Rifat and Herkusuma grab Mesran rally title

JAKARTA (JP): Rifat Sungkar and his navigator M. Herkusuma won the Mesran junior rally from Bandung to Jakarta yesterday.

Rifat and Herkusuma clocked one hour eight minutes and 15 seconds. Yaldi Indra/Herry Koentoyo won second place with a time of 1:10:43 and Ijeck/Budi Parama was in third clocking 1:10.47.

"It was a tough race since Yaldi lead the race until the second stage," Rifat said.

Yaldi admitted that Rifat was a good racer and blamed his defeat on engine trouble.

"We were leading from Rifat and Herkusuma but suddenly we had engine trouble. Nevertheless, I am happy to be in second," Yaldi said.

Rifat and Yaldi said they are planning to join the senior race but believe the competition will be tough.

"Next year we will face our seniors and this will be tough for us. We, however, will try our best," they said.

The Mesran junior rally is the last race for 1997 and will not be followed by a similar race next year.

Sixteen drivers took part in the one-day rally which started on Jl. Japati in Bandung at 6:30 a.m. yesterday and ended at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel in Jakarta at 5 p.m. the same day.

The rally is held to commemorate the hotel's 21st anniversary.

The hotel will entertain the racers, their navigators and teams tomorrow with music at its Pit Stop bar.

Among the 16 racers, three are women drivers: Enny Aryanie/Yati Suhaemi, Triana Sobari/Ade Ramadhan and Steve M/Emay A.

Although Enny finished 11th place in the rally, she won the women's category with a time of 1:28.22. Triana was in 14th place clocking 1:33.27, second behind Enny in the women's category.

Organizer Helmy Sungkar, Rifat's father, hoped that Rifat, Yaldi and Ijeck would continue competing in other car rallies.

"We only hope that their contracts with their sponsors will continue. If so, they will certainly compete in other rallies." (lnt)