Sat 03 Aug 2024

Kallio charges up the WRC3 leaderboard on Saturday

Local hope Jesse Kallio took advantage of a moving day in WRC3 on Saturday at Secto Rally Finland, surging from fifth to first to take a comfortable buffer into Sunday’s final four stages.

Saturday saw competitors taking on some of the most iconic stages in the world of rallying, and it was the 25-year-old Finn taking advantage of home conditions, already climbing two positions in his Ford Fiesta Rally3 from fifth to third on the day’s opening run of Västilä.


A stage later and overnight leader Petr Borodin had relinquished his lead with the Kazahk driver only producing the ninth-quickest time in his Fiesta on the opening run of Päijälä, opening the door for Turkey’s Ali Türkkan.


But the Turk would have troubles of his own only one stage later in Ouninpohja’s, clocking a time more than a minute slower than stage winner Romet Jürgenson, seeing a third lead change in as many stages as Kallio moved into top position, where he would stay for the remainder of the day.

Having briefly led on Friday before experiencing overheating in his Fiesta due to mud, Australia’s Taylor spent Saturday climbing his way back up the leaderboard and after finishing all but one of Saturday’s stages with a top-two time, found himself back into second 49.6sec down on Kallio, having been as low as eighth.


Türkkan finished the day down one spot on where he started it, filling out third spot on the podium, more than one minute ahead of Belgium’s Tom Rensonnet.


Borodin’s podium chances received a major blow on SS15 when wheel damage on the day’s penultimate stage saw him drop more than a minute and has him sitting in fifth position, 21.8sec down on Rensonnet.

Europe
Starts: Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7:00:00 AM
Poland
Starts: Friday, October 11, 2024 at 9:30:00 AM
China
Starts: Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 3:00:00 AM