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Perez Just Misses Podium in Barbados |
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Monday, 02 June 2008 |
Despite a heroic drive, Kick Energy rally driver Steve Perez just missed
out on the podium for the third time in as many years when he had to settle for
fourth place on this weekend's SOL Rally Barbados.
Driving the Ford Focus WRC, the Chesterfield driver along with Welshman Howard
Davies on the maps, got off to a steady start by posting ninth fastest time on
the opening Canefield North stage but by SS5, the pair had climbed to fifth
overall on the opening morning.
A gallant charge up the leaderboard saw
them climb as high as third during the afternoon but at the overnight halt, the
pair held fourth place amidst a titanic tussle with friend and rival Paul Bird
(Subaru).
Sunday saw Perez attack but despite a string of fast times on
the final loop of stages, he couldn't improve and as a result, he had to settle
for his third, fourth placing on the event.
"I have to say I'm
disappointed, especially having to concede a podium to Birdy, seeing as though
I've helped him no end over here. It all started when he tried to wipe me out on
the recce, crashing into the back of me and re-injuring my neck, and then I had
to bale him out as he'd not brought enough tyres with him so he ended up using
some of mine. But seriously, I'm happy enough with the result, we'll just have
to come back next year and by-pass the podium, I'm going all out to win
here!"
The rally was won by Ulsterman Kris Meeke ahead of Paul Bird
with local driver Gary Gregg in third.
2008 SOL Rally
Barbados - Results
1 K Meeke/P Nagle (Toyota Corolla WRC) -
0:57:02.56
2 P Bird/ I Windress (Subaru WRC) - 0:57:23.83
3 G Gregg/H
Hutchinson (Ford Focus WRC) - 0:57:41.01
4 S Perez/H Davies (Ford
Focus WRC) - 0:58:11.23
5 S Gill/MCummins (Suzuki Swift) -
0:58:38.43
6 T Manning/D Edwards (Mitsubishi Evo 8) - 0:58:49.17
7 R
Hill/J Gittens (Toyota Celica) - 0:59:21.99
8 R Champion/C Thorley
(Mitsubishi Evo 8) 0:59:59.97
9 G Noel/K Yearwood (Mitsubishi Evo 9)
1:00:11.07
10 J Still/H Hazell (BMW) - 1:00:56.39
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