World drivers find the going rough in Sumatra
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