Proton 1-2 in China Rally!

After a year of heartbreaks in many events, the Proton rally team finally scored big in the China Rally which concluded today. The Satria Neo S2000 cars of Alister McRae and Chris Atkinson powered to a one-two victory to finish season on a high note, particularly in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). The victory also reaffirms Proton’s second place in the APRC Manufacturer’s title while McRae’s drive to the top of the standings promoted him from 4th to claim 3rd in the APRC Driver’s Title in the team’s first full season competing in the championship.

 

By all accounts, the China Rally was tough and punctures were plentiful for all the teams. The highlight of the third and final day was a grueling 16.35-km charge over the rocky mountainous region of San Men Yuan dubbed by rally drivers as ‘the stage with a hundred hairpin turns’. It also included high-speed run along a newly-introduced 12.27-km all-tarmac Special Stage which was repeated twice throughout the day.

 

“This is definitely a great result for both Proton and us. I’ve said it all year long that the Satria Neo S2000 is capable of winning rallies and being on the podium but we have just experienced so much of bad luck throughout the season. To finally prove it in this rally with a one-two finish is just fantastic!” said McRae who was partnered by Bill Hayes.

 

Team mate Atkinson was equally pleased with a rewarding drive to second place considering he had to fight his way back up the field from two punctures sustained in Leg 1 of the rally.

 

“Unfortunately, a couple of punctures in Leg 1 cost us the victory but this is definitely a great result for Proton. We pushed as hard as we could and all the way today but when you’re down two to three minutes, it’s not a gap that can be easily reduced,” said the Australian who had his brother as co-driver. They had taken an early lead in the rally in the first few Special Stages of Leg 1 only to have all the hard work erased by two punctures.

 

“It was a good but extremely rough rally but the car performed well and we didn’t encounter a single mechanical issue.”
 

 

In a rally so rough and one that had taken a heavy toll on so many competitors, only 24 of the original 44 entries who started completed the 2-day rally run in the mountainous region and bamboo forests just outside of Longyou city.

 

“We are elated with this victory and it reaffirms the Satria Neo S2000 and Proton’s competitiveness as a manufacturer on the international rally arena. Second is nevertheless rewarding, considering it has been a year which we had declared from the very beginning as being one that is devoted to testing and development,” said Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, Proton’s Group MD, when he was given news of the victory.

 

This win in China would certainly be useful at a time when Proton is looking at raising its presence in that market. Media reports on the rally would not doubt promote brand awareness among consumers in what is now the world’s largest automobile market.

 

“To see the Jalur Gemilang raised with Proton as the winning manufacturer was indeed a proud and emotional moment for the team and all Malaysian supporters present at the ceremonial finish. This is the result we’ve been waiting for and with all the development that has gone into enhancing the competitiveness of the Satria Neo S2000 and resolving earlier mechanical issues experienced, we now look forward to a better performance next year,” said Team Manager Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood, himself a veteran in the rally scene having headed earlier efforts in the PERT team.

 

The China Rally saw the participation by several major international and Chinese manufacturers that included Mitsubishi, Subaru, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Honda, Citroen, Peugeot, Cherry and BYD. Also making their debut and completing the 229.19-km rally were four Proton Gen2s, known in China as the Europestar, under a collaboration between Proton and Zhejiang Youngman Passenger Car Group Co. Ltd.

For motorsports updates, visit the Petronas Motorsports Website


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