The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : APRC fifth round from today

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Saturday, Aug 19, 2006

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Sport - Racing : Motor

APRC fifth round from today

Nandita Sridhar

Johor Baru (Malaysia): Fitness levels will be tested in the next two days, if the hot and humid conditions persist, as the fifth round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship was ceremonially flagged off at Johor Baru, Malaysia, on Friday.

It may not be easy on the tyres if the sky opens up for the predicted showers, but Cody Crocker's 48 points gives him (and co-driver Ben Atkinson) a clear advantage over the others. Though he will be treading on unfamiliar grounds, Crocker, who will drive a Subaru Impreza WRX Group N4, was confident.

For starters, he was pretty happy with the rubber. "The Pirelli tyres are very good, and will withstand the conditions. I used it for the shakedown and I am happy with it," he said.

Taguchi needs to win

Close on his heels are Team MRF's Katsu Taguchi (Japan) and Mark Stacey (Australia), with an accumulated 30 points and more at home with the hot and humid conditions than the Australian.

Taguchi needs to win here to harbour championship winning hopes, though Crocker has enough points to keep him from worrying. "The weather will be crucial," said Taguchi adding that he was happy with the car.

The Rifat Sungkar-Mohamad Herkusuma duo from the Indonesia Rally Team is third in the table with 27 points.

Three cars from Indonesia, two from Australia, New Zealand and Japan and one each from China, Finland, Malaysia and Thailand will zip around in the crucial fifth round battle.

Jarkko Miettinen (co-driver Mikko Markkula), also sponsored by MRF, whose mediocre performances have surprised many, will need a drastic improvement to spring a surprise.

Cusco Subaru's Hiroshi Yanagisawa, who finished second at Hokkaido, Japan, will not feel at home in these conditions. Veterans like Brian Green and Dermott Malley, no strangers to Malaysia, may spring a surprise.

If things go the hot and humid way, then the rally should stick to the script. But showers will drastically alter the track, turning the narrow roads with twists, into a slush-bowl, and could complicate matters for those not used to the conditions.

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