16 September 2003 - 10:48 Schlesser is victorious for the third time Por las Pampas Rally - cross-country Argentina

The French driver Jean Louis Schlesser claimed the lead of Por las Pampas Rally, event countable for the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies. The finish podium was held in Santa Rosa de Calamuchita, after five long and exhausting days. With this new victory, Schlesser achieves his third one in Argentina, with the same number of participations in Por las Pampas Rally. No doubt this achievement will be crucial, as it provides him with a 16-point advantage over Carlos Sousa in the Championship general standings.

After five days of fight, the Portuguese finished in second position. Today's leg did not cause any modifications on the leading positions, as Schlesser had achieved a favourable definition after leg 4, run yesterday. Nevertheless, the race was hard for him, Sousa represented an intense fight all along.

Schlesser got off the road and broke the buggy's windshield during leg 3, and later the same day, his mechanics had a car crash in Mina Clavero's city centre, which damaged the car once again.

After the repairs, the Schlesser-Ford buggy had an astonishing performance in the fourth leg, but incurred a 1 minute penalty. In spite of all the inconveniences, Schlesser managed to turn out victorious, for which he made use of all his experience and skill. “I had a tough race, it wasn't easy at all, it was tight, and the course was demanding and changing, it didn't allow for distractions. If nothing serious happens, I think I shall win the Cup this year, but there is still one more race to go, and we have to wait and see. I'm very happy, not only for winning but also for being here, the organization was great. I think in the future some of the legs could be shortened a few kilometers, and perhaps one or two days might be added, but apart from that, this is a beautiful place to compete in”, said Schlesser.

Carlos Sousa came to Argentina with other expectations. The second place is an obstacle for him as regards the Cup standings, an even though he scored excellent times on some sectors, he had to pay the price of being a first timer in Por las Pampas Rally. Still, he proved his driving skills and many fans were astonished by his Mitsubishi L200 Strakar. “It was a hard battle, Jean Louis is not easy to defeat and he sometimes applies unsporting methods. On the other hand, I did make a mistake in leg four, and that kept me from fighting till the end. The Course is very nice and yet very demanding, you not only have to drive fast, but also be always alert. I liked the roads very much, and the people have been very nice to me, I've been very comfortable, I'm sorry I didn't win.”

Strugo achieved his aim: finishing the race and scoring points in his category; Komornicki's retirement made his job easier. The Argentinean competitors made a tremendous effort, their teams worked restlessly in assisting them along the race. It was worth the effort, as the end of the race finds Otaсo among the best classified drivers.

Miti the unstoppable
The local driver conquered Por las Pampas Rally once again. He started with an important advantage over the rest of the competitors from the first leg, and he was able to keep the difference. His strategy was successful, and he used it all along the five days of competition, which kept him impressively focused.

“It is an important victory for me, I prepared myself to win, and I'm very happy with the results. I'm satisfied with my performance; now, I would like to test some other events. I also enjoyed the roads terribly, I had so much fun, the combination of fast sectors with hard passages was amazing. It would be so good if more competitors entered the competition, the race deserves it..” said Miti after the finish.

Once again Por las Pampas Rally is past. It was a race with intense fight for the lead, heated arguments between the participants, and exciting moments everyday. Once more, OTTA has accomplished its aim of organizing a successful round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.

Press Release

POR LAS PAMPAS RALLY (2003)
Total Kms : 2207 Km
SS Kms : 1805 Km
Legs : 5

1. SCHLESSSER-LURQ, SCHLESSER FORD 22h14'49"00  80.8 km/h
2. SOUSA-MAGNE, MITSUBISHI +04'55"00
3. STRUGO-FERRI, MERCEDES ML +4h49'57"
4. OTANO-SANTOS, MITSUBISHI +5h43'20"
5. GALLINAR-POGGI, SUZUKI VITA +9h05'15"
6. GOMEZ-PANTUZO, TOYOTA HILU +9h42'32"
7. MANSILLA-PEREYR, TOYOTA +12h46'39
8. SEVESO-UTRERA, MITSUBISHI +13h46'41
9. VAGNINI-JEROMIN, SUZUKI VITA +16h57'54
10. CHACARERO-BLASQ, MITSUBISHI +53h42'53