Just 2.6 seconds off the podium
The third round of the Polish Rally Championship, the Karkonoski Rally, resulted in yet more success for the Symtech Racing team. 'Kajto' Kajetanowicz and his co-driver Jacek Baran fought hard for a podium place but finally ended up in fourth overall, just 2.6 seconds off Michal Solowow and his Peugeot 207 S2000.

The Karkonoski Rally is a challenging asphalt event that runs in the south of Poland, close to the town of Jelenia Góra. The special stages are fast and tricky, playing to Kajetanowicz's strengths. Following some testing on the Tuesday before the rally, the Subaru Impreza STR09 was re-prepared in time for Friday's ceremonial start. When the real action got underway on Saturday, it was clear to see that there would be a fierce six-way battle for victory.

Subaru Poland's factory driver, 'Kajto' Kajetanowicz, was one of the firm candidates to win. Nonetheless, he had to face four Super 2000 cars as usual not to mention some top conventional Group N machinery. Everything went well though and 'Kajto' was able to set some quick times.

On Sunday, he lost a bit of time after bending a suspension arm. The problem was rapidly resolved by the Symtech Racing mechanics at service, which allowed Kajetanowicz to target third overall in the closing stages. It probably would have taken him just one more stage to secure the final podium spot, but the satisfaction was still evident on the faces of everyone at Subaru Poland.

Kajetanowicz commented: "I'm still not really at the limits of the car. I can see that there are ways to get more out of it, but I will need to build up some extra distance with it before I can take advantage of its full potential. Still, I'm very happy with my rally and fourth place at the end is not bad at all. The car was fantastic once more, and all the guys at Symtech Racing did another excellent job. I'm just looking forward to the next round now!"

Wim De Boeck (Symtech Racing) drew a similar conclusion. "We've got nothing to complain about as we've had good results from the last three rallies, despite the fact that we've been pushing hard," he said. "That's no coincidence as we always double-check and preventatively replace anything we need to in order to maintain a solid level of reliability. Furthermore, we carry out a comprehensive test before each rally. That's really the only way to know for sure that you are on the right road. 'Kajto' drove an excellent rally, and once more he has scored precious points towards the championship."

The next event is the Rzeszowksi Rally from August 7-9.

Back To News
Images
Ypres 2008 Finland 2008 Finland 2008 Finland 2008