Rifat and Herkusuma grab Mesran rally title

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)