IRC: Interwetten Ypres Rally Friday summary

Interwetten Racing Team lies in overall 10th place after day one of the "Ypres Rally" in Belgium despite fierce competition

Due to the toppled starting order, the two Austrians will therefore be the first car on the course tomorrow

Thanks to their good performance, Franz Wittmann/ Bernhard Ettel are also the second-best Non-S2000-car

After a regrouping with the following service the "Ypres Rally" in Belgium, as part of the "International Rally Challenge (IRC)" continued with the last three special stages of day one. Weather conditions stayed the same, which means that surface conditions on all stages remained just like when they had been completed before.

On SS 4 over 22,57 kilometres, the same picture as before: at the top Belgian Freddy Loix in front of Czech Jan Kopecky and Brit Kris Meeke. The Austrian duo Franz Wittmann/Bernhard Ettel finished 17th in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and were once agein second-best Non-S2000-team after Dutchman Jasper van den Heuvel. Thereby they also won another seven seconds over their fiercest opponent Stephane Lhonnay, Belgien (Evo IX).

SS 5 once more meant the 26,65 kilometres long stage Hollebeke. This time IRC-leader Kris Meeke succeeded in front of Freddy Loix and Jan Kopecky. These three are also the dominating drivers of the rally so far. A great performance was also given by the Interwetten Racing duo Franz Wittmann/ Bernhard Ettel on Mitsubishi Evo IX, who reached twelfth-best overall time and are still second-best Non-S2000-car on the sensational 10th overall place. At the top things were turbulent. Belgian Neuville had an accident which meant cancellation of the stage. Brit Wilks lost time by a slip off the road, as well as Voillouz and Casier, who lost time by tyre failures.

The last stage, SS6, once saw Kris Meeke ahead, followed by Kopecky and Loix. At the Non- S2000-cars van den Heuvel once again dominated over Lhonnay, who took seven tenth from Wittmann this time.

Nevertheless the Interwetten Racing duo Franz Wittmann/ Bernhard Ettel had managed to work their way up to 10th overall place. Since the starting order of the first ten will be toppled tomorrow this means that the two Austrians will take up the second day of the Ypres Rally as first car.

"I can be more than satisfied with the first day here in Belgium. Even better is that we will be the first car on the course tomorrow as overall tenth. That is a great honour to me at my first appearance at this rally even though it is also a disadvantage since we compete here for the first time. Which means that I can't orient myself on possible tracks of cars before me. I am also aware that certain S2000 cars which had problems today will attack tomorrow", says Wittmann after the first day in Belgium.

Intermediate results after six of 16 special stages overall:

01. Freddy Loix/Frederic Miclotte (B) Peugeot S2000, 1:03,46,4 hrs 02. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL) Peugeot S2000, + 4,9 sex. 03. Jan Kopecky/Petr Stary (CZ) Skoda S2000, + 13,3 04. Giandomenico Basso/Mitia Dotta (I) Abarth S2000, + 56,9 05. Juho Hänninen/Mikko Markkula (FIN) Skoda S2000, + 57,1 06. Pieter Tsjoen/Eddy Chevaillier (B) Peugeot S2000, + 1:09,2 07. J. van den Heuvel/Martine Kolman (NL) Mitsubishi Evo X, 1:41,0 1st Non- S2000 08. Luca Betti/Piercarlo Capolongo (I) Peugeot S2000, + 2:40,6 09. Corrado Fontana/Carlo Cassina (I) Peugeot S2000, + 2:41,4 10. Franz Wittmann/Bernhard Ettel (A) Mitsubishi IX,+3:57,1 2nd Non-S2000

Timetable of the Ypres Rally: Saturday, June 20

12,10 Beginning of day 2 12,51 SS 7 Langemark over 21,86 kilometres 13,37 SS 8 Dikkebus over 11,32 kilometres 13,59 SS 9 Kemmelberg over 10,23 kilometres 15,52 SS 10 Westouter over 7,22 kilometres 16,10 SS 11 Heuvelland over 32,75 kilometres 18,09 SS 12 Langemark over 21,86 kilometres 18,55 SS 13 Dikkebus over 11,32 kilometres 19,17 SS 14 Kemmelberg over 10,23 kilometres 20,25 End of rally in Isper

Further information can be found at: http://www.interwetten-racing.com/

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