Tommy pledges best showing in Medan

Tommy pledges best showing in Medan

JAKARTA (JP): National leading driver Hutomo Mandala Putra
vowed yesterday to steal a little bit of thunder in the Indonesia
Rally Championship in Medan, North Sumatra, next week by besting
his Asian rivals.

"To match European world-rated drivers is such a heavy job
that I prefer eying the top place among Asians," Hutomo, or Tommy
as his friends call him, said during the induction of leadership
board of the Indonesian Motor Association (IMI) by National
Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar yesterday.

Hutomo, President Soeharto's youngest son, will team up for
the first time with co-driver Jeffrey JP in his bid for a better
run than last year when he quit early on. The new pairing will
drive a Subaru Impreza.

"I'm thoroughly ready, both physically and mentally, for the
race," said Hutomo, who is still fresh from his victory in the
national rally championships' first leg in Palembang last month.

Swedish defending champion Kenneth Eriksson and Mitsubishi
teammate Tommi Makinen are expected to battle it out against arch
rivals Possum Bourne and Colin McRae of the Subaru team. Ford
rests its hopes on former world champion Ari Vatanen who will
team up with his female navigator Fabrizia Pons in the race,
which is also the opening leg of the Asia Pacific Championships
series.

Hutomo, renowned also as a leading businessman, said that he
was worried about several stages of the July 7-9 race due to
their long and winding roads. Participants will drive on the
longest track in Bandar Meriah which covers a stretch of 31.26-
kilometers.

Chairman of the committee Indrajit Sardjono said that
organizers are still repairing two notorious stages in Bukit Lima
and Tanah Gambus. The three-day race will be split into 26
stages. (amd)