Maiden victory for Fisher at World Academy

Editorial Department • Published 6 Oct 2011 16:00 0 Comments

Alastair Fisher finally secured his maiden WRC Academy victory on last weekend's Rally of France.

A WRC season dogged by bad luck finally took a turn for the better. Having finished second in the overall standings after the 17 stages, Alastair was promoted to the top of the podium when Yeray Lemes was handed a time penalty for twice being caught speeding on public roads which is against the championship's sporting regulations.

Alastair's victory plus the three bonus points he scored for claiming three fastest stage times means he has climbed to fourth in the drivers' standings with one event remaining, next month's Wales Rally GB.

"This wasn't the way I wanted to claim my first victory in the WRC Academy Cup victory but after all the bad luck I've had this year it was nice to get some good luck for a change," said the 23-year-old from Trillick. "I came to this rally with the aim of finishing on the podium and didn't want to take too many risks because this is a really tough event. After the couple of accidents I had it was important to have another one. We have been knocking on the door all year for wins and podium finishes so it was a bit of reward for all our efforts. Leaving here with a win is a big bonus and if we can get a good run and show good pace on Rally GB then there's every chance we can finish runner-up in the championship, which would be a great result."

Fisher and his 15 WRC Academy Cup rivals faced 17 asphalt stages over a competitive distance of 184 miles in the Alsace region of France.

"In terms of the stages this wasn't the best rally I've done this year but in terms of results and my speed this is definitely one of the best rallies so far," he said.

"I was setting top three stage times consistently, which was the objective before the start. It's also a great way to prepare for Rally of Scotland."

This weekend's Scottish Rally is a round of the competitive Intercontinental Rally Challenge, and Alastair will be up against some of the world's top drivers. "Hopefully we will surprise ourselves," said Alastair. "It will be a big challenge. On a rally like that it would be a good result if we could get into the top eight but I head there full of confidence and with a good rhythm after my result in France."

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This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 06 Oct 11

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