Multiple Japanese Rally Champion Fumio Nutahara ended his Production World Rally Championship season on a high with second place in the end of season standings, courtesy of a fine fourth position on Rally New Zealand, which ended in Hamilton today. Finland’s Juho Hanninen was top Mitsubishi driver home, clinching the runners-up spot in Group N in his Lancer Evolution.
Nutahara’s hopes and dreams of winning the Group N-based Production series were hit hard when he slipped off the road on the second leg. Through today’s six stages, Nutahara and his British co-driver Daniel Barritt maintained a fantastic pace, with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution running without any problems.
"It was so slippery in some places today," said Nutahara. "It would have been easy to go off the road again EI have had to remain concentrating very hard! The car and the tires have worked well. The rain makes the stages very slippery, but at the same time, I think that is the condition which is best for us and our tires. I have enjoyed this rally very much. I am very disappointed with what happened yesterday, but these things happen in the sport. Nasser Al-Attiyah has driven well this season and he is a good champion. Second place in the championship and three wins in the Production race is good for me."
San Marino’s Mirco Baldacci had moved his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution into the lead of Group N this morning, but missed out on the chance to score his first ever Production World Rally Championship win following transmission trouble in the Whaanga Coast test. Baldacci was eventually registered as fourth-placed finisher.
"It is very disappointing not to finish this event," said Baldacci. "I had gone so well in the fast stages yesterday and the day before, I really think we could have won here. Okay, this is the way the sport is sometimes."
Finland’s Juho Hanninen ensured there was a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution right at the front of the Group N field on Rally New Zealand. Not registered for Production points, Hanninen was still among the fastest drivers in the field on legs one and two of this event. He continued that pace through the final day, posting fastest time on four from six stages.
"Today has been quite tricky," said Hanninen. "For my first time in the legendary Whaanga Coast stage, I thought it was very difficult. There was so much mud in the last part, very, very tricky. The car was good, though, we had no trouble with it at all."
At the front of the field, Marcus Gronholm collected his sixth win of the season for the Ford team with team-mate Mikko Hirvonen a comfortable second overall. Peugeot driver Manfred Stohl started and finished the day in third place.
Fumio Nutahara / Daniel Barritt
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
Mirco Baldacci / Giovanni Agnese
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
Juho Hanninen / Marko Sallinen
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
-MMSP
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