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Asia Pacific Rally Championship April 13,
2006
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Asia Pacific Rally Championship
Latest News from www.aprc.tv |
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Eleven teams enter 2006 APRC - Eight for New Caledonia
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Subhan Aksa |
Eleven teams have registered for the 2006 Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Originally nine drivers had entered the series, but over the past week with the deadline closing on 8th April, two kiwis have joined the list - veteran Dermott Malley and young Mark Tapper.
This will be Malley's third year competing in the APRC and he will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 run by Reece Jones Motorsport. Joining the championship for the first time is Mark Tapper also in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 - Mark will be co-driven by experienced co-driver Jeff Judd. Tapper has twice been on the podium at Rally of Rotorua and has entered the APRC to gain more international experience and recognition (see article below).
With the Subaru teams of Les Walkden and Cusco Racing opting not to compete in Round 2 Rally of New Caledonia, eight APRC crews will take the startline in Noumea on Friday. The entry list is headed by the MRF Mitsubishi team who will enter two Evo 8's for Japanese Katsu Taguchi and Finnish driver Jarkko Miettinen. The Chinese Wan Yu Rally team makes its first appearance on the championship for 2006 with team-owner and driver Fan Fan joined by veteran New Zealander Brian Green. Rifat Sungkar and Subhan Aksa are entered for the Indonesia Rally team and kiwis Dermott Malley and Mark Tapper begin their APRC campaigns in New Caledonia. All teams will use Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8's.
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Katsu Taguchi |
The visitors will find strong local opposition with entries from Jean-Louis Leyraud (Subaru), Christian Patrick (Mitsubishi) and making a welcome return is Julien Lenglet in a Subaru. Nick Marshall (Peugeot 106) is the only other international driver. The action starts on Friday 14th April with a ceremonial start and super-special stage in Noumea. A 5:00am start on Saturday as the crews head 200km north to stages around Poya and Sunday is the traditional red-soil area south-west of Noumea. After a final stage around the superspecial the finish podium is scheduled or 4.30pm on Sunday back in Noumea. Running one month earlier than normal, should mean warm temperatures and fine weather.
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New Caledonia challenge for Tapper
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Mark Tapper & Jeff Judd |
Auckland Rally driver Mark Tapper will get his first taste of international rallying on foreign soil when he starts this weekends Rallye New Caledonia.
The 25-year-old Auckland rally driver is aiming for a podium finish in the event, which is a round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship but is realistic about the challenge in front of him. "This will be the first time I have competed outside of New Zealand, so it's going to take a while to learn the roads and conditions. There is strong competition from the likes of Katsuhiko Taguchi a past APRC champion and local expert Jean Louis Leyraud who started rallying before I was even born."
Mark will be partnered by Christchurch based co-driver Jeff Judd and will contest the event in the left hand drive Rally Drive NZ Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, which he took to victory in the recent Possum Bourne Memorial Rally based around Pukekohe.
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Mark Tapper at 2004 Rally of Rotorua |
"Dale Perry from Rally Drive NZ has provided the car for the event, and we have also received great support from New Caledonian rally driver Patrick Christian. The support of Dale and Patrick has made this whole trip possible and I must say a big thank you to both for their efforts, along with PDL shipping who have transported the car and equipment to New Caledonia."
"I am really looking forward to the challenge of the event, and the international competition makes it even more exciting. Our number one aim is to finish the event and gain experience, if we can get onto the podium on our first attempt at the event it will repay the support of the people who have made this possible."
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