Wales Rally GB 2008 in Numbers…

Posted by Chris Harrold 8 December, 2008

Image: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

1 and 11.... Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena ended the season as true champions - by winning the one World Championship event that had eluded them since they first contested the WRC in 2002. They also entered the record books as the first drivers to win 11 WRC events in a single season.

2, 3 and 4…. Second place for Castrol Ford Team Türkiye team-mates Burcu Çetinkaya (27) from Turkey and co-driver Çiçek Güney (26) in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy after putting in a gallant effort as they fought for championship honours, but their second place finish put them just short of the top spot from Emre Yurdakul (25) also from Turkey and his co-driver Can Erkal (24) who started the event with a one point lead in the championship and sealed victory with a Rally GB win making it four wins in a row for the young Turk. Yurdakul is the third driver to be crowned as FSTi champion and is the third different nationality as the one-make championship continues to grow from strength to strength. Apart from a small off on SS11 and a few spins the youngster drove superbly to the title victory.

5…. Friday 5h December… Saw the first days stages reduced with SS1 Hafren shortened to 3.67 kilometres, SS2 Sweet Lamb to 4.28 kilometers and SS3 Myherin to 18.28 kilometers.

6…. Saturday 6th… Night time conditions were clear with a minimum temperature on the stages of -2 degrees Celsius leading to icy conditions for the first run of stages

7…. Toni Gardemeister was seventh, ensuring that the team placed both cars in the drivers' and manufacturers' points for the second consecutive event. ending the season in 5th place in the manufactures championship.

8…. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen who finished eighth in their Focus RS WRC. The Finns single point ensured they became the first drivers ever to score points on every round of the WRC in a single season.

2009…. (sorry!) Season starts with Rally Ireland, which debuted in the series at the end of last year. It runs on asphalt roads in the town of Sligo from 30 January to 01 February, so the weather is likely to be wet, cold and icy; just like GB! Nineteen stages, including a spectator test in Donegal Town will take competitors through 366.94km of competition.

10.... second penalty . The organisers of Wales Rally GB have removed the 10 second penalty applied to Sebastien Loeb for a jump start on SS18. Onboard camera footage showed that Loeb had started the stage at the correct time.

Other numbers of interest…

28 Countries represented by the competitors
78 cars started
47 were classified when the rally returned to its base in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon

Tom Cave, the 17 year-old who became the youngest driver to compete on Wales Rally GB, finishing in 30th place overall, with a class lead of almost 15 minutes and additionally, was the second two wheel-drive car to finish the event outright.

And finally...

812.7 Miles covered by me from Thursday until Sunday ☺

Wales Rally GB highlights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzp1c_r335c

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