JUNIOR WRC AND PRODUCTION WRC AT THE RALLY D’ITALIA SARDEGNA 2009

JUNIOR

1. The Rally d’Italia Sardegna is valid as the fifth round of the Junior World Rally Championship, a series open to young drivers under 29 years old, which sees among the favourites for the final victory an Italian driver, Alessandro Bettega (Renault Clio R3).
2. In the first round in Ireland, young german Aaron Burkart (Suzuki Swift S1600) won in font of Czech Martin Prokop (Citroen C2 S1600) and Italian
Simone Bertolotti (Suzuki Swift S1600). And Prokop was the best of all in the second round in Cyprus, ahead of the Suzuki drivers, polish Michal Kosciuszko and germany's Burkart. In the third round in Portugal, it was Kosciuszko's turn to take the honours, ahead of the young dutch Abbring (Renault Clio R3) and Weijs Jr (Citroen C2 S1600). Unlucky event for Alessandro Bettega, at his season debut. Despite winning five stages, the driver from Molveno only finished fifth, behind young countryman Luca Griotti, due first to a fire on his Clio and subsequently to stopping on a stage out of fuel.
another win for Kosciuszko in Argentina, also thanks to the problems met by Bettega who, after ending day one leading by over three minutes, broke the alternator belt in the penultimate stage of day two. Kosciuszko therefore went to lead the event and kept his advantage until the endin front of Burkart and unlucky Bettega. The polish driver now leads the championship in front of Burkart and Prokop.

Junior Championship standings after round 4: 1. Kosciuszko 28; 2. Burkart 24; 3. Prokop 18; 4. Abbring 12; 5. Bettega 10; 6. Bertolotti 9; 7. Griotti 8; 8. Weijs 6; 9. Bonato 5.

PRODUCTION

The gravel roads of Sardinia will host for the first time the crews of the Production World Rally hampionship. This year the championship is also open to Super 2000, and it is behind the wheel of one of these, the Skoda Fabia, that swedish Patrik Sandell won the first two events in Norway annd Cyprus. In the third round in Portugal, he went off the road, clearing the way to local Armindo Araujo (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) who, also thanks to his second place in Cyprus and fourth in Norway, became the new championship leader.
Nasser Al-Atthiyah (Subaru Impreza N14) won the fourth round in Argentina, after a fierce fight with local drivers Pozzo and Ligato. The Qatari driver, codriven by Italian Giovanni
Bernacchini, with a great knowledge of the Argentinian stages, went into the lead halfway through day two, after Pozzo's retirement and Ligato's power steering problems.In the last day, Al-Attiyah only had to control Ligato and Arai's attack, earning an important victory which thrusts him in second place in the championship in front of Sandell.

Production Championship standings after round 4: 1. Araujo 23; 2. Al-Attiyah 21; 3. Sandell 20; 4. Brynildsen 18; 5. Prokop 14; 6. Arai 11; 7. Nieskans 8; 8. Pavlides 5; 9. Mayer 4; 10. Linari, Tarabus, Timotheu and Sauvan 3; 14. Flodin and Singh Gill 2;
16. Semerad 1.