More than 50 crews are set to start next weeks Prime Yalta Rally, round four
of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, including one of Ukraines most
famous rallying partnerships.
Oleksandr Saliuk Sr and Evgeniy Chervonenko, the event promoter, will team up in a PROTON
Motorsports Satria Neo Super 2000. They will form one of 15 crews competing in the headline
S2000 category on the asphalt event from 2-4 June.
Saliuk Sr and Chervonenko won the USSR rally crown two decades ago ago and were regarded
as being among the regions fastest of their era. Although they have stopped competing regularly
since landing that historic title, Saliuks son Oleksandr Jr has begun his own promising driving
career while Chervonenko is the driving force behind the Prime Yalta Rally. Saliuk Jr had been due
to drive for PROTON on the Crimea-based event only to suffer a broken arm.
The original plan was for my son to drive the PROTON, but since his injury I have stepped in to
take his place behind the wheel, said Saliuk Sr at a press conference in Yalta. It means a great
deal to me and to Evgeniy to compete together 20 years after we won the title in the USSR. This is
a very important rally in the Ukraine and one which will attract the IRCs fastest drivers to our
beautiful part of the world. Evgeniy and I are very excited about competing with these drivers and
teams in front of the home crowd.
In addition to Saliuk Srs factory PROTON, the Malaysian manufacturer will enter two further Satria
Neos for PG Andersson and Giandomenico Basso. There will also be four Peugeot 207s, six
Skoda Fabias plus one M-Sport Ford Fiesta competing in the S2000 class. In addition, seven
Subaru Imprezas and nine Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancers will battle for IRC Production Cup honours
while the IRC 2WD Cup has received 20 registrations with Honda and M-Sport among the makes
represented.
Neuville steps up IRC bid with Yalta entry
Thierry Neuville has stepped up his bid to win the Intercontinental Rally Challenge drivers crown
by confirming his participation on the Prime Yalta Rally.
Neuville shot to equal second in the IRC classification with his stunning maiden victory on Tour de
Corse-E.Leclerc in mid-May.
His original schedule of events did not include the all-asphalt round in Ukraine from 2-4 June but
the 22-year-old will now compete in Yalta at the expense of his planned entry on Barum Czech
Rally Zlin in late August.
Upon reflection, we felt it was better to send Thierry and Nicolas [Gilsoul, his co-driver] to Ukraine
rather than Czech Republic, said a team spokesperson. To all IRC competitors, the Yalta Rally
will be a discovery and we believe Thierry can be particularly competitive there. This will maximise
his chances of winning and also allow him to accumulate more kilometres on asphalt before the
Ypres [Rally, his home event].
Yalta press conferences to be streamed live
Prime Yalta Rally organisers have announced details of an exciting initiative for their
Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.
They have made arrangements to provide live streaming over the internet of
the pre-event press conference at 15:00hrs on Thursday 2 June, the end of
day press conference at 19:00hrs on Friday 3 June and the post-event press
conference on Saturday 4 June.
All press conferences will be streamed via www.yaltarally.com where further
details can be found.
Praise for Al Rajhi from team boss van Dalen
Kronos Racing head Marc van Dalen has praised driver Yazeed Al Rajhi following the Saudi
drivers run to 14th overall on Tour de Corse-E.Leclerc earlier this month.
Al Rajhi had only tackled two sealed-surface rallies before making his Tour de Corse debut at the
wheel of a Peugeot 207 Super 2000.
He was very surprised to be four seconds per kilometre slower at first and couldnt understand
why, said van Dalen. But I told him the level in the IRC is very high with lots of experienced
drivers and Tarmac specialists. After that he started to learn slowly and improved on each stage
and realised the best option was to be at the end of the rally.
Al Rajhi said: My last time on Tarmac was in 2009 so I was in Corsica to learn. My next IRC rally
will be in Madeira where I hope to improve some more.
Maurin ups IRC schedule with four more events
Julien Maurin will take part on at least four more rounds of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in
his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.
The Frenchman, 26, bagged his first IRC points on Tour de Corse-E.Leclerc in seventh overall. He
will now contest the Geko Ypres Rally in late June, Julys Sata Rallye Acores, Augusts Rali Vinho
Madeira before he chooses between the Mecsek Rallye in September or the Cyprus Rally in early
November.
I make five or six rounds in the IRC because it is a very nice championship, said Maurin, who
also entered Rallye Monte-Carlo back in January. I had a good result in Corsica for my first time
and I am excited about the other rallies.
Maurin, who is is using the latest specification M-Sport Fiesta, is relishing the prospect of
contesting the gravel-based IRC round in the Azores. He said: I debut on gravel and its my
favourite surface. I made Azores in 2009 and its for this I want to go back, its beautiful.