Juha Kankkunen wins the Rally of Portugal Revival 2010 with ASM Motorsport

Press Release

The four times world rally champion, Juha Kankkunen, accompanied again on his right by Nicky Grist, scored a dominant victory in the Rally of Portugal Revival, an event which took place on the same stages that the sixth round of the World Rally of Championship was using. The Finnish driver, behind the steering wheel of a Ford Escort MkII of the Spanish ASM Motorsport team, won the rally by more than three minutes.

‘KKK’ practically flew over the Portuguese special stages, to rapidly pull away from rivals. Juha Kankkunen and Nicky Grist have already won this round of the World Rally of Championship, back in 1994. The driver from Laukaa said at the finish of the rally: “In leaving aside the victory, that always is important, over everything it has been a great experience here for myself and Nicky. The Escort worked to perfection, it is one of the most robust vehicles that you can have fun in a rally on gravel. We are eager to repeat the experience with ASM Motorsport”.

ASM Motorsport was including in the round Portuguese the participation of his habitual drivers in the European Championship, Ferran Font (Ford Escort MkI) and Antonio Sainz (Ford Escort MkII), which premiered the colours Gulf in his vehicle. Both were staying out of rally during the first stage for two exits of road, though these didn’t have practically consequences, overcoat in case of the car of Sainz. The drivers were deciding not to start of the second leg when this one had only two special ones and the specials were very broken after passing the cars of World Rally of Championship.

After this new success, the team ASM Motorsport comes to house practically with the just time to change the suitcases and to put again in route, in this occasion with destination to the Island of Sardinia to dispute a new edition of the Rally of the Corallo, where Ferran Font will defend the leadership in the Category 2 of the European Historic Rally Championship. This one will be the third time that the Andorran driver disputes the Sardinian round, which in this occasion he will share role with the Intercontinental Rally Championship IRC. Together with Font, also Antonio Sainz and Javier Martínez-Cattaneo will be with the BMW 2002 Ti, who will repeat the lived experience the previous season.

Final Classification Rally of Portugal Revival 2010

1.-Juha Kankkunen/Nicky Grist - Ford Escort Mk2, 1:37:01,9
2.-Jesús Ferreiro/Roberto Lorenzo - Ford Escort Mk1, a 0:03:27,0
3.-Geoffrey Bell/Steffan Parmander - Ford Escort Mk2, a 0:04:23,5
4.-Valter Gomes/Aulo Fiuza - Porsche 911 RS, a 0:09:19,1
5.-Toni Dezcallar/Bartolomeu Fluzà - Mitsubishi Lancer, 0:14:42,9

Schedule Time of Rally of the Corallo 2010

Friday on June 4
Administrative and technical checks. 08.00h.
Rally Start Ceremony - Alguero 20.00h.

Saturday on June 5
Rally Start - Alguero 08.00h.
TC1: Monte Grighine 1 (27,80 km) 10.00h.
TC2: Gonnosnò 1 (14,80 km) 11.15h.
TC3: Monte Grighine 2 (27,80 km) 13.15h.
TC4: Gonnosnò 2 (14,80 km) 14.30h.
First Leg Finish - Alguero 17.30h.

Sunday on June 6
Start Second Leg - Alguero 07.00h.
TC5: Conchedda 1 (14,00 km) 09.00h.
TC6: Coiluna 1 - (26,00 km) 10.00h.
TC7: Conchedda 2 (14,00 km) 11.00h.
TC8: Coiluna 2 - (26,00 km) 13.00h.
Rally Finish and Podium - Alguero 16.00h.

For more information on ASM Motorsport you can contact us at [email protected], or on the website www.asmmotorsport.com

Photograph courtesy of World Race Image