The first event of the China Rally Championship 2012 ended well for team Hangzhou Honda Rally Racing, supported by Motul, which won 2nd place in its WD category. The rally finished on 23 July at Zhangye, in the province of Gansu. 'I began to participate in the championship in 2002. We're therefore celebrating this year ten years of Honda's participation', said driver Wang Xiang.
Hangzhou Honda decided to enter two modified Honda Civics for this season. After the first tests, Wang Xiang and Cheng Zifeng expressed great confidence in the car. However, during the rally, a few problems in the third special of the day led to the car losing two minutes, placing it in a difficult position at the rear of the pack. Wang Xiang commented on the last two laps: 'Despite a little mistake in the last turn, which could have had serious consequences, I'm pleased with our performance.'
This good start to the season is of course promising for the following events. Zhang Guoyu, Wang Xiang's team-mate, did not hide his satisfaction: 'The new rules established for this season provide us with a new opportunity. Our car's performances surprised us. Before the next event, scheduled in Beijing, we're going to train on asphalt and fine-tune the suspension adjustments'. That event will take place on 24 and 25 August.
Results
01// Neil Matthew/Clark Matthew - Skoda
02// Wang Xiang/Zhang Guoyu - Honda Rally Racing - Motul
Photo credit: Honda Rally Racing
