SR Motorsports Takes Two Podiums in Thailand Rally
= TWO PODIUMS FOR SR MOTORSPORT IN THAILAND RALLY =
Shah Alam, Malaysia – Tuesday November 2nd. 2004 … Malaysia-based
SR Motorsport managed to place both its cars on the podium of the
16th International Thailand Rally this past weekend.
Piloting their usual Group N Subaru Imprezas, New Zealanders Brian
Green and Fleur Pedersen took 2nd overall, and Dermott Malley/Steve
Smith were 3rd. The rally was won by local hotshots Naraskak and
Peeraphong in a Mitsubishi Evo VII, who had a combination of youth
and local knowledge on their side.
The SR Motorsport crews were not short of competition right through
the field. Entrants came from as far away as Japan and Russia, and
any one of about a dozen four wheel drive turbo-charged cars was
capable of winning.
The heat played a part, as the rally was held under almost cloudless
skies, with the temperatures reaching into the high thirties Celsius
in the shade, and way higher inside the cars, under the unforgiving
sun. The blistering temperatures of the stage surfaces resulted in
very high tire wear, but the team’s Silverstone rally tires went the
distance, without even a single puncture.
In fact, the cars ran flawlessly. A noisier-than-usual fuel pump was
changed during Leg 2 on Brian’s car, and he elected not to use a
whining fifth gear during the event’s closing stages, just as a
precaution. Dermott’s car meanwhile needed nothing more than an
alignment check after a couple of rough stages, and he was able to
pull out all the stops towards the end, taking fastest overall time
on the event’s final stage.
The event, a candidate for re-inclusion in the Asia Pacific Rally
Championship, was well-received by all competitors. Aside from a few
rough patches, as Brian Green commented at the post-event Press
Conference “the stages were some of the best I’ve encountered
anywhere, and” as he noted “I feel qualified to make a comparison, as
we have some of the finest roads in the world in New Zealand.”
Team Manager Paul Russell was well pleased with the finishing
positions. “After a close inspection of the entry list” he said “I
figured getting two cars into the top six would be a major
achievement. At the end of Leg 1 we were 3rd and 4th which was
already more than I could have expected, but, to move up to two
podium places by the finish, was a real bonus” he added.
“When you tackle a rally of this stature, a long way from your home
base, and then have a trouble-free and successful run, it’s clear the
whole team played a part” he continued. “The drivers and co-drivers
picked exactly the right pace, and the mechanics had the cars in peak
condition prior to the event. The result was therefore well-deserved”
he concluded.
As the rally season now winds down, the team can relax a while, and
reflect on several successes from the past year. One or more cars may
go to next month’s India Rally, but more likely, the team will now
begin careful preparation for a renewed assault on the Malaysian
Rally Championship. And, after such a successful trip this past week,
the Thailand Championship is now also in the team’s sights for 2005.
