Dinkel/Kießling suffer bad fortune in Ebern

The Haßberg Rally was staged again in Ebern over the Whitsun weekend. Patrik Dinkel and Felix Kießling in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 also lined up with the start number 6 as one of the 77 registered teams in this rally with around 35 kilometers of trials.

With 9 direct opponents in their class, their objective was nevertheless to win the rally and gather further driving experience for the upcoming ADAC Masters.

The rally began at midday in dry conditions and temperatures of around 22°C.

Patrik and Felix set superb best times and, in the regrouping after the 3rd trial, held a clear 13.6-second lead over Rudolf Reindl with Michael Ehrle and Rainer Noller with Tanja Schlicht.

The first three trials had to be completed again after a half-hour break for the pilots and co-pilots.

The goal for Patrik and Felix was now to secure their lead and seal victory.

Dinkel and Kießling clocked another best time on trial 4.

They had 4 best times and so had built a good lead up to the penultimate 5th trial.

In the end, however, it was all to no avail: An engine problem on that trial forced them to withdraw.

As a result, they relinquished first place to Rudolf Reindl and Michael Ehrle, the overall winners of the 22nd ADAC Haßberg Rally, who “raised their hat” to the performance of Patrik Dinkel and Felix Kießling.

“Now we have to see what has to be done to the car and hope we can start at the ADAC Stemweder Berg Rally next week,” said an optimistic Felix Kießling afterwards.