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Rifat back to US for fifth series of NFFR
Rifat Sungkar is set to return to the US to take part in the fifth series of the New England Forest Rally (NFFR) in Maine and he is confident that he will deliver a better performance than his last few races
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ifat Sungkar is set to return to the US to take part in the fifth series of the New England Forest Rally (NFFR) in Maine and he is confident that he will deliver a better performance than his last few races.
In May, Rifat experienced a gear box problem, which resulted in him having to start from the last grid,
although he still managed to finish in 11th position.
'I'm optimistic that I can make it into the top five. We will be racing with a new car and engine,' Rifat said during a fast-breaking gathering on Wednesday.
The NFFR competition features seven series but Rifat, who drives with Pertamina Fastron Rally Team, will only take part in five of them, as opted to skip out on the first two. He finished in second place in the third series.
He is set on Friday and will take part in a one-day test in Dalton, about 100 kilometers away from the race venue.
'We try to look races with good settings. It's summer time, so we need to adjust to heat that might
affect the engine,' he said.
Rifat will not drive with navigator Marshall Clarke due to the latter's commitment to other races. The 35-year-old Indonesian will now partner with Steve Lancester, whom Rifat worked with last year.
The two-day race that will take place July 26-27 lists 57 drivers, including last series winner Ken Block and last year's champion Antoine L'Estagne.
'Rifat and Pertamina have been working together since he was a teenager. We hope Rifat can do Red and White proud in the races,' Andria Nusa, PT Pertamina Lubricants retail marketing manager, said in a release.
The races comprise 13 special stages (SS), covering a distance of some 200 kilometers, four SS, in the opening day and 9 in the second day.
It has been reported that the race tracks are wide as they are normally used for transporting logs from forests, allowing participants to race at maximum speed.
'The rivalry will be tight. It's not an easy race. But I'm optimistic and confident that I can challenge other drivers. I drive up to 280 kilometers per hour. With this new car, I can go 300 kilometers,' Rifat said.
