CROCKER WINS MR8
12-10-2008

12th October, Johor, Malaysia – Cody Crocker and Ben Atkinson of the Motor Image Rally Team won the Ancom Malaysian Rally 2008 (MR8) today in a time of 2 hours 55 minutes and 24 seconds, 3 minutes and 28 seconds in front of Cusco Racing’s Hiroshi Yanagisawa and Yoshimasa Nakahara. Crocker took it easy in his Subaru Impreza WRX taking no chances in the slippery stages.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to finish the race without making mistakes which is not so easy to do in such a tough event. But we are very happy and I couldn’t have wished for a better result, and on our home turf too,” said Crocker. (The Motor Image Rally Team is based in Singapore).

“We benefited when Taguchi went off yesterday. He gave us the Championship really,” Crocker added.

Katsu Taguchi was leading Crocker by six points coming into this Round, but skidded off the track yesterday. Taguchi started again today but not finishing Leg One gave Crocker the all clear to take the podium position.

The Malaysian Round is Taguchi’s last but Crocker will compete in the seventh and final round in China in November. “China will be good for testing and we have a chance to go up again guys like Dean Herridge who will give us a good fight,” said Crocker.

Third place in the MR8, which was held in the palm oil plantations in the vicinity of Bandar Tenggara went to Crocker’s Motor Image team mate Rifat Sungkar. The Indonesian finished in the time of 3 hours, 5 minutes and 53 seconds.

The winner of the coveted Pirelli Star Driver competition was New Zealander, Mark Tapper. He was the fastest in three Stages yesterday and in four Stages today finishing in a total time of 3 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds. His consistent performance throughout the rally won him the chance to drive in the World Rally Championship in 2009.

“It was a battle to keep my mind on the job in the last few stages. I just stuck to a place where I felt comfortable and didn’t take any risks. It’s pretty hard to describe my feelings right now. But yeah… awesome!” said a visibly emotional Tapper.

His fellow Pirelli Star Driver competitors didn’t have such a dream run.

Kiwi, Hayden Paddon did some major damage to his car in Leg One after sliding into an oil palm and then lost a lot of time in the first Stage of Leg Two when his car had an electrical problem. “We regrouped after the first service stop but Mark was too far in front for us to even think about winning the Pirelli Star Driver competition.” Paddon said.

Australia’s Eli Evans went into today confidently having scored the most number of points in Leg One. But his hopes were crushed when he flew off the track in SS10 and did some major damage to his car.

Indian, Arjun Rao was consistent across the weekend and finished third in the Pirelli points table.

“We had a clean run and I am happy with my results. I have gained a lot of experience from this competition and it has made me a lot tougher. I can come back next year to contest the Pirelli again,” said Rao.

Rao was also competing in the local Malaysian Rally Championship MRC which was running concurrently with the APRC. He and co-driver Musa Sheriff finished second on the MRC podium with an MRC time of 2 hours, 56 minutes, 17 seconds behind Championship winner Karamjit Singh. The total stage times for the MRC differed from the APRC because SS7 and SS8 were cancelled on day one due to bad light.

Singh had limped home after the first three special stages with a major oil leak in his gear box. However, his GSR Pennzoil team mechanics managed to get him back into the race and he carried spare oil in his car for top ups. Karamjit finished in a total time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, 38 seconds. Third in the MRC was Pennzoil team manager Gunaseelan Rajoo and co-driver Mohd Izwan Abdullah with a time of 2 hours, 59 minutes, 56 seconds.

Team M5 Perodua had a very disappointing weekend. Although all three cars started both Legs, none finished. Lim Leong Onn’s Perodua Viva was plagued with mechanical problems. He finished the first three Stages today but didn’t make it out of the service park for the last three. Kan Chee Hong’s Myvi broke down in SS10 and Jamaluddin Tukimin put his Myvi in a ditch in the last SS.