Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008 - (Page 76)

MOTORSPORTS 2007 Rally Japan Round 14, 26 - 28 October, 2007. Obihiro, Japan. Leg One 48 3 1 5 2 6 7 Leg Two 12 16 13 17 14 18 11 15 Rally start time Local 06:30 GMT 21:30 23 26 HQ Distances Obihiro 22 25 21 24 HQ Obihiro CHaoS REIGnED In JaPan as the Championship race took another twist after the two contenders both crashed out, leaving mikko Hirvonen to take the spoils and edge ford closer to the manufacturer’s title. marcus Grönholm must have thought his title hopes were all but over after sliding into a ditch on SS4 and causing irreparable damage to his ford focus. However, he hadn’t reckoned on Daniel Elena; Sébastien loeb’s co-driver misread a pace note on SS13 that caused loeb to take right-hand corner too quickly. Their Citroën C4 also ended up parked in a ditch, and although the crash inflicted little damage, there was nobody nearby to help the pair free the car. Grönholm’s frustration at retiring was compounded by the fact he was leading the rally at the time. However, in spite of being able to finish SS4 and return to service, he was prevented from continuing because of damage to the car’s rollcage. The finn’s hopes now lay with his compatriot and teammate Hirvonen as well as Jari-matti latvala from ford’s second team. They were embroiled in a battle with loeb until SS13, when first loeb went off and then latvala followed. The way for Hirvonen was now clear, and he won the event with a comfortable 37.4-second cushion between him and Dani Sordo. and what of Subaru? Well, after a disastrous opening day in front of their home fans when both Petter Solberg and Chris atkinson retired, there were some highlights over the remaining two days, including a first stage win in the Impreza for Xevi Pons. Solberg was forced to stop on the road section between SS5 and SS6 because of a gear selection problem; he had been running in sixth until then, but was forced to retire and rejoin the event under SupeRally regulations. atkinson quickly followed his teammate when he crashed heavily on SS6; the australian had been pushing hard through a sequence of bends when the car drifted wide, slid off the road and hit a tree. The impact was so great that the damage to the car was too extensive to let atkinson restart on leg two. Pons was competing on his first Rally Japan and gave the SWRt something to cheer when he won 76 MARCH 2008 Special Liaison Combined Stages 571.58 465.40 Leg 1 106.18 616.46 469.78 Leg 2 146.68 97.33 387.75 290.42 Leg 3 Total 350.19 1225.60 1575.79 Kms 2007 Result - Top Eight 1. M Hirvonen 2. D Sordo 3. H Solberg 4. M Wilson 5. L P Companc 6. M Stohl 7. F Villagra 8. K Taguchi Ford Citroën Ford Ford Ford Citroën Ford Mitsubishi 19 20 9 10 Kita Aikoku Kita Aikoku Obihiro 27 Leg Three Kita Aikoku Key HQ Start Rally Stage Stage Rally Location HQ Start Finish Route 5 Special Rally Service Overnight Finish Stage Direction Location Stop Location Location SS10, the second run through the short 1.35-km obihiro stage, to leave him seventh in the overall standings after day one. However, broken suspension on Saturday forced his Impreza to slide off the road on SS12. He rejoined the rally on leg Three, but a spin broke his rear wing and he eventually limped home in 36th. Solberg finished in 17th, and although the weekend was a poor one for the SWRt, he lifted the mood with four stage wins on leg two. now, if he can do that when loeb and Grönholm are still in the reckoning… —David Hobbs

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008

Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008 Contents Travis Geny Letters Readers' Rides Subaru News Subie Sleuths Hatched Plans United in Subarus East Meets West WRC Rally Catalunya WRC Rally France WRC Rally Japan WRC Rally Ireland WRC Wales Rally GB The Future of Subaru WRC Team Orange Where to Buy Subiesport 1993 Impreza "Dreadnought" Performance Radiator Install Special Kei Ad Directory Spotted!

Subiesport Magazine - February/March 2008

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