The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Gill noses ahead

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Gill noses ahead

S.V. Sriram

Makassar (Indonesia): The oppressive tropical climate, special stages through sugarcane fields, dust and grime thrown up by speeding cars, a couple of flat tyres, engine problems, gear box problems.

All the ingredients were there to spice up the rivalry between Team MRF’s Katsuhiko Taguchi/Mark Stacey and the defender Cody Crocker/Ben Atikson of Team Motor Image in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

But at the end of the first day’s rallying here at the Gudang Garam International Rally Indonesia which also serves as the fifth round of the APRC, an unlikely leader had emerged, though with a slender lead. India’s Gaurav Gill along with Jagdev Singh (Malaysia) in their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX had garnered a 35-second lead (provisional) over Cody Crocker after the eighth special stages on Saturday.

Taguchi, who had to contend with a flat early on during the day, was third at a minute and seven seconds behind.

Gill in fact had an amazing run in the morning and had clocked up a full minute’s advantage at the half-way stage over Crocker. But just as in Obihiro (Japan) in the fourth round of the APRC, the Indian’s car encountered a gear-box glitch in the sixth special stage.

“The gearbox mounting broke right in the middle of the stage. I literally had to nurse the car to the finish and also through the rest of the day’s rallying. In spite of that we are still in front and that’s a good sign,” said Gill.

Speaking of his prospects for Sunday Gill said, “The second day’s stages are even more tough.” With Crocker, who also encountered engine problems in the morning, breathing down his neck with some exceptional driving during the later part of the day, Sunday promises some more exciting rallying.

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