SS6-7-8-9: Iliev hits back in race for Sliven victory

SS9: Iliev hits back in race for Sliven victory

Dimitar Iliev has hit back in the battle for victory on the Mabanol Sliven Rally by claiming his first stage win of the afternoon in his ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

Iliev’s advantage out front on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier had been whittled down to 7.1s following the eighth stage. However, by setting the fastest time on stage nine, the repeat of the 15.06-kilometre Bulgarka run, Iliev now heads closest rival Petar Gyoshev by 11.7s heading to the overnight halt in Sliven.

Gyoshev, in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000, was second fastest through the stage, 4.6s adrift of Iliev. Krum Donchev was third quickest in another Peugeot with Yağiz Avci setting the fourth fastest time in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000. Todor Slavov was fifth quickest to hold on to third overall in his Renault Clio R3.

Crews are now entering the 45-minute service halt in Sliven. Sunday’s action begins with the 15.28-kilometre Ablanovo stage at 10:30hrs local time.

Tempestini out of Sliven IRC Production Cup battle

Marco Tempestini has retired from the Mabanol Sliven Rally after a mechanical issue grounded his Subaru Impreza R4 STI.

Tempestini, who was in contention for IRC Production Cup honours on the asphalt rally, was recovering from time lost with a turbo failure on stage five and had gone fastest in his category on stage six.

However, at the end of the stage the Italian-born Romanian noticed some smoke and a small fire, which he and co-driver Dorin Pulpea quickly extinguished. They drove on for two kilometres when they discovered the car’s oil supply had been depleted.

“We’re not sure what has happened but there was no oil left in the car and no possibility to continue,” said Tempestini. “Now everything is really complicated for the championship because the points from this rally would have been very important, particularly as I understand [Robert] Consani now has driveshaft problems.”

SS8: Gyoshev closes on Iliev in Sliven

Petar Gyoshev has slashed Dimitar Iliev’s lead of the Mabanol Sliven Rally to 7.1s after claiming his second stage win in a row on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.

Driving a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 for the ASC Prestige team, Gyoshev was 14.6s faster than ŠKODA Fabia S2000 pilot Iliev through the 19.95-kilometre Stara Reka test. Krum Donchev was second fastest in his Peugeot, 2.9s while Todor Slavov continues to impress in his Renault Clio R3. The Bulgarian IRC 2WD Cup driver was fourth quickest.

Marco Tempestini did not start the stage after returning to service in Sliven when an engine problem developed on his Subaru Impreza R4 STI.

SS7: Gyoshev lands another stage best for Peugeot

Peugeot’s strong start to Saturday afternoon’s loop of four stages continued when Petar Gyoshev recorded his first fastest time on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier aboard his 207 Super 2000.

Gyoshev was quickest by 0.8s through the 11.92-kilometre Kotel test to close to within 21.7s of overall leader Dimitar Iliev, who was second fastest in his ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000. Iliev, a five-time Sliven winner, admitted earlier that his need to preserve his advantage out front meant he wouldn’t be pushing to the maximum this afternoon in order to avoid making a mistakes.

Krum Donchev has moved ahead of Menya Krózser into fifth overall after setting the third best time in his Peugeot. Elsewhere, Renault Clio R3 ace Todor Slavov continues to edge clear of M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 driver Yağiz Avci in the battle for the final podium spot. The gap between the pair is 7.4s with two stages of day two remaining.

Martin Kangur, who was eighth fastest, continues to occupy a strong seventh overall in his Catwees Honda Racing Civic Type R. However, Robert Consani is dropping time with a driveshaft issue on his Renault Mégane RS. The Frenchman is eligible for points in both the IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup but is dropping time.

SS6: Donchev recovery underway with stage win

Krum Donchev’s bid to make up the time he lost with a puncture on stage five is well and truly underway after the Bulgarian star went fastest on stage six of the Mabanol Sliven Rally, the repeat of the 18.08-kilometre Mollova Gora test.

Donchev, a four-time Sliven winner, dropped out of a podium place when his Globul Rally Team Peugeot 207 Super 2000 suffered a deflated front-right tyre two kilometres from the start of the 15.06-kilometre Bulgarka stage.

On stage six he was 1.3s faster than event leader Dimitar Iliev to close to within 7.7s of fifth-placed Hungarian IRC 2WD Cup contender Menya Krózser in the overall classification.

Iliev, meanwhile, now leads the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier by 22.5s in his Vivacom Rally Team ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 with Petar Gyoshev in second in his Peugeot 207 S2000. Gyoshev was third fastest through the stage, 4.4s adrift of Donchev. Meanwhile, Todor Slavov continues to impress in his Renault Clio R3. The Bulgarian youngster was fourth fastest to maintain his grip on third place overall.

Saturday afternoon’s itinerary is running 15 minutes behind schedule after stage three was temporarily halted after Eytan Halfon rolled his M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2. The Turkish driver and his navigator Sedat Bostanci were taken to hospital for checks.