Indian teams dominate starting lineup<\/p>\n
PALEMBANG, South Sumatra (JP): Defending champion Hary Singh
\nand navigator Gurinder Mann of the JK Tires team of India were
\nbeing low profile on their target at the 2001 Gudang Garam
\nInternational Rally on Saturday.<\/p>\n
"I only wish to finish the race in good a time. I'm looking
\nforward to the challenge here and hope to do well," Hary, who
\nfinished third in the first Asian series in Coimbatore, India,
\ntold a press conference.<\/p>\n
They are in poll position followed by Malaysians Karamjit
\nSingh and Jagdev Singh, who are competing under the same banner.
\nThe two teams will be driving Proton Satrias.<\/p>\n
Indians VR Naren Kumar and Ramaswamy of the MRF team in a
\nHonda Civic Estilo are in third place while Arjun Balu and
\nDorairaj Ramkumar, also in a Civic Estilo, are in fourth place.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's best hope of Aga Kartiwa and Lanang Damarjati of
\nthe Fuchs Chalim team, also in a Honda Civic Estilo, are fifth in
\nthe starting grid.<\/p>\n
The cars will start the first day of the two-day race at 3:00
\np.m.<\/p>\n
Karamjit -- who finished second in the first Asian series in
\nCoimbatore, India -- told a press conference on Friday that the
\ntrack was wide and straight.<\/p>\n
"The track will definitely give the advantage to teams driving
\nbig-power cars like the Honda Civic Estillo," he said.<\/p>\n
"If the weather is dry tomorrow I won't have any chance
\nagainst the Hondas. But it will be a different story if it rains
\ntomorrow," he said at the conference.<\/p>\n
"The road will be very slippery and someone can make a
\nmistake."<\/p>\n
The organizing chairman Helmy Sungkar said that 37 cars would
\nstart on the first day with three participants having pulled out
\ndue to technical problems.<\/p>\n
Saturday will see two special stages (SS) of 12.2 and 17.16
\nkilometers respectively. The total length of the race is 153
\nkilometers.<\/p>\n
The rally is the second series of the FIA Asian Zone
\nChampionships. It also serves as the second national series
\nchampionships following the first leg in Bumi Serpong Damai,
\nBanten, earlier this month. (33\/nvn)<\/p>",
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