Current APRC champion Cody Crocker won the event overall, while Motor Image team-mate Emma Gilmour gained enough points to move into second in the drivers championship.
This completed a remarkable double for the team. “Emma has been a fantastic team-mate and she really doesn’t yet realise what an achievement this is. These events are tough to finish let alone win, but Emma has been on the podium in every single rally we’ve entered this year”, said Crocker at the finish.
Gilmour’s finish was all the more courageous as on the 2nd stage of Day 2 her wrist was broken after the steering wheel snapped back ” we hit a big rut, spun and the steering wheel caught my hand. Thankfully it was my right-hand, not the left otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to change gear. The team doctor strapped it up and now that its all over I’m starting to feel the pain”.
The Motor Image team also won the Asia Cup for a second year – Crocker winning that category too, while Subaru are the manufacturers champion.
Rifat Sungkar bought his locally prepared Mitsubishi home 2nd of the APRC registered drivers “We stuck to our plan, as I know from personal experience this event always has many retirements and I knew if we could keep it on the road we’d score a good result. Thanks to my co-driver Scott Beckworth we’ve finished every event this year and achieved our goal in Asia Cup”, said a happy Sungkar at the finish ceremony.
Current APRC champion Cody Crocker won the event overall, while Motor Image team-mate Emma Gilmour gained enough points to move into second in the drivers championship.
CUSCO’ s Yuya Sumiyama in a Mitsubishi Evo X was third, loving the muddy conditions especially in the last few stages when the rain came down. Sumiyama commented “China Rally is very tough event and many slippery roads, so I am happy to be at the finish and score good points for Asia Cup”.
Alister McRae joined the list of retirements after the lower suspension arm came loose on the second run over the mountain stage. McRae was in 4th place overall at the time and looks certain to return in 2010.
China Rally – Final Results
CUSCO’ s Yuya Sumiyama in a Mitsubishi Evo X was third, loving the muddy conditions especially in the last few stages when the rain came down. Sumiyama commented “China Rally is very tough event and many slippery roads, so I am happy to be at the finish and score good points for Asia Cup”.
Alister McRae joined the list of retirements after the lower suspension arm came loose on the second run over the mountain stage. McRae was in 4th place overall at the time and looks certain to return in 2010.
China Rally
1.Cody Crocker/Ben Atkinson (AUS) Subaru Impreza 3:40.47,6
2. Dean Herridge/Chris Murphy (AUS) Subaru Impreza +4.32,8
3. Jari Ketomaa/Miika Teiskonen (FIN) Subaru Impreza +6.56,6
4. Rifat Sungkar/Scott Beckwith (RI/AUS) Mitsubishi Lancer +13.55,7
5. Yuya Sumiyama/Naoki Kase (J) Mitsubishi Lancer +17.17,9
6. Emma Gilmour/Claire Mole (NZ/GB) Subaru Impreza +17.58,0
7. Xu Jun/Liu Sheng (RC) Mitsubishi Lancer +21.46,3
8. Han Han/Sun Qiang (RC) Subaru Impreza +23.11,3
9. Fan Fan/Fang Junwei (RC) Mitsubishi Lancer +33.51,5
10. Shi Chunlei/Pan Hongyou (RC) Mitsubishi Lancer +43.14,4
Photos courtesy of Brian Young www.apsm.tv
