Rally Hokkaido
23rd December 2007, 15:18
I'm.....ahem...a little shy about posting this, but what the hell!
TEAM RESULT MEDIA RELEASE
A modest field of 15 crews entered Round 4 of the Thailand F2 Rally Championship last weekend. After a twelve month hiatus, Honda Team Result had one of their Honda Integra Type-R's on hand for team owner, Ross Ishiwata(Burbidge) to drive. Though the Team intended merely using this Chiang Mai-based event as a shakedown for its 2008 campaign, there was to be a pleasant surprise in store for them.
During the first loop of three stages it was certainly a case of re-learning for the 'old' beginner, though he was fortunate to have experienced local co-driver Ittipon(Jon) Simaraks beside him, calling the pacenotes. By the completion of SS6, the Team Result crew had actually worked their way up to seventh.
'C' seeded driver, Nopparat Somboonchai had been setting impressive times in his Mitsubishi Lancer to lead the field by almost a minute at the lunchtime service. However, on SS 8 he rolled on a tricky left-right uphill section and was out. Ross steadily found more confidence in the Honda, which was well-suited to the fast, flowing stages and by the penultimate stage the crew
found themselves in 3rd place, some twenty seconds behind the Honda Civic of veteran driver, Vorwat Yeinsakul.
At final service Team Manager, Sayan who had been cautioning Ross to drive at 80% during the rally said, “Okay now you drive 110%!”. Softer tyres were duly fitted to the car and the crew sent out on mission. Three kilometres into the long, final special stage and knowing they were cutting back Vorwat's lead but not by how much, the guys came across his stranded car, which had
suffered a broken gear linkage. Ross wisely backed off and brought the Integra home in an incredible 2nd place, behind Kittipong Rattchusiri's Ralliart Thailand Lancer Cedia.
At the Finish Ceremony Ross was asked by Rally Commission Chairman, Manusart Sripana how long it had been since he'd scored a podium, to which Ross replied, "Oh, probably a couple of.......decades!”
For 2008 Team Result plan to field two Hondas in all rounds of the Thai F2 Rally Championship, as well as other selected International rallies in South-East Asia. They already have one of the region's rising stars signed and are currently looking for a second International driver.
TEAM RESULT MEDIA RELEASE
A modest field of 15 crews entered Round 4 of the Thailand F2 Rally Championship last weekend. After a twelve month hiatus, Honda Team Result had one of their Honda Integra Type-R's on hand for team owner, Ross Ishiwata(Burbidge) to drive. Though the Team intended merely using this Chiang Mai-based event as a shakedown for its 2008 campaign, there was to be a pleasant surprise in store for them.
During the first loop of three stages it was certainly a case of re-learning for the 'old' beginner, though he was fortunate to have experienced local co-driver Ittipon(Jon) Simaraks beside him, calling the pacenotes. By the completion of SS6, the Team Result crew had actually worked their way up to seventh.
'C' seeded driver, Nopparat Somboonchai had been setting impressive times in his Mitsubishi Lancer to lead the field by almost a minute at the lunchtime service. However, on SS 8 he rolled on a tricky left-right uphill section and was out. Ross steadily found more confidence in the Honda, which was well-suited to the fast, flowing stages and by the penultimate stage the crew
found themselves in 3rd place, some twenty seconds behind the Honda Civic of veteran driver, Vorwat Yeinsakul.
At final service Team Manager, Sayan who had been cautioning Ross to drive at 80% during the rally said, “Okay now you drive 110%!”. Softer tyres were duly fitted to the car and the crew sent out on mission. Three kilometres into the long, final special stage and knowing they were cutting back Vorwat's lead but not by how much, the guys came across his stranded car, which had
suffered a broken gear linkage. Ross wisely backed off and brought the Integra home in an incredible 2nd place, behind Kittipong Rattchusiri's Ralliart Thailand Lancer Cedia.
At the Finish Ceremony Ross was asked by Rally Commission Chairman, Manusart Sripana how long it had been since he'd scored a podium, to which Ross replied, "Oh, probably a couple of.......decades!”
For 2008 Team Result plan to field two Hondas in all rounds of the Thai F2 Rally Championship, as well as other selected International rallies in South-East Asia. They already have one of the region's rising stars signed and are currently looking for a second International driver.