Korhonen wins Jim Clark Rally
Last year’s Pirelli Star Driver Jukka Korhonen clinched his second consecutive victory in the Pirelli-supported British Rally Championship after the Finn won a final stage showdown at the Jim Clark Rally at the weekend.
Current Pirelli Star Driver Mark Donnelly drove a mature rally to finish the two-day event sixth overall.
Round two of Britain’s premier rally series, this year’s Jim Clark Rally was especially poignant as 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Jim Clark winning his first world title in Formula One. And it was Korhonen who shone on Clark’s anniversary, demonstrating raw pace and maturity at the wheel of his Citroen DS3 – on a surface that he has little experience of.
Welshman Tom Cave put up a valiant effort to claw back vital seconds from pace-setter Korhonen who had carved a 38-second overnight advantage on day one. A game of cat and mouse ensued on Saturday as Cave took the temporary rally lead after Korhonen lost time following a spin on stage eight. However, Korhonen sneaked ahead once again and a battle for the victory culminated in a thriling final stage showdown.
Only one tenth of a second separated Cave and Korhonen going into the event’s closing stage, but a storming time from Korhonen saw the Finnish driver claim his eighth stage win of the weekend – and the overall victory.
“I’m very happy with my first Jim Clark win – especially as it’s only my third time competing on asphalt,” said rally winner Korhonen at the event finish in Kelso. “We’ve had a good two days with some ups and downs but we managed to take the win. It was a perfect rally and we’re in a strong position in the championship standings now.”
Osian Pryce put in a sterling performance over the weekend to bring his Citroen home in third place. Alastair Fisher – who is also competing on the Pirelli-supplied Citroen Top Driver Series in the World Rally Championship – finished fourth, and Ulsterman Jonny Greer rounded off the top five.
Daniel McKenna took a dominant victory in the new-for-2013 RallyTwo category after a trouble-free event in his Fiesta R2. The win was enough to secure McKenna with the second Pirelli Star Driver nomination of the season. “Our goal at the start of the season was a nomination for the Pirelli award, so I’m delighted that it has happened on just the second event,” enthused McKenna.
Pirelli UK Tyres Operations Manager, Matthew Corby, commented: “It’s fantastic to witness our former Pirelli Star Driver Jukka Korhonen taking this year’s British Rally Championship by storm. He demonstrated huge talent when he was under our wings last year, and he’s really blossomed over the past 12 months. His win on asphalt this weekend is remarkable, espcially as it’s only his third time competing on sealed surfaces. The overnight rain made for some tricky conditions on Saturday but our Pirelli tyres provided crews with the confidence to push on the slippery roads. This year’s Pirelli Star Driver Mark Donnelly did a grand job in bringing his car home in sixth place. He’s been very consistent this year and I am confident that he will be fighting for a podium position – or an outright victory – in the very near future.”
Round three of the British Rally Championship will return to Scotland again later this month for the RSAC Scottish Rally, 28-29 June.
The full Jim Clark Rally round-up can be found on Sky Sports 3 & 3HD on Monday 10 June at 1800, 2100 and 2300. It will also be repeated several times over the following day.