Indian teams dominate starting lineup

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra (JP): Defending champion Hary Singh and navigator Gurinder Mann of the JK Tires team of India were being low profile on their target at the 2001 Gudang Garam International Rally on Saturday.

"I only wish to finish the race in good a time. I'm looking forward to the challenge here and hope to do well," Hary, who finished third in the first Asian series in Coimbatore, India, told a press conference.

They are in poll position followed by Malaysians Karamjit Singh and Jagdev Singh, who are competing under the same banner. The two teams will be driving Proton Satrias.

Indians VR Naren Kumar and Ramaswamy of the MRF team in a Honda Civic Estilo are in third place while Arjun Balu and Dorairaj Ramkumar, also in a Civic Estilo, are in fourth place.

Indonesia's best hope of Aga Kartiwa and Lanang Damarjati of the Fuchs Chalim team, also in a Honda Civic Estilo, are fifth in the starting grid.

The cars will start the first day of the two-day race at 3:00 p.m.

Karamjit -- who finished second in the first Asian series in Coimbatore, India -- told a press conference on Friday that the track was wide and straight.

"The track will definitely give the advantage to teams driving big-power cars like the Honda Civic Estillo," he said.

"If the weather is dry tomorrow I won't have any chance against the Hondas. But it will be a different story if it rains tomorrow," he said at the conference.

"The road will be very slippery and someone can make a mistake."

The organizing chairman Helmy Sungkar said that 37 cars would start on the first day with three participants having pulled out due to technical problems.

Saturday will see two special stages (SS) of 12.2 and 17.16 kilometers respectively. The total length of the race is 153 kilometers.

The rally is the second series of the FIA Asian Zone Championships. It also serves as the second national series championships following the first leg in Bumi Serpong Damai, Banten, earlier this month. (33/nvn)