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Spanish decider for Dmack trophy

The drive Dmack Fiesta trophy will reach its conclusion at the upcoming mixed-surface Rallyracc Catalunya - Rally de España (13 - 16 october) with three drivers still in contention to lift the title.

Of the three, Welshman Osian Pryce is in pole position. Pryce, 23, and co-driver Dale Furniss are top of the Trophy table with 98 points thanks to victories at the season opener in Portugal and also last time out in Germany.

Pryce said: "I think Saturday will be interesting, it will be the first day after making the transition from gravel to Tarmac, so this could be an opportunity to make up some time. I've spent time working on my Tarmac driving technique, hopefully this will help on the smooth roads of Spain but our aim is definitely to win the final prize drives and hopefully the overall championship."

Fourteen points behind Pryce is 26-year-old Max Vatanen. He is the only driver to have also competed in the DDFT in 2014 and 2015, and is aiming to make it third time lucky. Vatanen has one rally win under his belt this year having triumphed at his home event in Finland.

Sixteen points behind Vatanen,is Jon Armstrong, of Northern Ireland, who tasted victory at round three in Poland. Armstrong, aged 21, made a one-off Trophy appearance in Spain last year in a privately-entered Fiesta, and hopes to build on that experience.

An added incentive for all the competitors in Spain is the offer of a final pair of 2017 WRC 2 prize drives. These will be awarded to the driver with the biggest points haul from the two rounds in Germany and Spain. Pryce and Vatanen have already each netted a pair of prize drives for 2017 following their points-scoring performances earlier in the season.

Malcolm Wilson, M-Sport managing director, said: "The final round provides the biggest challenge yet. With both gravel and asphalt stages, the crews will have to prove their ability on both surfaces and, with a big battle for both the championship title and the last pair of prize drives, I think we've got a very exciting weekend to look forward to."

Zdroj: wrc.com