The wet, cold and misty conditions was a stark contrast to the dry and dusty rally of Indonesia. Some parts of the rally route were mountainous, with high altitudes which made breathing difficult for some drivers.

Despite all this, defending champion Cody Crocker of the Motor Image Rally Team snatches top spot at the final leg of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) 2007 at Longyou, China.

Crocker and co-driver Ben Atkinson had already won the APRC 2007 driver and codriver titles respectively and only needed to cross the start-line at the China leg of the Rally in order to be crowned champions. This is their second win in a row, having first won the title in 2006.

Despite treacherous road conditions, the Australian duo put up an outstanding performance to win the China Rally with a time of 03:28:03. Crocker's final overall point tally was 86, giving him a 37 point lead over closest rival, Jussi Valimar of MRF Tyres.

The victory was made all the sweeter with the Motor Image Rally Team's clinching of the much sought-after Manufacturer's Title. A mere two points had separated Subaru and Mitsubishi after the Rally of Indonesia in September but Crocker's podium-finish at the China Rally gave Subaru an additional 16 points, giving it the winning edge over Mitsubishi with a final tally of 90 points.

Said Crocker, ?We're feeling really ecstatic right now! Winning the Manufacturer's Title has really capped off a fantastic Championship for the Motor Image Rally Team. Ben and I have been really focused on securing the Manufacturer's Title this weekend and I'm glad we did. We are extremely proud to be part of the team and we look forward to a great season in 2008.?

Crocker's team-mate, Rifat Sungkar, had a tough race over the weekend when he
crashed at Stage 7 on Day 1. He managed to restart on Day 2 after his car was put back in shape by the Motor Image Rally Team mechanics and secured a second placing.

However, as he did not finish the race on Day 1, he only gained a total of 2 points for the China Rally. It has been a season of ups and downs for the young Indonesian driver but he managed to finish with 26 points overall and a 7th placing in the overall drivers championship.

Said Sungkar: "It's been an exciting season for me and I'm really glad I made it this far. I feel that I have learnt a lot in this year's Championship. I feel that my speed has improved and I am looking forward to next year's season where I am aiming for a spot in the top 3!"

"Who says that Singapore assembled cars can't make it in the international arena? Our cars, which are technically reliable, have proven that they have what it takes to come out tops at an FIA international competition!" says Glenn Tan, the CEO of Motor Image Singapore.

The China Rally was held at Longyou, one of the counties of Quzhou City in the province of Zhejiang in China. Longyou is approximately 400km away from Shanghai, and is an important traffic centre that connects nearby areas such as Hangzhou and Ningbo.

A total of seven teams competed in the China Rally but only two cars managed to
complete all 16 competitive stages. The Motor Image Rally Team, which is backed by
Singapore-based Motor Image Enterprises, will compete next year again at the Asia
Pacific Rally Championship 2008, with Crocker and Sungkar at the helm.

The Motor Image Rally Team will kickstart its bid for next year's Championship at the
Rally of Canberra in Australia in May 2008.

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