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SS3: Door drama for Delecour, Breen again

Three stages and three scratchs for the Irish driver

By

1 February 2013 - 18:35

François Delecour continues to belie his 50 years by setting the second fastest time on Friday’s final test, despite completing much of the 18.73-kilometre LDz Cargo stage with his car’s door open.

Delecour was 2.8s slower than stage winner and fellow Peugeot 207 Super 2000 driver Craig Breen to close up to Jari Ketomaa in the battle for second overall on Rally Liepāja-Ventspils, round two of the FIA European Rally Championship. Ketomaa, in a Ford Fiesta RRC, is 3.0s behind Breen.

“It was just impossible to close the door,” Delecour told ERC Rally Radio’s Julian Porter at the stage finish. “Every right turn it was coming open, sometimes in sixth gear. I drove most of the stage like this.”

There was disappointment for Vasily Gryazin, who started the stage in sixth overall but has plummeted down the order after damaging the rear suspension of his Mitsubishi Lancer hitting something in the dark.

Jan Černý’s brake woes continue with the Czech reporting that he only has working brakes on three corners of his ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

Crews are now heading back to Liepāja for overnight service via an autograph signing session in the city. Saturday’s action begins with the second running of LDz Cargo at 10:20hrs local time.

Pos.	#	Nat.	Driver	Car	Time
1	2	IRL	Breen Craig / Moynihan David	Peugeot 207 S2000	22m15.4s
2	1	FIN	Ketomaa Jari / Lindström Kaj	Ford Fiesta S2000	+6.4
3	3	FRA	Delecour F. / Savignoni D.	Peugeot 207 S2000	+12.1
4	6	RUS	Lukyanuk Alexey / Arnautov Alexey	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	+32.7
5	9	LTU	Švedas V. / Sakalauskas Ž.	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	+50.8
6	7	EST	Plangi Siim / Sarapuu Marek	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4	+59.4
7	10	LVA	Kisiels R. / Ronis Arnis	Mini John Cooper Works S2000	+1:01.0
8	21	UKR	Pushkar Vitaliy / Mishyn Ivan	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4	+1:02.7
9	16	LVA	Egle Aivis / Dauga Andis	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	+1:07.8
10	4	CZE	Cerný Jan / Kohout Pavel	Škoda Fabia S2000	+1:26.7
11	14	EST	Jeets Raul / Toom Andrus	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	+1:26.9
12	19	HUN	Szabó Gergély / Borbely Karoly	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4	+1:30.1
13	8	CZE	Orsák Jaroslav / Šmeidler David	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX	+1:50.4
14	17	HUN	Turán Frigyes / Zsiros Gábor	Subaru Impreza Sti R4	+1:53.5
15	29	FRA	Lefebvre S. / Dubois Thomas	Peugeot 208 R2	+2:00.3
16	31	FIN	Immonen Risto / Lukka Mikko	Citroën C2 R2 Max	+2:10.9
17	24	AUT	Danzinger H. / Wüstenhagen K.	Renault Clio R3	+2:33.6
18	11	HUN	Puskádi János / Godor Barna	Škoda Fabia S2000	+2:35.7
19	5	CZE	Tlusták A. / Vyoral Lukáš	Škoda Fabia S2000	+2:40.9
20	18	LTU	Kvaraciejus R. / Cepulis M.	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	+2:44.7