In fourth place in todays stage, the driver, Guilherme Spinelli leads the car overall ranking of the Sertões International Rally with a good time advantage. He has over 30 minutes advantage over the second place, Paulo Nobre. In this way, the dispute within each category becomes more intense for the two last stages until the end of the competiotion.
The Protótipos T1 FIA, of imported vehicles built specially for the rally, shelters the two leaders of the test until now. Spinelli states that he is administrating the advantage, while Palmeirinha believes he can only win if there is a miracle. Our duty now is to try to keep ourselves in second place and, who knows, if the gods of the rally think that this is our year, [victory] will fall into our laps, Paulo Nobre comments. He has only a three minute advantage to the third place in the overall, Reinaldo Varella. It is not easy, because Varella is driving very fast and Klever [Kolberg] is also I coming aggressively behind. We cant hesitate or it will all tumble down, the driver adds.
Reinaldo Varela and Eduardo Bampi are in the Pro-Ethanol category, for vehicles based on cars on market, adapted for the rally and powered exclusively by ethanol. The duo is in the car that is current champion of the Sertões, and after the eighth stage has accumulated an advantage of almost seven minutes to the second place in the category, Klever Kolberg and Flávio França. But they still dont think the rally is a sure win. We will continue to focus until we get to Fortaleza. Only there will we celebrate anything, Varela states.
In the Prototypes of national vehicles constructed specially for rallies, the leader is Luis Eduardo Stedile and Deco Muniz. The duo has over three hours advantage over their rivals, second in the category, Anderson de Souza and Lourival Roldan. In this way, all they want is to arrive at the Cumbuco Beach to commemorate the title. Meanwhile: safety even in our enthusiasm. Getting up to here was already a feat which I will always recall, especially, the part of winning the Jalapão with only back wheel drive. In two more days we will be in Cumbuco, and then, yes, I will begin to celebrate., said the driver.
In the Superproduction, for market line vehicles with practically unlimited adaptations, Luis Facco and Glauber Fontoura have an advantage of less than tem minutes over Fábio Ruediger/Felipe Schwengber. Facco came in eighth place on this Wednesdays stage. Now, for the market line vehicles with limited preparation, in the Production category, Rodrigo Meinberg and Luis Felipe Eckel are the leaders.
To finish the 2011 Sertões International Rally, there are 338 kilometers of timed section to go, divided in two stages. Tomorrow the teams head to Sobral (CE), with 252 kilometers of Special that promise to be decisive for the test, according to the organization
* Andrei Spinassé collaborated straight from Teresina (PI)
Este texto foi escrito por: Daniel Costa*
Last modified: agosto 17, 2011
