SS7: Avci leads, puncture for Protasov

Turkey’s Yağiz Avci has claimed the lead on Prime Yalta Rally, round 10 of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, after taking a stage win on the 22.55-kilometre Plato 2 stage.

Yuriy Protasov lost nearly three minutes when his M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC incurred a puncture during the stage and the Ukrainian was forced to stop and change it. Protasov is now 24.8s adrift of rally leader Avci.

Second fastest through SS7 was Vizin László at the wheel of a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, completing the test 19.5s faster than leading IRC 2WD Cup driver Robert Consani who was third quickest in his Renault Mégane RS.

Fourth quickest was Romania’s Vlad Cosma in a Citroën C2 R2, and rounding off the top five quickest stage times was Mykola Chmykh at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza.

Despite suffering from a broken front-right driveshaft from the previous stage, Valeriy Gorban managed to set the sixth fastest time in a Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

In the IRC Production Cup, Marco Tempestini continues to lead the IRC Production Cup in a Subaru Impreza STI R4. Robert Consani is second, both in the Production category and in the IRC 2WD Cup.

Pajunen retires after damage to Fiesta

Mikko Pajunen has been forced to retire from Prime Yalta Rally following significant damage to the front of his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

Finn Pajunen was vying for the top spot alongside fellow Intercontinental Rally Challenge competitor Yuriy Protasov when the 27-year-old hit a rock on the 17.26-kilometre Al Petri 2 stage.

“Mikko hit a big boulder and it damaged the front of the car including the wheel and cooling system,” explained a representative from the AT Rally Team. “The damage is too much to continue so we are going to collect the crew now and bring the car back to service. Hopefully we can fix the problem and we will be back tomorrow.”