Francisco López climbs to fifth place in Tunisian Rally

SANTIAGO.- Chilean racer Francisco López is being hailed for an excellent performance today during the second round of the Tunisia Rally.

The Curicó native finished third for the day, with Spanish national Marc Coma coming in first place and French driver David Casteu in second.

The Chilean national also made his way into the fifth position of the overall ranking, just behind the same drivers.

While the leg was scheduled to be quite long, with a total of 561 kilometers, the organization decided to cut the distance to only 60 kilometers due to rainfall.

"I am happy, but the race is just beginning and I have to remain calm. It was a short day; I took advantage of it to gain time and recuperate what I lost yesterday.  Everything worked out like I planned, that keeps me cool", López commented by satellite from the town of Oued Mellah.

The third phase of the race will take place tomorrow, with a total of 365 kilometers between Oued Mellah and Ras El Oued.