Czech driver Jan Kopecký won Saturday the 48th SATA Rallye Azores, in round four of the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) season. It was Kopecký’s third win in three starts in the ERC competition.
Alongside navigator Pavel Dresle, Kopecký drove a Michelin-shod Škoda Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 to victory. The winner, he has increased his lead of the ERC standings to 27 points heading to round five in Corsica next month.
Irish drive Craig Breen (Peugeot Rally Academy 207 S2000) won second place. Azorean driver Ricardo Moura (Skoda Fabia S 2000) finished third. Moura’s performance earned him the coveted Colin McRae ERC Flat Out Trophy. Portugal’s Bruno Magalhães (Delta Peugeot) finished fourth. Favorite Robert Kubica, a Formula One racer, finished sixth.
Broadcast by Eurosport TV to over 100 million viewers, the 48th SATA Rallye Azores was held April 25, 26 and 27, on São Miguel island with the participation of 40 drivers from 16 countries.
Held for over 40 years, the SATA Rallye Azores is a 19-stage gravel rally taking place on the island of São Miguel. It starts starts in Ponta Delgada, at the Portas da Cidade [Gates of the City].
Last year Norwegian driver Andreas Mikkelsen was the winner; Finn Juho Hänninen won second place; French pilot Bryan Bouffier won third place. Azorean driver Ricardo Moura won sixth place, scoring the best Portuguese position.
The challenge has been one of the most important legs in the ground stage of the National Championship. Its rankings also contribute to the European Rally Cup organized by FIA (the Fédération Internationale de l´Automobile).
paj.cm
TOP 10 POSITIONS (after 19 stages, 240.79 kilometres)
1. Jan Kopecký (CZE)/Pavel Dresler (CZE) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 2h24m30.9s
2. Craig Breen (IRL)/Paul Nagle (IRL) Peugeot 207 S2000 +32.2s
3. Ricardo Moura (PRT)/Sancho Eiró (PRT) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +58.8s
4. Bruno Magalhães (PRT)/Nuno Rodrigues da Silva (PRT) Peugeot 207 S2000 +2m37.6s
5. Jérémi Ancian (FRA)/Gilles de Turckheim (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000 +3m27.4s
6. Robert Kubica (POL)/Maciek Baran (POL) Citroën DS3 RRC +9m19.1s
7. Alessandro Bruschetta (ITA)/Justin Bardini (ITA) Subaru Impreza R4 STI +14m57.4s
8. Luis Miguel Rego (PRT)/José Pedro Silva (PRT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX +16m36.0s
9. Antonín Tlusťák (FRA)/Lukáš Vyoral (FRA) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +17m42.1s
10. Marco Tempestini (ROU)/Dorin Pulpea (ROU) Subaru Impreza R4 STI +18m10.6s
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