TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) seized control of the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina with a commanding performance on the longest special stage of the rally.
Large crowds gathered to watch the W2RC field take on the most demanding day of the rally so far. TGR W2RC and its DKR GR Hilux pickups rose to the challenge and emerged from more than four gruelling hours of flat-out competition in first and second place overall.
The difficult Stage 3 route took competitors into the Andes mountains and included a 409 km timed section. It started on winding sandy tracks before a long, fast section through dunes and dried riverbeds. The spectacular drive ended with a steep climb to 2,715 m along winding snow-lined paths.
Henk Lategan and navigator Brett Cummings delivered a dominant performance, leading from the early stages in their #202 DKR GR Hilux. Despite the varied terrain, they consistently set the pace to win the stage and take the overall lead.
Seth Quintero and Andrew Short started the day in second overall in their #203 DKR GR Hilux. They suffered early misfortune with a puncture followed by a damper change which cost time. After that, the pair relentlessly closed in on the podium positions and took third place in the final kilometres. They remain second overall, 1 minute 39 seconds behind their team-mates.
Akira Miura and Armand Monleón showed consistency despite the challenging route to make progress up the standings. The #204 DKR GR Hilux reached the end in San Rafael in 11th on Stage 3 and is now 10th overall.
There is no rest for the crews after Wednesday’s lengthy timed section. The penultimate stage of the event on Thursday takes crews back to San Juan via a 324 km special stage.
Quotes:
Henk Lategan: “It was a really good day for us. We decided this morning to push so we went for it straight out of the blocks, but at the same time looking after the car. The terrain was really challenging and varied. We started with sand and dunes at the beginning and ended up with ice and snow next to the road at the end because of the altitude. It was a spectacular stage, with beautiful views, and very enjoyable to drive. The car performed well so a big well done to the team.”
Seth Quintero: “It was a challenging day. We got a puncture very early then broke a damper after around 50-60 kilometres. But we did our best to bring it to the transfer zone where we could replace the damper. I drove as well as I could after that and somehow, we still ended up third. We’re second overall right next to our team-mates which is really good for the team. We’ll try to continue like this and bring it home.”
Akira Miura: “It was a long, long day but a good one, and I’m happy to have moved into the overall top 10 at the end of it. I enjoyed driving today and I feel like I am gaining more and more confidence with the DKR GR Hilux. The navigation was difficult at some points, but Armand did a great job and that helped me stay concentrated and just focus on driving.”
Source: toyota Gazoo Racing
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