Caminos del Inca 2007 (Inca’s Rally 2007)
For immediate release
Wednesday, September 19th, 2007
DASSO LEADS CAMINOS DEL INCA
RALLY FROM JOCHAMOWITZ INTO CUZCO
Finland’s Juha Kankkunen sets fastest time on tarmac section into Cuzc
Britain’s Howard Paterson survives daunting stage into Andahuaylas
CUZCO (Perú): Peruvians Ricardo Dasso and Michael Baca extended their overall lead in the 37th Caminos del Inca 2007 (Inca’s Rally) to an unofficial 22m 17s after the most difficult day of the entire rally, a gruelling three-stage climb through the Peruvian Andes between Ayacucho and Cuzco on Wednesday.
The pair set the fastest time in the second of the day’s three special stages and will be able to enjoy the rest day in Cuzco on Thursday with a good advantage over second-placed Peruvian Ernesto Jochamowitz.
Juha Kankkunen and Seppo Harjanne began the day in 12th position, although the Finn held little hope of making up the 50 minutes by which he trailed the leaders. “If you push in a Group N car, then you run the risk of having more problems. What we need is a top Safari-spec car and then….we go!”
He was down in 14th place through the appallingly rough and winding opening stage, but set the second fastest time in the smoother and faster second stage between Andahuaylas and Abancay, which ran along the shores of Lake Pacucha before ascending into the higher Andes on a very narrow and winding track.
Luis Alayza de Losada set the fastest time of 3h 16m 50s in the opening stage to leap into contention for the top three, but overnight leader Dasso set the second fastest time to consolidate his overall lead. Ernesto Jochamowitz was fifth, but maintained second position.
Dasso was fastest in the shorter stage into Abancay and headed into the faster tarmac special along a smooth mountain road between Abancay and Cuzco with a useful lead. Jochamowitz set the third fastest time behind Kankkunen to preserve his second place.
The tarmac blast across the High Andes between Abancay and Cuzco was a sensational road racing stage, fit for tarmac motorsporting disciplines anywhere in the world. It wound its way up to 4,400 metres at one point, overlooking the city of Abancay below, and then cascaded to 1,870 metres along a stunning river valley, before ascending again into the mountains around Cuzco. Kankkunen set the fastest time of 1h 26m 13s, but the Finn remained out of contention for the top five.
Britain’s Howard and Ruth Paterson began the day in 39th position. They completed the stage into Ayacucho in 42nd place, after stopping to change a broken shock absorber at 4,000 metres and then suffering from a rising oil temperature. Paterson was 33rd fastest in the punishing stage between Ayacucho and Andahuaylas on Wednesday morning with a time of 5h 32m 54s and was on course to reach Cuzco late on Wednesday evening. “What an awesome first stage,” said Paterson. “I thought it was never going to end.”
Today’s leg was the most tiring of the entire event and began with a punishing 233.90km special through the mountains from Ayacucho to Andahyalas, a stage similar in format to the previous day’s spectacular. This was followed by a section that spiralled down into Abancay and a third tarmac stage into Cusco.
Team mates Simon Nutter and Sean Kukula repaired the blown head gasket in their Skoda, but the car spluttered to a halt soon after repairs were made in Hyancayo and they were forced to remap the engine’s management system before making the arduous journey to Ayacucho in time to make the start of the leg into Cuzco. They were no longer classified in the rally results and were racing against time to reach Ayacucho.
Crews will enjoy a day’s service in the historic Inca capital tomorrow (Thursday) at high altitude and foreign participants and media will be invited to visit the historical ruins of Machu Picchu -one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Leg four on Friday stretches for 455km and guides teams from Cuzco to Arequipa. The leg includes a 274km special stage and an 82km tarmac test between Pampa Canahuas and the overnight halt.
Arequipa is located in the Chili River valley and is flanked by three spectacular snow-capped volcanoes, Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu, the highest being Chachani at 6,075 metres (19,931 feet) above sea level. Its name originates from the Quechua phrase ‘ari-que-pay, meaning ‘yes, stay here’ and is now the world centre for the alpaca wool textile industry.
It is the second most important city in Peru and is very regionalised, with the local population offering visitors passports to the ‘Independent Republic of Arequipa’.
Caminos del Inca 2007 – positions on Ayacucho to Andahuaylas stage (233.90km – SS4):
1. Luis Alayza de Losada (PE)/Ive Bromberg (PE) Subaru Forester WRX 3h 16m 50s
2. Ricardo Dasso (PE)/Michael Baca (PE) Subaru Impreza WRX STi 3h 19m 01s
3. Ronmel Palomino (PE)/Wilman Palomino (PE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 3h 20m 25s
4. Richard Palomino (PE)/Eduardo Arimborgo (PE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX 3h 25m 13s
5. Ernesto Jochamowitz (PE)/Gustavo Medina (PE) Mitsubishi Outlander 3h 25m 14s, etc
Caminos del Inca 2007 – positions on Andahuaylas to Abancay stage (140.20km – SS5):
1. Ricardo Dasso (PE)/Michael Baca (PE) Subaru Impreza WRX STi 2h 07m 29s
2. Juha Kankkunen (FIN)/Seppo Harjanne (FIN) Subaru Impreza WRX 2h 07m 45s
3. Ernesto Jochamowitz (PE)/Gustavo Medina (PE) Mitsubishi Outlander 2h 10m 12s
4. Ronmel Palomino (PE)/Wilman Palomino (PE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 2h 11m 08s
5. Luis Alayza de Losada (PE)/Ive Bromberg (PE) Subaru Forester WRX 2h 11m 44s
Caminos del Inca 2007 – positions on Abancay to Cusco stage (167.85km – SS6):
1. Juha Kankkunen (FIN)/Seppo Harjanne (FIN) Subaru Impreza WRX 1h 26m 13s
2. Ernesto Jochamowitz (PE)/Gustavo Medina (PE) Mitsubishi Outlander 1h 29m 15s
3. Ricardo Dasso (PE)/Michael Baca (PE) Subaru Impreza WRX STi 1h 31m 04s, etc
Caminos del Inca 2007 – overall positions after leg three (unofficial @ 16.20hrs)
1. Ricardo Dasso (PE)/Michael Baca (PE) Subaru Impreza WRX 12h 02m 44s
2. Ernesto Jochamowitz (PE)/Gustavo Medina (PE) Mitsubishi Outlander 12h 25m 01s
3. Luis Alayza de Losada (PE)/Ive Bromberg (PE) Subaru Forester WRX 12h 30m 10s
4. Ronmel Palomino (PE)/Wilman Palomino (PE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 12h 31m 57s, etc
TBA. Juha Kankkunen (FIN)/Seppo Harjanne (FIN) Subaru Impreza WRX 13h 21m 09s
Ends
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www.incasrally.com