Rallye Deutschland: Kremer vs WRC

With the event gunning for World Rally Championship status in 2002, Kremer, who won this event in 1999, held off the challenge from WRC heavyweights Philippe Bugalski and reigning WRC champion Marcus Gronholm by setting the fastest times through both SS1 and SS2, the 20.3km Schones-Moselland and the 22.56km Moselwein tests.

Citroen's Bugalski and Peugeot's Gronholm were second and third fastest through the morning's stages, and the pair hold the same positions overall as the drivers reach the first service of the event.

Germany's leading WRC contender Armin Schwarz lies fourth overall in his Skoda Octavia, 18 seconds off compatriot Kremer's pace. However, another interloper from World Rally, Ford's Francois Delecour, is not having the best of starts on the tarmac stages near Trier, close to the French border. The Frenchman suffered a slow puncture on his Focus RS WRC on SS1 and spun on SS2 leaving him in 13th place, 1m37.6s off the lead.

British driver Neil Wearden, driving a Grifone-run Peugeot 206 WRC, is in equal eighth place overall. Wearden, who is competing on four World Rally events this year, was ninth fastest times on both of the morning's stages.

After service, the drivesr head back to the beginning for re-runs of SS1 and SS2, before heading for the final 15.67km Stein-und Wein/Fell-Ruwertal test.

A Kremer Toyota Corolla 26m27.1s
P Bugalski Citroen Xsara +9.8s
M Gronholm Peugeot 206 +12.s
A Schwarz Skoda Octavia +18.9s
A Mortl, Subaru Impreza +28.6s
R Baumschlager Ford Focus +40.6s
D Carlsson Toyota Corolla +59.9
M Kahle Seat Cordoba +1m00.3s
N Wearden Peugeot 206 +1m00.3s
M Stohl Toyota Corolla +1m03.7s