Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2011 – Malaysian Rally Flag Off Ceremony and SS1
Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2011 Round 1 officially started together with the 11th Malaysian Rally Championship at the Angsana Complex, Johor Bahru on Friday.
A total of 35 competitors were flagged off in front of rally fans and the media before they started the first special stage of the competition.
SS1 were staged at the new 2.5Km gravel course besides Angsana Complex and the only stage organized for the day.
Yuya Sumiyama of Japan and Indonesia’s Rifat Sungkar shared the best times of the stage with both Pertamina Cusco Racing drivers clocked a 2’02.1s.
Their time was just 0.4 seconds faster than Alister McRae of PROTON R3 Malaysia Rally Team.
Team MRF’s Gaurav Gill and defending APRC champion Katsu Taguchi followed closely behind with only 0.8 seconds separating the top 5.
Indian rally hero Gaurav Gill just before the flag-off.
Malaysia’s Rafiq Udhaya finished in 13th position while 3-times APRC champion Karamjit Singh only competed in the MRC category this time around and crossed the line in 4th.
Malaysian Rally 2011 will continue on Saturday with seven more stages to be contested, on the tight gravel road of Tai Tak palm oil estate.
Photo / Editorial : Nazim Idris
Karamjit only competed in MRC? wah why? stage different ah between rally malaysian and asian?
Go go McRae
APRC Malaysian Rally at Johor runs together with MRC, same course and fight for the same goal of becoming winner of Malaysian Rally 2011. But this year Karamjit only participates in MRC in Malaysia, meaning he’s not competing in APRC Championship that travels through Asia Pacific region.