APRC Rally Hokkaido 2009 – Preview

The Rally Hokkaido 2009 take place 11-12 July 2009, the 4th round of the 2009 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. This event also doubles as the first round of the FIA APRC Asia Cup and the fourth APRC qualifying round for the Pirelli Star Driver Scheme.

Events Stats
Dates: 11-12 July, 2009
Round 5 of Japanese Rally Championship
Total distance: 1005.90 km
Stage (competitive) distance: 230.54 km
Total number of Stages: 18
Number of different stage venues: 7
Longest stage (name and distance): SS 3, 6, 8 Kunneywa (28.75km)
Likely weather conditions: Average high temperature for July is 23 degrees Celsius, and the average low is 14 degrees Celsius. Average rainfall for the month is 94mm. Likely weather conditions are warm, with some rain.
Local standard time: Japan Standard Time is GMT +9 hrs

Hokkaido has a climate of extremes. From December to February the temperature rarely rises above zero. Rikubetsu, the location of the service park for 2 services on Day 1, is one of the coldest locations in
Japan.

In summer, in contrast, the temperatures in Tokachi can be 35 degrees Celsius plus. The other climactic idiosyncrasy are the early sunrises – during the rally the sun will rise at 0400hrs. It is a fertile basin, with volcanic soil. In early July, the countryside will be overwhelmingly green. Once again the Kita Aikoku Service Park, that has been used previously by both Rally Japan and Rally Hokkaido, will be the centre of many activities around the rally programme.

It is a state of the art community facility with several thousand square metres of hard stand tarmac, plus gravel. Headquarters and the media centre will be located at the Grand Vrio Hotel, on top of a hill in Makubetsu. Anyone coming to the rally shouldn’t miss the Welcome Party on Thursday 9 July. Each year it is hosted by the International Rally Support Association who work in support of the rally year round. It will be held at the Kita Aikoku Service park and delicious local food and drinks will be served.

The lush vegetation is one of the features of the Japanese rally – the stages are fast and narrow, and the pace notes have to be very accurate as the grass and bushes by the side of the road can often be
covering some deep ditches.

The points standing after Rally of Whangarei show Motor Image Racing driver, Cody CROCKER, is once again proving he is the driver to beat. Rally Hokkaido always provides interesting results with 2 of the top drivers being consistently quick on their home event, Katsuhiko TAGUCHI and Hiroshi YANAGISAWA.

These 2 drivers will ensure that the pace is fast in an attempt to score well in both the APRC and Asia Cup standings.