Juha Kankkunen wins the Rally of Portugal Revival 2010 with ASM Motorsport

Four time world rally champion, Juha Kankkunen and his equally legendary co-driver, Nicky Grist, put in a dominant display at the Rally of Portugal Revival 2010, winning the event by over three minutes.

The championship winning pair were absolutely sublime in their ASM Motorsport prepared Ford Escort Mk2, finishing ahead of the Ford Escort Mk1 of Jesús Ferreiro and Roberto Lorenzo with three minutes and 27 seconds to spare. Geoffrey Bell and Steffan Parmander round out the top three, giving Ford the top three spots on the podium with their Escort Mk2.

This year marked the first running of the Rally of Portugal revival, which was open to two-wheel drive cars built before 1982 and attracted a field of 28 classic rally cars and teams. The event was a huge success with both fans and drivers and I hope to see more of its kind!

For the full release from ASM MotorSport please read on:

Juha Kankkunen wins the Rally of Portugal Revival 2010 with ASM Motorsport

The four times champion of the world of rallys, Juha Kankkunen, accompanied again on his right for Nicky Grist, has obtained an extraordinary and forceful victory in the Rally of Portugal Revival disputed this weekend in the same sections where that it has been disputed the sixth round of the World Rally of Championship. The Finnish pilot, to the steering wheel of a Ford Escort MkII of the Spanish team ASM Motorsport, has imposed himself in more than three minutes of difference on the second classified one.

‘Triple K’ practically it flew for the Portuguese specials, rapidly away from rivals from the rest of participants. To emphasize that in the edition of 1994, Juha Kankkunen and Nicky Grist already they obtained the absolute victory in this round of the World Rally of Championship. The driver of Laukaa underlined at the conclusion of the rally. “To leaving of side the victory, that always is important, over everything it would emphasize that it has been a great experience and that so much Nicky since me, we have spent it frankly well. The Escort has worked to the perfection, not uselessly it is one of the most robust vehicles and with that more you can manage to amuse in a rally of gravel. We are eager to repeat the experience with ASM Motorsport”.

ASM Motorsport was including in the round Portuguese the participation of his habitual drivers in the European Championship, Ferran Font (Ford Escort MkI) and Antonio Sainz (Ford Escort MkII), which premiered the colours Gulf in his vehicle. Both were staying out of rally during the first stage for two exits of road, though these didn’t have practically consequences, overcoat in case of the car of Sainz. The drivers were deciding not to start of the second leg when this one had only two special ones and the specials were very broken after passing the cars of World Rally of Championship.

After this new success, the team ASM Motorsport comes to house practically with the just time to change the suitcases and to put again in route, in this occasion with destination to the Island of Sardinia to dispute a new edition of the Rally of the Corallo, where Ferran Font will defend the leadership in the Category 2 of the European Historic Rally Championship. This one will be the third time that the Andorran driver disputes the Sardinian round, which in this occasion he will share role with the Intercontinental Rally Championship IRC. Together with Font, also Antonio Sainz and Javier Martínez-Cattaneo will be with the BMW 2002 Ti, who will repeat the lived experience the previous season.

Final Classification Rally of Portugal Revival 2010:

1.-Juha Kankkunen/Nicky Grist – Ford Escort Mk2, 1:37:01,9

2.-Jesús Ferreiro/Roberto Lorenzo – Ford Escort Mk1, a 0:03:27,0

3.-Geoffrey Bell/Steffan Parmander – Ford Escort Mk2, a 0:04:23,5

4.-Valter Gomes/Aulo Fiuza – Porsche 911 RS, a 0:09:19,1

5.-Toni Dezcallar/Bartolomeu Fluzà – Mitsubishi Lancer, 0:14:42,9

Schedule Time of Rally of the Corallo 2010

Friday on June 4

Administrative and technical checks. 08.00h.

Rally Start Ceremony – Alguero 20.00h.

Saturday on June 5

Rally Start – Alguero 08.00h.

TC1: Monte Grighine 1 (27,80 km) 10.00h.

TC2: Gonnosnò 1 (14,80 km) 11.15h.

TC3: Monte Grighine 2 (27,80 km) 13.15h.

TC4: Gonnosnò 2 (14,80 km) 14.30h.

First Leg Finish – Alguero 17.30h.

Sunday on June 6

Start Second Leg – Alguero 07.00h.

TC5: Conchedda 1 (14,00 km) 09.00h.

TC6: Coiluna 1 – (26,00 km) 10.00h.

TC7: Conchedda 2 (14,00 km) 11.00h.

TC8: Coiluna 2 – (26,00 km) 13.00h.

Rally Finish and Podium – Alguero 16.00h.

For more information on ASM Motorsport can contact us at info@asmmotorsport.com, or through the website www.asmmotorsport.com

Photography: World Race Image & Kim Kujala