# 2006 Rally Japan

The 2006 Rally Japan was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over three days between 1 and 3 September 2006. It marked the 3rd running of the Rally Japan, and was the eleventh round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season. The event was also the fifth round of the 2006 Production World Rally Championship. The 2006 event was based in the town of Kita Aikoku near Obihiro in Japan and was contested over twenty seven special stages, covering a total competitive distance of 345.72km (214.82 miles).
Marcus Grönholm, along with BP Ford World Rally Team were the defending rally winners, trailing behind championship rival Sebastien Loeb by 31 points. Red Bull Škoda Team, as well as one of OMV Peugeot Norway's cars would miss the event.
Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena won the rally, their first win since the 2006 Rallye Deutschland and their seventh of the season.

## Background
### Entry List

The following crews were set to enter the rally. The event was open to crews competing in the World Rally Championship and its support category, the Production World Rally Championship, as well as privateer entries that were not registered to score points in the manufacturer's championship. Eleven were entered under World Rally Car regulations, as were eleven in the Production WRC category.
World Rally Car entries competing in the World Rally Championship :
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car | Tyre |
| 1 | Sebastien Loeb | Daniel Elena | Kronos Citroën World Rally Team | Citroën Xsara WRC | BF |
| 2 | Dani Sordo | Marc Martí | Kronos Citroën World Rally Team | Citroën Xsara WRC | BF |
| 3 | Marcus Gronholm | Timo Rautiainen | BP Ford World Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | BF |
| 4 | Mikko Hirvonen | Jarmo Lehtinen | BP Ford World Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | BF |
| 5 | Petter Solberg | Phil Mills | Subaru World Rally Team | Impreza WRC 2006 | P |
| 6 | Chris Atkinson | Glenn Macneall | Subaru World Rally Team | Impreza WRC 2006 | P |
| 7 | Manfred Stohl | Ilka Minor | OMV Peugeot Norway World Rally Team | Peugeot 307 WRC | BF |
| 9 | Matthew Wilson | Michael Orr | Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | BF |
| 10 | Luis Perez Companc | Jose Maria Volta | Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | BF |
Group N entries competing in the Production WRC :
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car |
| 32 | Marcos Ligato | Rubén García | Tango Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 33 | Fumio Nutahara | Daniel Barritt | Advan-Piaa Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 34 | Sebastián Beltran | Ricardo Rojas | Tango Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 35 | Gabriel Pozzo | Daniel Stillo | Tango Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 36 | Mirco Baldacci | Giovanni Agnese | Mitsubishi Paris West Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 37 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Miikka Anttila | Motoring Club | Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 38 | Leszek Kuzaj | Maciej Szczepaniak | Syms Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 40 | Stefano Marrini | Sandroni Tiziana | Errani Team Group | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 41 | Takuma Kamada | Denis Giraudet | Subaru Team Quasys | Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 42 | Loris Baldacci | Dario D'Esposito | Subaru Rally Team Russia | Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
| 45 | Aki Teiskonen | Miika Teiskonen | Syms Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRX STI |
Other major entries :
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car |
| 12 | Gareth MacHale | Paul Nagle | Tom Hogan Motors | Ford Focus RS WRC |
| 14 | Toshihiro Arai | Tony Sircombe | Subaru World Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRX STI |

### Itinerary

All dates and times are JST (UTC+9).
| Date | No. | Time span | Stage name | Distance |
| 31 August | — | After 8:30 | Obihiro SSS [Shakedown] | 1.30 km |
| 1 September | SS1 | After 8:03 | Pawse Kamuy 1 | 9.05 km |
| 1 September | SS2 | After 8:51 | Rikubetsu 1 | 2.73 km |
| 1 September | SS3 | After 9:27 | Kanna 1 | 13.86 km |
| 1 September | SS4 | After 9:50 | Puray 1 | 34.96 km |
| 1 September | | 12:20 | Service A, Obihiro | — |
| 1 September | SS5 | After 14:23 | Pawse Kamuy 2 | 9.05 km |
| 1 September | SS6 | After 15:11 | Rikubetsu 2 | 2.73 km |
| 1 September | SS7 | After 15:47 | Kanna 2 | 25.61 km |
| 1 September | SS8 | After 16:10 | Puray 2 | 34.96 km |
| 1 September | SS9 | After 18:45 | Obihiro 1 | 1.30 km |
| 1 September | SS10 | After 18:55 | Obihiro 2 | 1.30 km |
| 1 September | | 19:08 | Service B, Obihiro | — |
| 2 September | | 6:00 | Service C, Obihiro | — |
| 2 September | SS11 | After 7:26 | Emina | 8.18 km |
| 2 September | SS12 | After 8:28 | Rikubetsu 3 | 2.73 km |
| 2 September | SS13 | After 8:53 | Niueo 1 | 20.75 km |
| 2 September | SS14 | After 9:25 | Sipirkakim 1 | 22.43 km |
| 2 September | SS15 | After 10:35 | Menan | 16.25 km |
| 2 September | | 12:20 | Service D, Obihiro | — |
| 2 September | SS16 | After 14:48 | Rikubetsu 4 | 2.73 km |
| 2 September | SS17 | After 15:13 | Niueo 2 | 20.75 km |
| 2 September | SS18 | After 15:45 | Sipirkakim 2 | 22.43 km |
| 2 September | SS19 | After 16:55 | Menan Short | 9.17 km |
| 2 September | SS20 | After 18:45 | Obihiro 3 | 1.30 km |
| 2 September | SS21 | After 18:55 | Obihiro 4 | 1.30 km |
| 2 September | | 19:08 | Service E, Obihiro | — |
| 3 September | | 6:00 | Service F, Obihiro | — |
| 3 September | SS22 | After 7:19 | Rera Kamuy | 8.76 km |
| 3 September | SS23 | After 7:44 | Panke Nikorpet 1 | 17.04 km |
| 3 September | SS24 | After 8:20 | Penke 1 | 24.88 km |
| 3 September | | 10:00 | Service G, Obihiro | — |
| 3 September | SS25 | After 11:43 | Panke Nikorpet 2 | 17.04 km |
| 3 September | SS26 | After 12:19 | Penke 2 | 24.88 km |
| 3 September | SS27 | After 14:09 | Obihiro 5 | 1.30 km |
| 3 September | | 14:22 | Service H, Obihiro | — |
| Source: |||||

## Report
### Overall
#### Summary

Opening the road on Friday, Loeb would begin the rally struggling in comparison to his championship rival Gronholm. Despite being fastest on the end-of-day super special stages, Loeb would trail his rival by just over ten seconds at the end of the day. Mikko Hirvonen would find himself in a comfortable third, as Atkinson struggled with mechanical issues throughout the day, being awarded a fifty second time penalty after leaving the service area later than scheduled.
Saturday morning would be much tighter between the leading pair; Gronholm would begin the morning with two stage wins, extending his lead, only for Loeb to fight back in the next stage, undoing all of his progress. Stage 14 would be where Gronholm lost the lead after a spin cost him nearly twenty seconds. The two would spend the rest of the day trading stage wins, and by the end of the second leg, Loeb would maintain a lead of over twenty seven seconds. Solberg would see various mechanical issues affect his Subaru, but in the afternoon he would close the gap back down to Sordo in front. Arai went off the road in stage 16, striking a photographer who suffered a leg injury from the accident. Arai would continue the rally with the blessing of the photographer, finishing the day in eighth.
On Sunday, Gronholm did all that he could to catch Loeb, winning four of the day's six stages, and closing the gap down to fifteen seconds by the mid day break. In the end, however, he simply would not have enough distance left to catch Loeb, who would cross the line victorious, leading by a much narrower 5.6 second lead. In winning the rally, Loeb beat the record for the most rallies won by a single driver in the World Rally Championship, previously held by Carlos Sainz. Companc would end the rally on the penultimate stage after crashing, while Sordo lost time negotiating the accident site, but was later excluded for not wearing seatbelts. MacHale would also end the rally early after striking a bridge in Stage 25.

#### Classification

| Position | Position | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
| Event | Class | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Sebastien Loeb | Daniel Elena | Kronos Racing | Citroën Xsara WRC | 3:22:20.4 | 0.0 | 10 |
| 2 | 2 | 3 | Marcus Grönholm | Timo Rautiainen | BP Ford World Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | 3:22:26.4 | +5.6 | 8 |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | Mikko Hirvonen | Jarmo Lehtinen | BP Ford World Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | 3:25:06.9 | +2:46.5 | 6 |
| 4 | 4 | 6 | Chris Atkinson | Glenn MacNeall | Subaru World Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRC | 3:28:28.2 | +6:07.8 | 5 |
| 5 | 5 | 7 | Manfred Stohl | Ilka Minor | OMV Peugeot Norway World Rally Team | Peugeot 307 WRC | 3:29:31.1 | +7:10.7 | 4 |
| 6 | 6 | 14 | Toshihiro Arai | Tony Sircombe | Subaru World Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 3:31:25.5 | +9:05.1 | 3 |
| 7 | 7 | 5 | Petter Solberg | Phil Mills | Subaru World Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRC | 3:34:04.1 | +11:43.7 | 2 |
| 8 | 1 | 33 | Fumio Nutahara | Daniel Barritt | Advan-Piaa Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4:56:11.9 | +15:21.5 | 1 |
| 11 | 8 | 10 | Luis Perez Companc | Jose Maria Volta | Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | 4:58:05.4 | +17:15.0 | 0 |
| 40 | 9 | 9 | Matthew Wilson | Michael Orr | Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | 5:06:11.4 | +25:21.0 | 0 |
| Retired SS27 | Retired SS27 | 2 | Dani Sordo | Marc Marti | Kronos Citroën World Rally Team | Citroën Xsara WRC | Excluded | Excluded | 0 |
| Retired SS27 | Retired SS27 | 12 | Gareth MacHale | Paul Nagle | Tom Hogan Motors | Ford Focus RS WRC | Mechanical | Mechanical | 0 |

#### Special Stages

All dates and times are JST (UTC+9).
| Day | Stage | Time | Name | Length (km) | Winner | Time | Rally leader |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS1 | 08:03 | Pawse Kamuy 1 | 9.50 | Marcus Grönholm | 4:38.2 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS2 | 08:51 | Rikubetsu 1 | 2.73 | Marcus Grönholm | 2:12.1 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS3 | 09:27 | Kanna 1 | 13.85 | Sébastien Loeb | 8:06.3 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS4 | 09:50 | Puray 1 | 34.95 | Marcus Grönholm | 19:45.3 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS5 | 14:23 | Pawse Kamuy 2 | 36.38 | Marcus Grönholm | 4:32.9 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS6 | 15:11 | Rikubetsu 2 | 2.73 | Marcus Grönholm | 2:07.9 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS7 | 15:47 | Kanna 2 | 13.85 | Sébastien Loeb | 7:52.2 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS8 | 16:10 | Puray 2 | 34.95 | Marcus Grönholm | 19:06.7 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS9 | 18:45 | Obihiro 1 | 1.29 | Sébastien Loeb | 1:14.2 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 1 (1 Sep) | SS10 | 18:55 | Obihiro 2 | 1.29 | Sébastien Loeb | 1:15.0 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS11 | 07:26 | Emina | 8.18 | Marcus Grönholm | 5:42.1 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS12 | 08:28 | Rikubetsu 3 | 2.73 | Marcus Grönholm | 2:07.4 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS13 | 08:53 | Niueo 1 | 20.75 | Sébastien Loeb | 12:10.6 | Marcus Grönholm |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS14 | 09:25 | Sipirkakim 1 | 22.43 | Sébastien Loeb | 12:17.0 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS15 | 10:35 | Menan | 16.25 | Sébastien Loeb | 10:17.3 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS16 | 14:48 | Rikubetsu 4 | 2.73 | Marcus Grönholm | 2:04.2 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS17 | 15:13 | Niueo 2 | 20.75 | Sébastien Loeb | 11:35.9 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS18 | 15:45 | Sipirkakim 2 | 22.43 | Marcus Grönholm | 12:09.0 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS19 | 16:55 | Menan Short | 9.17 | Marcus Grönholm | 5:33.5 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS20 | 18:45 | Obihiro 3 | 1.29 | Sébastien Loeb | 1:13.1 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 2 (2 Sep) | SS21 | 18:55 | Obihiro 4 | 1.29 | Sébastien Loeb | 1:12.6 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 3 (3 Sep) | SS22 | 07:19 | Rera Kamuy | 8.76 | Marcus Grönholm | 5:07.2 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 3 (3 Sep) | SS23 | 07:44 | Panke Nikorpet 1 | 17.40 | Sébastien Loeb | 9:36.8 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 3 (3 Sep) | SS24 | 08:20 | Penke 1 | 24.87 | Marcus Grönholm | 14:44.3 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 3 (3 Sep) | SS25 | 11:43 | Panke Nikorpet 2 | 17.40 | Marcus Grönholm | 9:13.4 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 3 (3 Sep) | SS26 | 12:19 | Penke 2 | 24.87 | Marcus Grönholm | 14:21.5 | Sébastien Loeb |
| 3 (3 Sep) | SS27 | 14:09 | Obihiro 5 | 1.29 | Mikko Hirvonen | 1:11.0 | Sébastien Loeb |

#### Championship Standings

| Pos. | Drivers' Championship | Drivers' Championship | Drivers' Championship | Manufacturers' Championship | Manufacturers' Championship | Manufacturers' Championship |
| Pos. | Move | Driver | Points | Move | Manufacturer | Points |
| 1 | | Sébastien Loeb | 102 | | Kronos Citroën World Rally Team | 132 |
| 2 | | Marcus Gronholm | 69 | | BP Ford World Rally Team | 121 |
| 3 | | Dani Sordo | 41 | | Subaru World Rally Team | 74 |
| 4 | | Mikko Hirvonen | 33 | | OMV Peugeot Norway World Rally Team | 50 |
| 5 | | Manfred Stohl | 28 | | Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team | 29 |

### Production WRC
#### Classification

| Position | Position | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
| Event | Class | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
| 8 | 1 | 33 | Fumio Nutahara | Daniel Barritt | Advan-Piaa Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 3:45:17.8 | 0.0 | 10 |
| 9 | 2 | 35 | Gabriel Pozzo | Daniel Stillo | Tango Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 3:45:45.2 | +27.4 | 8 |
| 10 | 3 | 32 | Marcos Ligato | Rubén García | Tango Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 3:46:19.0 | +1:01.2 | 6 |
| 13 | 4 | 45 | Aki Teiskonen | Miika Teiskonen | Syms Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 3:49:20.4 | +4:02.6 | 5 |
| 17 | 5 | 38 | Leszek Kuzaj | Maciej Szczepaniak | Syms Rally Team | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 3:56:37.7 | +11:19.9 | 4 |
| 42 | 6 | 40 | Stefano Marrini | Sandroni Tiziana | Errani Team Group | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4:19:56.1 | +34:38.3 | 3 |
| 46 | 7 | 36 | Mirco Baldacci | Giovanni Agnese | Mitsubishi Paris West Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 4:24:14.7 | +38:56.9 | 2 |
| 54 | 8 | 41 | Takuma Kamada | Denis Giraudet | Subaru Team Quasys | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4:31:12.6 | +45:54.8 | 1 |
| 69 | 9 | 37 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Miikka Anttila | Motoring Club | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 5:04:49.4 | +1:19:31.6 | 0 |
| 75 | 10 | 34 | Sebastián Beltran | Ricardo Rojas | Tango Rally Team | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 5:30:01.7 | +1:44:43.9 | 0 |
| Retired SS11 | Retired SS11 | 42 | Loris Baldacci | Dario D'Esposito | Subaru Rally Team Russia | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | Accident | Accident | 0 |

#### Championship Standings

| Pos. | Drivers' Championship | Drivers' Championship | Drivers' Championship |
| Pos. | Move | Driver | Points |
| 1 | | Nasser Al-Attiyah | 34 |
| 2 | 3 | Fumio Nutahara | 20 |
| 3 | 1 | Mirco Baldacci | 19 |
| 4 | | Leszek Kuzaj | 17 |
| 5 | 2 | Toshihiro Arai | 15 |