ERC
Renault-powered pair head Polish ERC3 fight
Michał Chorbiński leads Lucas Zielinski in a Renault Clio-powered battle for FIA ERC3 supremacy on 82nd Rally Poland – but Ford Fiesta-driving Ville Vatanen is also firmly in the mix.
With eight stages of the all-asphalt event run, Pirelli-supplied local ace Chorbiński is 9.1sec to the good in his pursuit of a maiden ERC3 victory. But Michelin-equipped Frenchman Zielinski is in striking distance with Vatanen just 2.8sec behind his championship rival.
“We can say it was a good job,” said Chorbiński. “It was quite a decent morning, even though I went off the road on the second stage I did and lost six seconds, so the gap should be a bit bigger. But it’s okay, we are here and showing a strong performance in the European championship.”
Zielinski has been on a charge in his Clio Rally3
© ERC
Zielinski, who has Polish grandparents, overcame a scare on Friday night when he picked up front-right tyre damage prior to the start of the Katowice super special stage. With Chorbińsk reporting a problem closing his co-driver’s window before the start of SS5, Zielinski took advantage by claiming the stage win and the overall lead by 2.1sec.
However, a hat-trick of fastest stage times for Chorbiński followed, with Zielinski starting leg two in contention for victory but also under pressure from the chasing Vatanen, who began 82nd Rally Poland one point ahead of Zielinski in the title battle and also tops the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy order with one day remaining.
Kalum Graffin was the chief beneficiary of the unfortunate Cian Caldwell’s exit on SS7 to hold fourth with Petr Kačírek fifth after an ignition issued delayed the Czech on SS2.
Vatanen is in the victory fight in third place
© ERC
Casey Jay Coleman battled back from damaging his Fiesta’s left-rear suspension on the Katowice super special on Friday and an overshoot and a spin on SS4 to reach the overnight halt in sixth but still in the hunt for ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy points.
Professional firefighter Marcin Górny is seventh on his ERC3 debut, followed by Tomasz Bargiel, Igor Widłak and Błażej Gazda, who was delayed by tyre damage on SS4. Tadeusz Bieńko is 11th with Sebastian Butyński 12th and Alexandra Teslovan 13th.
Craig Rahill won the Katowice super special on Friday to lead overnight but crashed on SS2 before he was forced to retire with rollcage damage at midday service.
