Rallynotes - Principe de Asturias Rally Report

Principe de Asturias Rally Report

Sunday, 14 September 2008

Once more, the action went down to the very final stage on the latest round of the IRC, the Principe de Asturias Rally in Spain. Although the all-asphalt event was brand new to the series this year as round seven, it became one of the closest fought contests in the IRC's history. Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso and Peugeot Belgium's Nicolas Vouilloz ended the long opening day, characterised by extremely variable weather, tied on time in the lead. During the second day though, Basso extended his lead by pushing extremely hard in the morning.

Vouilloz fought back on the final loop of stages, reducing the gap to just 12.2 seconds heading into the final test. But once again the two rivals set exactly the same time, and Basso duly claimed Abarth's first win since he triumphed at the Madeira Rally in August last year. Nonetheless, second place in Spain has extended Vouilloz's championship lead usefully: particularly in the absence of IRC series frontrunner Luca Rossetti, who was contesting a clashing Italian Championship rally.

Freddy Loix, Vouilloz's team mate, was third in Spain despite suffering power steering problems on the second stage today. The Belgian slid off the road but was still able to ensure his place on the final podium. A masterful tyre choice on Friday evening when the previously wet conditions started to dry out had helped the Belgian to within 25 seconds of the leading duo, but his problem this morning denied Loix the chance to claim a second consecutive victory after winning the last round in the Czech Republic. Nonetheless, he moves up to second in the title race.

Local man (and 2002 Junior World Rally Champion) Dani Sola was set for fourth place on his home event, but went off the road on the second stage of the day in his privateer Abarth. This left the way clear for his countryman and reigning IRC champion Enrique Garcia Ojeda to claim the place in his Peugeot Spain 207 S2000. He finished ahead of the reigning Spanish Champion Miguel Fuster, in an Abarth entered by Fiat Spain.

Factory Abarth driver Anton Alen was sixth, his best overall career result on asphalt, despite not having any experience of driving the Grande Punto on wet tarmac before this weekend. BFGoodrich Drivers Team entrant Sergio Vallejo was seventh, while local Mitsubishi man Alberto Hevia finished eighth, having run as high as fourth in the rain-soaked opening stages. Peugeot Spain's Luis Monzon was also set for a points finish, but had to retire on the very last stage of the 873-kilometre event.

Despite the treacherous nature of the conditions, which left the drivers guessing about grip levels and tyre choices during the opening day, there were relatively few other retirements. Most of the people forced out were in the IRC 2WD Cup category. The first high-profile retirement was Alessandro Bettega in the Honda Civic Type R R3, who stopped after the opening stage with alternator failure. IRC 2WD Cup leader Marco Cavigioli retired on Friday afternoon with a broken radiator on his Fiat Punto Diesel.

This meant that local man Miguel Arias has become the latest IRC 2WD Cup winner, thanks to a faultless drive in his Peugeot 206 XS, assuming joint second place of the series behind Cavigioli. Arias led the category from SS4 onwards, eventually finishing more than a minute ahead of the similar car of Alberto Monarri. Climent Domingo was third in another Peugeot 206 XS.

IRC FINAL RESULTS AFTER SS15, PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS RALLY (SPAIN)

1 Basso/Dotta Abarth Grande Punto 2h34m39.0s
2 Vouilloz/Klinger Peugeot 207 S2000     +12.2s
3 Loix/Buysmans Peugeot 207 S2000     +1m54.5s
4 Ojeda/Costa Peugeot 207 S2000     +2m34.3s
5 Fuster/Medina Abarth Grande Punto     +4m05.7s
6 Alen/Alanne Abarth Grande Punto +4m16.7s
7 Vallejo/Vallejo Peugeot 207 S2000 +5m12.1s
8 Hevia/Pin Mitsubishi Lancer (N)     +6m40.6s
9 Burgo/Burgo Mitsubishi Lancer (N) +9m12.9s
10 Perez/Velasco Mitsubishi Lancer (N) +15m51.2s

Two-wheel drive winner: Miguel Arias (Peugeot 206 XS)

STANDINGS

Drivers