After a month off, the Intercontinental Rally Challenge heads to Switzerland for the Rally International du Valais. This premier Swiss event will be the penultimate round of the 2007 season. There are a total of 118 entries on the preliminary entry list with 78 IRC competitors. Of that group there are 8 Super 2000 cars, split between Abarth & Peugeot.
With two rounds left, there are three drivers in the hunt (Luca Rossetti is within 19 points but will miss Valais). The top two are the Peugeot Sport España duo of Enrique García-Ojeda and Nicolas Vouilloz. García-Ojeda leads his French team mate by 7 points, but is still looking for his first win of the year. Vouilloz is coming off a podium finish in Sanremo and has two wins on the season. Joining them in the Peugeot camp is Bernd Casier, who sits 7th overall in the championship and local Swiss driver Christian Jaquillard.
The other 4 Super 2000's are Abarths headed by the factory entries of Andrea Navarra and Umberto Scandola. Navarra sits tied with Vouilloz on 32 points, but has scored just 3 points in the last three rounds. This slump has cost him the series lead, but a strong result here could put him back in front. His Italian team mate Scandola is 8th overall in the points. Former WRC works driver Freddy Loix will be in his private entry. Philippe Roux, experienced on the WRC, especially Monte Carlo will also be in a Grande Punto S2000.
Luca Betti will be looking for success in his Honda Civic Type-R R3 in his last IRC appearance of the season. In addition of couple of Swiss drivers familiar to WRC followers head the local contigent of drivers. Olivier Burri in a Subaru Impreza N12, and Philippe Camandona in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI will be joined by the best drivers the country has to offer.
In the makes chase, Peugeot can clinch the title if they gain two or more points on Abarth. Mitsubishi is fading in third and won't catch the leading pair. For the complete 2007 IRC point standings, click here.
This rally will go a long way to determine the 2007 IRC champions, so don't miss any of the action. Stay tuned to the Official IRC website or Rally du Valais website for all the results this weekend.
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