WRC SUPPORTS
THE WRC2 SUPPORT CATEGORY FEATURED a stellar entry for R5 cars, but the result was similar to the main event. A runaway winner and an epic battle for second. But the pre-event hype was all around Kalle Rovanpera.
The Finn, fresh off passing his driving test at 17-years-old, was making his WRC debut and the pressure was on. On stage five, he slipped off the road and his day was over. There was a little more to it than that, though. The car wasn’t suiting his style.
“We are learning all the time,” said the young prodigy. “We had understeer a lot because my driving style [isn’t working] with this car. My style is really clean. With this car it’s different, you have to throw it around.”
He returned on Sunday but still struggled to crack the top five on each stage. Far too much was expected of this youngster and although he didn’t set Wales Rally GB alight, it doesn’t mean he won’t be successful in the future. Next stop Australia, for the WRC’S final round of the year.
Pontus Tidemand, the 2017 WRC2 champion before the event started, was untouchable out front. “It shows we are the strongest in WRC2,” he said of his win, and he’s right. The only drivers even close to his pace were his team-mate OC Veiby, who suffered a puncture on Friday, and Teemu Suninen, who had no power-steering through Saturday.
That scuppered any chance of a battle for Tidemand, who was quicker than both of those drivers for the majority anyway.
Second went to Eric Camilli, who was pretty much beaten by home favourite Tom Cave, before Cave spun on Sunday morning. It handed Camilli second on the event and second in the WRC2 championship for the year. When asked if he had his seat in next year’s WRC confirmed, he flashed a rueful smile and said: “We will see.”
Chris Ingram destroyed the RC4 class competition for R2 cars, finishing over 12 minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Raphael Astier. The latter won WRC3 for the event.
Dan Moss was the highest finisher in a nonhomologated car. Those cars have previously had to enter the National Rally but an FIA rule change allowed them in this year.
In the National Rally, Lancashireman
Tom Preston (above) scored his first ever rally win with a dominant performance, while the event featured its best entry yet.
Last year’s winner Bruce Mccombie lamented the change of format for this year, which switched from three days to two. Without Friday’s longer stages, which suit his Mitsubishi Lancer E9, he was unable to match the Skoda R5 of Preston on the more intricate Saturday and Sunday stages.
Roger Duckworth pleased the fans with the same-shape two-door Subaru Impreza used by Colin Mcrae to win the 1997 event outright.
Diff trouble tied a hand behind his back, but he still scored a podium ahead of Dylan Davies, who picked up his new Subaru Impreza R4 a week before the rally and adapted well.