P-WRC: Flodin holds on for victory in Jordan

Patrik Flodin survived a late scare to secure his second win of the season in the Production Car World Rally Championship with victory in Jordan.

Flodin was leading the category by more than two minutes heading into the penultimate stage. But with less than five kilometres of the stage remaining his Subaru Impreza’s rear cross member failed and he completed the Shuna stage, plus the final 10.83-kilometre Baptism Site stage, with two buckled rear wheels.

“I never thought I wouldn’t win because I knew if I drove carefully I would be okay,” said the Swedish driver. “Fortunately the road was quite flat and smooth for the last two stages and I had no problem keeping my lead. This is now the fifth rally that I have won this season so I am very happy.”

Armindo Araujo, the defending Production Car World Rally Champion, was second in his Mitsubishi Lancer. He had been in a close battle with Flodin after day one but time lost on day two with set-up problems. Realising he wouldn’t be able to catch the leader he elected to back off on Saturday in order to safeguard his second place.

“We had no problems with the car today, just some things we know we can develop for our next rally,” said Araujo. “We decided after the first stage that there was no point taking any risks so we slowed down. But I am happy because this is a good result for the championship.”

Nicholai Georgiou, the Middle East’s Pirelli Star Driver representative for 2010, began his P-WRC campaign with an encouraging run to third place as he adapted to his Lancer. He finished just under a minute clear of Spyros Pavlides, who lost engine power on stage 17 when his Impreza’s air filter became blocked with sand.

Jordanian Amjad Farrah claimed fifth place in his Lancer, much to the delight of the home fans. China’s Rui Wang, in another Impreza, took sixth with Brazilian Paulo Nobre recovering from his crash on Thursday to secure seventh and his first P-WRC points.

Martin Semerad was second after day one but dropped time on Friday with a broken differential. Any hopes of a points finish evaporated on Saturday’s opening stage when the young Czech driver hit a rock and pulled a wheel off his Lancer. Finnish veteran Reijo Muhonen also went no further than stage 14 after crashing his Lancer into retirement.