11 December 2010 - KANGAR, PERLIS - The fire still burns in Karamjit Singh even though the overall 2010 Malaysian Rally crown is now out of hands.
He gave a perfect demonstration of his abilities and his determination to win in his overwhelming victory at the opening day of the fourth and final round of the Malaysian Rally in Kangar.
So dominant was his victory yesterday that the champion elect, Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya and co-driver Douglas Pickering in their Subaru Impreza were left trailing in his wake.
For Karamjit, there is still the second placed overall finish behind Muhammad Rafiq to fight for and it was clear that the former World Rally Champion had a point to prove.
He led off the rally and his expert handling of the muddy terrain was clear to see as he overwhelmed the rest of the field, giving a clear signal that he meant business.
And by the time he completed the sixth and final stage, totaling 79.9 kilometres, in a total time of 1hr 13:08.2secs, no one could come close to him. Muhammad Rafiq finished second overall in 1hr: 16:21.2secs with Gunaseelan Rajoo and co-driver Jagdev Singh in a Mitsubishi Lancer third in 1hr: 16:58.8secs.
"All of us never doubted Karamjit's talent. But today I am driving under a different set of circumstances. And when you enter a race knowing well that whatever happens in the end and you will still be champion, it's a different feeling.”
"I told my co-driver Sean (Gregory) before the start of the race that we need to compete but to finish in the top three would be enough. Also the conditions are not good. Rain over the past couple of days in Kangar has made the track very muddy. And in fact we suffered some minor problems like overheating and suspension problem too," said Muhammad Rafiq.
There is still another six more stages on Sunday before they crown Muhammad Rafiq the champion and until then he is still looking forward to finishing off the season in style and let the rest worry over the minor placings.
Ends
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