News

Brynildsen leads Production after first loop

23-Oct-2009

Norwegian driver Eyvind Brynildsen reached the end of the morning’s third and final stage, wound down the window of his Skoda Fabia S2000 and couldn’t help himself. The broad grin spread across his face. Leading the Production race and fastest on two of the morning’s three stages, he was a happy man.

“This is the car to go flat out in,” he smiled. “It’s been a great morning.” It certainly had been a great morning. The private Skoda hadn’t missed a beat through the morning in mid-Wales and Brynildsen arrived in Builth Wells close to half a minute up on Martin Prokop’s Mitsubishi Lancer.

Despite limited experience of the Skoda - Brynildsen won Group N in the car on the Catalunya Rally and then made his gravel debut in it a national rally in Wales last Saturday - the Norwegian, with vastly experienced Frenchman Denis Giraudet alongside, made the perfect start. He was 5.1 seconds faster than anybody through Hafren. He then dropped time in the short blast through Sweet Lamb before topping the time sheets in Myherin.

“The car has been really good this morning,” said Brynildsen. “It’s been slippery in places, but nothing too bad.”

Prokop was pleased with his early second spot, saying: “It’s been okay for the start. The car is set-up well, it feels nice to drive. It’s still quite close, but a very long way to go.”

Prokop passed Nasser Al-Attiyah’s Subaru for second spot on SS3, the Subaru driver ended the morning just 0.9 seconds behind the Lancer. “I enjoyed the morning,” said Al-Attiyah. “It went well. It was good in the fast stages - I enjoy these roads.”

Patrik Sandell passed his countryman Patrik Flodin for fourth place in the third stage, the Skoda driver not best pleased with his morning. His caused hadn’t been helped by the loss of brakes in SS1 - he was also candid enough to admit his driving of the Fabia hadn’t been up to scratch.

Flodin ended the morning fifth in his Subaru.

[Source: WRC News]