The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Valimaki clinches drivers' crown

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 12, 2005

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Sport - Racing : Motor

Valimaki clinches drivers' crown

K. Keerthivasan

MAKASSAR (INDONESIA): Team MRF's Jussi Valimaki (Jarkko Kalliolepo) took it easy in the second leg to finish runner-up in the Gudang Garam International Rally of Indonesia, the sixth round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship which concluded here on Sunday.

The second place was, however, enough for the 31-year-old Finn to bag the APRC drivers' championship. Valimaki's 15 points took his overall tally to an unbeatable 70. The other MRF driver, Katsuhiko Taguchi (Mark Stacey), emerged the winner of the rally.

Starting the second leg with a comfortable lead, Valimaki was ahead till the 10th stage but suddenly changed his strategy in the last three stages. "I discussed it with Jarkko and we felt that there was no point finishing first by straining the tyres and ourselves in the heat, when anyway we were going to bag the title by coming second," explained Valimaki. Very few expected him to shift gears, especially after the blazing start he had on Sunday.

One also felt that it was not wise on the part of Taguchi to put a lot of pressure on the tyres when finishing first mattered little in the overall perspective. "Maybe, he (Taguchi) wanted speed points," quipped Valimaki.

`Toughest rally'

Regarding his title win, the Finn said, "I am happy to have won my first major title. This has been the toughest rally for me ever." He was also happy with the tyres. "Only once, in the Rally of Hokkaido, did the tyre get punctured. It was quite satisfying."

The APRC seventh round will be held in Thailand from October 21 to 23.

Provisional standings (round six): 1. Katsuhiko Taguchi (Mark Stacey), Team MRF, 3hr 24:28s; 2. Jussi Valimaki (Jarkko Kalliolepo), Team MRF, 3:23:50.5 and 3. Geoff Argyle (Jane Black), Silverstone, 3:32:9.1.

Drivers' standings: 1. Jussi Valimaki (70 points), 2. Geoff Argyle (42), 3. Toshihiro Arai (35) and 4. Katsuhiko Taguchi (38).

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