The pre-Ypres test Woodstoxx Motul Rally van Wervik was won by the Hyundai i20 R5 of Guillaume Dilley.
Chewon Lim in action on the Wervik Rally. (Photo: Hyundai)It was a useful test for Hyundai’s Korean trainee driver, Chewon Lim, whose similar i20 R5 suffered unwelcome problems when the engine frequently cut out, as if changing gear, without warning. He lost more than 10 minutes to the overall leaders over the first three stages.
The rally also served to give confidence for Lim after his recent big accident of the TER series Transilvania Rally in Romania.
Ypres Rally represents the end of the first year in competition for the i20 R5.
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Manus Kelly won the Donegal International Rally for the second year running in a Subaru Impreza WRC, while the top scoring TROA Championship driver, Alastair Fisher, was second in his Ford Fiesta R5.
Donagh (no relation) Kelly had been fighting a close battle with Manus, but went off on the penultimate stage. The three day Donegal Rally is considered one of the most popular events in Ireland.
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Jan Kopecky took his Skoda R5 to victory for the fourth event in a row. (Photo: Skoda)Notable example of Deja Vue at the Agrotec Rally Hustopeče Petronas Syntium in Czech Republic! For the fourth successive time in national championship rallying this year, Jan Kopecky’s official Skoda Fabia R5 won outright, beating Vaclav Pech’s Ford Fiesta 5.
For the second rally running, Miroslav Jakes finished third in his Fiesta R5.
The weather was mixed and there were many punctures, one for Kopecky, allowing Skoda teammate Pontus Tidemand to take the lead for a couple of stages.
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Eyvind Brynildsen beat fellow Fiesta R5 driver Frank Tore Larsen and the Fabia R5 of Ole Christian Veiby on the fifth round of the Norwegian championship, Aurskog-Holand Rally.
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Prizes for many drivers in Cyprus! The unique Love Cyprus Golden Stage Euros 24,000 prize fund was divided up so that Al-Attiyah won Euros 10,000, Alexandros Tsouloftas Euros 7,000 and two wheel drive fastest driver Zacharias Manoli the remaining Euros 7,000.
Reaction from Kajetanowicz (who lost his chance of Euros 10,000 by 0.3 second): “I did not push 100%, I am not here for the money, but because of the points, that is what really matters to me”.
Best ERC2 driver was Demosthenous, ERC3 was Ozdemir, MERC2 was Galatariotis and ERC3 was Asen Aref.
- Martin Holmes