The
Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team have confirmed that
Matthew Wilson's co-driver, Michael Orr will be definitely be OK for the Telstra Rally Australia, which gets underway next week.
Orr injured his back on the very first competitive stage on the Rally of Turkey last weekend, when he dislocated a vertebra after their Focus WRC car hit a large hole.
Although he managed to continue and completed the event with them taking twelfth spot overall, he was ‘doped' up on a lot of painkillers initially and was in agony immediately after the 9.90 kilometre Kumluca 1 test.
"Over the course of the weekend, Michael's back felt better," a spokesperson for the team confirmed to
Crash.net. "He was on a lot of painkillers on Friday and Saturday, but by Sunday night he had stopped them and was a lot more comfortable.
"He is still not 100 per cent, but is definitely on the mend and is going to have some intensive physiotherapy over the next few days.
"There is no doubt he will be fine to do Rally Australia, the fourteenth round in the 2006
FIA World Rally Championship."
The news is a boost for Wilson Jr, as he will now be able to stick with his regular co-pilot, when he reverts to the 2006-spec Focus in Australia. The 19-year-old got his hands on the 'new' Ford for the first time in Japan, back at the start of September.
