Argentina win takes Pirelli, Burns & Subaru further ahead in world championship

CORDOBA (Argentina), May 14, 2000 - Richard Burns completed a dominant victory on the Argentina Rally today to further extend his, Subaru's and Pirelli's lead in the World Rally Championship. Burns set fastest time on each of the first three of today's six stages to open up a 40s advantage over his closest rival and was then able to ease off and secure the win without taking unnecessary risks (except... winning by far the 22nd and last Stage) on some of the championship's toughest Stages. The result gives Pirelli its 116th WRC victory, 30 of which have been achieved through our long-standing technical partnership with Subaru. This one is also the 3rd consecutive win of Subaru-Pirelli oh gravel after the ones in Kenya and Portugal.

Burns and team mate Juha Kankkunen used the KM pattern of Pirelli's PZero gravel tyre range throughout the event (soft compound KM6 today) with just one puncture (on SS18) but the EMI anti-deflation system worked to enable Burns to again set the fastest time on the stage.

Pirelli again dominated the Group N podium with Gustavo Trelles winning from Gabriel Pozzo (both Mitsubishi-Pirelli) and Roberto Sanchez (Subaru-Pirelli).

FINAL STANDINGS (22 SSs):

1. Burns-Reid (Subaru-Pirelli), 4h10m20.7; 2. Gronholm (Peugeot) +1m07.4; 3. Makinen (Mitsubishi) +1m31.6; 4. Kankkunen (Subaru-Pirelli) + 2m22.8; 5. Loix (Mitsubishi) +8m33.6; 6. Solberg (Ford) +10m59.6; . . . ; 8. (10 Gr.N) Trelles (Mitsubishi-Pirelli)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS (after 6 events)

Drivers:
1. Burns pt.38; 2. Gronholm 24; 3. Makinen 23; 4. Sainz 17; 5. Kankkunen and McRae 14; 7. Auriol and Loix 4; 9. Gardemeister, Radstrom, Rovanpera, Solberg 3

Manufacturers:
1. Subaru-Pirelli pt.54; 2. Ford 31; 3.Mitsubishi and Peugeot 29; 5. SEAT-Pirelli 7; 6. Skoda 5; 7. Hyundai 1

Group N:
1. Stohl pt.27; 2. Trelles 22; 3. Campos 13; 4. Menzi 12.

Next World Champ. event: Acropolis (Greece, all gravel), June 8-11