MALAYSIA May 29 (Bernama) — Cody Crocker has raced to the forefront of the Malaysian Rally Championship after his superb performance in Kangar in the second round of the championship.

Two superb rounds in Kangar where his opponents stood no chance against his sterling performances, has installed him as the firm favourite, for the overall MRC crown.

He is now the joint-leader with defending champion Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya after accumulating a two-round total of 18 points.

But really no one could come close to him as the 41-year old Australian produced a sterling performance to win both rounds in Kangar over the weekend, leaving Muhammad Rafiq in his Subaru Impreza trailing in his wake.

Even the ”Flying Sikh” Karamjit Singh who is chasing his 12th overall crown and now lying third overall, found it hard to keep pace with the ”Flying Aussie”.  

Things had looked uncertain for the Crocker, a four-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, before the 28-driver field gathered in Kangar, for the second round of the Malaysian Championship.

He only had two points to show from the opening round in Kota Tinggi last month because his Subaru Impreza went off the road in the opening day and he was left with an enormous task ahead.

But how his fortunes changed when the Australian, driving under the Pennzoil GSR banner, killed the rest of the opposition to come home high and dry, an effort that was worth 16 points.

However, GSR Pennzoil team leader Gunaseelan Rajoo feels the title race was still a wide open race for the overall crown. “We have Cody and Karamjit and don”t forget Muhammad Rafiq is there and should anything happen to our two cars, he can capitalise on it. After all the gap is still so close and there are two more rounds (Melaka and Negeri Sembilan) to come,” he said.

–BERNAMA