World drivers find the going rough in Sumatra
By Robert Soelistyo
PARAPAT, North Sumatra (JP): Heavy rain halfway through yesterday's nine stages turned Special Stage 14 into a killing field and frustrated most of the world rated drivers in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Forty-three of the original 62 cars flagged off at the starting line in Medan on Friday, entered yesterday's second leg of the scheduled three with their drivers uncertain whether they would reach the finish line on the shore of Toba Lake on time.
By the 15th SS ,only 13 cars of the original 62 had survived the punishment.
"We had no speed at all. We hit the bank, we went everywhere, but at least we didn't spin. There was nothing you could do. In some corners, the car was just sliding, sliding, with no steering," complained Finnish driver Juha Kankkunen.
Driving a Toyota Celica GT-4 with navigator Nicky Grist of England, the Finn was placed second after 14th SS with a time of 3hrs 05.13 behind overnight leader Colin McRae.
Third was the Spanish duo of Carlos Sainz and navigator Luis Moya in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth after clocking 3hrs 06.30.
"If you can't even walk on it, imagine what it's like to drive on it," Scotland's Colin McRae said in disgust.
Despite all of the torment that put the Mitsubishi Ralliart Team's best hope Tommi Makkinen out of contention yesterday as he followed in the unhappy steps of teammate Richard Burns on Friday, McRae managed to extend the lead by three and a half minutes ahead of his closest rival Kankunnen.
"I've had a good day but it's a shame that Tommi went out. I suppose I can't complain. It would have been very difficult to fight for seconds on those slippery stages -- but I am enjoying the battle," McRae commented.
Overheated
Makkinen saw his Mitsubishi overheat and retired halfway through 11th SS. "There is nothing really damaged. It's just the radiator started leaking and the engine overheated. It has never happened before and I just don't understand it," he said.
Leg one on Friday saw the retirement of both Burns and 555 Subaru driver, and reigning Asia Pacific Rally Champion, Kenneth Eriksson.
A tropical downpour, slippery road conditions, rugged terrain and temperatures of 34 degrees Celcius, proved a real test for all the teams yesterday.
Burns had a disastrous day on Friday which saw him out of the event after just three SS. He hit a tree on SS1, badly damaging the front of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III, including the oil cooler, and stopped on SS3 with a blown engine.
National leading driver Dolly Indra Nasution and navigator Farryd Sungkar and Reza Pribadi accompanied by co-driver Giraudat and the duet of Bambang Hartono and navigator Agung Baskoro are among a few local hopes that managed to advance to today's third and final comprising 11 SS.
Dolly, in a Ford Escort clocked 3hrs 27.25 for sixth place. Reza, driving a Toyota, finished eighth with a time of 3:29.08, while Bambang had 3:33.01 to finish ninth.
"Local knowledge has been useful but we're not looking for anything dramatic. We just want to get to the finish ... it would be good to have an Indonesian in the top 10," Bambang said.
Leaders: 1. Colin McRae (Gbr) 555 Subaru Imprezza 3:02.13 2. Juha Kankkunen (Fin) Toyota Celica 3:05.51 3. Carlos Sainz (Spa) Ford Escort 3:06.30 4. Piero Liatti (Ita) 555 Subaru Imprezza 3:08.11 5. Yoshiro Fujimoto (Jpn) Toyota Celica 3:18.09 6. Dolly Indra Nasution (Ina) Ford Escort 3:27.25 7. Michael Lieu (HK) Subaru 3:28.46 8. Reza Pribadi (Ina) Toyota Celica 3:29.08 9. Bambang Hartono (Ina) Mitsubishi Lancer 3:33.01 10. Shigeyuki Konishi (Jpn) Subaru 3:34.48