Portuguese Rally: Basso is unlucky and loses third position

Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta, on the Grande Punto Abarth S2000 ended the first round of the Portuguese Rally in ninth place, valid for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
The Abarth Team’s racing driver was particularly unlucky, running up against a flat tyre in the sixth special trial run, when he was in third place battling it out for the record. He had to stop in the special trial to replace a tyre and lost around 3 minutes.
Anton Alen, together with Timo Alanne, was forced to pull out in the second special trial because his gear stick broke.
The Grande Punto Abarth Super 2000 is, however, doing well thanks to the racing drivers in the private teams. The Belgian Francois Duval is holding third place and won a special trial. The Frenchman Didier Auriol’s trial also went well with his return to international competitions after being absent for many years. His performance increasingly improved and allowed him to take fifth place.
Tomorrow (Sunday 10 May) the second and last leg of the competition will be held with other 6 difficult special trials on an unsurfaced course. Departure at 8.25am with arrival at 6.10pm.


Ranking after the first round:
1. Rossetti-Chiarcossi (Peugeot 207) in 1 hour 26’06”5; 2. Vouilloz- Klinger (Peugeot 207) at 2”4; 3. Duval-Privato (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) at 15”7; 4. Kopecky-Stary (Peugeot 207) at 39”4; 5. Auriol-Giraudet (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) at 1’02”8.


Turin, 9 May 2008