Proton trio to miss Rallye Azores

9th July 2010

By Charlie Contadeli

The factory Proton team will skip Sata Rallye Acores in order to solve the engine problem which forced all three Satria Neos to retire on the same stage of last month’s Geko Ypres Rally.

Works drivers Chris Atkinson and Alister McRae and semi-works Proton pilot Tom Cave all failed to go any further than the fourth stage of the asphalt event, round six of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, when a valve spring failed on the number two inlet valve of all three engines.

All three Protons were due to compete on the IRC-counting Azores event but the three entries have now been withdrawn.

Team boss Chris Mellors said: “We’re missing the Azores to do some engine testing to get to the bottom of the issues we had in Ypres. Instead of going to the Azores we’re going to do some durability testing and work on the dyno back in Britain.”