Mitsubishi keen to see Indonesian rally drivers

Mitsubishi keen to see Indonesian rally drivers

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian rally drivers who are in dire need of
better cars with which to challenge foreign adversaries will soon
have their wish fulfilled.

Spurred by the success of Swedish world beaters Kenneth
Eriksson and navigator Staffan Parmander in steering Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution to victory in the '94 Bentoel Indonesia Rally in
Medan last week, the Mitsubishi motor factory is keen to see
local drivers behind the wheel of three cars of the same type in
a series of national championships as well as in international
races next year.

"We will determine who deserves the racing suits for our
winning team as soon as possible," Maswir, marketing director of
Krama Yudha (KTB) motor company, said during a victory
celebration on Wednesday.

KTB is the Japan-based Mitsubishi motor company's
representative in Indonesia.

Eriksson's fellow Mitsubishi Ralliart teammate, Kenjiro
Shinozuka, was also in attendance at Wednesday's gathering.
Shinozuka won the annual race in 1990.

The local rallyists will steer standard 4WD cars, the lower
class series of those driven by the victorious Mitsubishi
Ralliart team's racers.

The recent rally, which served as the opener of the six-leg
Asia Pacific championship series, saw 11 Mitsubishi drivers
complete 400-kilometer-long tracks along rubber and palm oil
plantations in North Sumatra. Only 25 out of 48 racers flagged
off on Friday reached the finish line on Sunday.

Both Eriksson and Shinozuka are hopeful of maintaining their
winning ways at the second stop of the Asia Pacific rally
championships in New Zealand next month. (rsl/amd)