After the logistic problems of Thursday and the hot trouble of Friday on Saturday Eurolamp World Rally Team had very quiet day.
During second day of Rally Mexico Valery Gorban and Sergey Larens kept not so quick pace but could escape any mistakes. Moreover during second passes of Friday special stages they permanently improved their results of 1 second per kilometer at minimum. So the crew was satisfied with their day.
«All our troubles happened yesterday. Today we had very quiet and accurate day – we didn’t have any track-offs or touches… The main problem for us was that today we were the first crew on the stages so during morning section we played the road cleaner role. But after midday, when the roads had been cleaned enough and with less slippery surface, and when we took more knowledge about the stages, we understood which parts of the routes we could pass more boldly. As a result during second section of the day we had quicker pace», – said Valery Gorban as brief of Saturday.
Sunday part of Rally Mexico includes only 55 kilometers of two special stages. The crew of Eurolamp WRT occupied 13th row in the intermediate rally classification.
A part of Friday special stages was failed because of the intention of rally organizers to make the PR-promo of World Rally Championship in Mexico City, the capital of the country.
On the way from Mexico the rally cars and assistance cars were sticked in a huge traffic jam which happened because of road accident. So the rally caravan couldn’t be in Leon in time. As a result the organizers were forced to cancel Friday morning section of the rally – the first passes of El Chocolate and Las Minas special stages. It was the price of the 3-kilometers racing show at Zokalo Plaza.
But cutting the day’s race distance didn’t mean that the day would be easier. There were enough of kilometers remained in day’s program for the crews to feel how hard Mexican roads and Mexican weather were. The crew of Eurolamp World Rally Team felt it too.
«We had two problems today. The first of them was the engine overheating because of the hot weather and low speeds at some special stages especially when the course went uphill and the car didn’t have enough airflow for cooling. As a result we were periodically forced to switch off ALS and to slow down our pace from time to time to save the engine», – told Valery Gorban on Friday evening.
«Secondly, on the next special stage the rear bumper of our car was completely burnt out… Most likely the exhaust tube had been bended during one of our off-tracks and the hot exhaust gases started to blow on the rear bumper. As a result the ignition happened… It is noteworthy that when we arrived to the stage finish and the firemen rushed to us there was nothing to extinguish…»
The best of the day result of Eurolamp WRT crew was 10th place on one of Friday special stages – on SS7, 2,3-kilometers stage traced at autodrome nearby Leon. Valery Gorban and Sergey Larens occupied 13th row in intermediate results list.
After the logistic problems of Thursday and the hot trouble of Friday on Saturday Eurolamp World Rally Team had very quiet day.
During second day of Rally Mexico Valery Gorban and Sergey Larens kept not so quick pace but could escape any mistakes. Moreover during second passes of Friday special stages they permanently improved their results of 1 second per kilometer at minimum. So the crew was satisfied with their day.
«All our troubles happened yesterday. Today we had very quiet and accurate day – we didn’t have any track-offs or touches… The main problem for us was that today we were the first crew on the stages so during morning section we played the road cleaner role. But after midday, when the roads had been cleaned enough and with less slippery surface, and when we took more knowledge about the stages, we understood which parts of the routes we could pass more boldly. As a result during second section of the day we had quicker pace», – said Valery Gorban as brief of Saturday.
Sunday part of Rally Mexico includes only 55 kilometers of two special stages. The crew of Eurolamp WRT occupied 13th row in the intermediate rally classification.