Loix aims to challenge at home
Freddy Loix believes he can still win this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge despite losing the title initiative to Kris Meeke on Sata Rally Azores earlier this month. The Belgian is aiming to repeat his home win of last year at the Belgium Rally Ypres next month
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Millet in contention for IRC 2WD Cup
Frenchman Denis Millet has powered into contention for the lead of the IRC 2WD Cup after winning the two-wheel drive category on the Sata Rally Acores
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Meeke triumphs again!
Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke delivered a string of fastest stage times on the closing day of the Sata Rallye Acores, round four of the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, to take victory and the overall championship points lead.
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SS18 cancelled: Meeke wins!
The final stage of the Sata Rallye Acores has been cancelled, due to delays following SS17 and the fact that the road was heavily waterlogged after earlier rain. This means that Irishman Kris Meeke (pictured) wins his second consecutive event for Peugeot UK while Jan Kopecky (Skoda) and Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot Belgium) complete the podium. Denis Millet (Peugeot) has won the IRC 2WD Cup category.
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After SS17: Alen hits problems
Abarth driver Anton Alen has lost his well-deserved fourth place after encountering problems on the penultimate stage. The Finn appears to have had a spin that cost him 15 minutes when his Grande Punto became stuck. Alen´s misfortunes have dropped him down to 18th with one stage to go, while Peugeot Belgium´s Freddy Loix is now up to fourth place
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After SS16: Kopecky wins superspecial
The superspecial stage that opened the rally on Thursday night was run again as SS16, and Skoda driver Jan Kopecky emerged as the winner to consolidate his second place. Rally leader Kris Meeke (Peugeot UK) is controlling his advantage at the head of the field. The crews are now heading to service at Ponta Delgada, before the final two stages of the event
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After SS15: Rautenbach claims a points place
The fight for the final IRC point continues on the Sata Rally Acores. Peugeot driver Conrad Rautenbach - making his IRC debut - has got past the Mitsubishi of local driver Ricardo Moura. "It´s been quite tough to adapt to S2000 machinery as it takes a while to get used to it," said the Zimbabwean. "But it´s a good car and from what I´ve seen of the IRC it is a very competitive series"
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After SS14: Moura in the points
Local driver Ricardo Moura has driven his Mitsubishi into the points and is currently holding eighth place on the Sata Rally Acores. Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke is still leading but he dropped a bit of time with a cautious approach to the stage. Skoda driver Jan Kopecky, in second overall, won the stage and also managed to pull some time out of Peugeot´s Nicolas Vouilloz in third
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After SS13: Tight battle for second
While Kris Meeke won another stage and extended his dominant lead of the Sata Rally Acores, there is a tight battle for second. Peugeot Belgium´s Nicolas Vouilloz set second-fastest time on the 21.94 kilometre Tronquiera stage and is now just 1.2 seconds behind Skoda´s Jan Kopecky - who is currently second. The cars are now heading to service in a rainy Ponta Delgada
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After SS12: Basso out
With the rain continuing to fall, SS12 on the Sata Rally Acores witnessed the retirement of Abarth´s Giandomenico Basso from sixth place. The Italian´s car had taken an earlier impact on the opening stage of the day and this resulted in suspension damage and retirement on the following stage. Meanwhile, Skoda´s Jan Kopecky got past Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot Belgium) to claim second.
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After SS11: Rain hits the Azores
As the IRC crews woke up for day two of the Acores Rally they were confronted by grey skies with rain falling steadily on the stages. After the opening test Kris Meeke set fastest time to continue his dominant run. The Peugeot UK driver now leads by 44 seconds from Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot Belgium). In turn, the Frenchman now has only a seven-second cushion over Skoda´s Jan Kopecky
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After leg one: Meeke leads in Azores
Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke (pictured) has charged to a commanding lead at the end of the first full day´s running on the Sata Rallye Acores. In the course of nine stages, the 29-year-old Ulsterman passed overnight leader Freddy Loix´s similar Peugeot 207 S2000 and survived a wheel-wrecking rock on SS4 to set consistent times through the day to keep ahead of his title rivals.
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After SS10: Hanninen out
Juho Hanninen, in the number one Skoda, has retired after crashing on the final stage. The crew are uninjured but the Fabia S2000 was too badly damaged to continue. Hanninen´s accident blocked the stage and delayed the rally for around an hour. When it resumed, Meeke set his sixth fastest stage time of the day to take his overnight lead up to 40 seconds at the end of leg one
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After SS9: Loix moves up
With just one stage remaining of the opening leg of the Sata Rally Acores, Peugeot Belgium driver and IRC series leader Freddy Loix (pictured) has moved up to fifth place, making up two places on just one stage. Nonetheless, another stage win for Kris Meeke (Peugeot UK) has put the Irishman in front by more than 30 seconds from Loix´s team mate Nicolas Vouilloz
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After SS8: Meeke increases his advantage
Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke (pictured)has won another stage and extended his lead of the Sata Rally Acores to nearly half a minute. None of the top eight positions changed during the short 7.47-kilometre Feteiras stage, but the competitors will now face a repeat of the longest stage of the day, the 14.64 kilometres of Cidades. The weather is expected to remain dry with temperatures of 18 degrees
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Alen keeps pushing
Finnish star Anton Alen (pictured)is the lead Abarth driver on the Sata Rally Acores - and he is currently just off a podium place. The former winner of the Rally Russia pledged at service to keep on pushing, even though the two Peugeots and the Skoda in front of him are setting a strong pace
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After SS7: Loix continues charge
Peugeot Belgium´s Freddy Loix (pictured) - who leads the IRC series by three points - has made up another place on SS7, passing Conrad Rautenbach for seventh. The winner of the stage was Kris Meeke, who now extends his lead to 22 seconds over the reigning IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz. The crews are now making their way back to service before tackling the final three stages of the day
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After SS6: Magalhaes loses more time
Local Peugeot Portugal driver Bruno Magalhaes (pictured) - the winner of the Sata Rallye Acores last year - has dropped more time with a tranmission problem on SS6 and is now outside of the points-scoring top eight. However, a fastest time for Freddy Loix (Peugeot Belgium) has allowed the current IRC series leader back into the points, following a puncture that cost him a minute this morning
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After SS5: Kopecky on the move
Skoda driver Jan Kopecky (pictured) has set his first fastest stage time of the Sata Rally Acores to move up to a provisional podium place. The Czech driver is now involved in a tight battle for third with Abarth´s Anton Alen - who is just 0.4 seconds behind him. Kris Meeke (Peugeot UK) has extended his lead but it was a bad stage for Peugeot Portugal´s Bruno Magalhaes, who dropped half a minute
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Meeke: "This rally has everything!"
Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke (pictured)has described the Sata Rally Azores as "the most varied event I have ever competed on" after four stages. The Irishman currently leads by 13.2 seconds from Peugeot Belgium driver Nicolas Vouilloz, the reigning IRC champion
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After SS4: Hanninen completes stage
Skoda driver Juho Hanninen (pictured) has got to the end of SS4 on three wheels but in doing so he has lost around 10 minutes, dropping him way down the order. Kris Meeke (Peugeot UK) won another stage to open out a lead of 13 seconds over Nicolas Vouilloz (Peugeot Belgium), who passed local hero Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot Portugal). The cars are now entering service at Ponta Delgada
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SS4: Hanninen on three wheels
Finnish star Juho Hanninen (pictured), running first on the road in his Skoda Fabia S2000, has broken a wheel and has failed to complete the 13.82-kilometre SS4. The Finn is attempting to repair the damage, but so far it looks as if he may be forced to retire. The cars are currently completing SS
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After SS3: Meeke wins stage
Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke (pictured) has won SS3 to stretch his advantage over second-placed Juho Hanninen (Skoda) to nearly three seconds. However, the other big winner out of today´s second stage was local hero Bruno Magalhaes, who is now up to third in his Peugeot Portugal 207 S2000. Skoda´s Jan Kopecky struggled on the stage, dropping to sixth behind the lead Abarth of Anton Alen
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After SS2: Loix punctures, Meeke leads
The IRC series leader, Freddy Loix (pictured) has got off to a disastrous start on the Sata Rally Acores, losing a minute on the first proper stage with a puncture on his Peugeot Belgium 207 S2000. Skoda´s Juho Hanninen set the fastest time on the stage, but it is Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke - the winner in Brazil - who leads. "I´m just going gently," said Meeke. "No risks at all."
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Kopecky aims for top five on Sata Rally Açores
Czech Skoda star Jan Kopecky (pictured) says that he would be more than happy with a result in the top five on the Sata Rally Acores. The Czech driver is aiming for a steady start to the all-gravel rally, which gets underway from Ponta Delgada on San Miguel island this morning
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Sata Rally Acores: after SS1
The Intercontinental Rally Challenge resumed its fast and furious battle among the ´next generation´ of top-flight rally cars and drivers today (Thurs) with the start of the Rallye Azores. A total of 50 cars were flagged away from the ceremonial start in the Atlantic port town of Ponta Delgada, with this new event for the IRC promising plenty of action on its combined gravel and asphalt stages
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