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STAGE FLASH 21
STAGE FLASH 21
STAGE FLASH 21
Les Kolczak
7 December 2008, 1:48 pm
Day: 3 Flash: 21 Special Stage: SS19 Port Talbot 2 Distance: 20.09Km
For latest Overall Classification click here: www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp

Weather: Cold, but dry
Road Conditions: Slippy
   

1: Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena
Leapt from the car when he learned he’d won and took applause with co-driver Elena. Also embraced team-mate Sordo when he reached stop line.
“I have not been happy on this event all weekend, but I have really enjoyed today. It has been so exciting between me and Jari-Matti. The jump start didn’t help, but, well. Also, to win the Manufacturers’ Championship for Citroen is really good news.”

4: Jari-Matti Latvala/Miika Anttila
 “I couldn’t have driven better. Whatever the result, the best man won.”

2: Dani Sordo/Marc Marti
“I am very happy for Citroen and Seb. It is a fantastic result.”

5: Petter Solberg/Philip Mills
We know that our times have been almost as good as anyones when it has gone well. We have just suffered a bit on the fine gravel that is typical of this rally.”

12: Per-Gunnar Andersson/Jonas Andersson
“I can’t say that was the most enjoyable rally I have done all year, but at least the result is a good one.”

7: Francois Duval/Denis Giraudet
“I’m very happy to be here at the end and just hope to be competing in the WRC next year.”

11: Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen
“It’s a fantastic result to have both Suzukis in the points. We’ve had a few problems but actually today has been really fun.”

46: Valentino Rossi/Carlo Cassina
Rossi’s manager Davide Brivio said: “Valentino started carefully and was getting used to the rally. By the end he was much closer to the top and on one stage quicker than Wilson, so he reached his targets. It would be interesting to see what he could do if he did all the rounds of the championship. Even now he’s working on his notes, getting them right and trying to understand how to describe what’s ahead.”
Rossi said: “I am so happy. I’m thrilled to be here at the end. I tried to understand the notes and the conditions and make no big mistakes and keep on learning. It’s great to finish without any big mistakes in these conditions.”

3: Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen
“I made just one big mistake with the roll but still managed to get into the points. That means I’ve scored points on every round of the championship. I hope Malcolm will forgive me my one mistake.”

8: Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin
“It has been a big year for me. There have been a few good results over the season. I just need to be more consistent. Next year I’ll go back to some events for the fourth time, so I’ll have lots of experience to draw on. This rally has been frustrating as I’ve just started getting to grips with the conditions now it is over.”

20: Barry Clark/Paul Nagle
“That’s three events in a World Rally Car this year and three top ten results – and all on different surfaces. I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me get into a World Rally Car. I hope to have more opportunities next year.”

17: Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia
“Overall I’m happy with how it has gone, apart from my mistake yesterday. I hope to have more events in a World Rally Car next year.”

19: Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr
“What a way to end the season! I learned a lot about notes and techniques and my relationship with my co-driver grew. This event is about getting to the end. It has been so tough.”

16: Conrad Rautenbach/David Senior
“I’ve learned an awful lot this year. There have been many ups and downs and some things could have gone better. If I get a full programme next year I hope to improve further.”

55: Patrik Sandell/Emil Axelsson
Reported to have stopped in stage.

23: Steve Perez/Paul Spooner
“A finish! I’m really pleased. I had so much fun even though it was so busy. Every corner was trying to catch you out. It has been good for the spectators to see cars sliding about all over the place and I hope they enjoyed it because there were loads of them out there.”

24: Dave Weston/Aled Davies
“That’s my first Wales Rally GB over. I don’t know my future plans but whatever I do I’m sure I’ll remember this event forever.”

44: Patrik Flodin/Goran Bergsten
“Wow! Thanks to all the team. They’ve done an extremely good job. It is such a great feeling to win the class. I didn’t know I’d won until you told me. I’m so happy after the disappointment of Finland.”

41: Andreas Aigner/Klaus Wicha
“Fantastic. I’m so pleased to get to the end.”

146: Jari Ketomaa/Miika Teiskonen
“After a difficult rally I am third in class. I have to be happy with that.”

59: David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas
“No problems today – it is just a shame I had so many issues yesterday.”

50: Armindo Araujo/Miguel Ramalho
“It’s been so difficult. The result isn’t so good, but at leats I finished.”

42: Bernardo Sousa/Jorge Carvalho
Arrived with a two foot by one foot branch in the spoiler. “Just 1km from the finish I took a bank on the outside and all of a sudden this log came over my roof and landed on the spoiler. It hasn’t moved since.”

47: Jaromir Tarabus/Daniel Trunket
“In the last stage we put the right front wheel in a ditch. We got away with it though, so I’m pleased. It is our first gravel rally so to finish is great.”

37: Spyros Pavlides/Steve Lancaster
“How very tough. We never expected to get here.You could run this rally on a control tyre at another time of year, but not now. The FIA needs to think about that for the future. We have lost a lot of good cars for no good reason.”

61: Gwyndaf Evans/Gareth Roberts
“I’m so happy to reach the finish. Myherin was so frustrating, sitting there in the watersplash. It’s one of the toughest rallies I’ve ever done.”

57: Egon Kaur/Simo Koskinen
“A finish, great. We had a puncture earlier and had to put a right tyre on the left side. That made it hard – the hardest rally I’ve ever done.”

72: Ryan Champion/Anders Howard
“It’s so good to be here with no damage to the car. We haven’t been pushing too hard in those last two stages because we didn’t want any damage.”

70: Marco Tempestini/Dorin Pulpea
“We’ve finished! Hooray! On that last stage we punctured a rear tyre with an off. I’m happy to get to the end.”

62: Mattias Therman/Janne Perala
“That was an excellent run. We had good speed and a good rhythm and got quicker and quicker.”

76: Jason Pritchard/George Gwynn
“That was the best stage of the day. There was a lot more grip and I hoep that shows in our time.”

94: Thomas Cave/Gemma Price
“It has been a long week but I can’t believe what we’ve achieved. We have won the class and really that’s just a bonus. I just wish dad was here to see it as he has done so much to help.”

69: Daniel Unger/Sebastian Itu
“I’m so happy to finish. We’re off to sunny Cardiff for a well-earned beer.”

81: Emre Yurdakul/Can Erkal
“We’ve won the Fiesta International Sporting Trophy! It’s the happiest day of my life. This is worth all the sacrifices. The whole season has been so tough. Four years ago competing was a dream and now I am champion.”

80: Steven Holder/Steve McPhee
“I’m so chuffed! This is my first Rally GB. There was a lot of sh*t to deal with. I expect a big bonus from Pirelli because I’ve only used six tyres all rally. In fact, all six have been the wrong ones for the conditions, and you can tell them that!”

83: Luca Griotti/Corrado Bonato
“I’m very happy to get to the end. We stopped on the first day so it has been SupeRally since then. Seeing all the ice scared me. I’ve learned from this experience and hope to do the Junior WRC next season.”

75: Peter Stephenson/Kim Baker
“That’s my fourth finish here. That one was tough but the first two finishes where years ago, when it was a proper rally so it wasn’t as tough as those. The recce was the hardest I’ve done because of all the snow and ice. Last year was also pretty hard because of the rain too, but this year was certainly difficult.”

79: Andrew Hockridge/Rich Mills
“It’s been hard – we’ve had dramas on every day. It’s certainly the hardest BRC round but I’m so pleased to get second in class. This is my first year in the championship, first Rally GB and my first year rallying for ten years. What a way to finish the year!”

87: Tony Jardine/David Smith
“I piled the coals on in there. That was great fun!”

95: Neville Jones/Ian Capewell
“The notes work better when you are going faster. It was good fun, despite being slippy”

84: Burcu Cetinkaya/Cicek Gumey
“We have lost the championship so I am disappointed now.”

89: Gordon Nichol/Emma Morrison
“We caught the Skoda again and lost a little time behind it. There isn’t much grip in such a light car. We were very disappointed to be told we were OTL on day one – we could have had a great result otherwise.”

98: Darren Jones/Paul Burley
“The tyres have gone off a bit, so we were slipping around in there.”

97: David Harrison/Glyn Thomas
“We backed off for the jump this time. I’m a little worried about reaching Cardiff, as the car has had such a hard time.”

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