“Busy” with other math, namely the general victory in the Azores Airlines Rallye, Ricardo Moura has a strong lead in the Azorean rally, and consequently in the Azorean Rally Championship.
Ricardo Moura and António Costa (Skoda Fabia R5) are in the lead of the Azorean Rally Championship, after running nine stages of the Azores Airlines Rallye.
Since Monday, when the pilot displayed his new Skoda Fabia R5 to his enthusiastic fans, that Ricardo Moura has been followed around the stages by legions of fellow countrymen who expect nothing but a win, just like the one that happened in 2016 and which, last year, escaped from his hands in the last pass of Vila Franca/São Brás.
This year, Moura lost time with a puncture at Feteiras Meo 1 and, after, at Sete Cidades 1, but he still hasn´t given away his lead in the Azorean Rally Championship.
Bernardo Sousa and Valter Cardoso (Citroen DS3 R5) are the most recent team to arrive at the Azorean Rally Championship. After an almost 2- and-a half-year stop, the pilot from Madeira Island is now running for Play/Autoaçoreana Racing and is second in the ARC competition, with a gap of more than 1m30s from Moura.
Luís Miguel Rego and Jorge Henriques (Ford Fiesta R5) got the fright of their lives yesterday, with power steering issues at Feteiras Meo. He had to stop, restart the car to reset it and only then re-enter the race. He managed to end third, with a gap of more than 2m24s from the leaders.
Ruben and Estevão Rodrigues (Peugeot 208 R2) lead the 2-wheel drive category, standing against the current 2-times champion, Rafael Botelho and Rui Raimundo (Citroen DS3 R3T), with an advantage of 1m01s. João Faria and Carlos Medeiros (Peugeot 206 RC) are third in th2 2-wheel drive category.
Ruben Santos and Nuno Pereira (Peugeot 106 Rallye) are the best in the ‘non- FIA homologated’ category, general and in 2-wheel drive. João Torres and João Reis (Toyota RAV4) are alone in the 4-wheel drive “non- FIA homologated” category; therefore, they are the leaders of the competition.
How will be the last day for the Azoreans?
During Saturday, the Azorean pilots will face six stages. Two passes by Graminhais and Tronqueira in the morning, with a last run through the Marques Super Special (morning), and another through Vila Franca /São Brás at the beginning of the afternoon, are the scheduled stages for the Azoreans which are still participating in the Azores Airlines 2018