race5

Rallysprint Els Cingles - 19th of December 2004

The last race of the season! After the dissapiontment of the previous rally, were everything was lost in the first stage, hopes were high to do a good solid job today. In a way, it was already a miracle that Ren� and Jordi were starting here, because just a week before the engine gave up. But everything had been done to fix it, and the car was ready.

A1, Olesa de Montserrat:
The first stage of the race was risky, as there were some surprising spots with high humidity. It caused problems for many drivers. Ren� was also caught by the difficult conditions, and had a near escape. The stage was ended in 5th position in the class.

B1, Vacarisses:
Clutch troubles made the car difficult to drive, especially on the brakes. Without clear reason, after just about a kilometer into the stage, it went straight on. The result was a 10 minute delay, and of course a dramatic stage time. For Ren� and Jordi, a high ranking was impossible now, and they decided to drop the pace a little. The car proved to be rather unforgiving�

A2, Olesa de Montserrat:
With a slightly different driving style because of the mechanical troubles, and no further mistakes, the stage could now be ended in 3rd position in the class. A very good run and a motivating result for the upcoming stages!

B2, Vacarisses:
During service time, some changes could be made to the clutch functioning. This proved to help, and a good 4th place in the class confirmed that the pace was found again.

C1, Viladecavalls:
This stage was all about carrying optimum speed into the long straights. The result was a solid 5th class position.

B3, Vacarisses:
Again, a solid run and no mistakes at all. Clearly, Ren� and Jordi found a strong pace, and again a 4th place in the class.

C2, Viladecavalls:
The last stage of the day. It was going at high speed again, and a good stage time seemed to be up for grab. But just 2 kilometers before the finish, the engine started to run on 3 cilinders. Ren� had to drop the pace and take it home. Stage time was lost, but at least the rally could be finished.

All in all, it was a day filled with small problems. But the positive news was that the team was able to compete at a high level again, showing good pace.

Now that the season has ended, it�s time for Christmas!