WALES RALLY GREAT BRITAIN – LEG THREE: SS14-17

Leg information: Stages: 4 (112.00 kms competitive total)
Surface: Gravel Weather: Wet and windy throughout the day

The 2006 Junior World Rally Championship has come to a dramatic close, with Estonian Jan Molder taking his debut JWRC rally victory in a Suzuki Swift. Molder’s consistent approach allowed him to steer clear of trouble after all the frontrunners hit problems – including P-G Andersson and Guy Wilks. Torrential overnight rain meant that the stages were turned into a skating rink, and the eventual winner of the championship, Renault driver Patrick Sandell, was only able to claim the title after his car had been recovered to Parc Ferme on the back of a tow truck! The Junior World Rally Championship now resumes on the Rally Norway in February next year.

News from Guy: Guy Wilks (10th in JWRC after SS17): “After some problems yesterday we re-started today and everything was actually going OK until the last stage, although we needed a miracle to stand any chance of winning the title. On the final stage we caught up with another competitor. I don’t think he could see us, so we hit him a few times as we were trying to get past. Unfortunately this damaged the radiator, but we just about managed to get back to the service park. This rally has been unlucky for us, but at least we come away with the knowledge that both me and the car were competitive enough to claim the title – it was only bad luck that stopped us from doing it.”

News from P–G: P-G Andersson (Retired, SS15): “If we wanted to stand any chance of winning the championship we needed to push really hard today. Conditions were really slippery, and on SS15 I was caught out under braking for a downhill right-hand corner, where there was no grip at all. We tried to get round it, but we ended up going off backwards down a small ravine into a river. It was clear straight away that it would be too difficult for us to drive out, so it was all over. At least we tried!”

News from Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima, team principal: “I have been in motor sport for 38 years, but I can honestly say that I have never seen a day or an event like this! The lead changed so many times that it was really hard to keep up. And in the end, we have the championship-winning car take the title on the back of a tow-truck, which is bizarre… I would like to congratulate Jan Molder on his well-deserved first victory, and Patrick Sandell on winning the championship after a very good year for him. The positive thing is that we had four Suzuki drivers in contention for the title, but in the end it was not to be. These things happen in rallying sometimes. I would like to thank Guy and P-G for their excellent work throughout the season, and now we look forward to another exciting year for Suzuki in 2007…”

Junior World Rally Championship classification after SS17, Rally Great Britain:

1 Jan Molder (Suzuki Swift) 3h55m04.7s
2 Luca Betti (Renault Clio) +1m55.6s
3 Aaron Burkart (Citroen C2) +5m45.5s
4 Barry Clark (Ford Fiesta) +9m18.5s
5 Patrick Sandell (Renault Clio) +11m02.7s
6 James Wozencroft (Suzuki Ignis) +11m25.9s
7 Andrea Cortinovis (Renault Clio) +12m44.1s
8 Urmo Aava (Suzuki Swift) +15m27.2s

WALES RALLY GREAT BRITAIN – LEG TWO: SS7-13

Leg information: Stages: 7 (104.30 kms competitive total)

Surface: Gravel (plus one spectator superspecial on asphalt)
Weather: Dry in the morning, followed by rain in the afternoon

The second day of the final round of the Junior World Rally Championship proved to be as spectacular as the first, with three changes of leader on the first three special stages. Suzuki driver Guy Wilks took the lead on the second stage of the day and seemed set to increase his advantage, until a transmission problem stopped him in his tracks. The drama at the front of the field meant that his team mate P-G Andersson ended the leg in fourth place despite being held back by punctures on the opening day. The Swede needs to finish in front of his title rival Patrick Sandell – who currently occupies second place – in order to claim his second Junior World Championship. With 112 competitive kilometres left to run in tough conditions tomorrow, anything is possible.

News from P–G: P-G Andersson (4th in JWRC after SS13): “After having huge problems with punctures yesterday, we had quite a clean run today. The nature of the roads was slightly different, which helped. We had a small right-rear puncture on SS8 but nothing too serious at all in the afternoon. In some ways it’s easy for us now: all we can do is drive as quickly and carefully as we can. What happens to everyone else and the championship is completely out of our hands. There’s a long way left to go tomorrow, so we still have a good chance. We will just have to attack and see what happens – the car felt very good today and I’ve got a lot of confidence.”

News from Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima, team principal: “Nothing surprises me in the Junior World Rally Championship any more! Yesterday we had many punctures, so today we told our drivers to take it steadily. But then on SS9 we hit a drama. Guy had a gearbox problem while leading the rally, which would have given him the championship. I feel sorry for Guy, but this is rallying. Nonetheless, the rally and the championship is far from over. The competitive distance tomorrow is actually longer than the distance today. More bad weather is forecast as well. We should expect the unexpected…”

Junior World Rally Championship classification after SS13, Rally Great Britain:
1 Jan Molder (Suzuki Swift) 2h35m54.7s
2 Patrick Sandell (Renault Clio) +5.2s
3 Luca Betti (Renault Clio) +3m10.2s
4 P-G Andersson (Suzuki Swift) +3m33.9s
5 Aaron Burkart (Citroen C2) +6m16.0s
6 James Wozencroft (Suzuki Ignis) +6m32.6s
7 Barry Clark (Ford Fiesta) +7m27.7s
8 Andrea Cortinovis (Renault Clio) +11m47.8s

WALES RALLY GB – LEG ONE: SS1- 6

Leg information: Stages: 6 ( 139.48kms competitive total)
Surface: Gravel
Weather: Dry, with damp and muddy road surfaces

A dramatic opening day on the final round of the Junior World Championship has resulted in Suzuki driver Guy Wilks finishing second.

If he maintains this position to the finish the Englishman is poised to win his first Junior World Rally Championship, and Suzuki’s second. P-G Andersson was also at the forefront of the action throughout the day, until a series of punctures broke his rear suspension on the final stage. Championship leader Urmo Aava made a mistake on the opening loop of stages that broke a steering arm and caused him to have an accident.

News from P–G: “It’s been a very difficult day, but I’m hoping we can re-start tomorrow and continue our fight for the title. This morning’s stages were very slippery, and we had a right-rear puncture on SS3 that cost us more than a minute. Then in the afternoon it was a complete disaster – we had a puncture on every stage. On the final stage we ran out of spare tyres so we were forced to drive along on the punctured rubber. Eventually this broke the rear suspension and we were forced to stop. It’s a real pity, but we just have to do the best we can now.”

News from Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima, team principal: “I said before the start of the rally that it was important to take a sensible approach, and that there was sure to be a lot of drama…this has certainly come true and it is only the end of day one! A lot more can still happen and tomorrow we are likely to see some quite heavy rain, which will only add to the unpredictability.”

Junior World Rally Championship classification after SS6, Rally Great Britain:
1 Kris Meeke (Citroen C2) 1h25m21.8s
2 Guy Wilks (Suzuki Swift) +1m57.6s
3 Jan Molder (Suzuki Swift) +2m23.6s
4 Fatih Kara (Renault Clio) +2m46.4s
5 Patrick Sandell (Renault Clio) +3m04.9s
6 Luca Betti (Renault Clio) +4m29.7s
7 Aaron Burkart (Citroen C2) +5m21.7s
8 Barry Clark (Ford Fiesta) +7m27.7s

WALES RALLY GB - CEREMONIAL START

The all-gravel Wales Rally Great Britain is the final round of the Junior World Rally Championship, where no fewer than six drivers will fight for the title! Four of them – P-G Andersson, Guy Wilks, Urmo Aava and Jozef Beres – are at the wheel of a Suzuki, underlining the speed and reliability of both the Swift and the Ignis. Andersson and Wilks are at the forefront of the title fight, determined to push as hard as possible on the fast and challenging Welsh roads. Both drivers tested their Swifts this morning at the short shakedown stage near Swansea, which was a last-minute opportunity to try out the car, finalise set-up and assess the slippery conditions.

At the start ceremony outside the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff this evening, all 120 crews crossed the start ramp in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The real action starts at 0917 on Friday however, with the first of 17 demanding stages through the scenic countryside of Wales. This is the first time a World Rally has been run in December since 1986, so the unknown but certainly tricky weather conditions will be a big factor in the breath-taking battle for the title.

News from P–G: P-G Andersson (2nd in JWRC points table): “It’s going to be a very close fight with some many people in contention for the title! We’re very focussed on what we have to do, and I am more determined than ever to succeed now. This rally won’t be easy as the roads are sure to be very slippery and we can expect heavy rain at some point. It’s important to be quick but sensible at the same time. The crucial thing is to be there at the finish, and I am sure that the reliability of the Swift will help us with that.”

News from Guy: Guy Wilks (4th in JWRC): “It’s obviously a tremendously exciting event for me, being my home rally. With so many drivers fighting for the championship, I think it will be quite a tactical rally. Ultimately the only thing I can influence is my own performance as everything else is entirely out of my hands. My aim is to try to win the event, but I am not sure what the correct strategy will be in order to do that. We’ll have to wait and see. Whatever happens, I think it is fantastic for the championship to have such a healthy level of competition. I’m really looking forward to getting started now: the stages are fantastic.”

News from Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima, team principal: “We come to the end of what has been an extremely close and exciting year, full of drama and excitement. At the end of it, we have four Suzuki drivers capable of taking the title – three of them in a Swift and another in an Ignis. I think that says a lot about the pace and consistency of our cars, and I am incredibly proud of everything that our entire team has achieved. The last rally of the year in Britain is also one of the toughest, and the weather conditions are likely to be a decisive factor. I would like our drivers to remain concentrated here and focus on the bigger picture. You do not have to win every stage to win the rally, and a sensible approach is going to be necessary. I have no doubt about the speed of our drivers and the quality of their equipment, so may the best man win!”