The Hindu : Sport : Taguchi comes up trumps

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Taguchi comes up trumps

V.V. Ramanan

Drives Team MRF to a narrow win

— Photo: V.V. RAMANAN

VICTORIOUS DUO: Team MRF’s Katsuhiko Taguchi (right) and co-driver Mark Stacey celebrate their win.

OBIHIRO (Japan): The smiles were back on Katsuhiko Taguchi and co-driver Mark Stacey’s faces as they drove their Team MRF car to a narrow win in the Rally Hokkaido, the fourth leg in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, here on Sunday.

Though Toshihiro Arai (Glenn Macneall) took the overall top position, Taguchi piloted his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX consistently well to pip Cusco Racing’s Hiroshi Yanagisawa (Yoshimasa Nakahara) by a mere 2.3 seconds in the battle between APRC-registered cars.

Big factor

A big factor in Taguchi finishing on top was a top-three placing in six of Sunday’s 10 Special Stages (SS) that all produced good timings. The genial Japanese not only had his second top spot finish this year, following his win in the season-opener at New Caledonia, but also regained his home rally crown after a gap of two years.

Taguchi with 43 points now is three points clear of the defending APRC champion, Motor Image Rally team’s Cody Crocker (Ben Atkinson), who finished fourth with Dean Herridge taking the second runner-up spot.

Best total time

Crocker however had the consolation of having the best total time for the stages held on Sunday and it gave him three bonus points for the championship. Taguchi got two bonus points on Sunday to add to the one he picked up on the first day.

“I am very very happy. It was a good clean run and I didn’t expect such a close finish”, summed up Taguchi about a rally that had had its share of drama on Saturday but was run under near-perfect conditions on the final day.

“This event was a must-win and luckily, Cody was not even second or third here so I believe we have an advantage”, said Taguchi when queried about the rest of the season based on the show here.

All praise for crew

Taguchi was all praise for the team crew. “The tyres helped me drive with a better grip on the wet Japanese roads and the result is there for everyone to see”, said the winner at the press conference.

Gaurav Gill (Jonathon Mortimer), starting second on Sunday, saw his chances evaporate because a gear selector malfunction in SS 11 led to poor traction and eventual withdrawal.

Gill, returning after a break, was satisfied with his overall show here. “I got maximum mileage and practice here”, said the young Indian. He had picked up two bonus points on Saturday. He was hopeful of a good drive in the next leg, the Rally of Indonesia, given the fact he would have his regular co-driver Glenn Macneall back.

“He was good in wet conditions. And can be world class” was Taguchi’s reply when asked about his team-mate. Scott Pedder, Team MRF’s third driver, driving under a restart under Super Rally format had a couple of stage wins among APRC-registered drivers.

The results:

Provisional Final Classification for APRC registered drivers: 1. Katsuhiko Taguchi, Team MRF, 1 hour, 47 minutes, 51.1 seconds; 2. Hiroshi Yanagisawa, Cusco Racing, 1:47.53.4; 3. Dean Herridge, Cusco Racing, 1:48.56.9, 4. Cody Crocker, Motor Image Rally Team, 1:49.16.7; 5. 6. Rifat Sungkar, Motor Image Rally Team, 1:53.27.1; Gaurav Gill, Team MRF, DNF.

Points tally (at the end of fourth round of APRC): 1. Katsuhiko Taguchi 43, 2. Cody Crocker 40, 3. Dean Herridge 32, 4. Hiroshi Yanagisawa 22, 5. Brian Green 13, 6. Scott Pedder & Rifat Sungkar 12, 8. Gaurav Gill 2, 9. Alexander Gamayunov 0, 10. Takuma Kamada 0.

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