PWRC: Flodin leads into the final day

Sweden’s Patrik Flodin overcame a broken anti-roll bar link on his Subaru to arrive at the end of day two of the Jordan Rally with a 23-second lead over his Production Car World Rally Championship rival Armindo Araujo.

Flodin won four of the day’s six stages to more than double his lead in the P-WRC category - but that lead was over Araujo rather than Martin Semerad who held the runners-up spot at the end of the opening day.

Czech driver Semerad made the perfect start to this morning, winning the first run through Suwayma to take a second out of Flodin’s advantage. But that was as good as it would get for the former Pirelli Star Driver. His dream of a maiden win at the highest level of Group N rallying disappeared with a rear differential problem aboard his Mitsubishi. His strongest performance in the P-WRC came to an end when he finally retired from day two in stage 11.

That left the fight for the win between Flodin and Araujo. Despite his advantage, the Impreza driver, who won the opening P-WRC round in Sweden, said there was no chance for him to back off through the final day.

“We have to push tomorrow,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. Today has been good, but in the last but one stage, a link broke on the rear anti-roll bar; the car was sliding a lot. I had to be very careful in the long last stage, in some of the tighter corners I was really taking it slowly and making sure we got through without any problems.”

Araujo said he wouldn’t be giving up or settling for second in his Mitsubishi. The P-WRC series leader said the suspension set up on his car had hindered him through the day’s six stages.

“In the twisty sections and when the road is going downhill,” said Araujo, “we are losing time to him [Flodin]. We will make some changes tonight and then have a go tomorrow and see what we can do. It’s still close and there’s still lots to fight for.”

Lebanese driver Nick Georgiou has moved into third place, albeit 13 minutes off the lead. The current Pirelli Star Driver admitted to being slightly ring rusty, having not competed for the last five months. He goes into day three defending a 16-second advantage over fourth-placed Spyros Pavlides, while Amjad Farrah’s Mitsubishi is fifth.