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The Rally of Turkey is the penultimate round of the Junior World Rally Championship, held on rough gravel roads over the Anatolian mountains that surround the coastal resort of Kemer. For Suzuki this is a crucial event, as Swift driver and championship leader P-G Andersson can lift the title if he wins the event with his closest rivals failing to score. His team mate Guy Wilks, currently third in the championship, is also in contention for the title but needs a strong result in order to maximise his chances.
Both drivers tested their Swifts this morning at the short shakedown stage near Kemer, which was a last-minute opportunity to try out the car, finalise set-up and assess the conditions.
At the start ceremony in central Antalya this evening, all 80 competitors crossed the start ramp in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The real action starts at 0758 on Friday however, with the first of 19 demanding stages through Turkey's spectacular countryside. Weather conditions remain extremely unpredictable, after a violent rainstorm battered the service park the night before the shakedown. Many of the tents were damaged, but Suzuki - as always - is ready for action!
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P-G Andersson (1st in JWRC points table):
"It's going to be a tough event, and the weather will be a huge question mark. In theory I could win the championship here but I don't think that will happen, as everyone else will need to be quite unlucky not to finish. Instead I'm going to aim for a sensible result to put myself in a strong position for the final round on Rally Great Britain. Because I'm leading the championship at the moment, I don't need to take the same risks as the others - but it's still going to be very close. We had a good shakedown this morning, which was important for my confidence as I've not driven the car since Finland."
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Guy Wilks (3rd in JWRC):
"The championship is out of my hands really: all I can do now is go flat out in order to take points off everybody else. I can't win the title here, so I just need to take the maximum points possible in order to give myself the best chance on Rally Great Britain, which is a strong event for me. I think the roads will be quite rough after all the rain that has fallen and punctures will be a decisive element as well. We're going to be pushing hard, which is my favourite way to drive. The car felt very good during the shakedown, so I think we can attack with confidence."
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Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima, team principal:
"The championship is reaching its climax, and we are set for a very exciting end to the season. It's important for both P-G and Guy to absorb the pressure and concentrate on driving their own rally. The Rally of Turkey has been very successful for us in the past - we had three cars on the podium in 2004 - but this year conditions will be quite different. Nobody knows what the weather will do next, and this will be an important factor in the results. We believe we have a strong and reliable car, but rallying is also about the human element, and this will be a very big challenge for our drivers. I wish them all - including our Suzuki privateers - the very best of luck! "
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