The Finnish crews, had moved into first and second after SS 13, but then slowed down approaching the end of Saturday’s closing stage to ensure Sordo started first on the road on Sunday’s final leg. In this position the young Spaniard acted as a “road sweeper” for his Ford rivals.

Latvala’s hopes of a second WRC win were dashed when a left-hand rear suspension broke in SS18 costing him 59 seconds. Emergency repairs allowed him to continue and eventually recover to seventh.
Despite being first through the hard sand stages, with their top coating of fine gravel, the young Sordo kept up his pace, earning praise from Hirvonen; “I take my hat off to Dani. He did a magnificent job”. Sordo spun in the final stage allowing 27 year old Hirvonen to win his fifth WRC event by over one minute and move five points clear of Loeb in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Chris Atkinson (Subaru Impreza) finished third - his fourth podium place from the five rallies run this year. The Australian is now third in the FIA WRC. Cumbria’s Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin was leading the three Stobart VK M-sport Team Ford Focus WRC cars until he was forced to stop for over two minutes to change a punctured tyre in SS19, a consequence of hitting a bridge parapet. He eventually finished fifth overall. 

Scotland’s Barry Clark, drafted into the Munchi’s Team with just 36 hours notice to replace Luis Perez Companc, finished a creditable 12th despite not have done the pre-event reconnaissance.

Defending World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb (Citroen C4) had established a 34sec lead after special stage 11, but was forced into instant retirement following a head-on collision with Conrad Rautenbach's similar car on a narrow two-way access road leading to and from stage 11.  Fortunately nobody was injured but Rautenbach, co-driven by Britain’s David Senior, also retired. Both teams rejoined the third and final Leg under SupeRally Rules.

And it was another disappointing event for Norway’s Petter Solberg and his Welsh co-driver Phil Mills (Subaru Impreza), competing under SupeRally rules after retiring on Friday’s first Leg, went off the road on SS16 – the final stage on Saturday - and went no further.

2008 Jordan Rally – final positions at end of day three (unofficial):

1. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN) Ford Focus RS WRC 07                         
2. Dani Sordo (E)/Marc Marti (E) Citroën C4 WRC                                                          
3. Chris Atkinson (AUS)/Stéphane Prevot (B) Subaru Impreza WRC 2006                         
4. Henning Solberg (N)/Cato Menkerud (N) Ford Focus RS WRC 07                            
5. Matthew Wilson (GB)/Scott Martin (GB) Ford Focus RS WRC07                                  
6. Federico Villagra (RA)/Jorge-Perez Companc (RA) Ford Focus RS WRC 07