Jan Kopecký has snatched the lead of Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés by winning the 1.5-kilometre Gran Canaria stage, based on the island’s go-kart track.
Mikkelsen was 1.1s in front starting the final stage of the day but elected to drop time in order to avoid running at the head of the field on Saturday’s closing six stages of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.
“I want Jan in front of me,” said Mikkelsen, who now trails fellow ŠKODA Fabia driver Kopecký by 1.2s.
Luis Monzón set the second fastest time in his Peugeot 207 with Andreas Mikkelsen third quickest following his conservative run through the stage.
Hermann Gassner Jr clocked the fourth best time in his Red Bull Team Fabia with Sepp Wiegand fifth quickest. Behind Jonathan Perez in a Peugeot, Robert Consani impressed with the seventh best time in his Renault Mégane RS
Crews are now heading back to Las Palmas for the day’s final service and overnight halt. The action resumes with stage 10, Maspalomas, at 10:28hrs local time.
Overall Classification after SS09:
Source: IRC Series
Mikkelsen was 1.1s in front starting the final stage of the day but elected to drop time in order to avoid running at the head of the field on Saturday’s closing six stages of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.
“I want Jan in front of me,” said Mikkelsen, who now trails fellow ŠKODA Fabia driver Kopecký by 1.2s.
Luis Monzón set the second fastest time in his Peugeot 207 with Andreas Mikkelsen third quickest following his conservative run through the stage.
Hermann Gassner Jr clocked the fourth best time in his Red Bull Team Fabia with Sepp Wiegand fifth quickest. Behind Jonathan Perez in a Peugeot, Robert Consani impressed with the seventh best time in his Renault Mégane RS
Crews are now heading back to Las Palmas for the day’s final service and overnight halt. The action resumes with stage 10, Maspalomas, at 10:28hrs local time.
Overall Classification after SS09:
| 1 | 2 |  2 | Kopecký Jan / Dresler Pavel Škoda Fabia S2000 | 2 1 | 01:22:56.3 | 01:22:56.3 | 00:00:00.0 00:00:00.0 |
| 2 | 1 |  1 | Mikkelsen A. / Floene Ola Škoda Fabia S2000 | 2 2 | 01:22:57.5 | 01:22:57.5 | 00:00:01.2 00:00:01.2 |
| 3 | 9 |  3 | Monzón Luis / Deniz Jose C. Peugeot 207 S2000 | 2 3 | 01:24:37.1 | 01:24:37.1 | 00:01:40.8 00:01:39.6 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | Gassner H. / Wicha Klaus Škoda Fabia S2000 | 2 4 | 01:24:57.4 | 01:24:57.4 | 00:02:01.1 00:00:20.3 |
| 5 | 3 | 5 | Wiegand Sepp / Gottschalk Timo Škoda Fabia S2000 | 2 5 | 01:25:17.9 | 01:25:17.9 | 00:02:21.6 00:00:20.5 |
Source: IRC Series
