Umberto Scandola, who led after the opening day in his factory Grande Punto Abarth, retired on SS5 on Friday morning after ripping a wheel off. A significant retirement yesterday was local hero Olivier Burri, who stopped his Grifone-run Grande Punto Abarth before SS6 with a mechanical problem.

After being in command overnight Thursday it all went wrong for Abarth yesterday morning on the Rally du Valais. Umberto Scandola, who led after the opening day in his factory Grande Punto Abarth, retired on SS5 on Friday morning after ripping a wheel off. His team mate and IRC title contender Giandomenico Basso needs to finish in the top two to stand any chance at all of winning this year’s IRC series, but his hopes were dealt a blow by two punctures yesterday. The second puncture, on SS6, cost him nearly two minutes. The Italian, who is also suffering from a wrist injury, found that the set-up of his car was not entirely to his liking in the afternoon but he is determined not to give up.

It means that Peugeot Belgium driver Nicolas Vouilloz is tantalisingly close to claiming his inaugural IRC drivers’ title, after finishing day two in the lead from his team mate Freddy Loix. Vouilloz claimed the rally lead after the opening 40-kilometre stage of the day, which he won by a remarkable 14.1 seconds. Victory on the Rallye du Valais would make Vouilloz automatically champion.

Second at the end of day two was Loix, who won three stages yesterday to offer Vouilloz a stern challenge for the lead. The Belgian ends the second day of the event only 11.7 seconds behind his team mate, setting the scene for a thrilling battle for supremacy within the Peugeot Belgium rankings today. If it is necessary to gain the drivers’ title though, Peugeot Belgium are well-placed to play a team game in order to ensure that Vouilloz wins.

Peugeot Italy’s Luca Rossetti, who recently won both the European Championship and the Italian Championship, enjoyed another of the consistent days that he is well-known for. Having claimed third overall at the end of SS4 yesterday, he maintained the final provisional podium place all the way to the overnight halt. Nonetheless, the Italian admitted that he had no answer to the pace of the Peugeot Belgium duo.

Peugeot Poland driver Bryan Bouffier was also on consistent form to keep the fourth place that he had held since the opening day of the event, despite a puncture in the morning. Ironically, Abarth’s best-placed contender is now Anton Alén in fifth, who has the least experience on asphalt of all the Abarth factory drivers. The Finn concentrated on keeping his lines neat and tidy yesterday in order to stay out of trouble. Top local driver is Gregoire Hotz (Peugeot) in seventh, while Peugeot Hungary’s Janos Toth completes the points-scoring places. The best-placed Mitsubishi driver is another local man, Jean-Philippe Radoux, who is currently just outside the points in his Lancer Evo 9.

There was drama in the IRC 2WD Cup when points leader Alessandro Bettega (Honda) retired on the road section just before SS9 with a driveshaft problem. With his key title rival Marco Cavigioli (Fiat Punto Diesel) already sidelined, this was a vital opportunity for Bettega to claim the championship. Bettega had earlier overcome a puncture, but his Rally du Valais now seems to be over. Leading the IRC 2WD Cup category now is another local driver, Joel Rappaz, in a Honda Civic.

A significant retirement yesterday was local hero Olivier Burri, who stopped his Abarth before SS6 with a mechanical problem. Once more the day was characterised by dry but cold weather, with temperatures that hovered around 10 degrees centigrade.