Mitsubishis 1-2-3 in the Standard Class In Tunisia
While Shinozuka Finishes Close Second Overall

Exhausted after one of the most closely fought rounds of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country rallies, the surviving competitors struggled into Djerba this evening after eight days of hard driving through Sardinia and the North African desert to finish the Optic 2000 Tunisia Rally. Even though they were standard vehicles, three Mitsubishi Pajero/Monteros filled the top three places in the T1 category, led by French World Ski Champion Luc Alphand, while Japanese rally ace Kenjiro Shinozuka finished a close second overall and first in the T2 (modified production) class in his Team PIAA Mitsubishi Ralliart Pajero/Montero after an epic battle with rally winner Jean-Louis Schlesser and his T3 (prototype) buggy.

The competition between Shinozuka and Schlesser couldn't have been closer, with just over a minute separating them at the start of the final stage. However, having won the previous leg, the Mitsubishi driver was put at a distinct disadvantage to his rival by running first car on the road - all Schlesser had to do was follow closely in his tracks. Unfortunately, this led to Shinozuka losing his way momentarily which allowed the buggy driver to build up a six minute lead to the finish.

Shinozuka explained: "We were at a handicap running at the front. We made a small mistake with the navigation and that let Schlesser through to win."

Jose-Maria Servia of Spain finished third in his Renault buggy, over six minutes behind Shinozuka's Mitsubishi, while the world's top lady driver in cross country rallies, Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany, finished a fine fourth after leading the event for a while in her Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. In a repeat of her Dakar experience, she took the lead briefly before dropping back with punctures. Belgian Gregoire de Mevius was fifth, albeit nearly two hours behind the top crews in his Nissan.

There was plenty for Mitsubishi to celebrate in the T1 category for standard cars, however, with famous French world skiing champion Luc Alphand taking an emphatic victory in his standard Mitsubishi Pajero Montero, heading a fabulous Mitsubishi 1-2-3 with Dutch man Snippe second and German Sven Quandt third, both in Pajero/Monteros.

Photo: Yoshikazu Nakajima