News from Stage 4
07/01/09 09:07
Things start to get challenging...
As the stages start to get tougher and the smoother rally type tracks change to rougher and more technical sections, the results are beginning to shift. The spread of times is widening and the top cars are pushing harder to maintain and advantage and taking ever bigger risks.

Stage 4 was very rough in parts, even under soft sand, so some crews were not arriving at Neuquen until late into the night. During the 4th stage dust was a problem. The coming 5th stage offers challenging dunes, if only in a short portion.

327
The Tollefsen/Evans car made good time through the stage considering the condition of it. No punctures today, but parts of the track provided their own challenge.

A few points in the roadbook were slightly out and a few mistakes were made, overshooting corners, missed calls and in a challenging stage this took a few chunks out of the stage time.

A heavy hit to the front right in a hole was sustained well, but with such fine powdery dust hanging in the air following other cars, radiators for many are becoming blocked. Ivar and Quin were no exception and in the soft sand temperatures were rising in the engine.

317
Managing a relatively clean run to the end of the stage, but close to the finish Holowczyc and Fortin saw temperatures soar in the engine. This was partly due to a similar problem to Ivar and Quin (dust/blockages), but also a potential engine problem that was to be addressed in the bivouac. Kristoff and Jean-Marc continue to pace themselves awaiting the bigger challenges...

339
Another smooth run through this stage. The car is suffering bodywork damage from earlier on the second day, but Loomans is keeping his car on the road and in competition.