With the 2015 season now in the books, it’s time to take a look back on a breathtakingly successful year for the Flying Moose Rally Team. This year was akin to a roller coaster, replete with ups and downs. It culminated with the team winning the Rally America Central Region Group 2 Championship, the most competitive regional 2WD championship in the nation.
The season started strong at SnoDrift where they claimed good results. The energy continued to 100 Acre Wood where they persevered through dismal conditions. The Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally followed with a double DNF, proving to be the low point of the season. The team recovered quickly, taking wins at the New England Forest Rally and the inaugural Summer SnoDrift, before the penultimate event at Ojibwe Forests Rally. Here they claimed a win and a second place finish, albeit without power steering. The season concluded at the Lake Superior Performance Rally. Despite destroying three struts, they finished in dramatic fashion by bringing the car home on three wheels, claiming another win. The team refused to accept defeat and pushed through to the end, finishing on the podium in every event they completed.
“This was far from the perfect season, but we persevered. Our goal from day one of this season was to win the championship and I’m proud to say we accomplished that,” says FMRT Driver, Ian Topping. “I have many people to thank. First, my wife, mom, and dad, for without their support this season would not have been possible. Thanks to this great team. Throughout the year I gave them tons of work, resulting in stressful services and long nights and through it all they performed without a fault and gave me the best car possible. Thanks to Jimmy. I always say Jimmy keeps us on the road and that’s 100% true. Not only are his notes great but he knows when to pull me back and calm me down when I’m overdriving the car. It’s been an honor to have him alongside this year. And last but certainly not least, a big thanks to the team’s sponsors, Thompson Racing Fabrication and eEuroParts.com. It’s great to have the support of companies that value grassroots motorsports and rallying. This was a remarkable season that, while trying at times, was loads of fun. That’s what really matters.”
Next year will see the team take a step back as they shift their focus to other projects. But don’t worry, they will be back in full force for the 2017 season, flying faster than ever.
“We have a couple projects in the works right now and we hope to make an announcement on one of them near future,” explains Ian. “It’s an effort to take a major step forward in 2017 but that also means we won’t have the resources to compete regularly in 2016 with our current situation. I think we were able to prove our worth this year and now we have an opportunity to grow on that experience.”
The Flying Moose Rally Team is proudly sponsored by Thompson Racing Fabrication and eEuroParts.com.
You can follow FMRT on the following social media outlets:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/flyingmooserallyteam
Twitter: @FlyingMooseRT