Virtual MN series ramps up
Points leader takkes second win as Chris Ingram stars in fourth. By Luke Barry
Banishing the heartache of a narrow defeat, especially after a spirited comeback, isn’t easy. But Lukas Mateja converted that pain into jubilant joy on the Seajets Acropolis Rally with a controlled victory in his Mitsubishi Space Star R5. It strengthened his hold on the Motorsport News Chris Ingram Rally Challenge with just one round left.
As had been the case in both Monte-carlo and Finland, Portuguese driver Pedro Silva and French ace Jonathan Schaeffer were there to push Mateja all the way. As if to illustrate the point, just 1.1 seconds split the trio after the opening Fourketa Kourva test with
Mateja leading Silva by a slender 0.384s; a continuation of their intense scrap in Finland.
The light quickly began to fade for the next loop of three stages but that made little difference to the ferocity of the battle out front. Kryspian Handel had pulled to within 0.04s of third-placed Schaeffer on SS2, but the Pole then catapulted down the leaderboard on the proceeding Perasma Platani test, losing over 30s to those around him.
Mateja, again competing as Cresdmicky, was undeterred though and, despite losing the stage win on Pomona Ekrixi to Schaeffer, his lead out front had been broadened to 3s with Schaeffer 0.7s behind Silva in second.
SS5 Pedines Epidaxi marked the halfway point of the rally and a strong drive from Mateja boosted his victory chances as he pulled a further second clear of Schaeffer. The test would prove costly for Silva – the only man to beat Mateja this season – though as he leaked 5.5s to the rally leader and fell to third, 8.6s shy of his rival.
Quiet accumulation of points is an effective championship strategy, but there are often points in any season where one driver rises above the parapet and shows everyone who’s boss. Mateja did just that on the sixth stage, pulling 2.7s out of Schaeffer on the short test to balloon his lead to 7.5s. That doesn’t sound like much, but in the context of the MN Chris Ingram Rally Challenge it’s a lifetime.
The top three looked to settle down on the final three stages with each driver becoming increasingly comfortable in his position. After SS8 Kathodo Leontiou, Mateja was 14.6s ahead of Schaeffer, who was relying on a mistake from the Czech driver to net him his first win of the season.
Unfortunately for the Frenchman, that mistake wasn’t forthcoming although a second stage win of the rally on the final stage did reduce Mateja’s winning margin to 11.1s after what was a supremely impressive run on Tsiristra Thea to net his first podium of the year. It was a full seven seconds faster than Silva who finished 11.4s adrift of Schaeffer and 22.5s short of Mateja after 36 and a half minutes of perilous driving in the notoriously tricky and deceptive Greek mountains.
Heading into the final round of the season in Scotland, it is increasingly looking like a two-horse race for the championship between Mateja and Silva. But Mateja is looking every bit the favourite after two wins and a narrow second place.
European Rally champion Chris Ingram reminded everybody just what a talent he is with a superb fourth overall in Greece; the highest position a real-life driver has recorded thus far this season. Ingram was “genuinely buzzing” to be consistently among the top times to finish 50.8s down on Mateja and
1.8s ahead of fifth-placed Spaniard Babana. Handel recovered to sixth position after his misdemeanour on SS3, 6.5s in arrears of Babana’s Fiesta.
Junior WRC driver Jon Armstrong was eighth in a Fiesta R5 behind Estonian Speedsensei, while father-and-son Ewan and Lee Tindall both starred in 13th and
15th respectively. BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup competitor Ewan could have finished even higher had he not jumped the start on one of the stages. Alan Scott’s 19th place was another solid score and puts him in the top 10 of the championship.
Motorsport UK coach and former Suzuki works driver James Wozencroft pipped British Rally champion Matt Edwards by 3.2s; the pair finishing in 47th and 50th position. Having challenged his fellow Welshman hard in Finland, Meirion Evans wound up 30 spots and 40s behind Edwards in Greece.
The final round in Scotland could be a leveller as the stages were only added to DIRT Rally 2.0 in March. But with half of the stages in Perth and Kinross in the dark, there’s a guaranteed sting in the tail.