Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia, June 14-16, 2012
Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), round 5
For immediate release
Saturday, June 16th, 2012
SKYDIVE DUBAI RALLY TEAM HOLD 23RD OVERALL
WHEN TRAGEDY STOPS SICILY’S TARGA FLORIO
· British co-driver Gareth Roberts dies in tragic eighth stage crash
· Czech driver Jan Kopecky led after eight timed special stages
CAMPOFELICE DI ROCCELLA (Sicily): The Skydive Dubai Rally Team duo of Rashid Al-Ketbi and Khalid Al-Kendi held 23rd overall after seven timed special stages of the Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale di Sicilia, round five of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), when the event was stopped after a tragic accident on the eighth stage on Saturday morning.
Faced with four difficult special stages on Saturday – after spending Friday climbing back up the leader board – Al-Ketbi and Al-Kendi were unable to continue this morning and joined the rest of the rallying community in mourning the loss of 24-year-old Welsh co-driver Gareth Roberts, who was killed in an eighth stage accident involving a Peugeot 207 S2000, driven by Craig Breen.
The driver was unhurt in the incident, which forced rally organisers to stop the stage to enable medical attention to be given to his co-driver. Czech driver Jan Kopecky led Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen by just 0.8 seconds at the time of the accident.
Emirati driver Al-Ketbi had started Friday’s remaining four special stages from 27th overall and he climbed a place through the re-run of the Targa stage. The 12th quickest time in Collesano 2 lifted the Dubai duo to 23rd position, as Mikkelsen extended his overall advantage over Kopecky to a mere 4.8 seconds.
Four special stages remained on Saturday for the Skydive crew to move back into the top 20, but the eighth stage and subsequent timed tests were abandoned after the tragedy.
The Skydive Dubai Rally Team duo is running in the 2012 IRC under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council,
Ends
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, UK mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@googlemail.com
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