Rallye Argentinien:
 

Rally Argentina - Leg 3 - 30th April 2006

Leg information:

Stages: 4 (2 repeated) 41.30 km
Surface: Soft gravel
Weather: Cloudy, moderate temperatures

Suzuki summary:

Suzuki Swift driver Guy Wilks has won the Junior World Championship category of the Rally Argentina, having led from start to finish. The Englishman enjoyed a trouble-free final day in order to claim Suzuki’s second win of the season. P-G Andersson finished third despite retiring from the opening leg of the rally after hitting a rock. The result means that Andersson maintains the lead of the Junior World Rally Championship. Both Swifts had no mechanical problems whatsoever throughout the gruelling three-day event, which marked Suzuki’s first visit to Argentina.

News from the leading Suzuki driver:

Guy Wilks (1st in JWRC): “It’s been a fantastic event. I came here with the firm aim of taking 10 points for a win, and we’ve remained concentrated in order to do that. We’ve not had a single problem with the car: only a puncture on SS13. There’s been a bit of pressure on as we could only lose the rally here, but our result has put us right back into contention for the championship. I’ve learnt a lot from this event and my confidence is high heading into the next gravel rally, in Sardinia.”

Other news from Suzuki:

P-G Andersson finished third in the JWRC standings, having concentrated on getting his car to the end and scoring points. Like Guy, he was impressed by his first visit to the challenging Argentina stages. “It’s a very demanding rally, and I’m pleased to have salvaged third place and kept the lead of the championship,” he said. “Although the stages have been extremely rough, the car has stood up very well.”

News from “Monster” Tajima:

“Congratulations to Guy, who drove perfectly from start to finish without making a single mistake. He was able to defend his lead without pushing too hard, which is exactly what we asked of him. I’m also very pleased with both the speed and the reliability of the Swift. Conditions were even more challenging than we expected, but neither car had a single problem. Now we have to keep up this momentum on our next event, in Italy, where we are sure to encounter some very strong rivals.”

Junior World Rally Championship classification at end of Rally Argentina:

1 Guy Wilks (Suzuki Swift) 4h44m46.9s
2 Patrick Sandell (Renault Clio) +9m19.5s
3 P-G Andersson (Suzuki Swift) +29m01.0s
4 Jaan Molder (Ford Fiesta) +55m39.6vs