Rafa\u0142 Sonik had second time today at the third special stage of the Atacama Rally in Chile. The Polish participant has strengthened his position as the vice leader of the rally. \u2018I was very happy to see the finish line, because what we have been through today, was a true survival of the fittest. Even Paulo Goncalves, a true navigation master, lost 20 minutes,\u2019 reported the quad rider.<\/p>\n
As the leader and defender of the World Cup title, Rafa\u0142 Sonik, explained, the distances for the stages of the Atacama Rally were calculated using \u201cGoogle Earth\u201d. It means that the special stage has 236 km, but on the assumption that it covers a flat terrain. As the riders drive through hills and valleys, the distance is getting longer, and therefore they have to re-calibrate their navigation systems once in a while.<\/p>\n
\u2018The organizers warned us about this, but the trick is that we don\u2019t know how we should re-calibrate our devices at a given place. Sometimes the differences at the check-points were as high as two kilometres! It makes navigation very difficult and turns it into true art, or you might even say \u2013 into magic,\u2019 commented Rafa\u0142 Sonik.<\/p>\n
As it turned out, this clash between the roadbook and the reality had also other, serious consequences. \u2018I drove the last 150 km while saving every drop of fuel. At one point I figured out that I use too much gas and that I might not reach the finish line. As opposed to local, experienced participants, I left the fuel stop with 45 litres of fuel in my tank. 5 litres short. They topped up their tanks, and they reached the finish line without any problems. I did, too, but this is why Mauro Aleida got stuck in the desert,\u2019 said SuperSonik.<\/p>\n
Despite the many difficulties and the exhausting stage, Sonik kept his good mood. \u2018I make only minor mistakes and my quad is working perfectly well, so I have nothing to be unhappy about. Also, for the first time I\u2019m not overheating at Atacama, sometimes it\u2019s even quite cool. It feels like bathing in warm Baltic Sea,\u2019 laughs Rafa\u0142.<\/p>\n
The Friday\u2019s route planned by the organizers is 270 km long, which means that the participants will have about 300 km to cover. It will be the next to last day of the rally, probably the deciding one.<\/p>\n
PKN ORLEN supports Rafa\u0142 Sonik\u2019s participation in the rally.<\/p>\n
Results of the second stage:
\n1. Ignacio Casale (CHL) 03:32.08
\n2. Rafa\u0142 Sonik (POL) + 15.04
\n3. Mauro Almeida (URY) + 15:37.53
\nRally classification:
\n1. Ignacio Casale (CHL) 07:21.09
\n2. Rafa\u0142 Sonik (POL) + 16.42
\n3. Mauro Almeida (URY) + 16:31.56<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rafa\u0142 Sonik had second time today at the third special stage of the Atacama Rally in Chile. The Polish participant has strengthened his position as the vice leader of the rally. \u2018I was very happy to see the finish line, because what we have been through today, was a true survival of the fittest. Even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n