Hirvonen clinches 4 out of 4 on final day in Finland
20-08-2006
14:32
Cruisin’ mode was on with most of the competitors at the third and final day of the Neste Oil Rally of Finland. Positions were made yesterday and today nobody tried to attack. Mikko Hirvonen clinched besttimes on all four stages of the final day, while Marcus Gronholm and Sebastien Loeb were consolidating their positions.
The 2006 edition marks Gronholms sixth win in the last seven years. It is his first time winning the home event for Ford. Rally Finland was a succesfull one for the M-sport squad lead bij teamprincipal Malcolm Wilson. His BP-Ford drivers came in first and third, while the Stobart drivers Matthew Wilson and Kosti Katajamaki came in on positions nine and fourteen.
Subaru, after a troublesome rally Germany, suffered again in Finland. Petter Solberg crashed out of the rally on the second stage of day two. Chris Atkinson had to keep up the honour of the Subaru World Rally Team, but lost loads of time with gearbox problems. On the final day Atkinson fought his way back to position 11, but the overall conclusion for Subaru must be a dissapointing one.
Henning Solberg, Gigi Galli and Janne Tuohino came in respectivly fourth, fifth and sixt. The last points in the drivers championship went to Jusso Valkimaki and Czech driver Jan Kopecky, leaving Austrian Manfred Stohl empty handed.
Guy Wilks and P.G. Andersson made it a one-two for Suzuki in the JWRC after Kris Meeke, former pupil of legend Colin McRae, had to retire on day two.
