IRC Rallye Principe de Asturias 2008 Entry List and Preview: Vouilloz will be looking to consolidate his championship lead on this event

Posted by Scott Coursey 9 September, 2008

logo45.jpg picture by C4B

This week sees a new IRC round take place, the Principe de Asturias Rally, an event which has been around the Spanish rally scene for a long time.

Nicolas Vouilloz arrives here as championship leader in his Kronos BF Goodrich Peugeot 207 S2000 and will be looking to extend that lead as his main rival Luca Rossetti is absent. Vouilloz may settle for points here, as there are a number of quick locals with vast knowledge of the stages.

Drivers like Dani Sola who is desperate for a good result in his unreliable privately run Punto. Also, there are the likes of Monzon, Ojeda, Garre, Fuster and Vallejo to be taken into account let alone Portuguese ace Bruno Maglhaes.

Sergio Vallejo, who normally campaigns a Porsche 911 GT3 on Spanish championship events, will pilot the Kronos Racing BF Goodrich "Drivers Team" Peugeot 207 S2000 after being selected by a panel of jounalists and judges for the prize drive.

Anton Alen who has been struggling on tarmac this year and has had to cope with an unreliable and of the pace Punto. Abarth though feel they are more confident going into this event and Basso may be the one to threaten the 207's.

Enrique Garcia Ojeda describes the character of the event:

This is the most charismatic round of the Spanish Championship. I love the atmosphere and there are always big crowds. I enjoy its stages, too. It's not as fast as the recent Barum Rally Zlin. The stages in the mountains bear Oviedo are narrower. It's more like the Sanremo."

Freddy Loix could be considered a favourite after his success on Barum and his rapid pace on asphalt though he feels the nature of the stages will be completly different to Catalunya:

For me, this rally is going to be something completely different. I've got experience of the Catalunya Rally, where I once finished second, but as this is the other end of the country I imagine that the stages in the Asturias region will be completely different."

Alessandro Bettaga should be favourite in the 2WD Cup in his Honda Civic R3.

Vallejo tested his prize drive 207 for the first time on Monday in the Bilbao region of Spain:

The Principe de Asturias Rally gets underway with a ceremonial start from Paseo del Bombe in Oviedo on Thursday September 11 at 20:30, but the real action begins on Friday morning with the first of 15 special stages totalling 249.77 competitive kilometres. The centralised service park is located at the aerodrome in La Morgal, with the rally finish scheduled for Saturday September 14 at 16:30 back in Oviedo.

Top Fifteen Entry List:

1.	N. Vouilloz	207
2.	F. Loix	207
3.	G. Basso	Punto
4.	D. Sola	Punto
5.	A. Alen	Punto
6.	B. Magalhaes	207
7.	L. Monzon	207
8.	S. Vallejo	207
9.	M. Fuster	Punto
10.	E. Ojeda	207
12.	A. Hevia	Evo 9
14.	O. Garre	207
17.	A. Bettega