17.9.2012 Mikko Pajunen in good speed in IRC event in Ukraine - The Finn forced to retire from top position
Mikko Pajunen started the IRC event in Ukraine strongly. Pajunen drove in the Yalta Rally in Ford Fiesta S2000, and took the lead at the beginning. The Finn who had invested in this tarmac rally held the top position until Saturday afternoon, but events in the stage number six forced him and his co-driver Kaj Lindström to retire.
- The start was ok. Its a great car to drive. But unfortunately things didnt quite work for us all the way, said Pajunen.
Pajunen led the event by six seconds after four stages. During the fifth stage Yurij Protasov took the lead. Pajunens attempt to regain the lead ended with a spin on the next stage.
- We put wrong kind of tyres on in the morning. They were harder combound and didnt work. At the service we got the right ones on, and after that driving felt a lot better. The spin happened at the end of stage six. The pace notes said left-flat-minus-tightens but somehow the back got loose and the front went in from the nearside and the car flew out of the road. It hit a cement post first and eventually a tree. It was an unnecessary spin and completely my fault. We came in to the corner in the sixth gear pretty fast. I didnt have to think about the super rally much since the car was damaged pretty badly, said disappointed Pajunen.
Protasov was in the lead after Saturday. The competition ends on Sunday. The next stop for Pajunen is Italy, where he drives next weekend in a familiar Renault Twingo.
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