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OMV Adds Stohl to CNG Rally Card

Saturday, 02 June 2007

Austria

• Manfred Stohl will compete at OMV Rally Waldviertel in the CNG Mitsubishi –
• Maximising chances for top result together with Beppo Harrach

The OMV CNG (compressed natural gas) Team will compete with two cars at the OMV Rally Waldviertel, the finale of the Austrian National Championship (November 9 to 10, 2007). As well as Beppo Harrach in the CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX Manfred Stohl will compete with the CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI for the first time. Stohl’s team of engineers developed the CNG vehicles for the OMV team.

Cherishing the challenge

Manfred Stohl was close to competing at the Judenburg Rally in the CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. But thanks to the fast recovery of Beppo Harrach he yielded his place to the CNG regular driver. But the hunger of the 34-year-old OMV driver for a competitive challenge had been awakened and shall be satisfied at the “home rally”, the OMV Rally Waldviertel from November 9 to 10, 2007. Both Manfred Stohl (with co Ilka Minor) and Beppo Harrach (with co Andreas Schindlbacher) will compete with the OMV CNG Team.
 

Stohl said, “I started to feel the urge as I inspected the course in Judenburg. And I said to myself: it is about time to try out the car that was developed by your own company. After all, I should know what I’m talking about. And it is obvious that testing is no substitution for a racing competition. “

Gravel advantage

As his schedule hadn’t allowed for Stohl to take part in the OMV Rally Waldviertel last year he is all the more looking forward to competing this year. Especially since organiser Helmut Schöpf has changed several sections of the course and the gravel percentage currently lies at about 92 percent. “Gravel surely is to my advantage. And the CNG Mitsubishis, both the Evo VI and the Evo IX, are working perfectly. Last year Beppo finished fifth in the VI at the OMV Rally Waldviertel. And in Judenburg he steered the IX, as first natural gas car ever, onto the podium. Reason enough to be very confident for this year’s OMV Rally. And the assignment of two cars obviously maximises the chances for a further podium place.”

Leveraging the lower CO2 emissions of CNG vehicles the second vehicle in the OMV team will also run as a Carbon Neutral vehicle with an program in place to offset CO2 emissions.

The OMV Rally Waldviertel runs from November 9-10, one week before the inaugural Rally Ireland, the penultimate round in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Source: NGV Global