The 2014 China Cross-Country Rally (CGR) concluded its eighth stage (Pingshanhu Stage) on the 8th, with French driver Christian/Laurent of the Haval team and Su Wenmin of the China Golden City team taking first place in the car and motorcycle categories respectively. Some participants were interviewed by reporters after the stage.
The Dongfang Racing Team's Ma Miao/Liao Min crew, who assisted a flipped rival during the stage, speed ahead in the race. Photo by Zhang Qianli
Han Wei, the Haval team driver currently ranked second in the car category, said: “For our team, the lead is already very clear. Today our whole team’s strategy was to play it safe, so both Christian and I drove quite slowly to ensure nothing went wrong on the track. After entering the Gansu stages, the road felt very bumpy. Since there’s no rest day this time, we treated yesterday’s short stage as a break, tuned the car, and now I’m very confident in this vehicle. With such a strong support team, I’m really enjoying the whole racing experience.”
Zhou Yong, defending champion of the Meinian Dajiankang · Perfect China · Yongzhi Team, said: “Today’s track had lots of potholes and high speeds—you have to be careful. Sometimes you can go fast, but other times, even when the road looks good, you can’t push full speed because there are hidden ditches and cross trenches everywhere. So you have to be extra cautious. If you let loose, it’s dangerous; if you drive carefully, it’s slow.”
Liu Yanguang of the Funik Team said: “Today’s track was mainly high-speed, so you have to maintain your own rhythm. Going too fast becomes dangerous. It mainly tests the navigator, and today our navigator performed brilliantly. Overall, the run went okay.”
Ma Miao, a top driver from the Dongfang Racing Team, explained: “Today was purely high-speed road, very bumpy. About 10 kilometers in, we found a slope, and at the bottom saw Wang Xiang’s car flipped over. I hesitated for a moment—whether to pull him out or not—and after thinking for two seconds, decided to help. I’ve been helped and rescued before too, so I think friendship comes first, and if you can help, you should. The navigator was excellent, with very accurate checks on the roadbook.”
Su Wenmin of the Golden City team said: “Today, about 30 kilometers from the finish, I encountered two consecutive moguls. I cleared the first one fine, but the second one I just dropped right into, landing on my ankle and couldn’t stand up. Later, passing a gas station, I poured two bottles of water into my shoes—it felt much better. As a racer, getting injured is normal, especially the ankles which often take the hit.”
Su Wenmin’s teammate Zhou Tian said: “Looking at the roadbook, I felt like we’d raced this section last year, but the second half was completely unfamiliar. Today’s road could’ve been very fast, but if you push the speed, it gets dangerous. Also, the roadbook changed a lot today—even though it’s only about 160 kilometers, I spent four or five hours working on it yesterday. Today’s strategy was mainly to play it safe—the car’s already hitting a fatigue point, and this morning the mechanics came along with us.”
Shi Yumeng from Hebei Qian’an Jiujing Auto-Moto Club said: “Today’s track was gravel road. We took a wrong turn somewhere and lost a bit of time. After entering Gansu, it’s mostly gravel with no sand dunes. The first half was more dangerous, with lots of river gullies. Overall, I felt the run went okay today.”
Wang Yirong from Hebei Qian’an Jiujing Auto-Moto Club said: “Today’s track was pretty tough for motorcycles. My bike had some issues midway—I guess it cost me a few minutes. There were a lot of potholes today, and one slip-up could’ve caused an accident. We didn’t ride too fast today. Anyway, there aren’t many stages left, so better to ride safely and just finish.”