The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

RALLY: Kankkunen Fights to Fords 11th Points-Scoring Finish

9 November 1998

After some of the most dramatic changes of fortune ever seen in world rallying, the penultimate round of the 1998 championship ended today (Sunday) in Perth (Australia) with the first five finishers separated by less than one minute. On this third and final day of the API Rally Australia the Ford World Rally Team claimed championship points for the 11th time this year as Juha Kankkunen brought his Escort World Rally Car home in a fighting fifth place after five tough special stages over 109 very hot and dusty kilometres.

Early today Tommi Makinens one minute penalty for a jumped start at last nights super-special was cancelled, so Juha Kankkunen started the day running fourth on the road, hoping that the cars ahead would sweep away the small stones that cover the stages South East of Perth and enable the Valvoline-backed Escort to get better traction and set faster times. Today the loose stones on the stages were slow to clear, explained Juha. On my previous Australian rallies, running third or fourth on the road was the ideal position, but strangely this year there seemed to be no advantage until the sixth car through - and so it was Colin McRae who was able to fully exploit the better grip he found today.

This is a really hard event on which to do well, commented Ford team mate Bruno Thiry. This years rally seemed much faster to me than the 1997 event and Ive certainly learnt a lot about driving on the unique surfaces here. I couldnt select 4th gear during the third stage but the Escort stood up well to the incredible pounding it has received over three days. Kankkunen set an excellent third fastest time of the difficult 25 kilometre Stage 22, but like many rival cars, his Escort also suffered a few seconds of misfiring after charging through some of the water splashes on the famous Bunnings Tree Farm forest stages.

Todays stages provided some of the closest ever battles in the history of world rallying, commented Malcolm Wilson, Ford World Rally Team Director. It was good to see the Escort at the heart of the action once again and winning world championship points. As soon as we get back to the UK, the team will be working flat out to ensure that the results achieved on the Escorts final world rally - the Network Q Rally of Great Britain - are a fitting tribute to 30 years of action by this famous Ford model.

For the British event, Sebastian Lindholm (who finished a highly creditable ninth on his Australian debut), will rally a full 1998-specification Escort built by M-Sport and entered by Gazprom Motorsport - further strengthening Fords presence on this Escort finale.