The Hindu : Sport : Crocker keeps winning

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 12, 2007
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Sport

Sport

Crocker keeps winning

G. Prasad

LONGYOU (China): Winning has indeed become a habit for Australian Cody Crocker.

He rounded off his Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) 2007 campaign in style, clinching the China round here on Sunday.

With Crocker having already defended his APRC title, and the field on the final day left with just two cars — Crocker’s Subaru and Brian Edwin Green’s Mitsubishi EVO 9 — the proceedings were a mere formality.

Crocker (co-driver Ben Atkinson), who clocked 3 hours 28 minutes and 03.3 seconds at the end of the final stage (stage 16), finished top in the overall standings with 86 points.

His effort also enabled Subaru secure the manufacturers’ title.

Tricky stages

“There were tricky stages in China, but every rally has its own set of challenges. I consider the Malaysian and Indonesian rounds to be the toughest,” said Crocker, who will be driving a modified Subaru car next year. Crocker added that he thoroughly enjoyed the APRC and wanted to complete a hat-trick of titles next year.

“But for now I want to return to Australia and be with my wife who is expecting our first baby in January.”

Team MRF drivers, Jussi Valimaki and Katsuhiko Taguchi, who had to retire on Saturday due to technical snags, finished second and third respectively in the overall standings.

“It is obviously disappointing that we could not finish the rally.

But these things do happen and we have to get on with it. We have decided to have a modified filter system next time to avoid problems caused by contaminated fuel,” Valimaki said.

Final placings:

China round: 1. Cody Crocker (co-driver Ben Atkinson) 3:28:03.3s; 2. Brian Edwin Green (Fluer Louise Pedersen) Mitsubishi Lancer Team 3:44:39.4s.

Overall: 1. Cody Crocker, Motor Rally Image Team 86 points; 2. Jussi Valimaki (Jarkko Kalliolepo) Team MRF 49; 3. Katsuhiko Taguchi (Mark Stacey) Team MRF 47.

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