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Technical Talk
"The Japan expert"
Glenn analyses the mammoth stage in WRC
Letter from SWRT
7 October 2005
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| Copyright © STI |
Subaru pilot Chris Atkinson is the most experienced works' team driver in this event, having competed in the rally for the previous two years when he contested the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in a Super 1600 specification car. Chris' co-driver Glenn Macneall is also an old-hand here - this will be his fourth time in Rally Japan. Chris and Glenn put their extensive combined knowledge to excellent use today and they were quickest on the first run through the mammoth 50.6km Kunneywa-Niueo test, the longest stage of the entire 2005 FIA World Rally Championship.
We caught up with Glenn for the inside line on one of the WRC's biggest challenges:
The Kunneywa-Niueo stage is a massive 50.6km long - the longest of the year. The second longest stage took place in March in Mexico; Alfaro-El Establo at 44.39km.
The stage is basically two 2004 stages with the liaisons sections joined together. Used twice, the stage makes up nearly one third of the entire event distance.
The road was damaged by a typhoon two months ago. To repair the road organisers re-surfaced it with a different type of gravel which has changed the character of the surface considerably.
It is a very loose stage for the most part, though it does become very earthy about 10km from the end as cars run next to a river. This can make it very slippery, but it gets faster as more cars clean the road.
About 28km from the start, where the second stage used to begin, the road becomes narrower and a bit more tricky and the speeds drop as a result. There's also an elevation change as cars move uphill.
The principal impression of this stage is that it's extremely quick. Even though it takes nearly half an hour to negotiate, it's actually very fast in places, especially the first 19km, where the finish was last year, with speeds ranging from 106 to 110km/h.
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2006
2005
