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Qualifying Stage flash: Kajetanowicz just edges Lukyanuk on ERC’s Acropolis

Kajetan Kajetanowicz was quickest in the Qualifying Stage for the SEAJETS Acropolis Rally, beating his FIA European Rally Championship rival Alexey Lukyanuk by just 0.095 seconds.

Kajetanowicz completed the 3.7-kilometre test near the Service Park in Lamia - the first competitive gravel action of the 2016 season - in a time of 2m19.938s to get first pick for the starting order selection later today.

While Kajetanowicz and Lukyanuk occupied the top two places, third was Ralfs Sirmacis. The 21-year-old Latvian, last year's ERC Junior runner-up, is making his first appearance in an R5 car and was just 1.732 seconds off the pace in his ŠKODA Fabia.

Jaromír Tarabus was fourth fastest in his Fabia, while Wojciech Chuchała was a fine fifth in his ERC2 Subaru Impreza STI. Raul Jeets was sixth in the sister Sports Racing Technologies Fabia to Sirmacis, closely ahead of Lambros Athanassoulas - who reported a strange noise and vibration at the stage finish - and Jarosław Kołtun. Antonin Tlusťák and Federico Della Casa completed the top 10.

David Botka was 11th, reporting a lack of power from his Citroën DS3 R5, as did Tomasz Kasperczyk, who dropped over half a minute.

Péter Ranga took second in ERC2 in 12th overall ahead of Giacomo Scattolon, Juan Carlos Alonso, Jose Luis Jacquet Rios and Tibor Érdi Jr, while ERC3 leader Łukasz Pieniążek was fastest in his class in his Opel Adam R2. Murat Bostanci was slowest, losing over a minute compared to Pieniążek with a suspected electrical issue.

Zdroj: fiaerc.com