Teemu Asunmaa won the Finnish championship Tahko Rally in a Fabia R5 ahead of Juha Salo’s Peugeot 208 T16, and Jarkko Nikara’s Subaru.
Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rahji finished sixth in his Fiesta WRC.Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rahji finished sixth in his Fiesta WRC.
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Fabia driver David Bogie won the Malcolm Wilson Stages, a British clubman’s championship event, beating M–Sport driver Keith Cronin on his first event in a Fiesta R5.
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Congratulations to twice World Rally Champion Walter Rohrl, who celebrated his 70th birthday this week. Rallye-magazin.de re-ran a remarkable contemporary story how Walter scored devastating stage victories in thick fog in the mountain top Arganil stages on the 1980 Rally Portugal.
Rohrl explained how he did it. He aimed his Fiat in the right direction, closed his eyes and counted in his head the moment when he should turn into the next bend.
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Significant news from both the Estonian and Czech Republic federations, independently planning to support young drivers competing in the 2017 European Rally Championship.
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Leftover from last week – victory on the opening round of the Paraguay championship, the Petrobas Rali del Guaira Rally for the Skoda Fabia R5 of Miguel Zaldivar, ahead of the Toyota Etios R5 of Alejandro Galanti. Favourite Gustava Saba retired with overheating.
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This Friday will see the start of the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally, the delayed opening round of the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship, based at Jedburgh.
Rally HQ will be back in the town hall, where the start and finish will take place. There is a concurrent national rally and over 100 competitors will take park.
Recent news is the entry of three-times Irish champion Keith Cronin who has won the series in Mitsubishi, Subaru and Citroen cars, and this year will drive a Fiesta R5.
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Pirelli has announced a programme in the Italian CIR championship for 16-year old Kalle Rovapera with a 208 T16 R5 car, run by Peugeot Italia.
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Widely noted this year is world champion Sebastien Ogier’s easier approach to rallying with M-Sport.
When asked about the performance of his Fiesta, he said: “I am very impatient to do some development here, maybe test new parts which we need for new homologation.”
When asked what changes would give an advantage to him, he suggested everything “between the front and the rear wheels”.
- Martin Holmes
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