Big guns give up after grueling battle
By Robert Soelistyo
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Despite all their sophisticated technology and machines, many top drivers were no match for nature in the Gudang Garam World Rally Championship here yesterday.
Defending champion Carlos Sainz of Spain was one of the few who weathered the ordeal of alternately slippery and rock-hard routes to take the lead after clocking 3:19.54 in a Ford Escort.
Second was teammate Juha Kankunnen of Finland in 3:20.14 and third was Kenneth Eriksson of Sweden in 3:21.13.
The second leg of the 1997 World Championship has been testing for Subaru, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi thanks to exceptionally demanding conditions. Although it has not been as hot as usual, drivers have still had to cope with intense heat inside the car.
The greatest problem has been rain. The first few stages were wet and very slippery in places before a deluge turned many of the stages into a sea of mud. Huge crowds have thronged the route, lining roads through bustling towns and villages, or clustering at muddy corners in the dense rubber, palm oil and cocoa plantations.
Torrential rain made Saturday the most demanding day yet in this year's World Championship. Periodic cloudbursts turned the stages into ribbons of mud and all the leading drivers left the road at least once during the 149 kilometers. Yet the weather has remained thoroughly unpredictable and crews have also faced dry, rocky stages that demanded different suspension and tires.
The 555 Subaru World Rally team crew of Kenneth Eriksson and Staffan Parmander stayed out of trouble to finish the eighth stage in third position. Teammates Colin McRae and Nicky Grist have been in the thick of frenzied activity but were forced to retire -- while leading -- after a dogged attempt by the team's technicians to salvage their Indonesian hopes.
Team Mitsubishi Raliart remains in a strong position thanks to British crew Richard Burns and Robert Reid in their Carisma GT. The team suffered a setback when Finns Tommin Makinnen and Seppo Harjane retired their Lance Evolution with a cooling problem. World champion Makinnen will still retain his lead in the 1997 World Rally Championship.
Mitsubishi drivers have been well prepared as Michelin has provided tires for all conditions, even supplying unstudded snow tires for the worst of the mud.
Conditions have also taken their toll on Mitsubishi's rivals. While Ford has brought both its cars to the end of the leg, Toyota was eliminated from the rally when Didier Auriol's machine suffered major electrical problems, joining teammate Neal Bates on the sidelines.
On both his previous outings in this event, Collin McRae had dominated and now, with so much at stake, the Scot and codriver Nicky Grist pulled out all the stops to lead the rally until SS 13 when his machine hit a tree and shattered its radiator.
"We just hit the mud too fast. It was a caution corner but the first wet one we have come across and I was just pushing too hard. It wasn't bad luck. It was entirely my fault," admitted McRae, the brave Scot, as he was called last year when he was here for the event but was beaten by Sains in the last kilometer.
Auriol ousted
Toyota's Didier Auriol and codriver Denis Giraudet, both French, held seventh position after the first day on Friday, but were forced to retire their machine when an unusual electrical failure stopped the car in SS 11.
"Suddenly everything just came to a halt. An electrical problem is always one of the hardest to solve and although we tried to find a way of continuing, it was not impossible," said Auriol. "Of course I'm disappointed but these sort of things happen when you are developing a new car."
Earlier on Friday, Australian Bates suffered engine damage as the result of a jamming throttle and was forced to quit.
Just six stages, totaling 115 kilometers, remain before the finish this afternoon here, but nothing can be taken for granted on a rally where drama is guaranteed.
Results after second leg: 1. Carlos Sainz/Lusi Moya (Spa Ford Escort) 3:19.54 2. Junha Kankunnen/Juha Repo (Fin Ford Escort) 3:20.14 3. Kenneth Eriksson/Staffan Permander (Swe Subaru Imprezza 3:21.13 4. Richard Burns/Robert Reid (Gbr Mitsubishi Carisma) 3:21.47 5. Yoshio Fujimoto/Arne Hertz (Jpn/Swe Toyota Celica) 3:34.55 6. Karanjit Singh/Allen Oh (Mal Proton Wira) 3:37.39 7. Hari Rovanpera/Voitto Silander (Fin Seat Ibliza GTI) 3:39.43 8. Reza Pribadi/Claus Wicha (Ina/Ger Subaru Imprezza) 3:43.48 Erwin Weber/Manfred Hiemer (Ger Seat Ibloza GTI) 3:43.48 10. Yoshihiro Kataoka/Satoshi Hayashi(Jpn Mitsubishi Lance Evo III) 3:45.47