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PWRC: Pozzo keeps title race alive |
Mitsubishi's Gabriel Pozzo secured the win in the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship category on the Rally Japan on Sunday, the sixth round in the series.
Pozzo, who took the lead on Saturday in SS14, when Fumio Nutahara went off the road and retired, eventually came out top by more than 2 minutes.
The result moves him up to second in the PWRC standings and with Toshi Arai failing to score, the Tango Rally Team driver could conceivably take the title as he is now 17 points behind, with, unlike Arai, two of his nominated events still to come.
"It was very important to win here. This is the first victory for me in one and a half years," said Gabriel. "It was more difficult to go slowly, controlling the fight, than drive when we are in a close fight. I absolutely have to win the last two events to take the P-WRC title now. I will probably have to fight very soon."
Armindo Araujo meanwhile took the runners-up spot to give Mitsubishi a 1-2. He lost out with a puncture in SS12 on Saturday, which dropped him off the podium, but he managed to fight back on the final day.
"It was a very difficult rally. We tried very hard. We pushed together; I, my co-driver, the whole team. I am very happy with the result," he noted.
Leszek Kuzaj took the final place on the PWRC podium, followed by Takuma Kamada, who dropped back from P2 to P4 in the penultimate test.
"We had some traction problems at the rear in stage 26," noted Kuzaj, "and I had to slow down but Araujo was faster anyway."
Despite losing out on a podium finish right near the end due to brake problems, Kamada was still happy with fourth: "This year the weather made it very difficult. The stages were slippery. I am very happy however that I finished. My car broke at the end. It was a pity. At least I still got some points. We will try harder at the next rally," he stated.
Further down the order, Evgeniy Vertunov completed the top five in his Impreza, with Mark Higgins sixth, 40 seconds further back.
