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Bitter Sweet WRC Debut For Champion |
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Monday, 02 April 2007 |
 Despite setting fastest time on three of the four stages on Saturday's Wold Construction North Humberside Forest Rally, a double puncture denied Ryan Champion a victory on his debut in a World Rally Car.
Driving the Dunlop-shod Pine Direct Online backed Mitsubishi Lancer WRC for the first time and partnered by new co driver for the day Louise Sutherland, the Castleton driver was immediately setting the pace on the opening stage, stopping the clocks five seconds faster than his main rival, former ANCRO Champion Steve Perez. However, it emerged that both drivers had beaten the bogey time for the stage so they were officially equal at the top of the time sheets. Champion was again fastest on SS2 but unfortunately trouble struck on the third test.
Champion commented, "We had some problems with the intercom so we'd
switched to the spare which didn't seem to have quite have enough
volume. I heard Louise call the corner but missed that it tightened. We
ran wide up a bank which only cost a couple of seconds but
unfortunately gave us two punctures and we only had one spare!"
The resulting time loss dropped the pair well down the order but
determined to prove what might have been, Champion set a time sixteen
seconds quicker than anyone else in the final stage although they again
beat the bogey time, this time by a full eleven seconds.
Ryan said at the finish, "I'm really pleased with the speed we've shown
as I'd only done ten miles in the car before the event. But at the same
time it should have been a win today so that's frustrating. I have to
say a big thank you though to Davy Hughes for the chance to drive his
car today, it's a fantastic machine and also to Louise, his regular co
driver, who did a great job on the notes for me."
Ironically Champion's regular co driver, fellow Yorkshireman Craig
Thorley, won the event as he was partnering Perez for the day.
Ryan's next planned outing is the first round of the British Rally
Championship, the Pirelli International Rally. "There is still quite a
lot of work to do before we can confirm the Pirelli entry as we don't
even have a car as yet never mind the budget!" Ryan quipped. "I am
working on a couple of things though and hopefully everything will fall
into place over the next week or so."
The Pirelli International Rally starts in Carlisle on April 20th.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 April 2007 )
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