Ford privateer Andreas Mikkelsen notched up another win in the Norwegian Rally Championship last weekend.
Mikkelsen, who had a great month in February, when he became the youngest driver in the history of the WRC to score a points finish in Sweden and who also became the youngest driver to win a round of the NRC a week later, maintained that momentum by taking 'gold' on the Numedalsrally on Saturday.
The 18-year-old finished 6.1 seconds up on Mads Østberg, despite picking up a puncture 3 kilometres from the finish of the final stage.
Indeed the battle between Andreas and Mads was once again tight and heading into the final test just 1.9 seconds split the two young guns, with Østberg in front. On the final 26 kilometre test though, Mikkelsen did enough to come through to secure the victory.
"It's totally unbelievable," he said. "I pushed like I have never done before in the last stage. We could have gone out at any corner but I had decided beforehand that I could do this and I would do it.
"I was certain it was all over however when the right rear tyre punctured. But sometimes it looks like luck can be on my side!"
Mikkelsen now leads Østberg in the Norwegian Rally Championship by seven points.
The next round in the NRC is at the start of May, when competitors will tackle the Rally Sørland, in the south of Norway. After that Mikkelsen is hoping to take in his second WRC event of the year in Sardinia.
