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Rovanperä confident before his home event
Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen had two busy days driving tests
with their team, Peugeot, at the beginning of July. As Marcus Grönholm
was unable to attend, the crew from Central Finland had the main
responsibility over the testing.
-Tests and their schedules are planned weeks in advance, so we just
follow the set programme. We started once again with last year’s set-ups
and, one thing at a time, we try to improve them, Rovanperä told on the
first day of tests, July 2nd, in Hassi, south of Jämsä. The team was
aiming at improving the chassis of the car on a very fast road full of
jumps. 
- During these days we’ll gather the information needed for building the
car for Neste Rally Finland. The car has advanced a lot in all areas and all
the new possibilities have to be tested before they can be taken
advantage of in each event, Rovanperä accentuated.
The test day was the first hot day of the summer and Michelin crew’s
thermometers read temperatures over 25 degrees on the surface of the
gravel road used.
When Rovanperä’s programme for the current year was drawn up, the
asphalt rally of Germany was left out in order to give the driver living in
Jyväskylä a better chance of preparing for his home event.
- Last year we were ordered to go to Germany at a very short notice.
We didn’t have any time for testing there. Now we have a good amount of
tests behind us for our home rally, so I believe we have every chance to
battle among the top.
Let’s hope we can reach the finish line without any major problems,
because then, I believe, we will make a good score, Rovanperä assured.
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