Skoda score first points of 2002.

There were two major dramas at the last day of round six of the World Rally Championship, the Rally of Argentina, which left the Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team celebrating its first points of the season.

Skoda's Motorsport's crew, Toni Gardemeister / Paavo Lukander brought their Octavia WRC back in sixth position, winning two points in the manufacturers championship and one driver's point, while Kenneth Eriksson / Tina Thorner came in seventh and won a further manufacturers point. Local heroes Gabriel Pozzo / Daniel Stillo, brought their Octavia WRC back in tenth position.

The rally, during which Skoda Motorsport was one of just two manufacturers to bring all their cars safely back to the end of the gruelling South American event, had two last minute dramas. First Tommi Makinen (Subaru) crashed out in the final corner of the penultimate stage, leaving Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) in the lead. But the Gronholm crew was later disqualified for pushing their car for 10 metres after the sign of the end of a control zone, while being instructed by members of the Peugeot team on how to start the engine.

Gardemeister first moved into a points position after the first stage of Leg 2, the 23,02 km Capilla del Monte - San Marcos Sierra, but his lead was subsequently whittled away. But the Finn never relaxed his challenge for a place and when Makinen crashed out, he was back in points. Gardemeister had virtually no previous experience of driving the Argentinean Rally, having completed only one full stage on his single previous visit, so the fast, rutted roads and spectacular water splashes were a revelation to him.

But the Octavia WRC rose to the challenge and he had a trouble free run over Leg 1, and only minor concerns about a loose front right wheel during Leg 2. Then over the final Leg he said: "I drove very carefully since there was quite a big gap between me and the other cars, so I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. The visibility was also very bad. The last few stages were tough runs, which were muddy and because they were at high altitude, foggy. But it is a great feeling to get the first points for Skoda Motorsport, it was long overdue."

Skoda Motorsport's Kenneth Eriksson, had a consistently strong rally, posting respectable times over the whole event, including an excellent seventh fastest position over the 23,02 km of the first stage of Leg 1.

The 46 year old said: "The first two days were difficult, but it became even harder when we moved into the mountains on the final leg. The car was running well, but it was very fast and dangerous, so making even a small mistake would have been a disaster. I think the rules are clear and we should welcome the fact that Peugeot have to stick to rules, just like everyone else."

The third Octavia WRC was driven by Gabriel Pozzo, who found the thrills of the fog bound tracks at the higher altitudes a challenge, even with his extensive local knowledge.

The 23 year old said: "The final leg was very difficult, there were patches of fog and the tracks were very muddy. Then the next stage was much drier and faster and narrow, so the driving was very difficult."

However the biggest headache for the young driver was the hundreds of fans who would crowd every service area, trying to get an autograph or picture of their hero. He said: "It has been great experience driving for Skoda Motorsport here in Argentina, I have learnt a lot and I am very happy with my result."

Skoda Motorsport Team Principal, Pavel Janeba concluded: "All three cars and all three drivers are back safely, which is a great result for us, but getting our first points has made it even better. It has taken us a long time to get them and we are very pleased. Unfortunately it won't make it any easier to get the next points, so we still have work to do."

The list of retirements over the rally was extensive, with Armin Schwarz (Hyundai) and Francois Delecour (Mitsubishi) retiring during Leg 1 and Leg 2 claiming a second Hyundai of Freddy Loix and the two Peugeots of Harri Rovanpera and Gilles Panizzi. But the biggest drama was Tommi Makinen's devastating crash, when he rolled several times just a few competitive km from the finish, after a rally-long fierce battle for the top place with Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot). Makinen escaped with bruises, but the crash robbed him of a record breaking fourth win in Argentina. The result is the fifth win in a row for Peugeot in the World Rally Championship, although the win was tempered by Gronholm's disqualification.

The next competitive event for Skoda Motorsport will be the Acropolis Rally (13-16 June), when former World Champion, Stig Blomqvist, will drive the third Octavia WRC.