Round 7 of this season’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge is a historic tarmac event, Rally Sanremo. The former WRC stop will make its second appearance in the IRC. A total of 123 cars were on the preliminary entry list, including a record 99 IRC competitors. Of that group there are 18 Super 2000 cars, split into two camps: Abarth and Peugeot.
Peugeot is riding high, having taken the lead in the drivers and manufacturer’s championship last month in the Czech Republic. Enrique García-Ojeda holds a 5 point lead and will be joined by his team mate and 2-time winner this year, Nicolas Vouilloz (3rd overall). Another winner, Luca Rossetti will be in a 207 Super 2000 as well as 7-time WRC rally winner Gilles Panizzi. A total of 12 Peugeot 207 S2000’s are entered and include former JWRC Champ Brice Tirabassi, Bernd Casier (5th overall) and Bruno Magalhães (9th overall).
Abarth will counter will 5 entries, headed by the factory entries of Giandomenico Basso (7th overall) and Andrea Navarra (2nd overall) - both have won this year. Former WRC works driver Freddy Loix will be joined by another pair of Italians, Renato Travaglia and Umberto Scandola . After a tough result at Barum Rally, Abarth faces a 14 point deficit with 3 rounds to go
Several local stars will be out including Paolo Andreucci, Andrea Dallavilla and Luca Cantamessa in Mitsubishis and Subarus for Andrea Aghini and Piero Longhi. All are threats for the podium. Daniel Solá and Luca Betti will be in the JAS Motorsport Honda Civics.
With three rounds left García-Ojeda and Peugeot are looking to pull away in their respective championship chases. The drivers titles has turned into a three horse race with the Spainard leading Navarra by 5 and Vouilloz by 10. No one else is within 20 points of the leader. For the complete 2007 IRC point standings, click here.
With significant championship implications, you don’t want to miss any of the action. Stay tuned to the Official IRC website or Rally Sanremo website for all the results weekend.
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