RALLY: Rally Argentina Report
28 May 1999
Juha Kankkunen and co-driver Juha Repo with team-mate Richard Burns and co-driver Robert Reid, celebrated a 1-2 success for Subaru and Pirelli at the 19th Rally Argentina, seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship, which finished in Cordoba today.Third, after an hard fought battle all along the almost 400 kilometres of competitive route, was Frenchman Didier Auriol, who early in the event had swapped the lead with the two Subaru's drivers.
Between them Kankkunen and Burns were fastest on 15 of the event's 22 stages and the pair arrived to the final test with the Briton leading by only 1,2 seconds. Slightly helped by his third position on the road the Finn, who had not scored a win since 1994 Rally of Portugal, charged furiously and beat the 12 year's younger challenger by 3,6 seconds, grabbing victory and equalling Carlos Sainz record of 22 victories in the FIA World Rally Championship.
While the first three days of the rally were run in overcast and rainy conditions, a warm sun shone over the last day and the competitors run on much drier roads. A national holiday "El dia de la Bandera" The day of the Flag, brought tenth of thousands of spectators to the double loop of stages south of Cordoba and in the Olympic Stadium of the host city, where a crowd of almost 40.000, roared and cheered the 25 remaining competitors.
The FIA World Rally Championship drivers are back in action again in just 12 days. The series returns to Europe for the Acropolis Rally of Greece, starting from Athens on the 6 of June.
Ford
Thomas Radstrom was satisfied of his point scoring sixth place in is return to competition after breaking a leg in February. "I feel really good now. We came to Argentina to learn about the rally," said the Swede, who competed here for the first time "and to learn about the car and I think we have done our job quite well. I'm really looking forward to the next round in Greece now."
Mitsubishi
Tommi Makinen took eventually fourth place, after a tremendous duel with Carlos Sainz, whose Toyota was slowed by gearbox trouble. "It was not quite the result I wanted," said the Finn, who has been reached in the drivers' championship lead by Didier Auriol, "but it is always good to score championship points."
Freddy Loix looked set to finish in the top ten, when he crashed his Carisma GT on SS17. "We were doing about 130 km/h when the car became unstable and we went off the road," stated the Belgian. "I'm disappointed not to finish, but at least we have made experience for next year."
Seat
Piero Liatti was trying to catch Thomas Radstrom when his SEAT WRC landed heavily after a big jump and, despite the work of SEAT mechanics, he was forced to retire as the damage proved irreparable. "We were setting some good time and improving," said the Italian "and I was confident of a point scoring finish, until we landed badly and broke the front of the car. We completed two of the three remaining stages, but couldn't go further than that.
Subaru
While Juha Kankkunen dominated the final leg, it was his team-mate Richard Burns who set the pace over the majority of the event and, but for a ten second penalty yesterday, may have taken victory. "Of course I'm devastated not to win and for 2,4 seconds only," admitted sadly the Briton, "but, that said we are a team and Subaru scored a 1-2, so everyone better look out for us in Greece."
"Not bad for an old man," said a beaming Kankkunen at the finish. "I can tell you that there have been times since I last won five years ago, that I might have given up, but I have had faith that I was still good enough to win. It feels great."
Toyota
Third place in Argentina brought Didier Auriol in joint lead at the head of the FIA World Rally Championship for drivers, while Toyota has extended to 26 points its lead in the manufacturers'. "I'm very happy to be jointly leading at this point," said the Frenchman, "when we head to Greece, an event I really like and where I hope to overhaul Tommi (Makinen). Here we just couldn't hold off the Subaru attack, but it was a great fight anyway."
Carlos Sainz was slowed in the penultimate stage of the rally, when oil started to leak from the gearbox housing of his Corolla and dropped to fifth place. "We had to take it slowly through the section," said the Spaniard "and we were lucky to have a service park at the end, because there was no oil left when we arrived. I have no idea what caused the problem, but I'm sure we did not hit anything."
Other Teams
Victory in the Production Cars category, gave to Uruguayan Gustavo Trelles, seventh overall, the lead in the FIA World Cup, 17 points ahead of Hamed Al Wahaibi from Oman, both driving Mitsubishis.
Argentinean Esteban Goldenhersch was first in the 2-Litre category, while his countrymate Ricardo Bissio brought to Renault 10 points in the FIA 2-Litre World Cup for Manufacturers, where the French manufacturers leads now by 37 points over second placed Hyundai.
Frenchman Frederic Dor (Subaru), tenth overall, gained 10 precious points for its team, F.Dor Rally Team, which is now second of the FIA Team's Cup, behind the leader, Spaniard Valencia Terra Mar Rally Team.
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