Eriksson heads Medan rally field

Eriksson heads Medan rally field

MEDAN, North Sumatra (Agencies): Sweden's Kenneth Eriksson in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III heads a highly competitive field in the opening round of the Asia-Pacific auto rally championship which began today.

Still, Eriksson will be hard-pressed to repeat his 1994 success in the Bank Utama Indonesia Rally '95 contested on gravel and dirt roads with treacherous tracks through rubber and palm plantations.

The popularity of rallying has grown in Asia, helping to provide keen competition in the 59-strong field for the three- day event.

Entrants include Hutomo Mandala Putra, the businessman son of Indonesia's President Soeharto, in a Subaru Impreza.

Eriksson's main rivals over the 500-km (310-mile), 27-stage route will include his team-mate, Finland's Tommi Makinen, making his first appearance in this event.

A third factory-supported Lancer will be driven by Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka, who aims to improve upon his third place finish in 1994.

But Eriksson's main challenge will likely come from the Prodrive Subaru outfit, spearheaded by Britain's Colin McRae and Possum Bourne of New Zealand. Bourne won the 1993 race.

McRae won last year's British RAC Rally in his 555-backed Impreza. He is a fast loose-surface driver and should be at home on Sumatra's fast and bumpy roads. Bourne is the reigning Asia- Pacific champion.

Ford is making its first assault on the event, entering an Escort Cosworth for Finland's former world champion Ari Vatanen.

Other leading drivers include: Safari Rally winner Yoshio Fujimoto in a privately-run Toyota; Indonesian champion Tony Hardianto in a Subaru; and Dominic Buckley of Scotland in a Ford backed by the event's sponsor, Indonesia's Bank Utama.