The winning duo, formed by Márcio Marreiros and Rui Serra, in Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Ix, won this Sunday the Loulé Rally, the first race of the South Rally Championship, held in the heart of Serra do Caldeirão.
With two passages through the sections of Ameixial and Salir played on Sunday morning, spectators were able to watch an initial domination by Fernando Peres/José Pedro Silva, who won three of the four special qualifying tests, reaching a 55,7-second advantage about Márcio Marreiros at the end of Ameixial 2.
However, bad luck befell the former three-time national rally champion, who, in the last section, punctured the two wheels on the right side of his Mitsubishi Evo IX.
In view of the intense fight between Marreiros/Serra and João Bica/Carlos Santos, who signed a beautiful performance, having always been on the podium, the fight for victory was in full swing, ending the champion duo by winning with a 15.3-second advantage .
The podium was closed by the duo Eduardo Antunes/Hugo Bentes, author of a regular race with their Mitsubishi Evo VI.
They were ahead of Luís Mota/Alexandre Ramos and Nuno Venâncio/André Barras, with the Evo VII driver winning the unofficial fight of the best Louletano against Ricardo Filipe/Fernando Almeida, victims of a road trip that prevented the Evo Gray VI continued in proof.
Victims of bad luck were also Carlos Martins/João Martins, with a broken axle shaft at the end of Ameixial 1, João Correia/Ricardo Barreto, with clutch problems, also in the first special, Paulo Santos/Luís Santos, with unsolvable technical problems in the Evo VI, in the assistance park, where the Ford Escort Cosworth, by Pedro Leone/Bruno Ramos also stayed.
As for the two-wheel drive cars, João Monteiro/Gonçalo Assunção had a categorical victory in the debut of the Toyota Corolla, not giving the competition a chance.
They were followed in this unofficial classification by Vítor Vilela/Leonel Fernandes, still in the process of getting used to the Peugeot 208 R2, and by Filipe Silva/Diogo Elias, in Citroen Saxo.
The next motor sport event, under the aegis of the Clube Automóvel do Algarve, will be the Baja de Loulé, on the 13th and 14th of April, based in Almancil.
This is followed, about a month later, by the return of the Alcoutim Rally, which also counts for the Southern Rally Championship, on the 18th and 19th of May.
The Loulé Rally was organized by the Clube Automóvel do Algarve, with the sponsorship of the Municipality of Loulé and the Parish Councils of Ameixial and Salir, and with the support of Solverde – Casinos e Hotéis and Algarpneus.
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