Following their maiden WRC Academy win on the Acropolis Rally in May, Elfyn Evans and his co-driver Phil Pugh will be keen to repeat that result when the series reaches its halfway point. The pair will start the Neste Oil Rally Finland in second place in the six-rally series and elected to compete in a round of the Finnish Rally Championship – the SM O.K Auto-Ralli – to gain valuable experience of the fast and flowing Finnish gravel roads.
The Welsh pair took Elfyn’s own Fiesta R2 over to Finland for the Kouvola-based event and finished second in class, just 24 seconds behind Andreas Amberg, who currently leads the class in the Finnish Championship.
Elfyn Evans:
“I’ve always known that Finland would be really important as far as the Championship is concerned. It’s so different to Greece as it’s such a fast event and the Scandinavian drivers have so much more experience. Since it’s so easy to make a mistake, I think a fairly cautious approach is called for and so I’m planning to go at my own pace and see what the others do.
“The decision to compete on a round of the Finnish Championship really paid off. We had a very good test on the Thursday and then we did everything we planned to do; we were able to try a few things and so we’re much happier with the set-up. What’s more, we know where we can improve a few things even further and so we’re now more than ready for Rally Finland.
“It’s far too early to say which prize I’d go for if I was to win the WRC Academy. It would be great to have the R2 drive for the experience but I’ve been in an R2 car for a few years now and so I’d be tempted by a season in the S2000 car. Thankfully, it’s not a decision I have to make right now!”
Phil Pugh:
“The weekend has put us both in the right frame of mind for Rally Finland; you know when the locals come to talk to you that you’re doing something right!
“Elfyn had a few unknowns after last year’s Rally Finland, but we are both a lot happier about the pacenotes and the car’s set-up. What’s more, our relationship is strengthening with every week that passes, whether we’re competing or not, and the job for both of us is now a lot clearer.”
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- Elfyn Evans out for FST clean sweep in rally Yorkshire 2010
- Elfyn Evans breaks Fiesta R2 record with the best ever WRC finish
- Neste Oil Rally Finland 2010
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- Neste Jari-Pekka Ralli – Serious Impact
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