ERC
High-speed fight for ERC glory as Vaher edges rivals in Sweden
A thrilling battle for FIA European Rally Championship glory is shaping up in Sweden with Jaspar Vaher leading by 10.7sec after four stages of BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia.
In his first season at Rally2 level, the Junior ERC graduate heads Teemu Suninen, Mikko Heikkilä and home hero Isak Reiersen, with Mārtiņš Sesks completing the top five.
Pirelli-equipped Vaher began Saturday’s action leading by 0.3sec following his fastest time through the Friday evening super special in Karlstad. Despite completing the day-opening Värmskog stage 2.0sec slower than pacesetter Teemu Suninen, the Estonian remained in front by 2.9sec.
He then increased his advantage to 10.0sec after he went quickest of all through Stensjön by 4.4sec before going second quickest to Suninen on SS4 by 0.4sec.
After describing his run through SS2 as “nothing special”, the 19-year-old said “it felt good” following his win on SS3. “The surface is much more what I’m used to,” the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG driver said. “It was rutted but you can trust the grip. We had a push and it felt good.”
Sesks, making his ERC comeback or Team MRF Tyres, reckoned he dropped 10 seconds with a high-speed spin and stall on an SS3 left-hander.
Having been hampered by a pop-off valve issue aboard his Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 Integrale on SS2, Andrea Mabellini failed to make it through SS3 after a trip through a ditch left his car with suspension damage.
Second quickest on Friday evening’s super special in Karlstad, Kalle Gustafsson was delayed through SS2 when he went off the road into a ditch and inflicted damage to the front-right of his self-run Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the process.
Benjamin Korhola, who was third fastest on SS1, stopped on SS3 with significant front-end damage after he almost rolled following an off into a ditch. British champion William Creighton overshot a junction 3.2 kilometres into SS4.
Next up on BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia is the 11.39 kilometres fifth stage, Gårdsjö, from 14:17 local time with the Colins test – complete with the iconic Colin’s Crest jump – following at 15:10.
For more information, stage times and live updates go to the new Live Centre by clicking HERE.
