Antoine L'Estage Partners with Hyundai: Interview

 

With the recent announcement of Hyundai Canada partnering with reigning rally champion, Antoine L'Estage, Flatovercrest.com caught up with him for some comments.

Photo: ArtPartPhoto

Has this sponsorship deal been a long-term work-in-progress for you, or did it mostly come about because of X Games this year?
We’ve been working on this deal for quite a while now - the timing didn’t really have anything to do with X Games. 

What does this sponsorship deal mean for the team?  Is there a new car in the works? Financial support?  Is Hyundai going to use rally in their promotions? 
Hyundai is providing us with some financial support and it’s a step in the right direction that we’re very excited about.  It’s great for the sport to welcome a manufacturer back into the CARS championship and great for us that it’s Hyundai!  We will not have a new car but we will be sporting the Tiburon’s new 2007 look and it will be used to help promote their new Performance Parts Line. 

You've been in a tight battle with ACP this year for the Canadian title.  What is your plan of attack for the remaining events? 
Our plan is to keep doing what we’ve been doing!  Unfortunately, I made a silly mistake at Perce-Neige and as a result my lead in the championship isn’t as big as it should be.  We won the other two events by a pretty big margin but at the same time, I can’t let up.  But I’m confident for the rest of the season.  John Buffum keeps the car fast and reliable and I’ve got a great team working behind me.

Speaking of X Games, you had a bit of a rough week in LA, but how was your experience overall?   Was it worthwhile being there? 
The X Games has a special kind of ambiance that we won’t find at any other rally.  I had to keep reminding myself that we weren’t at a rally at all … we were part of a big show with our rally cars!  It was a little frustrating for me at first but it was a great experience. Even if I did not receive the TV exposure that I was planning, the X Games was still very good for our sponsors with an incredibly well-attended event, not to mention the ESPN show of the New England Forest Rally that aired while we were in LA.

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PRESS RELEASE

HYUNDAI CANADA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ANTOINE L’ESTAGE
Canadian Rally Champion clinched 2006 title in a Hyundai Tiburon

Toronto - Hyundai Canada today announced their thrilling new partnership with Canadian Rally Car Champion Antoine L’Estage. The announcement was made in conjunction with the launch of Hyundai’s new performance parts line - an exciting collection of parts and accessories for Hyundai’s performance enthusiasts further demonstrating Hyundai’s commitment to racing performance in Canada.

“Antoine embodies everything we were inspired by when designing our performance parts line – speed, attitude and performance, said John Vernile, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Canada. “We’re very proud to have Antoine personify the Hyundai experience.”

The partnership provides support for L’Estage’s racing efforts, including a significant upgrade to his winning racing vehicle, a Hyundai Tiburon, and comes on the heels of his 2006 Canadian Rally Championship. L’Estage brought home the Drivers’ title behind the wheel of his AWD Hyundai Tiburon, and in doing so, earned the Manufacturers' title for Hyundai Canada. L’Estage currently leads the 2007 Canadian Rally Championships.

“I’ve been competing in Hyundai vehicles for over five years and am proud to be one of only a few rally racers to have won every event in the Canadian Championship,” said L’Estage. ”Not only does Hyundai manufacture a winner’s car, they put their passion behind the people who drive them.”