA GTO MEXICO Y LAREDO!
Good luck brother ! ! ! ! !
Go BONGO Go!
Another shout out to Wine Country Motorsports, Efrian Alvarado of Laredo Home Inspections, Luis Gonzalez of Patria Office, Northstar Motorsports, Susquehanna Motorsports and Caja Popular.
Ponce & Bridge
WRC Team #62
dale duro bro!!! aver si aguanta la chingadera…
PUro Mezcal racing Team!!!
Good luck!!!
PS: Du like pikk? MUHAHAHA!
Huge Thanx to Gustavo Martinez of Puegeot Chagudi Leon and Mr Wu and Felipe of TAISAN shoe materials.
Ponce and Bridge and the GTOROCKS RACING Crew
Go Ponce Go!