Rallying-Loeb dominant in Argentina after Hirvonen crashes

BUENOS AIRES, March 28 (Reuters) - Citroen's Sebastien Loeb ended Friday's opening day of Rally Argentina with a massive advantage after Ford's championship leader Mikko Hirvonen crashed out.

The four times world champion, chasing his fourth win in a row in the only South American round of the season, led Subaru's Australian Chris Atkinson by one minute 30.6 seconds after nine stages.

Norwegian Petter Solberg was in third place in the other Subaru, a further 8.3 seconds adrift.

Finland's Hirvonen, who is a point clear of Loeb after three rallies, handed the Frenchman the lead when he hit a rock and stopped eight km before the end of stage five with front left suspension damage.

The Ford driver had been 50.8 seconds ahead before the incident.

"For sure the situation is more comfortable now Mikko has stopped, but I don't like to move up like this. I prefer to win on the stages," Loeb told the official wrc.com Web site.

Finn Toni Gardemeister also retired for the day after his Suzuki hit a rock in stage eight and veered off into a ditch.

Italian Gigi Galli was in fourth place for the Stobart Ford team with Spain's Dani Sordo fifth for Citroen and local driver Federico Villagra sixth in a Munchi's Ford. (Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ken Ferris)