Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle will lead the surviving 30 crews away from service in Ponta Delgada this morning (Saturday) for the final seven stages of Sata Rallye Açores.
The Peugeot UK pair, Intercontinental Rally Challenge champions in 2009, completed Friday’s leg in fifth place and go first under the reverse order ruling.
“We just have to get on with it and do our own thing,” said co-driver Nagle. “Realistically the best we can hope for is fourth overall. The top three are having a good battle so we’ll let them get on with it and pick up the pieces. You can’t win them all and we’ve just not had the luck on this rally.”
Like overall leader Bruno Magalhães and Škoda drivers Juho Hänninen and Jan Kopecký, Meeke and Nagle will carry two spare tyres and are running on the soft compound BFGoodrich rubber with maximum cuts for the opening loop of four stages.
Nagle also confirmed Meeke was feeling better after developing a fever on Friday afternoon: “He seems to be in better form this morning,” said Nagle.
Top 10 IRC starting positions for day three
1 Kris Meeke
2 Andreas Mikkelsen
3 Jan Kopecký
4 Juho Hänninen
5 Bruno Magalhães
6 Bernardo Sousa
7 Ricardo Moura
8 Vítor Pascoal
9 Pedro Vale
10 Sérgio Silva
– Credit: www.ircseries.com