Swede Pontus Tidemand finished first , while Gaurav Gill drove his way back to come second
MRF driver Pontus Tidemand (right) and co-driver Emil Axelsson celebrate winning the International Rally of Whangarei, the opening round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, at Whangarei in New Zealand on Sunday.
Whangarei: On a day bereft of any surprises, the 24-year old Swede Pontus Tidemand of Team MRF (co-driver Emil Axelsson) had a debut race to savour as he was in no mood to cede an inch to his rivals before winning the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) international rally of Whangarei on Sunday. The strapping Tidemand was assured of a win after seizing the early initiative of a four-minute lead going into the final day.
India’s Gaurav Gill, who, by his own admission, had a disappointing start on Day One, drove his way back into the contention by securing second place, finishing nearly six minutes behind Tidemand. New Zealand’s Mike Young fought back admirably to finish third.Coming off a seven-month rest, Gill had to contend with some early problems. Bringing his vast reserves of experience into play, Gill raced past the rest of the field to end up second.
“It was a great finish. I managed the second spot in spite of all the early trouble. I am happy with the result and my aim now is to finish on a high at New Caledonia (second round),” Gill said after the rally.
Final standings
1. Pontus Tidemand & Emil Axelsson (MRF Skoda Fabia S2000, 2:55:29.04).
2. Gaurav Gill & Glenn Macneall (MRF Skoda Fabia S2000, 3:01:21.03).
3. Michael Young & Malcom Read (Subaru Imprezza, 3:01:23.02).
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