 Gronholm hopes the loose surface in Argentina will boost his chances |
Marcus Gronholm holds a narrow 1.8- second lead after two short speed sessions at the Rally of Argentina. The special stages pitted two drivers against one another in two 2.2km circuits of a track built inside Cordoba's floodlit football stadium.
Gronholm went head-to-head with defending world champion Sebastien Loeb and won the first heat by 1.8 seconds and the final lap by 0.8secs.
Petter Solberg is second with Loeb third before Saturday's longer stages.
The drivers will then tackle eight gravel stages covering 155.33km through the open Punilla plains.
Gronholm is aiming to prevent Loeb from claiming his fourth victory in a row this season and was pleased to get his campaign off to a good start in the speed sessions, which were held under a backdrop of fireworks.
"It was an incredible atmosphere inside the stadium," said Gronholm.
"I'm afraid I missed the fireworks - I was too busy looking where I was going. Now the real business starts."
Loeb leads the World Rally Championship standings by 11 points from Gronholm.
MMIX
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