The first round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) for the 2011 season gets underway with the Special Stages scheduled here over the weekend.
After a strong shakedown on Thursday evening, Team MRF's Gaurav Gill (co-driver Glen Macneall) and Katsuhiko Taguchi (Mark Stacey) got down to some serious business at the Plaza Angsana on Friday.
Team MRF will be keen to get a good start to the season. Taguchi, the reigning champion, will be looking to successfully defend his crown while the talented Gill, who finished second last year, will also be eyeing the top honours.
Third and fourth
They planned the day well and attacked the 2.5-km tight and twisty terrain the best possible way they could and clocked the third and fourth fastest timings of the day.
The terrain was a combination of gravel (1.5km) and tarmac. Taguchi, who had the opportunity of taking the first lap on his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, did so in a commanding fashion. The veteran was both aggressive and cautious. So was Gill, who followed Taguchi. They both swept the road for the rest of the drivers who followed.
Indonesia's Rifat Sungkar and Proton Motorsports' Alister McRae cleaned it up further to wrest the top two positions.
Taguchi said it was not going to be easy this time with McRae at the wheel of a Proton Sataria Neo S2000. “Last time he ran into rough weather. The engine let him down. Luckily our cars stood the test. But with the problem being sorted out and with some additional modifications to his car McRae is certainly going to give us all a run for our money.
“I am scared about the competition from McRae,” said the Japanese in a lighter vein, but quickly added he was prepared for the challenge.
Sceptical about stages
The drivers were also a little sceptical about the stages.
“The stages are different, very difficult to read. Slippery, muddy and grassy in some places and hard at various other points. Unlike other rallies you cannot go flat out here. So one has to mix caution with aggression,” said Taguchi and hoped for a good start and some points as well. Gill, however, prefers the aggressive route. “The stages are a bit tricky but I have always been aggressive. Everybody loves to go fast. So will I.”
The real fight begins at the Tai Tak Estate in Kota Tinggi on Saturday.
