All would seem to indicate that the cars that came in the first places are still whole

Palmeirinha flying low (foto: Isais Miciu)

Once again the car (314) of the duo Paulo Nobre, Palmeirinha, and Filipe Palmeiro was the fastest in the Sertões International Rally. The duo won the first stage of the marathon of 330 kilometers in 3h37min57. Even so, it was no use having come prepared to kill or die, because there is another long day ahead tomorrow, the driver explained, referring to the second leg of the marathon. And by my mechanical knowledge, which tends to be zero, the car is still whole, he said jokingly to Webventure.
Setting a rhythm without forcing the car too much was the strategy of Guilherme Spinelli/Youssef Haddad (301), second among the cars today with (3h29min44). Youssef [navigator] got the special 100% right. The Lancer [car] also: seeming as how it started, it will be here tomorrow, impeccable, Guilherme said to us.

Now, Klever Kloberg who drove car number 327 with Flávio de França as navigator, told us that their vehicle is also almost perfect, but the driver, not so much. It was a demanding from the beginning. There wasnt a second of rest: it was driving on hard ground, then on soft sand, a narrow stretch, trial, and a speed highway at 180 kilometers per hour, sand with undulations and there also was the heat, as the air conditioning broke, he complained. Even so, they ended the day in third (3h35min42). Tomorrow, if I have the skills, I will fix the air, but that isnt a priority. We have not yet confirmed, but it seems that a tire is going flat.

Last minute repairs are what is left to the drivers, as, during the marathon, the mechanical teams are prohibited from going near the vehicles. I lost part of the side of the car and the exhaust pipe. I just have tie it together with a piece of wire and go. Its the so-called improvisation, that we dont like, but have to do at this time, explains Cristian Baumgart, driver of car 312, that arrived in fifth place (3h40min15). Ahead of them came the duo Ubiratan Franciosi/Marcão Macedo (316), in 3h39min25.

General results
At the end of the first stage of the marathon (and the rallys fifth), Guilherme and Youssef are in first place up to now with an accumulated time of 14h45min36. Cristian and Beco come in second with (15h10min52), and Klever and Flávio in third (15h20min22), Palmeirinha and Filipe in fourth (15h24min00) and Reinaldo Varela and Eduardo Bampi (320) in fifth (15h24min04).

* Andrei Spinassé collaborated, straight from Lizarda (TO)

Este texto foi escrito por: Marilin Novak*