Next week's Rally Internacional de Curitiba is set to be extremely closely contested, with plenty of foreign drivers to challenge the local specialists.
The seven-year run of victories by Brazilian drivers on the Rally de Curitiba could come to an end when the event hosts the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the first time next week.
Local hero Tino Vianna started the sequence in 2002 following a 10-year period of success for overseas pilots, including Argentines, Paraguayans and Uruguayans. But with the addition of 16 non-Brazilian drivers to the 36-car entry, it is possible that a foreign competitor could be victorious this year.
Aside from Europe-based IRC regulars like Abarth Grande Punto drivers Anton Alen and Giandomenico Basso, plus the Peugeot 207-mounted Kronos Racing trio of Freddy Loix, Kris Meeke and Nicolas Vouilloz, several South American runners are expected to challenge for victory.
They include Argentines Marcos Ligato and his Tango Rally Team team-mate Alejandro Cancio and Paraguayan ace Victor Galeano Tomboly, who was a participant in the inaugural Pirelli Star Driver Europe Shoot-Out in Austria last October.
But Kris Meeke, one of the likely frontrunners, has played down his chances. The British driver said:
I’ve never rallied in this part of the world before and there will be lots of other drivers who I know are capable of going very well.
Oswaldo Scheer will carry Brazilian hopes at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer E9.
Photo: ircseries.com
Source: automobilsport.com/Anthony Peacock
Onboard from the 2007 Rally Internacional de Curitiba
Top Ten Entry List
1 Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle
2 Nicolas Vouilloz/Nicolas Klinger
3 Freddy Loix/Isidoor Smets
4 Giandomenico Basso/Mitia Dotta
5 Anton Alen/Timo Alanne
6
7 Sebastian Abramian/Fernando Mussano
8 Marcos Ligato/Ruben Garcia
9 Alejandro Raul Rauly/Javier Sebastian Chaca
10 Oswaldo Scheer/Gilson Rocha
Full Entry List: http://www.rally.ie/link_redir.php?link_id=090127/130545
The IRC Rally de Curitiba (5-7 March 09) will be contested over 234.65 kilometres of gravel stages, including a 23 kilometre special stage.
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Tags: abarth, anton alen, basso, Freddy loix, intercontinental rally challenge, IRC, kris meeke, kronos, rally brazil, rally internacional de curtiba, S2000, vouilloz
