Ford World Rally Team Takes on Greece
by: evander
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Aside from being a car manufacturer and maker of quality Ford Ranger performance parts, Ford is also into the world of auto sports.
The BP Ford World Rally Team takes its lead of both the manufacturers' and drivers' series to Greece this week for the season’s most impenetrable challenge. Earlier this month, the team won for the third time in the FIA World Rally Championship season in Italy.
The Acropolis Rally of Greece, which started last May 31 and will end on June 3, ends the opening half of the campaign. And after the obstacles yielded by intensive heat and rocky mountain tracks, drivers and the entire teams will be ready for their summer break that is good for two months.
The Ford Focus RS World Rally Car gives a good record in Greece. The car’s achievement requires the mixture of strength, reliability and agility. Its five victories in the past seven seasons have made the Focus RS as the dominant car on one of the season's classic events. Its wins include that of last year with current championship leaders Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen.
With Grönholm and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, the team goes to Athens with a lead of 21 points in the manufacturers' championship it was victor in 2006. In the drivers' standings, double world champion Grönholm owns a 7-point advantage.
The Acropolis Rally's gravel speed tests give the racers fear and the feeling of danger. The cars must surpass the loose rocks which become exposed in the mountain tracks. The also need to stand a hard bedrock that comprises the base of the roads. The Acropolis is indeed a huge challenge because it also has air temperatures which usually reach 30°C and demands high on engines and gearboxes, which receive only few cooling from the through-flow of air.
Drivers should anticipate a difficult time. The interior of the cars has no cooling during the special stages. In effect, cockpit temperatures are high and physical endurance is very much essential. Drivers should also make sure that there is regular fluid intake to prevent dehydration. The teams must ensure drivers and co-drivers to operate at peak performance over the long tests.
Grönholm, a 39 year old racer, is preparing for his 9th Acropolis start. His skill is further proven because of his second win of the season in Italy. He said that his winning in Italy has returned him into the lead of the championship. The next two rallies gave him the chance to build on that lead. He added that the Acropolis has always been an exciting event for Ford. He anticipates on the first event after the summer break in Finland, where his home event will take place.
He further said that it would be an extreme event for both drivers and cars. It has been cold during their test this week so the track was muddy and wet; so he hopes that on the day of the rally, the weather will be warmer. However, he said that there are shaded areas where the soil is often clay-based so mud patches may stack. Nonetheless, his confidence is boosting and he really wants to take the fight to Loeb like what he did in Italy.
In the drivers’ standing, Hirvonen is in the third place with just four points from second. This 26-year-old Finn got his fifth podium of the season in Italy. He was encouraged by improved pace which made his speed closer to those set by championship race leaders Grönholm and Sébastien Loeb. Hirvonen said that was one of his aims in Italy and he wants to keep that momentum going in Greece next week. His target this week is to be closer to the speed of Marcus and Sébastien.
Hirvonen further said that the 2006 Acropolis was phenomenally rough so he has to be prepared for this year. He said his car will suffer a lot if this year’s track condition will be the same as last year - rocky and rutted. In order to win this race, he said that one have to drive flat out everywhere. But with his Focus car, he is optimistic that very thing will turn out well.
About the Author
Evander Klum is a Business Administration graduate who hails from Alabama. He enjoys extreme sports and he is also a car racing fanatic. At present, he works as a marketing manager at an advertising agency in Cleveland.
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