RI racer secures 4th position in Asia-Pasific rally championship

Brisbane (ANTARA News) - Indonesian racer Rifat Sungkar and his Australian navigator Billa Hayes secured the fourth position in the Canberra round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship which ended on Sunday.

Rifat failed to secure third position after the turbo-charger of his Subaru Impreza WRX STi developed a problem in the three special stages (SS) had to pass before being allowed to enter the service area.

"We were really fighting to get into third position, but I had a problem with my car and I had to run for the three SS before being allowed to put my car in the service area," Rifat said when reached by phone from here on Sunday.

In the rally that was participated in by 18 teams, Australian Cody Crocker and Ben Atkinson secured the first position, followed by Dean Herridge-Chris Murphy also from Australia and Hiroshi Yanagisawa-Yoshimasa Nakahara of Japan.

Rifat`s position was better than those gained by racers from Britain, Russia, France and New Zealand.

Rifat added he would take part in the next round to be held in New Zealand.

The Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2008 which was started in Caledonia last April has seven rounds, namely Caledonia, Canberra (Australia), New Zealand , Japan (July), Indonesia (Makassar, August), Malaysia (September), and China (November). (*) end