Robert Consani will start next week’s Cyprus Rally hoping to make history on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge season finale.

Consani can become the first driver to clinch both the IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup titles in the same year although he will need results to go his way in the former category.

The French ace normally drives a Renault Mégane RS in the IRC. Because the car can only be used on all-asphalt rallies, Consani will switch to his Renault Clio R3 for the mixed-surface Cypriot stages. As a result he will only be able to score IRC 2WD Cup points in Cyprus, which he says will be his main focus in any case.

“I have a 11-point advantage over Harry [Hunt], but it is as if we are starting equal: whoever beats the other will become champion, so at least neither of us has to think about any complicated strategies – it’s just a race to the finish,” said Consani. “The only advantage I have is if we both retire, but I really hope that the title isn’t decided by a retirement and that we can fight to the finish.”

Consani holds a 22-point advantage over Andreas Aigner in the IRC Production Cup. Marco Tempestini and Vitaliy Pushkar are also in contention.

Middle East aces to spice up Cyprus IRC action

A host of drivers from the FIA Middle East Rally Championship will spice up the action when the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge concludes in Cyprus next week.

In addition to 2010 Cyprus Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah (pictured), Yazeed Al-Rajhi from Saudi Arabia, Roger Feghali from Lebanon and Khalid Al-Suwaidi from Qatar will all be in action on the Pafos-based event from 2-4 November and will all be eligible for IRC points.

One other driver from the regional championship competing in Cyprus will be Nick Georgiou from Lebanon who will chase honours in the IRC Production Cup against series regulars Andreas Aigner, Toshi Arai, Vitaliy Pushkar and Marco Tempestini.

Wicha returns for Cyprus IRC finale

Almost six months since making his last appearance in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, German co-driver Klaus Wicha will be returning to the series for the season-finale in Cyprus.

Rather than partnering countryman Hermann Gassner Jr, who he co-drove on three rounds of the IRC this year, Wicha will be linking up with fellow German Armin Kremer in a Subaru Impreza.

The vastly experienced Wicha hasn’t competed on the Cyprus Rally since 2006 when he co-drove Andreas Aigner. The Austrian will be one of Kremer’s rivals for IRC glory next week.

Kremer and Wicha aren’t the only all-German crew taking part in Cyprus: Sepp Wiegand and Timo Gottschalk will be in action in a ŠKODA Auto Deutschland Fabia Super 2000.

Strong interest in Peugeot’s 208 R2

Peugeot Sport has reported strong interest in its R2-specificaiton 208 following its competition debut on Rallye Sanremo earlier this month.

Bryan Bouffier took the car to a class victory, a result that pleased Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin: “We are delighted with the 208 R2’s maiden result. The car was competitive, reliable and consistent in Sanremo from start to finish. It also received a warm welcome in Italy and appears to interest a high number of talented young drivers who dream of becoming the next Paolo Andreucci [who won his seventh Italian title in Sanremo driving a Peugeot 207 Super 2000].”

Peugeot plans to continue the 208 R2’s development on rallies in Belgium and France next month.

Success for IRC aces past and present

Intercontinental Rally Challenge aces past and present have been celebrating success in two prestigious championships recently.

Luca Rossetti, who became known as “Mr 100 Per Cent” after winning four IRC rounds in succession between 2007 and 2008, has clinched the Turkish Rally Championship in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, while this year’s Prime Yalta Rally winner, Yağiz Avci, is the new FIA East European Rally Cup champion following his victory on Rally Serbia recently in a Castrol Ford Team Türkiye Fiesta S2000, coupled with the points scored in Yalta and on the IRC’s visit to Bulgaria.

“This title has a very special meaning for me, to win in a country like Turkey where I have many friends and fans is beautiful,” said Rossetti, who came close to a one-off IRC return on the Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium earlier this year.

Three questions to: Menya Krózser

Hungarian privateer on branching out into the IRC

When did you start competing?
“My first year was in 1998. Last year I won the two-wheel-drive title in Hungary and I wanted a bigger target for this season so I chose the IRC.”

How has your maiden season in the IRC gone?
“It’s been difficult because I did not know the rallies and we had technical problems on the first three rallies and retired, which was not so good for our partners and sponsors. Then we got a new car for Barum Czech Rally Zlín and immediately we finished in fourth place.”

What do you do when you’re not competing in the IRC?
“I manage a trading company in Hungary. We have business in other parts of Europe.”

In the spotlight: Johan Heloïse

Johan Heloïse, from Martinique, made his long-awaited return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia in June after contesting selected rounds in 2011. A hand injury then prevented him from starting Barum Czech Rally Zlín as planned but he was back for Rallye Sanremo earlier this month where he made it three points finishes from three starts in his Top Run Motorsport Subaru Impreza R4 STI to move into sixth place in the standings alongside French co-driver Thibault Gorczyca.

www.ircseries.com

*Gasperetti tops IRC Production Cup for Renault, Campdelli scores IRC 2WD Cup success

*Peugeot driver Breen awarded Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy for brave performance

Giandomenico Basso has followed in the wheel tracks of rallying legend Colin McRae by winning Rallye Sanremo for a second time. The result, his sixth victory in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, followed a dominant performance on the asphalt event at the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC.

Basso, who led from start to finish, was all but assured of top spot alongside co-driver Mitia Dotta when he won the gruelling 44-kilometre Ronde night stage on Friday. It was one of five fastest stage times the Italian recorded during the two-day rally in his country’s Liguria region and enabled him to build an interim advantage of 25.6s. He secured first place by completing the final stage, shown live on RAI Sport on Saturday afternoon, with a margin of 35.7s over Jan Kopecký.

Czech Kopecký finished second in his Fabia Super 2000 to secure a third IRC manufacturers’ title for ŠKODA on the back of four stage wins and move ahead of team-mate Juho Hänninen in the drivers’ standings after the Finn crashed out on Ronde. The spectacular incident can be viewed in the Galleries section of www.ircseries.com.

Alessandro Perico bagged his maiden IRC podium in third in the leading Peugeot 207 S2000. Federico Gasperetti was the fastest IRC Production Cup contender on all 10 stages to win with ease in his Renault Mégane RS. Meanwhile, Simone Campedelli clinched his second IRC 2WD Cup victory of 2012.

At the finish by the Mediterranean Sea this evening, Basso said: “I am very happy to be winning here because Sanremo is a fantastic event. But it’s not just winning here that’s important, it’s winning here in Sanremo as part of the IRC, a very esteemed series that I have a lot of affection for. It might have looked easy from the outside but no win is easy. I was able to make the difference on Ronde and after that I controlled my advantage to the finish.”

Following ŠKODA’s IRC manufacturers’ title triumph, motorsport head Michal Hrabánek said: “We have won a valuable hat-trick of IRC titles and made a historic achievement with the ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 by becoming the most successful brand of the IRC. This is indeed the best reward for all the team members in return for the top-class work they have been putting in throughout this successful period. The end of this season is still ahead of us, though, and our ambition is to win also the drivers’ title.”

Behind third-placed Alessandro Perico, Stefano Albertini took a fine fourth in his similar Peugeot having feared he might be forced out when his car would not restart at the midday regroup. Paolo Andreucci clinched his seventh Italian title in fifth place. With title rival Umberto Scandola hitting trouble on Friday’s opening test, Andreucci adopted a cautious approach in his Peugeot Italia entry to take the crown alongside co-driver Anna Andreussi. ŠKODA driver Scandola restarted on day two but stopped with a mechanical problem after three stages.

Craig Breen, who is competing in Italy for the first time since his best friend and former co-driver Gareth Roberts lost his life in an accident on Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia in mid-June, was battling Stefano Albertini for fourth overall when he picked up a front-left puncture approximately four kilometres into the 20.73-kilometre Colle d’Oggia run on Saturday morning. He eventually finished sixth in his Saintéloc Racing Peugeot, a performance that earned him the prestigious Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy.

Frigyes Turán was seventh for Petter Solberg Engineering despite an engine overheating issue. Simone Campedelli won the IRC 2WD Cup in eighth place although because his Citroën DS3 R3T is not eligible for overall points, Pierre Campana took eighth-place points following his fight back from the broken rear differential on the Ronde stage that dropped him firmly out of contention.

Harry Hunt was an impressive 14th overall on his first appearance in the IRC in a Kronos Racing Peugeot. The former IRC 2WD Cup champion lost ground with two punctures but still managed to set some rapid stage times alongside stand-in co-driver Dale Moscatt.

IRC Production Cup

Federico Gasperetti claimed his first victory in the IRC Production Cup in style by setting the pace in the category on all 10 stages at the wheel of a Renault Mégane RS. However, while Gasperetti celebrated, Consani was left to reflect on what might have been after he dropped out of second place on Sunday morning when a spin left his Mégane with a broken rear axle. He tried to continue but following another rotation the Frenchman was forced to stop for good. Hungarian Miklós Bujdos finished second with Marco Cavigioli third. Dream Team Ukraine’s Vitaliy Pushkar overtook Subaru Impreza R4 STI driver Johan Heloïse for fourth on the final stage.

IRC 2WD Cup

Simone Campedelli made it two wins from two starts in this season’s IRC 2WD Cup, despite requiring a course of physiotherapy and a dose of painkillers due to a shoulder injury. Roberto Vescovi was second in a Renault Clio R3 with IRC Production Cup winner Federico Gasperetti third. Rudy Michelini took fourth with Peugeot driver Danilo Ameglio in fifth. Hannes Danzinger was a fine sixth on his first rally outside of his native Austria after he secured sponsorship from a sausage company to take part in a Clio R3, which he was driving in competition for the first time. French ace Bryan Bouffier gave Peugeot’s 208 R2 a strong debut by topping the R2 division. Elwis Chentre was ninth in a ŠKODA Fabia R2.

TOP 10 IRC POSITIONS (after 10 stages, 204.00 kilometres)

1 Giandomenico Basso (ITA)/Mitia Dotta (ITA) M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC 2h19m03.6s

2 Jan Kopecký (CZE)/Pavel Dresler (CZE) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +35.7s

3 Alessandro Perico (ITA)/Fabrizio Carrara (ITA) Peugeot 207 S2000 +2m13.7s

4 Stefano Albertini (ITA)/Simone Scattolin (ITA) Peugeot 207 S2000 +3m08.3s

5 Paolo Andreucci (ITA)/Anna Andreussi (ITA) Peugeot 207 S2000 +3m55.5s

6 Craig Breen (IRL)/Paul Nagle (IRL) Peugeot 207 S2000 +5m00.2s

7 Frigyes Turán (HUN)/Gábor Zsiros (HUN) M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 +6m50.8s

8 Pierre Campana (FRA)/Sabrina de Castelli (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000 +8m07.0s

9 Roberto Vescovi (ITA)/Giancarla Guzzi (ITA) Renault Clio R3 +8m18.9s

10 Federico Gasperetti (ITA)/Federico Ferrari (ITA) Renault Mégane RS +8m33.5s

IRC Production Cup: Federico Gasperetti (ITA)/Federico Ferrari (ITA) Renault Mégane RS

IRC 2WD Cup: Simone Campedelli (ITA)/Danilo Fappani (ITA) Citroën DS3 R3T

IRC STANDINGS (BEST OF EIGHT SCORES COUNT, ALL POINTS PROVISIONAL)

IRC drivers after round 12 of 13

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway) 136pts; 2 Jan Kopecký (Czech Republic) 101pts; 3 Juho Hänninen (Finland) 93pts; 4 Giandomenico Basso (Italy) 65pts; 5 Sepp Wiegand (Germany) 53pts; 6 Yağiz Avci (Turkey) 35pts; 7 Robert Consani (France) 32pts; 8 Patrik Flodin (Sweden) 28pts; 9 Bryan Bouffier (France) and Umberto Scandola (Italy) 27pts

IRC co-drivers after round 12 of 13

1 Ola Fløene (Norway) 136pts; 2 Pavel Dresler (Czech Republic) 101pts; 3 Mikko Markkula (Finland) 93pts; 4 Mitia Dotta (Italy) 65pts; 5 Timo Gottschalk (Germany) 53pts; 6 Bahadir Gücenmez (Turkey) 35pts; 7 Göran Bergsten (Sweden) 28pts; 8 Guido D’Amore (Italy) and Xavier Panseri (France) 27pts; 10 Carlos del Barrio (Spain) and Yanaki Yanakiev (Bulgaria) 25pts

IRC manufacturers after round 12 of 13

1 ŠKODA 325pts; 2 Peugeot 217pts; 3 M-Sport Ford 174pts; 4 Renault 126pts; 5 Subaru 110pts; 6 Honda 51pts

IRC Production Cup drivers after round 12 of 13

1 Robert Consani (France) 97pts; 2 Andreas Aigner (Austria) 75pts; 3 Marco Tempestini (Romania) 63pts; 4 Vitaliy Pushkar (Ukraine) 53pts; 5 Toshi Arai (Japan) 36pts, 6 Johan Heloïse (France) 32pts; 7 Miklós Bujdos (Hungary) 28pts; 8 Marco Cavigioli (Italy) 27pts); 9 Garry Jennings (United Kingdom), Ricardo Moura (Portugal), Jarkko Nikara (Finland), and Massimiliano Rendina 25pts

IRC Production Cup co-drivers after round 12 of 13

1 Nicolas Klinger (France) 97pts; 2 Dorin Pulpea (Romania) 63pts; 3 Ivan Mishyn (Ukraine) 53pts; 4 Daniela Ertl (Austria) 50pts; 5 Dale Moscatt (Australia) 36pts; 6 Thibault Gorczyca (France) 32pts; 7 Monica Fortunato (Italy) 27pts; 8 Sancho Eiró (Portugal), Jarkko Kalliolepo (Finland), Barry McNulty (United Kingdom) and Mario Pizzuti (Italy) 25pts

IRC 2WD Cup drivers after round 12 of 13

1 Robert Consani (France) 87pts; 2 Harry Hunt (United Kingdom) 76pts; 3 Martin Kangur (Estonia) 51pts; 4 Simone Campedelli (Italy) 50pts; 5 Vlad Cosma (Romania) 33pts; 6 Murat Bostanci (Turkey) 30pts; 7 Petru-Antone Boschetti (France), Jan Černy (Czech Republic), Paulo Maciel (Portugal), Marty McCormack (United Kingdom), Todor Slavov (Bulgaria) and Joan Vinyes (Spain) 25pts

IRC 2WD Cup co-drivers after round 12 of 13

1 Robbie Durant (United Kingdom) 76pts; 2 Nicolas Klinger (France) 62pts; 3 Danilo Fapani (Italy) 50pts; 4 Florin Dorca (Romania) 33pts; 5 Onur Vatansever (Turkey) 30pts; 6 Cédric Beynet (France), Dobromir Filipov (Bulgaria), Filipe Gouveia (Portugal), Pavel Kohout (Czech Republic), Benoit Manzo (France), Jordi Mercader (Spain), David Moynihan (Ireland) and Andres Ots (Russia) 25pts

IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers after round 12 of 13

1 Renault 338pts; 2 Honda 149pts; 3 M-Sport 115pts; 4 Peugeot 68pts; 5 ŠKODA 35pts

Go to www.ircseries.com for full standings, including IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup.

RALLY LEADERS

SS1-13: Giandomenico Basso

STAGE WINNERS

Day one (Friday 12 October, 85.08 kilometres):

SS1: Coldirodi (13.06kms): Overall: Basso/IRC PC: Gasperetti/IRC 2WD: Campedelli

SS2: Apricale (17.43kms): Kopecký/Gasperetti/Campedelli

SS3: Bignone (10.59kms): Basso/Gasperetti/Michelini

SS4: Ronde (44.00kms): Basso/Gasperetti/Campedelli

Day two (Saturday 13 October, 118.92 kilometres):

SS5: Colle Langan 1 (19.93kms): Basso/Gasperetti/Campedelli

SS6: Passo Teglia 1 (18.80kms): Perico/Gasperetti/Campedelli

SS7: Colle d’Oggia 1 (20.73kms): Basso/Gasperetti/Ameglio

SS8: Colle Langan 2 (19.93kms): Kopecký/Gasperetti/Crugnola

SS9: Passo Teglia 2 (18.80kms): Kopecký/Gasperetti/Campedelli

SS10: Colle d’Oggia 2 (20.73kms): Kopecký/Gasperetti/Campedelli

KEY STATISTICS

IRC rally wins in 2012 (drivers)

Juho Hänninen 3; Giandomenico Basso 2; Jan Kopecký 2; Andreas Mikkelsen 2; Dimitar Iliev; Dani Sordo 1; Yağiz Avci: 1

IRC rally wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 8; M-Sport Ford 3; MINI 1 (note: MINI is not currently eligible for IRC manufacturers’ points)

IRC stage wins in 2012 (drivers)

Andreas Mikkelsen 50; Juho Hänninen 29; Jan Kopecký 24; Giandomenico Basso 12; Dimitar Iliev 6; Freddy Loix 5; Yuriy Protasov 5; Robert Consani 4; Petar Gyoshev 4; Dani Sordo 3; Yağiz Avci: 2; Pierre Campana 2; Krum Donchev 2; Mikko Pajunen 2; Sepp Wiegand 2; Marco Tempestini 2; Germain Bonnefis 1; Bryan Bouffier 1; Patrik Flodin 1; TomᚠKostka 1; Alessandro Perico

Stage wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 112; M-Sport Ford 22; Peugeot 16; Renault 4; MINI 3; Subaru 2

NEXT EVENT

Cyprus Rally, 2-4 November 2012

www.ircseries.com

The all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge just got better with the release of the entry list for the penultimate round, Rallye Sanremo, which gets underway with shakedown later today.

Rallye Sanremo has been a mainstay of the series since its inception and traditionally attracts an entry full of quality and quantity. This year is no exception with five IRC event winners in action on the demanding asphalt stages in the hills looking over the Italian Riviera town.

Topping the list is 2010 IRC champion Juho Hänninen, who is joined in the factory ŠKODA team by Jan Kopecký. Multiple Italian title winner Paolo Andreucci (Peugeot) and Giandomencio Basso (M-Sport), who has claimed five IRC victories over the years, will also be in action, as will Umberto Scandola (ŠKODA) and Peugeot talents Craig Breen and Pierre Campana.

Subaru runner Marco Tempestini will battle Renault’s Robert Consani (pictured) for IRC Production Cup honours. Consani is also eligible for the IRC 2WD Cup where Bryan Bouffier will be one to watch as he makes the competition debut in Peugeot’s 208 R2.

The action begins on Friday afternoon with the first of 10 special stages. The longest, Ronde, covers 44 kilometres and takes place under the cover of darkness. The finish is scheduled for early Saturday evening.

Basso secures IRC return just in time

Giandomenico Basso has left it late to secure his return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on Rallye Sanremo this week.

Basso, from Italy, had always intended to contest the asphalt event in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC but his preparations have been far from straightforward after another driver crashed the car he will use in Sanremo during an event in Poland last month.

“We had a little bit of doubt before the start as another driver crashed the car at a rally recently and we weren’t sure if it was possible to get it rebuilt, with enough spare parts, on time,” said Basso, a five-time winner in the IRC.

Basso will be one of the favourites for victory in Sanremo alongside co-driver Mitia Dotta.

ŠKODA’s safety mission accomplished

Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler successfully performed the role of safety car crew on the Příbram Rally in their native Czech Republic last weekend.

The Intercontinental Rally Challenge regulars won this season’s Czech title after winning five events in a row. With the championship title secured, they switched from their usual ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 to a Fabia Monte Carlo to help with the smooth and safe running of the Czech championship finale.

FAS (Automobile Sports Federation) Media Officer Josef Pátl said: “Jan and Pavel did a very useful job – their recommendations were the basis for making several changes to the route and its safety zones. Cooperation with professional drivers is a step in the right direction.”

Kopecký, the Czech ambassador for the FIA’s Action for Road Safety campaign, said: “Pavel and I really appreciated the opportunity to be involved in this project. We have enough experience at various events home and abroad, and we were pleased to share this experience.”

New co-driver for S2000 graduate Hunt

Harry Hunt will get a new co-driver when he competes on a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in a Super 2000 car for the first time.

With regular navigator Robbie Durant recovering from a back injury sustained during a crash on the last IRC round in Bulgaria, Hunt will link up with Australian Dale Moscatt for Rallye Sanremo.

“Obviously I’m disappointed not to have Robbie beside me in the car but I’m pleased to hear that he is making a speedy recovery,” said Hunt. “He has now returned home from Bulgaria and he’s been resting his back over the past few days.”

“Dale will be the perfect replacement,” Hunt continued. “He has been with us for a test in Sanremo over the weekend and is very professional. He is also very experienced, which is very important when you’re hurtling through twisty mountain passes at over 130kph!”

Hunt is stepping up from the IRC 2WD Cup for this week’s trip to Sanremo, driving a Peugeot 207 S2000 for the respected Kronos Racing operation from Belgium.

Three questions to: Umberto Scandola

ŠKODA Italia Motorsport’s young star on Rallye Sanremo
The IRC is back in Italy for Rallye Sanremo. What do you think of this event?
“Sanremo is actually one of the rallies I know best: I’ve been doing it since I started rallying and in the past we have shown some encouraging speed there, although I am learning all the time. The thing that really distinguishes Sanremo for me is the fact that there are long stages there, at night as well, which can make a big difference if you push hard. I want to take a calm approach to this rally but we will certainly push in the places we feel confident.”

How good is the Ronde night stage, at the end of the opening day of the rally?
“The night stage is good to us, so this is one we can target. There’s a great atmosphere to the whole rally in Sanremo and some brilliant fans, even when it’s cold and dark. It’s certainly one of my favourite events of the year.”

What’s your target for the event?
“My focus this year is on the Italian championship, so while I’d like to push as hard as I can and target an overall result, there is no point in me chasing the IRC competitors and taking risks, when my rivals are really the people who are doing the Italian championship.”

In the spotlight: Pierre Campana

A former frontrunner in the IRC 2WD Cup, Corsican rising star Pierre Campana stepped up to Super 2000 technology last season before the French motorsport federation took note and funded two world championship rallies in a works-supported MINI World Rally Car. Campana also represented the make on this year’s WRC season opener before he returned to the IRC with a podium finish on Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse in May. Rallye Sanremo marks his second appearance in this year’s series in a Munaretto-run Peugeot 207 S2000.

The Jännerrallye in Austria will open the all-new FIA European Rally Championship in 2013 after its organisers agreed terms with new ERC promoter Eurosport Events.

Based in the town of Freistadt near Linz, the snow event will get next season’s ERC off to a thrilling start from 3-5 January as crews battle for glory on the challenging hilly asphalt stages, traditionally coated in snow and ice at that time of year.

Next year’s ERC will feature rounds on all three surfaces: snow, gravel and asphalt and a number of rally organisers are holding discussions with Eurosport Events as they work to secure a slot on the exciting new calendar for 2013.

François Ribeiro, Motorsport Development Director of Eurosport Events, said: “One of the biggest, yet most exciting challenges we face as the new promoter of the ERC is the formalisation of the calendar for 2013. We are delighted to open ERC 2013 in winter conditions with an established event such as the Jännerrallye. Starting the new-look ERC with a snow rally is going to be very exciting for all our teams, drivers, partners, fans and viewers. Over the next few weeks we’ll close negotiations for the remaining ERC rounds before the complete 2013 schedule goes to the FIA Rallies Commission and FIA World Motor Sport Council for ratification.”

Jännerrallye promoter Ferdinand Staber said: “We’re delighted to have reached an agreement with Eurosport Events to continue in the ERC in 2013. Being part of the ERC for the first time this year was a huge boost for our event but the opportunity to work with the new ERC promoter, Eurosport Events, at the start of an exciting period for the ERC is even more significant. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with Eurosport Events and a very successful rally.”

Jan Kopecký, a three-time runner-up in the Eurosport Events’-promoted Intercontinental Rally Challenge, won this year’s Jännerrallye on its first appearance in the ERC. Driving a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, Kopecký led home factory SKODA team-mate Juho Hänninen, the eventual series champion, in snowy conditions.

The Jännerrallye is the first event to be confirmed on the ERC schedule for 2013. The remaining rounds will be announced over the coming weeks.

Two cars conforming to the exciting new R5 technical regulations broke cover last week. Peugeot formally unveiled its 208 Type R5 at the Paris Motor Show while Ford’s partner team M-Sport released images of the Fiesta R5.

Motorsport’s world governing body, the FIA, has developed the R5 regulations for national and regional rally championships. Costs will be controlled but the cars, powered by 1.6-litre turbocharged engines, are set to be faster than the 2.0-litre normally aspirated Super 2000 machines, the IRC’s headline category.

Peugeot Sport’s Bertrand Vallat said: “The regulations impose, among other things, a maximum price for certain parts and technical limitations such as a minimum weight of components of the chassis and engine. In addition, a certain number of components of the vehicle must be similar. The hub carrier is a perfect example. All four must be identical. This makes operation considerably easier and limits costs and stocking. We are aiming for performance which is slightly higher than that of the S2000. We are also aiming for a very high level of durability and reliability in competition to reduce operating costs.”

The 208 Type R5 (right) is due to begin testing at the end of the year with a competition debut set for the second half of 2013. M-Sport, meanwhile, has been working on its Fiesta R5 (left) since May of this year. Like the Peugeot, the Fiesta will run before the end of 2012 although its first competitive outing could take place in the spring of 2013.

“The knowledge and experience we’ve gained from our World Rally Car will be transferred into this car,” said M-Sport’s Malcolm Wilson. “It’s going to be a great car and very cost effective.”

Ten reasons why Rallye Sanremo will thrill

The all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge resumes on Rallye Sanremo in Italy next week (12-13 October). Here are 10 reasons why the event will be one of the highlights of the 2012 season.

One: Leading IRC runners will go up against some of Italy’s best drivers making for an intense battle for glory on the challenging mountainous stages.

Two: Legendary Italian driver Paolo Andreucci is back on IRC duty on the event where he has claimed his sole IRC victory to date. Peugeot is still chasing its first IRC win of 2012.

Three: Craig Breen will make his IRC return with Saintéloc Racing. New co-driver Paul Nagle helped Kris Meeke to the IRC title in 2009 by winning in Sanremo.

Four: With the competitive action contained within a 25-hour window, the action will be non-stop.

Five: Kronos Racing, one of the most successful teams in IRC history, will field Harry Hunt in a Peugeot 207, the former IRC 2WD Cup champion’s Super 2000 debut in the IRC.

Six: The weather can be unpredictable with rain and even fog a possibility on the stages.

Seven: Run under the cover of darkness, the 44-kilometre Ronde Stage is one of the most arduous in the IRC.

Eight: Bryan Bouffier is back in the IRC armed with Peugeot’s all-new 208 R2, while fellow IRC event winner Bruno Magalhães will also return.

Nine: Sanremo is the last all-asphalt rally of the 2012 season. A high-speed fight is expected.

Ten: Vitaliy Pushkar, an exciting prospect for the future, will compete in the IRC Production Cup.

Co-driver Durant to make full recovery

Robbie Durant, the British co-driver injured in a crash on the Mabanol Sliven Rally in Bulgaria, is set to make a full recovery.

Durant was due to undergo surgery in hospital in Plovdiv earlier this week on a cracked and compressed vertebra before flying home. His driver Harry Hunt was uninjured in the accident on the 11^th stage of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge event.

“The most important thing is that Robbie’s injury was not more serious and that he will make a full recovery very soon,” said team manager Iwan Evans. “He’s in great spirits and we’re already looking forward to Sanremo, where Harry will drive a Super 2000 car in the IRC for the first time. Following the accident the rally and medical staff were brilliant, so we can’t thank them enough.”

IRC champion Mikkelsen takes to the track

Reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen tried a single-seater racing car for size during filming for an upcoming television programme, but admitted afterwards that he was unlikely to swap it for his ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

The 23-year-old IRC title leader sampled the Van Diemen Formula Ford car at the Lydden Hill Race Circuit during a private test. He covered approximately 30 laps of the track and didn’t make a single driving error despite it being his first experience of the machine.

“This was the first time I’ve ever driven any type of formula racing car, and it was a great experience,” said the Norwegian. “It was quite difficult and really different, but the strangest part of it was not having Ola [Fløene, co-driver] sitting next to me and having someone to talk to!

“It was also strange to be able to see the tyres move when you change the direction of the steering wheel – I’ve never experienced that before.”

Campana battles Kubica ahead of IRC return

Pierre Campana prepared for his Intercontinental Rally Challenge return by winning the Super 2000 section of Rally Città di Bassano in Italy last weekend where his opposition included Formula One race winner Robert Kubica.

Campana was using the event to prepare for next week’s Rallye Sanremo, which will mark his first outing in the IRC for almost five months since he shone in third overall on Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse live on Eurosport.

While Kubica won the event in a Subaru Impreza World Rally Car, Campana finished in a strong fourth place in a Munaretto Sport Peugeot 207 S2000 alongside co-driver Sabrina de Castelli.

“The main purpose of taking part in this event was to reacquaint ourselves with the Peugeot, Michelin tyres and of course to return to competitive rallying,” said the 27-year-old Corsican. “It was good to be back and in the heat of competition and really useful practice for our participation in Sanremo.”

Cyprus Rally excites Mikkelsen

The 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge will reach its climax on the Cyprus Rally from 2-4 November and current title-winner and leader Andreas Mikkelsen has revealed he is a big fan of the mixed-surface event.

Mikkelsen clinched the 2011 IRC drivers’ crown in Cyprus following a five-way battle for the title. He said: “With gravel and Tarmac switching together all of the time it’s hard to find the best set-up for the car but you don’t mind because of the beautiful landscape you encounter. It’s also a really good rally for the spectators because it’s a nice place to be and it’s warm and sunny."

Three questions to: Florian Gonon

Ace Swiss prepares for his third Intercontinental Rally Challenge start of 2012 with Saintéloc Racing on Rallye Sanremo.

You won the IRC Production Cup in Sanremo last year. How will that experience help you next week?
“I’m on terrain I know pretty well, but I won’t be starting from scratch like in the Czech Republic. It’s a very twisty rally and I have to pay a lot of attention to cornering speed as they’ll be higher than the ones last year.”

What’s your target for the rally?
“I hope I’ll be able to up the pace a couple of notches on this occasion, all the more so as I’ve have a test session beforehand. I’m a bit wary of the night stage of over 40 kilometers where it’s very difficult to stay concentrated from start to finish. To be at 100 per cent over the whole stage is a real challenge.”

Will you be able to learn anything from your team-mate Craig Breen?
“I know he’s an excellent driver who knows how to share what he experiences behind the wheel. I think we’ll exchange information and I can take advantage of his knowledge. Although he’s been through some tough times, he’s a talented bloke who’s got tremendous potential. I’m very happy to be racing in the same team as him.”

In the spotlight: Bryan Bouffier

A champion in his homeland and Poland, Frenchman Bryan Bouffier enjoyed something of a breakthrough season in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011 when he won Rallye Monte-Carlo to great acclaim. A trio of podiums kept him in the title until the penultimate round. Despite being armed with bags of experience and pace, a lack of funding has prevented regular IRC appearances this season but the 33-year-old returns in Peugeot’s all-new R2-specification 208 on Rallye Sanremo.

*ŠKODA pilot secures sixth triumph in Sliven despite late charge by Peugeot ace Gyoshev

*Renault drivers Consani and Slavov clinch support category glory on sun-baked event

Dimitar Iliev, in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, has made it seven different winners in this season’s all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge with victory on the Mabanol Sliven Rally in Bulgaria today, his sixth on the high-speed asphalt event.

The multiple national champion took the lead on Saturday morning’s opening stage and held off a spirited charge from Peugeot 207 S2000 pilot Petar Gyoshev to take first place by a margin 11.2s following 13 asphalt stages. He becomes the first driver from Bulgaria to win a round of the IRC.

Robert Consani claimed the honours in the IRC Production Cup for Renault with Subaru pilot Stoyan Apostolov in second place. Todor Slavov secured the IRC 2WD Cup for the French manufacturer ahead of Honda’s Martin Kangur and M-Sport Ford runner Murat Bostanci.

“I’m very happy because I never did so good result on an IRC round and it sounds good to be the first Bulgarian winner in the IRC,” said Vivacom Rally Team pilot Iliev. “I drove very carefully today and even though I was not always the fastest this was the right decision because it was more important to finish. This is one of my favourite rallies.”

Behind Gyoshev, who was fastest on two stages today for the ASC Prestige team, Krum Donchev snatched the final podium spot from Todor Slavov on Sunday’s second test and held on despite a spin on the final stage leaving his Peugeot with slight front-end damage. Slavov, meanwhile, secured a resounding victory in the IRC 2WD Cup in his Renault Clio R3, a performance that earned him the coveted Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy.

“Today’s stages were a little bit too difficult for a two-wheel-drive car, they were quite slippery and uphill and it was not possible to fight against the more powerful cars,” said Slavov. “Fourth place was the best possible result for this car so we are happy with that. To win the Colin McRae award is very special. He was my idol and I have no words to describe my feelings right now.”

Yağiz Avci, the winner of the previous IRC round in Yalta, finished fifth in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 after reporting a minor fuel pump issue. The reigning Turkish champion could have been fourth but for a 20-second penalty incurred following a timing miscalculation on day one.

Martin Kangur rounded out his IRC 2WD Cup campaign in his Catwees Honda Racing Civic Type R in a strong sixth place after Menya Krózser stopped his Clio R3 with a reported technical fault on stage 12. The Hungarian had been more than one minute clear of the Estonian teenager starting the final day.

Murat Bostanci, from Turkey, impressed in seventh place in his R2-specification Fiesta with Robert Consani eighth at the wheel of a Renault Mégane and top IRC Production Cup finisher after a puncture delayed Georgi Vasilev on stage 11. Despite moving to the top of the standings in both the IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup, Frenchman Consani said afterwards that a persistent power problem meant he couldn’t gain any satisfaction from his otherwise successful Sliven debut due to the fact his ultimate speed was masked throughout.

With ninth and 10th place Citroën drivers Anton Titov and Ekaterina Stratieva not eligible for overall IRC points, Stoyan Apostolov took ninth-placed points in his Subaru Impreza with Turk Buğra Banaz next up. Other notable finishers included Taiwanese Yuan-Hu Lin, who took his Clio R3 to 18th place, and Turkish female driver Simin Biçakçioglu who completed the event one place ahead of 16-year-old Bulgarian Mihail Simeonov, who is believed to be the youngest IRC competitor in the six-year history of the series.

IRC Production Cup

With an advantage of more than one minute over Robert Consani after 10 stages, Georgi Vasilev was on course for his maiden IRC Production Cup victory, particularly with a down-on-power engine plaguing Consani. But a disastrous 11th stage, when he suffered a spin following a puncture, left him out of contention and ensured a second consecutive victory for the determined Consani, who now moves to the top of the title standings in his Renault Mégane RS. Subaru Impreza driver Stoyan Apostolov scored two stage wins on his way to second place in the category. Marco Tempestini, one of the favourites for victory before the start, retired following an oil leak on his Impreza R4 STI on day one.

IRC 2WD Cup

Todor Slavov snatched the IRC 2WD Cup lead on stage two and never looked back as he raced to a dominant victory in his Renault Clio R3, going fastest in class on 12 of the 13 stages. Honda’s Martin Kangur impressed in second place after Menya Krózser retired his Clio on stage 12. Murat Bostanci was the leading M-Sport Ford Fiesta pilot home in third. Harry Hunt’s bid to make up for the extensive time loss he suffered when he got beached on day one ended when he crashed heavily into trees on stage 11. Although Hunt was uninjured, his co-driver Robbie Durant has been taken to hospital in Plodiv for surgery on a back injury although he is expected to make a full recovery. Hunt’s failure to score and Robert Consani’s capture of fourth means the Renault driver now heads the IRC 2WD Cup table.

TOP 10 IRC POSITIONS

1 Dimitar Iliev (BGR)/Yanaki Yanakiev (BGR) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 1h48m58.7s

2 Petar Gyoshev (BGR)/Dimitar Spasov (BGR) Peugeot 207 S2000 +11.2s

3 Krum Donchev (BGR)/Petar Yordanov (BGR) Peugeot 207 S2000 +3m25.3s

4 Todor Slavov (BGR)/Dobromir Filipov (BGR) Renault Clio R3 +3m49.9s

5 Yağiz Avci (TUR)/Bahadir Gücenmez (TUR) M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 +4m09.5s

6 Martin Kangur (EST)/Ken Järveoja (EST) Honda Civic Type R +8m04.5s

7 Murat Bostanci (TUR)/Onur Vatansever (TUR) M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2 +10m30.4s

8 Robert Consani (FRA)/Nicolas Klinger (FRA) Renault Mégane RS +12m24.4s

9 Stoyan Apostolov (BGR)/Pavlina Apostolova (BGR) Subaru Impreza WRX +16m05.2s

10 Buğra Banaz (TUR)/Burak Erdener (TUR) M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2 +16m50.8s
IRC Production Cup: Robert Consani (FRA)/Nicolas Klinger (FRA) Renault Mégane RS
IRC 2WD Cup: Todor Slavov (BGR)/Dobromir Filipov (BGR) Renault Clio R3

IRC STANDINGS (BEST OF EIGHT SCORES COUNT, ALL POINTS PROVISIONAL)

IRC drivers after round 11 of 13

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway) 136pts; 2 Juho Hänninen (Finland) 93pts; 3 Jan Kopecký (Czech Republic) 83pts; 4 Sepp Wiegand (Germany) 53pts; 5 Giandomenico Basso (Italy) 40pts; 6 Yağiz Avci (Turkey) 35pts; 7 Robert Consani (France) 32pts; 8 Patrik Flodin (Sweden) 28pts; 9 Bryan Bouffier (France) and Umberto Scandola (Italy) 27pts

IRC co-drivers after round 11 of 13

1 Ola Fløene (Norway) 136pts; 2 Mikko Markkula (Finland) 93pts; 3 Pavel Dresler (Czech Republic) 83pts; 4 Timo Gottschalk (Germany) 53pts; 5 Mitia Dotta (Italy) 40pts; 6 Bahadir Gücenmez (Turkey) 35pts; 7 Göran Bergsten (Sweden) 28pts; 8 Guido D’Amore (Italy) and Xavier Panseri (France) 27pts; 10 Carlos del Barrio (Spain) and Yanaki Yanakiev (Bulgaria) 25pts

IRC manufacturers after round 11 of 13

1 ŠKODA 325pts; 2 Peugeot 205pts; 3 M-Sport Ford 147pts; 4 Renault 119pts; 5 Subaru 110pts; 6 Honda 51pts

IRC Production Cup drivers after round 11 of 13

1 Robert Consani (France) 97pts; 2 Andreas Aigner (Austria) 75pts; 3 Marco Tempestini (Romania) 63pts; 4 Vitaliy Pushkar (Ukraine) 41pts; 5 Toshi Arai (Japan) 36pts, 6 Garry Jennings (United Kingdom), Ricardo Moura (Portugal), Jarkko Nikara (Finland), and Massimiliano Rendina 25pts; 10 Johan Heloïse (France) 22pts

IRC Production Cup co-drivers after round 11 of 13

1 Nicolas Klinger (France) 97pts; 2 Dorin Pulpea (Romania) 63pts; 3 Daniela Ertl (Austria) 50pts; 4 Ivan Mishyn (Ukraine) 41pts; 5 Dale Moscatt (Australia) 36pts; 6 Sancho Eiró (Portugal), Jarkko Kalliolepo (Finland), Barry McNulty (United Kingdom) and Mario Pizzuti (Italy) 25pts; 10 Thibault Gorczyca (France) 22pts

IRC 2WD Cup drivers after round 11 of 13

1 Robert Consani (France) 87pts; 2 Harry Hunt (United Kingdom) 76pts; 3 Martin Kangur (Estonia) 51pts; 4 Vlad Cosma (Romania) 33pts; 5 Murat Bostanci (Turkey) 30pts; 6 Petru-Antone Boschetti (France), Simone Campedelli (Italy), Jan Černy (Czech Republic), Paulo Maciel (Portugal), Marty McCormack (United Kingdom), Todor Slavov (Bulgaria) and Joan Vinyes (Spain) 25pts

IRC 2WD Cup co-drivers after round 11 of 13

1 Robbie Durant (United Kingdom) 76pts; 2 Nicolas Klinger (France) 62pts; 3 Florin Dorca (Romania) 33pts; 4 Onur Vatansever (Turkey) 30pts; 5 Cédric Beynet (France), Danilo Fapani (Italy), Dobromir Filipov (Bulgaria), Filipe Gouveia (Portugal), Nicolas Klinger (France), Pavel Kohout (Czech Republic), Benoit Manzo (France), Jordi Mercader (Spain), David Moynihan (Ireland) and Andres Ots (Russia) 25pts

IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers after round 11 of 13

1 Renault 320pts; 2 Honda 149pts; 3 M-Sport 115pts; 4 Peugeot 41pts; 5 ŠKODA 35pts

Go to www.ircseries.com for full standings, including IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup.

RALLY LEADERS

SS1: Yağiz Avci

SS2-13: Dimitar Iliev

STAGE WINNERS

Day one (Friday 28-Saturday 29 September, 131.93 kilometres):

SS1: SSS Sliven (1.91kms): Overall: Avci/IRC PC: Tempestini/IRC 2WD: Consani

SS2: Mollova Gora 1 (18.08kms): Donchev/Tempestini/Slavov

SS3: Kotel 1 (11.92kms): Iliev/Vasilev/Slavov

SS4: Stara Reka 1 (19.95kms): Iliev/Vasilev/Slavov

SS5: Bulgarka 1 (15.06kms): Iliev/Vasilev/Slavov

SS6: Mollova Gora 2 (18.08kms): Donchev/Tempestini/Slavov

SS7: Kotel 2 (11.92kms): Gyoshev/Vasilev/Slavov

SS8: Stara Reka 2 (19.95kms): Gyoshev/Vasilev/Slavov

SS9: Bulgarka 2 (15.06kms): Iliev/Vasilev/Slavov

Day two (Sunday 30 September, 65.39 kilometres):

SS10: Ablanovo (15.28kms): Gyoshev/Vasilev/Slavov

SS11: Kantona (20.20kms): Iliev/Apostolov/Slavov

SS12: Kipilovo (11.97kms): Iliev/Apostolov/Slavov

SS13: Itchera (17.94kms): Gyoshev/Consani/Slavov

KEY STATISTICS

IRC rally wins in 2012 (drivers)

Juho Hänninen 3; Jan Kopecký 2; Andreas Mikkelsen 2; Giandomenico Basso 1; Dimitar Iliev; Dani Sordo 1; Yağiz Avci: 1

IRC rally wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 8; M-Sport Ford 2; MINI 1 (note: MINI is not currently eligible for IRC manufacturers’ points)

IRC stage wins in 2012 (drivers)

Andreas Mikkelsen 50; Juho Hänninen 29; Jan Kopecký 20; Giandomenico Basso 7; Dimitar Iliev 6; Freddy Loix 5; Yuriy Protasov 5; Robert Consani 4; Petar Gyoshev 4; Dani Sordo 3; Yağiz Avci: 2; Pierre Campana 2; Krum Donchev 2; Mikko Pajunen 2; Sepp Wiegand 2; Marco Tempestini 2; Germain Bonnefis 1; Bryan Bouffier 1; Patrik Flodin 1; TomᚠKostka 1.

Stage wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 108; M-Sport Ford 17; Peugeot 15; Renault 4; MINI 3; Subaru 2

NEXT EVENT: Rallye Sanremo, 12-13 October

www.ircseries.com

It won’t just be the action on the stages that will be hot when the Mabanol Sliven Rally joins the Intercontinental Rally Challenge schedule for the first time this week.

Ambient temperatures around the Bulgarian city, where the event will be based from 28-30 September, have peaked at 33 degrees centigrade with Saturday’s opening day taking place in temperatures of 30 degrees centigrade with only a five per cent risk of rain. The temperature on Sunday is set to reach 27 degrees centigrade, again with a minimal risk of precipitation.

Not only will the high temperatures put a strain on the drivers and co-drivers, their cars will also be subjected to a tough test with tyre wear also at a premium on the undulating asphalt stages.

Consani can go top… twice!

Robert Consani starts the Mabanol Sliven Rally on Friday night with a strong chance to move to the top of the standings of the IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup.

Consani’s Renault Mégane RS is eligible for points in both categories and the French ace is well placed in both ahead of round 11 of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

In the IRC Production Cup, Consani trails Andreas Aigner by three points, while in the IRC 2WD Cup he is just one point adrift of Harry Hunt. Although Hunt is set to rigorously defend his title lead in Sliven, with Aigner not having nominated the Bulgarian round as one of this scoring events Consani is likely to take full advantage alongside co-driver Nicolas Klinger.

Bicakcioglu out to emulate Cetinkaya

Simin Biçakçioğlu will follow in the footsteps of countrywoman Burcu Çetinkaya when she makes her Intercontinental Rally Challenge debut on the Mabanol Sliven Rally this week.

Çetinkeya became the first female driver to score IRC points during her extended campaign in the series back in 2010. Biçakçioğlu is unlikely to achieve that same level of success in her two-wheel-drive machine in Sliven but will nevertheless be a contender for IRC 2WD Cup honours aboard the Pegasus Racing Abarth Grande Punto Super 1600 she shares with co-driver Cenk Ceylan.

The Turkish youngster, who began her motorsport career in touring car racing in 2008, will be using the IRC’s first visit to Bulgaria to gain more experience of competing on asphalt.

IRC season six to finish in Cyprus on 4 November

This year’s all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge will finish one day later than originally planned following a change to the date of the season-closing Cyprus Rally.

Instead of running from 2-3 November, the mixed-surface event will take place in Pafos from 2-4 November. After the ceremonial start in the host town on the evening of Friday 2 November, the competitive action will be contained over two days of tough competition from 08:30hrs local time on Saturday 3 November. The first car is due to cross the finishing ramp in Pafos at 16:23hrs on Sunday 4 November.

The event, part of the IRC family since 2010, is the only round of the series to feature a substantial proportion of asphalt and gravel stages. Last year it was the setting of the thrilling five-way fight for the IRC drivers’ crown, won eventually by ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen.

Three questions to: Ekaterina Stratieva

Bulgaria’s IRC 2WD Cup star on competing in front of her home fans on the Mabanol Sliven Rally

Bulgaria is hosting the IRC for the first time. What can fans expect from the Sliven Rally?
“The Bulgarian people are very warm and all the fans will be well received, especially in Sliven, which is the heart of the rallies in Bulgaria. Everybody here is very passionate and they all try their best that everything works out good.”

What does it mean to you to be competing in front of your home fans?
“I am really happy because I drive for Bulgaria, for Bulgaria automobile sport and for the Bulgarian fans. But every event is important for me because I learn something new for the future.”

How tough are the stages around Sliven?
“The mountains are full with surprises and like in Yalta all the time the drivers will need good concentration and also very good pacenotes. There are places that are narrow, others that are very bumpy, some big downhill sections and slippery roads – even fog is possible. But it will be pleasure to push on the stages and I am sure that it will be the same for the other competitors.”

In the spotlight: Andreas Mikkelsen

When injuries curtailed a promising downhill skiing career Mikkelsen turned his attentions to rallying – and with great success. He won his first ever event in 2006, aged 17, and two years later he became the youngest driver to score points in the world championship. After a promising IRC campaign in 2010, Mikkelsen signed for ŠKODA UK Motorsport and won the 2011 title with two late-season wins. With two wins to his credit this season the Norwegian currently holds a healthy advantage in his bid to become the IRC’s first back-to-back champion.

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen will swap his rally boots for a pair of running shoes when he takes part in the Oslo Marathon on Saturday.

Mikkelsen regularly runs half-marathon distances during his extensive training programme for his IRC campaign but has yet to run a full marathon. Despite his reputation as a super-fit driver, the 23-year-old fears he’s behind with his preparations for the event in Norway’s capital.

“I’m far, far behind schedule training for my first marathon,” admits the ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver. “It was a last-minute decision – I only discovered I was running the week before Barum Czech Rally Zlín, so that gave me less than one month to prepare.

“My housemate, Anders, did the Oslo Marathon last year, so my main goal is to try to beat his time. He finished in just under four hours, so I have an aim of three hours 45 minutes – but that will be tough because of the limited amount of training I’ve done. I am in training all the time of course, but not for marathons.”

New name, logo for Sliven Rally

Sliven Rally organisers have confirmed a new event name and tweaked logo for their first appearance in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge next week.

Following an exciting sponsorship agreement with Mabanol, which specialises in premium lubricants for premium performance in the automotive and industrial sectors, the event will now be known as the Mabanol Sliven Rally, while the event logo has been adjusted to incorporate the company’s key involvement in the all-asphalt contest from 28-30 September.

“The IRC Sliven Rally is the most significant event in Bulgarian motorsport,” said Alexander Alexandrov, Managing Director of Oiltanking Bulgaria AD. “As Mabanol always strives for best quality and performance of its products, as well positioning them among best performing cars and rally pilots, we feel there is a great level of synergy between what Eurosport Events and the IRC is doing for motorsport and its fans Mabanol is doing for its customers.”

Flodin tries circuit racing for size

Patrik Flodin switched from his regular Petter Solberg Engineering-run M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 to take part in the Camaro Cup motor racing series in his native Sweden recently.

Flodin is keen to build his experience of driving on Tarmac and a circuit race represents ideal preparation for his Intercontinental Rally Challenge campaign.

After retiring from his opening heat at Knutstorp following a collision with rival Freddie Magnusson, Flodin took the chequered flag in the next heat in 10^th place. “It was just for fun,” said Flodin. “It was really just the beginning and it was good experience.”

Flodin’s best result in the IRC remains the second place he recorded on the Sibiu Rally in Romania.

Kangur back in action for Honda in Sliven

Martin Kangur will return to the IRC 2WD Cup on the Mabanol Sliven Rally in Bulgaria next week.

Kangur, from Estonia, skipped last week’s trip to Ukraine for the Prime Yalta Rally but will be back in action in Bulgaria – which is hosting a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the first time – in his Catwees Honda Racing Civic Type R.

Despite Kangur’s absence in Ukraine, Honda still managed a strong haul of points in the IRC 2WD Cup with local heroes Oleksiy Panov and Olexandr Yukushev finishing fifth in the two-wheel-drive category and claiming 15 IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers’ points.

Three questions to: Yağiz Avci

Prime Yalta Rally winner on making it big in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge

It’s fair to say you haven’t done many rallies on Tarmac during your career, right?
“We have very little experience of driving on Tarmac, rallies in Turkey are on gravel and the stages in Yalta very long and rough and it was difficult to protect your car while keeping a good pace.”
What did winning the Prime Yalta Rally – your first in the IRC – mean to you?
“Winning has been very special for us, especially because this is my first time in Yalta and I found it a very difficult event. Our main aim was to make no mistakes here. We have had no problems with the car and the tyres have been fine also. My team has done a fantastic job. We hope to come back next year and improve on our stage times.”
How much did you enjoy your first Prime Yalta Rally experience?
“I was surprised by the number of fans on the stages and there has been a lot of support in the service park too. The atmosphere in the centre is nice and it has been a very well organised rally.”

In the spotlight: Harry Hunt

Having recently turned 24, Londoner Hunt has been a regular in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge since 2010 when he won the IRC 2WD Cup in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2. He’s now competing in a Citroën DS3 R3T for Iwan Evans’ iCars Motorsport team and impressing alongside co-driver and fellow Brit Robbie Durant with regular strong results

This year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge is set for a thrilling climax with four events of the all-action series remaining including Rally Sliven, an exciting addition to the IRC schedule for 2012.

Following this week’s Prime Yalta Rally in Ukraine, where crews are currently completing their final preparations prior to the competitive action getting underway this Friday (14 September), the IRC will make its first visit to Bulgaria from 28-30 September.

Rally Sliven represents an intriguing prospect for IRC regulars and newcomers alike. New to the series for this season, the event is a mainstay of the Bulgarian national championship and part of the FIA European Rally Cups. It features technical asphalt stages in the mountains around Sliven, Bulgaria’s eighth largest city, with altitudes ranging from 250 metres to 1100 metres above sea level. Some runs feature an altitude variation of 600 metres. Two legendary downhill tests, Bulgarka and Stara Reka, are back on the itinerary for the first time in 20 years, while the popular Sliven superspecial stage, based in a park in the city, will attract thousands of spectators.

“Fans from throughout Bulgaria will gather around the stages and create a great atmosphere for the competitors, who will quickly find out how challenging the stages are,” said Atanas Chanev, the Deputy Clerk of the Course. “There are uphill sections followed by steep and technical downhill parts. Every stage has its specific grip and even on some stages the amount of grip changes in almost every corner. Rally Sliven will be the most interesting motorsport event in Bulgaria this year and a lot of people will come and be part of our debut in the IRC.”

Entries close on Thursday 20 September and more details are available at www.rallysliven.com.

Rally Sliven: key features

*Ceremonial start in Sliven on Friday 28 September

*Superspecial stage in host city, one of 13 asphalt runs over competitive distance of 197.32 kilometres

*Technical stages based in the mountains above Sliven, 300 kilometres from Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia

*Finishing podium at 14:30hrs local time on Sunday 30 September

*Day-by-day highlights and Inside IRC magazine programme on Eurosport

Rally Sliven is round 11 of the 13-event IRC season. The series concludes with Rallye Sanremo in Italy from 12-13 October and the Cyprus Rally based in Pafos from 2-3 November.

*First victory on asphalt event for ŠKODA Motorsport driver

*Aigner wins IRC Production Cup for Subaru

Juho Hänninen has claimed his maiden victory on Barum Czech Rally Zlín. The former Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion was leading comfortably after 14 stages when organisers stopped the event ahead of the final test following an accident on stage 13.

Miroslav Regner, the event clerk of the course, confirmed that a Czech male spectator had died and a Hungarian male spectator had suffered non-life threatening injuries and was being treated in hospital. The crew of the car, Václav Kopáček and TomᚠSinger, were not injured. An investigation has been launched. IRC promoter Eurosport Events joins the rally organisers in extending its condolences to the family of the deceased.

In terms of the outcome of the rally, Hänninen, from Finland, had been in a close fight with ŠKODA Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecký starting the final day but edged 16.2s clear when he beat Kopecký by more than 10s following a flat-out charge on stage 12, Maják, shown live on Eurosport and free-to-air Czech TV. But any hopes Kopecký had of fighting back on the next run, Halenkovice, ended when his Fabia Super 2000’s engine failed after a handful of kilometres of the 21.40-kilometre test, which was subsequently neutralised following Kopáček’s accident.

“I really was pushing that I can promise,” said Hänninen, whose tally of 11 IRC wins alongside navigator Mikko Markkula is more than any other driver has managed in the six-year history of the series. “I don’t know what happened to Jan but only a few kilometres from the stage start he was at the side of the road and it looks like it was something technical. It was not easy then to find the rhythm after being in a big fight for the last two days.”

Defending IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen was in third overall when a double puncture on the day’s first stage dropped him to 10th. He was in eighth when the rally was stopped. “At a junction we went a little bit extra wide and hit a kerb,” said the ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver. “We stopped to change a puncture, but we didn’t realise we had two punctures and had to stop again – that’s why we lost so much time. After that we had to be really careful and not take any cuts, because if we had another puncture that would be the end of our rally. It’s been a difficult weekend.”

Roman Kresta finished second following a close fight with fellow Czech and ŠKODA privateer TomᚠKostka, who led after the Friday night’s opening special. After overcoming powersteering problems on day one Kresta’s team-mate Jaromír Tarabus finished fourth after moving clear of Robert Barrable who impressed in fifth place for ŠKODA Ireland. Estonian teenager Karl Kruuda completed the top six.

Patrik Flodin finished 15th for PS Engineering after a troubled rally. A gearbox change, which handed him a substantial time penalty on Sunday, compounded a frustrating weekend for the rapid Swede in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000. Michał Sołowow was the leading Peugeot 207 S2000 finisher in ninth, one place ahead of ŠKODA Auto Deutschland’s Sepp Wiegand, who was delayed when he went off the road on the opening day.

Despite failing to finish after crashing on stage seven, Jarkko Nikara was handed the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy for a sequence of impressive stage times in his near-standard Impreza, including the third-fastest time on stage five.

IRC Production Cup

Andreas Aigner made it three wins out of four starts in the IRC Production Cup, which he led from stage five. Co-driven by fellow Austrian Ilka Minor, Aigner drove without error to finish an impressive seventh overall in his Stohl Racing Subaru Impreza R4 STI. Toshi Arai, in a Tommi Mäkinen Racing Impreza, finished second with Czech Jaroslav Orsák fighting back from a puncture on Saturday afternoon to take third. “Ilka has been making the perfect job, the car is perfect so no problems,” said Aigner afterwards.

IRC 2WD Cup

Having led the IRC 2WD Cup for the first 10 stages, Robert Consani was eyeing his second victory of the season when an engine fault halted his Renault Mégane on Sunday morning, handing victory to local hero Jan Černý with Josef Peták second in a Renault Clio R3. Consani’s retirement means Harry Hunt’s 26-point title advantage remains in tact. The Briton was not competing in Zlín. Honda’s Martin Kangur retired from damaged front-left suspension following an accident on stage four.

TOP 10 IRC POSITIONS AFTER 14 STAGES

1 Juho Hänninen (FIN)/Mikko Markkula (FIN) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 2h11m28.2s

2 Roman Kresta (CZE)/Petr Gross (CZE) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +1m43.1s

3 TomᚠKostka (CZE)/Miroslav Houšť (CZE) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +1m51.8s

4 Jaromír Tarabus (CZE)/Daniel Trunkát (CZE) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +4m11.7s

5 Robert Barrable (IRL)/Stuart Loudon (GBR) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +4m33.6s

6 Karl Kruuda (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +5m03.0s

7 Andreas Aigner (AUT)/Ilka Minor (AUT) Subaru Impreza R4 STI +5m34.6s

8 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +5m35.8s

9 Michał Sołowow (POL)/Maciej Baran (POL) Peugeot 207 S2000 +6m18.7s

10 Sepp Wiegand (GER)/Timo Gottschalk (GER) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +7m21.8s

IRC Production Cup: Andreas Aigner (AUT)/Ilka Minor (AUT) Subaru Impreza R4 STI

IRC 2WD Cup: Jan Černý (CZE)/Pavel Kohout (CZE) Citroën DS3 R3T

IRC STANDINGS (BEST OF EIGHT SCORES COUNT, ALL POINTS PROVISIONAL)

IRC drivers after round nine of 13

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway) 136pts; 2 Juho Hänninen (Finland) 93pts; 3 Jan Kopecký (Czech Republic) 83pts; 4 Sepp Wiegand (Germany) 53pts; 5 Giandomenico Basso (Italy) 40pts; 6 Patrik Flodin (Sweden) 28pts; 7 Bryan Bouffier (France) and Umberto Scandola (Italy) 27pts; 9 Dani Sordo (Spain) 25pts; 10 Robert Barrable (Ireland), Craig Breen (Ireland), Roman Kresta (Czech Republic) and Freddy Loix (Belgium) 18pts.

IRC co-drivers after round nine of 13

1 Ola Fløene (Norway) 136pts; 2 Mikko Markkula (Finland) 93pts; 3 Pavel Dresler (Czech Republic) 83pts; 4 Timo Gottschalk (Germany) 53pts; 5 Mitia Dotta (Italy) 40pts; 6 Göran Bergsten (Sweden) 28pts; 7 Guido D’Amore (Italy) and Xavier Panseri (France) 27pts; 9 Carlos del Barrio (Spain) 25pts; 10 Petr Gross (Czech Repbulic), Gareth Roberts (United Kingdom) and Lara Vanneste (Belgium) 18pts.

IRC manufacturers after round nine of 13

1 ŠKODA 325pts; 2 Peugeot 187pts; 3 M-Sport 108pts; 4 Renault 92pts; 5 Subaru 88pts; 6 Honda 37pts.

IRC Production Cup drivers after round nine of 13

1 Andreas Aigner (Austria) 75pts; 2 Marco Tempestini (Romania) 48pts; 3 Robert Consani (France) 47pts; 4 Vitaliy Pushkar (Ukraine) 41pts; 5 Toshi Arai (Japan) 36pts, 6 Garry Jennings (United Kingdom), Ricardo Moura (Portugal), Jarkko Nikara (Finland) and Massimiliano Rendina 25pts; 10 Johan Heloïse (France) 22pts.

IRC Production Cup co-drivers after round nine of 13

1 Daniela Ertl (Austria) 50pts; 2 Dorin Pulpea (Romania) 48pts; 3 Nicolas Klinger (France) 47pts; 4 Ivan Mishyn (Ukraine) 41pts; 5 Dale Moscatt (Australia) 36pts; 6 Sancho Eiró (Portugal), Jarkko Kalliolepo (Finland), Barry McNulty (United Kingdom) and Mario Pizzuti (Italy) 25pts; 10 Thibault Gorczyca (France) 22pts.

IRC 2WD Cup drivers after round nine of 13

1 Harry Hunt (United Kingdom) 76pts; 2 Robert Consani (France) 50pts; 3 Martin Kangur (Estonia) 33pts; 4 Petru-Antone Boschetti (France), Simone Campedelli (Italy), Jan Černy (Czech Republic), Paulo Maciel (Portugal), Marty McCormack (United Kingdom) and Joan Vinyes (Spain) 25pts; 10 Davide Catania (Italy) 22pts.

IRC 2WD Cup co-drivers after round nine of 13

1 Robbie Durant (United Kingdom) 76pts; 2 Cédric Beynet (France), Danilo Fapani (Italy), Filipe Gouveia (Portugal), Nicolas Klinger (France), Pavel Kohout (Czech Republic), Benoit Manzo (France), Jordi Mercader (Spain), David Moynihan (Ireland) and Andres Ots (Russia) 25pts.

IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers after round nine of 13

1 Renault 305pts; 2 Honda 116pts; 3 M-Sport 60pts; 4 Peugeot 41pts; 5 ŠKODA 35pts.

Go to www.ircseries.com for full standings, including IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup.

RALLY LEADERS

SS1: TomᚠKostka

SS2-SS3: Juho Hännninen

SS4-SS6: Andreas Mikkelsen

SS7-SS14: Juho Hännninen

STAGE WINNERS

Day one (Friday 31 August-Saturday 1 September, 139.22 kilometres):

SS1: SSS Zlín (9.36kms): Overall: Kostka/IRC PC: Orsák/IRC 2WD: Consani

SS2: Slušovice 1 (15.94kms): Hänninen/Nikara/Consani

SS3: Pindula 1 (18.43kms): Mikkelsen/Nikara/Černý

SS4: Slušovice 2 (15.94kms): Mikkelsen/Nikara/Consani

SS5: Pindula 2 (18.43kms): Kopecký/Nikara/Černý

SS6: Lukov 1 (11.38kms): Mikkelsen/Nikara/Černý

SS7: Tesák 1 (19.18kms): Kopecký/Aigner/Černý

SS8: Lukov 2 (11.38kms): Hänninen/Aigner/Černý

SS9: Tesák 1 (19.18kms): Hänninen/Aigner/Černý

Day two (Sunday 2 September, 112.40 kilometres):

SS10: Halenkovice 1 (21.40kms): Kopecký/Aigner/Černý

SS11: Kudlovice 1 (11.42kms): Hänninen/Orsák/Chentre

SS12: Maják 1 (23.38kms): Hänninen/Aigner/Černý

SS13: Halenkovice 2 (21.40kms): Hänninen/Orsák/Černý

SS14: Kudlovice 2 (11.42kms): Mikkelsen/Aigner/Stage not run for IRC 2WD Cup competitors

SS15: Maják 2 (23.38kms): Stage cancelled

KEY STATISTICS

IRC rally wins in 2012 (drivers)

Juho Hänninen 3; Jan Kopecký 2; Andreas Mikkelsen 2; Giandomenico Basso 1; Dani Sordo 1.

IRC rally wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 7; MINI 1 (note: MINI is not currently eligible for IRC manufacturers’ points); M-Sport Ford 1.

IRC stage wins in 2012 (drivers)

Andreas Mikkelsen 50; Juho Hänninen 29; Jan Kopecký 20; Giandomenico Basso 7; Freddy Loix 5; Dani Sordo 3; Pierre Campana 2; Sepp Wiegand 2; Germain Bonnefis 1; Bryan Bouffier 1; Patrik Flodin 1; TomᚠKostka 1.

Stage wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 102; Peugeot 9; M-Sport Ford 8; MINI 3.

TV TIMES:
Go to www.ircseries.com for more information.

NEXT EVENT:
Prime Yalta Rally, 14-16 September

An entry list of more than 100 cars, four stages live on television and more than 200,000 fans expected to line the route will make next week’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín one of the highlights of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge season.

It’s a hit with the drivers too with Jan Kopecký and Andreas Mikkelsen, two of the favourites for victory on the Tarmac event, both excited by the prospect of doing battle on the high-speed stages.

“There are lot of spectators and a lovely atmosphere so it’s really a beautiful event,” said ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s defending IRC champion Mikkelsen. “But you need to be brave because some of the roads are bumpy in places, really fast with some narrow sections downhill in the forest.”

Czech hero Kopecký, who will line up for the factory ŠKODA team, said: “The live television will make this rally really special and will give the Czech fans the chance to show they are really special. Their flags really give you the motivation to push.”

This year’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín, which runs from 31 August-2 September, counts as round nine of the 13-event IRC season. A full preview will appear on www.ircseries.com on Friday.

Eurosport’s LIVE coverage of Barum Czech Rally Zlín

Saturday 1 September
10:00hrs-11:00hrs CET: SS2 Slusovice 1 (16.20 kilometres)
13:00hrs-14:00hrs CET: SS4 Slusovice 2 (16.20 kilometres)

Sunday 2 September
10:00hrs-11:00hrs CET: SS12 Majak 1 (22.80 kilometres)
13:00hrs-14:00hrs CET: SS15 Majak 2 (22.80 kilometres)

Hard working Stratieva gets ready for Czech run

Ekaterina Stratieva returns to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on Barum Czech Rally Zlín next week determined to “enjoy every centimetre” of the asphalt showcase.

The Bulgarian has called on double European champion Simon Jean-Joseph to help her prepare for the event, where she will be chasing success in the IRC 2WD Cup.

“For two months I don’t do another race because I want to concentrate on Zlín,” said Stratieva. “Simon Jean-Joseph helped me a lot by telling me to be more relaxed and enjoy every centimetre that I drive. I am in love with the stages on this rally, very hard and technical. All the time you must have very good concentration. I hope we will get a good result.”

Stratieva and co-driver Carmen Poenaru are one of three all-female crews competing in Czech Republic.

Veteran Triner to do it for the fans on Zlín return

Czech rallying legend Emil Triner will back in action on Barum Czech Rally Zlín after a six-year absence next week in a car that he has always wanted to drive.

The 51-year-old former ŠKODA factory ace will pilot a Fabia Super 2000 in competition for the first time on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge round from 31 August-2 September.

He said: “To drive this car I yearned all the time and everyone who has chance to drive this car has good results and speaks about it in superlatives. It will be a really demanding rally for me so it would be nice to see the finish. Most of all I don’t want to crash the car but I certainly don’t want to disappoint my supporters.”

Peugeot plans Sanremo trial for 208 R2

Fans attending Rallye Sanremo, the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in Italy in October, will get the chance to see Peugeot Sport’s R2-specification 208 being put through its paces.

There is no confirmation on who will drive the car but Peugeot will use the famous asphalt rally as part of an ongoing development programme, which continued when IRC frontrunner Craig Breen drove a 208 R2 on International Rally Northern Ireland, a round of the British championship, as a course car recently.

”It was great to drive the car on this event and I would like to thank everyone at Peugeot Sport for the amazing work they have put in since last January,” said Breen. “It’s a fantastic car which I would have loved to have had for my debut in the sport. It’s the perfect customer-spec car.”

Stéphane Sarrazin gave the Peugeot 208 R2 its first public airing on Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse back in May.

Three questions to: Jan Kopecký

Age: 30 Lives: Czech Republic

Czech hero on summer holidays and winning at home

It’s been a few months since your last IRC appearance. What have you been up to?
“I had one week holidays in the south of Czech Republic. We were riding our bikes for four days and it was really nice. I’ve also done a few rallies including a classic rally in Germany in an old ŠKODA.”

What was that like – a bit slower than what you are used to?
“Well the main thing was not to be as fast as possible but to be as precise as possible. One stage was 100 metres long and the gap between the first 20 cars was 0.06s. It was a nice event to do.”

And looking ahead to next week’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín, what result can you achieve?
“I will try to go as fast as possible but it’s not going to be easy because I have to think about the Czech championship and getting the points for that and not taking big risks to win the rally.”

In the spotlight: Robert Consani

With a total of three IRC starts under his belt prior to 2012, Frenchman Consani will enter the majority of the 13-round IRC series this year, using a Renault Mégane RS on asphalt events and a Clio R3 on gravel due to the former not being homologated for loose-surface competition. Consani is eligible for the IRC 2WD Cup and IRC Production Cup when he’s on board his Mégane and is excelling in both divisions.

*ŠKODA UK driver makes it 25 wins in the IRC for the Czech manufacturer

*Colin McRae Trophy goes to Flodin as Pushkar and Consani score in support categories

Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene have claimed ŠKODA’s 25th victory in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge with a dominant performance on the Sibiu Rally, which finished in Romania’s picturesque Transylvania region this evening.

Mikkelsen, driving a ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000, led from Friday’s opening stage and drove without fault to claim his second win of the season, a result that puts him 49 points clear in his bid to become the first driver to secure back-to-back IRC titles.

Sepp Wiegand was on course for his maiden IRC podium when broken right-rear suspension forced his retirement on stage 10. The ŠKODA Auto Deutschland driver’s misfortune promoted Patrik Flodin to second place after the Petter Solberg Engineering driver had fought back from 45th position following early delays. His heroics earned him the prestigious Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy.

François Delecour completed the podium after the 49-year-old French legend overcame a spate of damper failures in his Munaretto Sport Peugeot 207 Super 2000. Delecour was also able to celebrate finishing as the leading Romanian championship runner. Vitaliy Puskhar claimed his first IRC Production Cup event win, while Robert Consani bagged his maiden success in the IRC 2WD Cup after former champion Harry Hunt hit trouble in the closing stages while leading.

Mikkelsen began day two with a comfortable 2m44.1s margin having won all seven stages on Friday and by profiting when several of his key rivals suffered significant time loss. Although Wiegand topped Saturday’s opener, Mikkelsen wasn’t flustered, citing his cautious approach – and his decision to carry two spare tyres compared to one on Friday – for his small drop off in pace.

The Norwegian was less circumspect on the mixed-surface Șanta Max run that followed to go fastest before a front-right puncture five kilometres from the finish of stage 10 helped Flodin to a first stage best. But two further stage wins in the afternoon, including the event-closing superspecial on the outskirts of Sibui, ensured a comfortable winning margin of more than five and a half minutes, an IRC record.

“We won with a good margin, but it was a very tough event,” said Mikkelsen. “The roads were very rough and for us it was a case of taking no risks and driving to avoid all the big rocks, especially after we’d opened up a big gap by the end of day one. This victory is a fantastic feeling for the whole ŠKODA UK Motorsport team, and if it wasn’t for their great work I wouldn’t be here. We’ve been so close in the last rounds with a lot of second places, so it’s great to be back on the top step of the podium.”

Flodin completed day one in sixth place and frustrated after a costly puncture on stage two – caused by a broken wheel rim – and the significant delay encountered in the dust clouds that proved such a menace on stages four and seven. But a brace of top-two stage times on Saturday morning rejuvenated the Swede who moved into third when Delecour had to drive through stage nine with a broken front-right shock absorber. Flodin suffered problems of his own on day two, with a broken driveshaft and powersteering glitch affecting his pace through stage 11. However, with Delecour suffering more broken shock absorber woes, Flodin’s second place was never truly threatened.

Wiegand was almost 2m40s clear in second place when he picked up a puncture on stage 10. Rather than stopping to change the damaged wheel the 21-year-old rising star elected to carry only for his car’s right-rear shock absorber to break and force his retirement when a connection failed.

Having been plagued by a spate of punctures on day one, Swiss Michaël Burri was hoping for a change of fortune on Saturday. Instead, an errant stone broke the timing belt on his Saintéloc Racing Peugeot 207, which caused the car’s engine to fail. His team-mate Mathieu Arzeno didn’t restart following his stage-two exit due to a crack being discovered in the shock absorber top mounting.

Marco Tempestini was in seventh place when his privateer Fabia suffered clutch failure. Dan Girtofan continued under restart rules on day two and set some impressive times in his ŠKODA Romania-backed entry. A broken right-rear wheel ended Gergély Szabó’s challenge after stage eight. The Hungarian had run as high as second in his Eurosol Fabia, which he was using in competition for the first time.

IRC Production Cup

Valeriy Pushkar impressed with his maiden IRC Production Cup win after fighting back from a double puncture on Saturday’s opener. Valentin Porcisteanu started the day leading the category as the top Romanian driver when disaster struck on stage nine: “After three kilometers from the start we got a puncture and it damaged the steering,” he said. “Then the car fell down from the jack, later Vitaliy passed us and we didn’t see anything in the dust.” Porcisteanu eventually finished third in class behind team-mate Edwin Keleti. Slovenian lady driver Aska Zupanc took fourth with Bogdan Marisca fifth and Marius Klein sixth. Title leader Andreas Aigner did not restart in his Stohl Racing Subaru Impreza R4 STI following his exit on stage two with broken suspension.

IRC 2WD Cup

Robert Consani landed his first victory in the IRC 2WD Cup in a hugely impressive sixth overall at the wheel of his Renault Clio R3. The French ace trailed Harry Hunt by almost a minute with three stages remaining but took advantage when Hunt was slowed by a broken right-rear shock absorber, which caused two punctures and his rear brakes to falter. Despite the numerous setbacks Hunt fought his way to the finish in second with Vlad Cosma third and Alexandru Filip fourth in another Clio R3. Serban Tomita gave Honda reason to celebrate by heading home category regular Davide Catania in ninth place. The Japanese make’s lead driver Martin Kangur was a favourite for victory but a succession of punctures wrecked his hopes, which were finally ended when a rock broke his Civic Type R’s fuel tank on Friday’s final run. He elected not to restart on day two.

TOP 10 IRC POSITIONS: SIBIU RALLY (19-21 JULY)

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 2h15m28.0s

2 Patik Flodin (SWE)/Göran Bergsten (SWE) M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 +5m33.8s

3 François Delecour (FRA)/Dominique Savignoni (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000 +11m56.9s

4 Vitaliy Pushkar (UKR)/Ivan Mishyn (UKR) Ralliart Lancer Evolution X +13m57.2s

5 Edwin Keleti (ROM)/Botond Csomortani (UKR) Ralliart Lancer Evolution X +14m45.6s

6 Robert Consani (FRA)/Cédric Beynet (FRA) Renault Clio R3 +17m26.7s

7 Valentin Porcisteanu (ROM)/Daniel Dobre (ROM) Ralliart Lancer Evolution X +18m04.6s

8 Asja Zupanc (SLO)/Spela Trcek (SLO) Ralliart Lancer Evolution IX +21m14.0s

9 Bogdan Marisca (ROM)/Sebastian Itu (ROM) Ralliart Lancer IX +21m43.3s

10 Alexandru Filip (ROM)/Bogdan Iancu (ROM) Renault Clio R3 +24m39.1s

IRC Production Cup: Vitaliy Pushkar (UKR)/Ivan Mishyn (UKR) Ralliart Lancer Evolution X

IRC 2WD Cup: Robert Consani (FRA)/Cédric Beynet (FRA) Renault Clio R3

IRC STANDINGS (BEST OF EIGHT SCORES COUNT, ALL POINTS PROVISIONAL)

IRC drivers after round eight of 13

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway) 132pts; 2 Jan Kopecký (Czech Republic) 83pts; 3 Juho Hänninen (Finland) 68pts; 4 Sepp Wiegand (Germany) 52pts; 5 Giandomenico Basso (Italy) 40pts; 6 Patrik Flodin (Sweden) 28pts; 7 Bryan Bouffier (France) and Umberto Scandola (Italy) 27pts; 9 Dani Sordo (Spain) 25pts; 10 Craig Breen (Ireland) and Freddy Loix (Belgium) 18pts.

IRC co-drivers after round eight of 13

1 Ola Fløene (Norway) 132pts; 2 Pavel Dresler (Czech Republic) 83pts; 3 Mikko Markkula (Finland) 68pts; 4 Timo Gottschalk (Germany) 52pts; 5 Mitia Dotta (Italy) 40pts; 6 Göran Bergsten (Sweden) 28pts; 7 Guido D’Amore (Italy) and Xavier Panseri (France) 27pts; 9 Carlos del Barrio (Spain) 25pts; 10 Gareth Roberts (United Kingdom) and Lara Vanneste (Belgium) 18pts.

IRC manufacturers after round eight of 13

1 ŠKODA 307pts; 2 Peugeot 169pts; 3 M-Sport 102pts; 4 Renault 86pts; 5 Subaru 63pts; 6 Honda 36pts.

IRC Production Cup drivers after round eight of 13

1 Andreas Aigner (Austria) 50pts; 2 Marco Tempestini (Romania) 48pts; 3 Robert Consani (France) 47pts; 4 Vitaliy Pushkar (Ukraine) 41pts; 5 Garry Jennings (United Kingdom), Ricardo Moura (Portugal), Jarkko Nikara (Finland) and Massimiliano Rendina 25pts; 9 Johan Heloïse (France) 22pts; 10 Toshi Arai (Japan), Bob Colsoul (France), Donagh Kelly (Ireland), Sérgio Silva (Portugal) and Gergély Szabó (Hungary) 18pts.

IRC Production Cup co-drivers after round eight of 13

1 Daniela Ertl (Austria) 50pts; 2 Dorin Pulpea (Romania) 48pts; 3 Nicolas Klinger (France) 47pts; 4 Ivan Mishyn (Ukraine) 41pts; 5 Sancho Eiró (Portugal), Jarkko Kalliolepo (Finland), Barry McNulty (United Kingdom) and Mario Pizzuti (Italy) 25pts; 9 Thibault Gorczyca (France) 22pts; 10 Tom Colsoul (France), Kevin Flanagan (Ireland), Borbely Karoly (Hungary), Dale Moscatt (Australia) and Fernando Nunes (Portugal) 18pts.

IRC 2WD Cup drivers after round eight of 13

1 Harry Hunt (United Kingdom) 76pts; 2 Robert Consani (France) 50pts; 3 Martin Kangur (Estonia) 33pts; 4 Petru-Antone Boschetti (France), Simone Campedelli (Italy), Paulo Maciel (Portugal), Marty McCormack (United Kingdom) and Joan Vinyes (Spain) 25pts; 9 Davide Catania (Italy) 22pts; 10 Gorka Antxustegui (Spain), Melissa Debackere (Belgium), François Delecour (France), Paolo Diana (Italy), Tommy Doyle (Ireland) and Énio Medeiros (Portugal) 18pts.

IRC 2WD Cup co-drivers after round eight of 13

1 Robbie Durant (United Kingdom) 76pts; 2 Cédric Beynet (France), Danilo Fapani (Italy), Filipe Gouveia (Portugal), Nicolas Klinger (France), Benoit Manzo (France), Jordi Mercader (Spain), David Moynihan (Ireland) and Andres Ots (Estonia) 25pts; 10 Cindy Cokelaere (Belgium), Andrea Mini (Italy), Liam Moynihan (Ireland), Paulo Rego (Portugal), Dominique Savignoni (France) and Gabriel Suarez (Spain) 18pts.

IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers after round eight of 13

1 Renault 262pts; 2 Honda 98pts; 3 M-Sport 60pts; 4 Peugeot 41pts; 5 ŠKODA 8pts.

Go to www.ircseries.com for full standings, including IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup.

RALLY LEADERS

SS1-12: Andreas Mikkelsen

STAGE WINNERS

Day one (Friday 20 July):

SS1: Dobârca I (7.30kms): Overall: Mikkelsen/IRC PC: Pushkar/IRC 2WD: Kangur

SS2: Crinți I (28.70kms): Mikkelsen/Porcisteanu/Stage cancelled for IRC 2WD Cup drivers

SS3: Dobârca II (7.30kms): Mikkelsen/Pushkar/Kangur

SS4: Crinți II (28.70kms): Mikkelsen/Porcisteanu/Consani

SS5: Superspeciala I (1.90kms): Mikkelsen and Porcisteanu/Porcisteanu/Cosma

SS6: Paltiniș (10.00kms): Mikkelsen/Marisca/Hunt

SS7: Șanta (16.00kms): Mikkelsen/Porcisteanu/Hunt

Day two (Saturday 21 July):

SS8: Gâtu Berbecului I (28.50kms): Wiegand/Porcisteanu/Hunt

SS9: Şanta Max I (20.70kms): Mikkelsen/Pushkar/Consani

SS10: Gâtu Berbecului II (28.50kms): Flodin/Porcisteanu/Consani

SS11: Şanta Max II (20.70kms): Mikkelsen/Pushkar/Consani

SS12: Superspeciala II (1.90kms): Mikkelsen/Porcisteanu/Hunt

KEY STATISTICS

IRC rally wins in 2012 (drivers)

Juho Hänninen 2; Jan Kopecký 2; Andreas Mikkelsen 2; Giandomenico Basso 1; Dani Sordo 1.

IRC rally wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 6; MINI 1 (note: MINI is not currently eligible for IRC manufacturers’ points); M-Sport Ford 1.

IRC stage wins in 2012 (drivers)

Andreas Mikkelsen 46; Juho Hänninen 23; Jan Kopecký 17; Giandomenico Basso 7; Freddy Loix 5; Dani Sordo 3; Pierre Campana 2; Sepp Wiegand 2; Germain Bonnefis 1; Bryan Bouffier 1; Patrik Flodin 1.

Stage wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 88; Peugeot 9; M-Sport Ford 8; MINI 3.

TV TIMES

Go to www.ircseries.com for more information.

NEXT EVENT

Barum Czech Rally Zlín, 31 August-2 September

*Fifth series victory for Italian and first for M-Sport’s Ford Fiesta RRC in the IRC

*Mikkelsen extends title lead as Nikara and Hunt claim support category spoils

Giandomenico Basso has clinched his fifth career victory in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge following a scintillating battle with Andreas Mikkelsen on the 40th running of Rally San Marino.

Mikkelsen appeared to be in the ascendancy when he won Saturday’s opening stage only for Basso to hit back by going fastest on the next run. His triumph ignited a thrilling fight that ebbed and flowed with astonishing frequency, and was only settled in Basso’s favour on the very last all-gravel stage.

Such was the intensity of their scrap Basso and Mikkelsen were tied on time for first place on two occasions. At the finish in San Marino’s historic quarter on Saturday evening, just 2.8s separated the pair with Basso claiming five stage wins to Mikkelsen’s six.

The result means Basso, competing on a gravel rally for the first time in two years, becomes the fifth different winner in the IRC this season, while second place for defending IRC champion Mikkelsen increases his lead over Jan Kopecký in the race for the drivers’ crown. Basso’s success is also the first for M-Sport’s Ford Fiesta Regional Rally Car in the IRC, which enjoys extensive coverage on Eurosport.

Jarkko Nikara claimed a dominant win in the IRC Production Cup at the wheel of his Subaru Impreza R4 STI, while Harry Hunt also won with comparative ease in the IRC 2WD Cup, the former champion’s maiden triumph of 2012.

“I’m very happy,” said Basso, whose victory was his first in the IRC since 2009 and earned him the prestigious Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy. “It was a fantastic race and battle with Andreas, who is a very good driver. My team has done a great job and the car and tyres have been perfect.”

Basso’s hopes of success appeared to have nosedived when he dropped 9.1s behind Mikkelsen after Saturday’s first test following a cautious run in slightly damp conditions. But with his rival losing time cleaning the road of significantly more loose surface gravel on the next two stages, Basso was able to draw level heading to service in San Marino after Mikkelsen was slowed by powersteering failure.

Mikkelsen began the afternoon loop by edging Basso by 0.3s on stage nine only for Basso to draw level once again following stage 10. The decisive stage came on the next run when Mikkelsen’s normally aspirated ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 was unable to match Basso’s turbocharged machine on the uphill sections. Basso completed the stage leading by 4.9s and although Mikkelsen was fastest on the final two tests, it wasn’t enough to prevent Basso from winning.

Umberto Scandola overcame power and handling issues to secure the final podium place in his ŠKODA Italia Fabia with ŠKODA Auto Deutschland’s Sepp Wiegand a strong fourth on his Rally San Marino debut and only his third start on gravel. The inexperienced 21-year-old impressed from the outset by recording his first stage win in the IRC. Although he gradually slipped down the order due to tyre selection, handling issues and a costly spin on Friday afternoon, it was nevertheless an impressive showing by Wiegand who has now scored points on all six IRC events he has started this season.

Juho Salo had never driven his Fiesta S2000 prior to Thursday’s shakedown. But despite his lack of familiarity with the car and a puncture on Friday afternoon, the seven-time Finnish champion marked his return to the IRC for the first time since the China Rally in 2008 by running in the top five only for a water leak to trigger his retirement heading to stage 10 after he’d spun on the previous test.

After a fuel pressure glitch left Germain Bonnefis stranded for more than seven minutes on Friday’s opening run, the 25-year-old Peugeot Sport protégé underlined his potential with a succession of rapid stage times in his Peugeot Sport 207, including a standout fastest time on stage eight. However, any hopes of a points finish on his IRC debut were dashed when a damper failed on the penultimate stage.

There was late heartbreak for Hungarian privateer János Puskádi who, after crossing the flying finish of the final stage with the fifth best time, promptly slid off the road into a ditch where he was forced to retire. Swiss Laurent Reuche was in sixth place when he tore a wheel off his Peugeot.

Patrik Flodin, from Sweden, was unable to start Friday’s second stage after water pump failure caused the engine in his Petter Solberg Engineering M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 to overheat. Oleksiy Tamrazov went no further than stage one after breaking the front-left wheel of his Dream Team Ukraine Fiesta striking a concrete block.

IRC Production Cup

Jarkko Nikara upheld Subaru honour with his maiden IRC Production Cup victory by a margin of more than four minutes over the Hungarian Gergély Szabó. Nikara, in a Yokohama-shod Tommi Mäkinen Racing R4 STI, led from the outset and apart from a stall at a hairpin on Saturday morning, little troubled the Finn on his way to a strong fifth overall. Marco Tempestini took third but only after overcoming a fraught final day, when he was delayed by a puncture, a broken brake calliper and a brief car fire. However, Tempestini will be able to take heart from his battling performance ahead of his home round of the IRC in Romania later this month. Defending champion Toshi Arai from Japan was in second place when a ball joint failed on his Impreza heading to stage four.

IRC 2WD Cup

Not even an enforced gearbox change following an oil leak on Friday’s final stage could knock Harry Hunt off his stride as the Briton scored an impressive category win to move clear in the title race. Hunt, the 2010 class champion, drove without error and preserved his car and tyres perfectly over the gravel stages, which became increasingly rough as the event drew to a close. Paolo Diana took second ahead of fellow Italian Renault Clio R3 driver Oscar Vettore. Catwees Honda Racing’s young Estonian Martin Kangur started the event in the joint lead of the standings with Hunt only for his Civic Type R’s powersteering to falter. There was late drama for Robert Consani who retired his Clio on the very last stage having looked set for a podium finish.

TOP 10 IRC POSITIONS: RALLY SAN MARINO (5-7 JULY)

1 Giandomenico Basso (ITA)/Mitia Dotta (ITA) M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC 2h35m56.6s

2 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +2.8s

3 Umberto Scandola (ITA)/Guido D’Amore (ITA) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +1m41.6s

4 Sepp Wiegand (GER)/Timo Gottschalk (GER) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +2m06.2s

5 Jarkko Nikara (FIN)/Jarkko Kalliolepo (FIN) Subaru Impreza R4 STI +6m12.2s

6 Gergély Szabó (HUN)/Borbely Karoly (HUN) Ralliart Lancer Evolution X +10m15.6s

7 Marco Tempestini (ROM)/Dorin Pulpea (ROM) Subaru Impreza R4 STI +13m22.6s

8 Gabriele Noberasco (ITA)/Daniele Michi (ITA) Ralliart Lancer Evolution IX +13m47.9s

9 Miklós Bujdos (HUN)/András Benkő (HUN) Ralliart Lancer Evolution IX +14m03.0s

10 Paolo Diana (ITA)/Andrea Mini (ITA) Renault Clio R3 +15m56.7s

IRC Production Cup: Jarkko Nikara (FIN)/Jarkko Kalliolepo (FIN) Subaru Impreza R4 STI

IRC 2WD Cup: Harry Hunt (GBR)/Robbie Durant (GBR) Citroën DS3 R3T

IRC STANDINGS (BEST OF EIGHT SCORES COUNT, ALL POINTS PROVISIONAL)

IRC drivers after round seven of 13

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway) 107pts; 2 Jan Kopecký (Czech Republic) 83pts; 3 Juho Hänninen (Finland) 68pts; 4 Sepp Wiegand (Germany) 52pts; 5 Giandomenico Basso (Italy) 40pts; 6 Bryan Bouffier (France) and Umberto Scandola (Italy) 27pts; 8 Dani Sordo (Spain) 25pts; 9 Craig Breen (Ireland) and Freddy Loix (Belgium) 18pts.

IRC co-drivers after round seven of 13

1 Ola Fløene (Norway) 107pts; 2 Pavel Dresler (Czech Republic) 83pts; 3 Mikko Markkula (Finland) 68pts; 4 Timo Gottschalk (Germany) 52pts; 5 Mitia Dotta (Italy) 40pts; 6 Guido D’Amore (Italy) and Xavier Panseri (France) 27pts; 8 Carlos del Barrio (Spain) 25pts; 9 Gareth Roberts (United Kingdom) and Lara Vanneste (Belgium) 18pts.

IRC manufacturers after round seven of 13

1 ŠKODA 282pts; 2 Peugeot 154pts; 3 M-Sport 84pts; 4 Renault 64pts; 5 Subaru 63pts; 6 Honda 28pts.

IRC Production Cup drivers after round seven of 13

1 Andreas Aigner (Austria) 50pts; 2 Marco Tempestini (Romania) 48pts; 3 Robert Consani (France) 47pts; 4 Garry Jennings (United Kingdom), Ricardo Moura (Portugal), Jarkko Nikara (Finland) and Massimiliano Rendina 25pts; 8 Johan Heloïse (France) 22pts; 9 Toshi Arai (Japan), Bob Colsoul (France), Donagh Kelly (Ireland), Sérgio Silva (Portugal) and Gergély Szabó (Hungary) 18pts.

IRC Production Cup co-drivers after round seven of 13

1 Daniela Ertl (Austria) 50pts; 2 Dorin Pulpea (Romania) 48pts; 3 Nicolas Klinger (France) 47pts; 4 Sancho Eiró (Portugal), Jarkko Kalliolepo (Finland), Barry McNulty (United Kingdom) and Mario Pizzuti (Italy) 25pts; 8 Thibault Gorczyca (France) 22pts; 9 Tom Colsoul (France), Kevin Flanagan (Ireland), Borbely Karoly (Hungary), Dale Moscatt (Australia) and Fernando Nunes (Portugal) 18pts.

IRC 2WD Cup drivers after round seven of 13

1 Harry Hunt (United Kingdom) 58pts; 2 Martin Kangur (Estonia) 33pts; 3 Petru-Antone Boschetti (France), Simone Campedelli (Italy), Robert Consani (France), Paulo Maciel (Portugal), Marty McCormack (United Kingdom) and Joan Vinyes (Spain) 25pts; 9 Gorka Antxustegui (Spain), Melissa Debackere (Belgium), François Delecour (France), Paolo Diana (Italy), Tommy Doyle (Ireland) and Énio Medeiros (Portugal) 18pts.

IRC 2WD Cup co-drivers after round seven of 13

1 Robbie Durant (United Kingdom) 58pts; 2 Danilo Fapani (Italy), Filipe Gouveia (Portugal), Nicolas Klinger (France), Benoit Manzo (France), Jordi Mercader (Spain), David Moynihan (Ireland) and Andres Ots (Estonia) 25pts; 9 Cindy Cokelaere (Belgium), Andrea Mini (Italy), Liam Moynihan (Ireland), Paulo Rego (Portugal), Dominique Savignoni (France) and Gabriel Suarez (Spain) 18pts.

IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers after round seven of 13

1 Renault 219pts; 2 Honda 83pts; 3 M-Sport 60pts; 4 Peugeot 41pts; 5 ŠKODA 8pts.

Go to www.ircseries.com for full standings, including IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup.

RALLY LEADERS

SS1-2: Sepp Wiegand

SS3-7: Andreas Mikkelsen

SS8: Andreas Mikkelsen and Giandomenico Basso

SS9: Andreas Mikkelsen

SS10: Andreas Mikkelsen and Giandomenico Basso

SS11-13: Giandomenico Basso

STAGE WINNERS

Day one (Friday 6 July):

SS1: Sestino 1 (19.33kms): Wiegand/Stage cancelled for IRC Production and 2WD Cup crews

SS2: Mercatello 1 (24.15kms): Basso/Nikara/Hunt

SS3: Sestino 2 (19.33kms): Basso/Nikara/Hunt

SS4: Mercatello 2 (24.15kms): Mikkelsen/Nikara/Hunt

SS5: San Marino (6.43kms): Mikkelsen/Nikara/Diana

Day two (Saturday 7 July):

SS6: Monte Benedetto 1 (6.82kms): Mikkelsen/Nikara/Consani

SS7: Rofelle 1 (15.85kms): Basso/Nikara/Diana

SS8: Sant’ Agata Feltria 1 (14.45kms): Bonnefis/Nikara/Hunt

SS9: Monte Benedetto 2 (6.82kms): Mikkelsen/Nikara/Consani

SS10: Rofelle 2 (15.85kms): Basso/Nikara/Hunt

SS11: Sant’ Agata Feltria 2 (14.45kms): Basso/Nikara/Diana

SS12: Monte Benedetto 3 (6.82kms): Mikkelsen/Mattei/Diana

SS13: Rofelle 3 (15.85kms): Mikkelsen/Mattei/Diana

KEY STATISTICS

IRC rally wins in 2012 (drivers)

Juho Hänninen 2; Jan Kopecký 2; Giandomenico Basso 1; Andreas Mikkelsen 1; Dani Sordo 1.

IRC rally wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 5; MINI 1 (note: MINI is not currently eligible for IRC manufacturers’ points); M-Sport Ford 1.

IRC stage wins in 2012 (drivers)

Andreas Mikkelsen 36; Juho Hänninen 23; Jan Kopecký 17; Giandomenico Basso 7; Freddy Loix 5; Dani Sordo 3; Pierre Campana 2; Germain Bonnefis 1; Bryan Bouffier 1; Sepp Wiegand 1.

Stage wins in 2012 (manufacturers)

ŠKODA 77; Peugeot 9; M-Sport Ford 7; MINI 3.

TV TIMES

Go to www.ircseries.com for more information.

NEXT EVENT

Sibiu Rally Romania, 19-21 July

Andreas Mikkelsen tops a dramatic fight for glory on Rally San Marino with less than 10 seconds covering the top three drivers after the opening day of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier, the second gravel event of the all-action IRC season.

The defending IRC champion was extra cautious after struggling for confidence on the narrow and slippery gravel stages on Friday morning and reached midday service in San Marino 4.3s behind surprise early leader Sepp Wiegand in third overall. But with the stage surface offering improved grip in the afternoon having been swept clean of the loose coating of gravel, Mikkelsen was able to up his pace, taking the lead on stage three and recording his first fastest stage time on the fourth test before winning the night stage through the streets of San Marino.

“Things are going as we want and we will continue to do the best we can without pushing the limit too far,” said the 23-year-old ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver. “When it’s fast, we are faster than Basso, but where we have uphill hairpins we lose time against his turbocharged car so it’s not easy.”

Giandomenico Basso is second, 4.1s behind Mikkelsen after an impressive showing on his first outing on gravel in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC. The Italian was fastest on stages two and three having dropped time on the opening test when he spun twice.

Umberto Scandola completes the provisional podium in his ŠKODA Italia entry despite being plagued by a power issue throughout the day, which he suggested had been caused by traces of brown liquid in his car’s fuel supply. A spin midway through stage two resulted in further frustration.

Sepp Wiegand impressed by winning the opening stage – his maiden fastest time in the IRC – to hold an early lead for ŠKODA Auto Deutschland. But his decision to continue using a soft compound tyre in the afternoon when his key rivals opted for a harder option slowed his progress, as did a spin on stage four when he had to make three attempts before he could get pointing in the right direction again. In spite of the setbacks it was a promising showing by the inexperienced German on only his third gravel event.

Jarkko Nikara heads the IRC Production Cup contingent in a strong fifth overall after he demoted his fellow Finn Juha Salo with a faster time on the all-asphalt San Marino night stage. Nikara overcame brake and tyre wear issues in his Tommi Mäkinen Racing Subaru Impreza R4 STI.

Fiesta S2000 pilot Salo is an impressive sixth overall in a car he drove for the first time during Thursday’s pre-event shakedown, a rear-left puncture on stage four the multiple Finnish champion’s only major issue. He is one place ahead of the Swiss Laurent Reuche in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000.

Nikara’s Tommi Mäkinen Racing team-mate Toshi Arai, from Japan, was second in the showroom category only for a ball joint to fail on the road section heading to stage four and forcing him out. Marco Tempestini will top the IRC Production Cup points providing he can climb into second place on day two in his Impreza. The Italian-born Romanian reported dropping precious seconds with incorrect tyre pressure and differential settings.

Patrik Flodin had been expected to challenge for a podium in his Petter Solberg Engineering Fiesta only to retire on the road section to stage two with an overheating engine. It had been a tough beginning for the Swede after he incurred a 20-second penalty for arriving late at the start of stage one. He then got caught up in Salo’s dust clouds after the Finn was delayed getting stuck behind Germain Bonnefis, whose Peugeot Sport 207 ground to a halt with fuel pressure problems and blocked the road.

Bonnefis, making his debut in the IRC, was stranded for more than seven minutes and lost more time when his car’s handbrake malfunctioned on stage two. Nevertheless the young French driver has belied his lack of experience to set several strong stage times.

After dropping time with an overshoot on stage one, Hungarian János Puskádi remains in contention for a top 10 finish in his Eurosol Racing Team Fabia, which he is using on gravel for the first time.

Oleksiy Tamrazov retired when he tore the front-left wheel off his Dream Team Ukraine Fiesta striking a concrete block 14 kilometres into the 19.33-kilometre first stage, which was cancelled for the majority of competitors shortly afterwards following delays caused by Bonnefis getting stuck.

In the chase for IRC 2WD Cup honours, Harry Hunt is 1m05.9s clear of Robert Consani after a faultless display by the Briton. Martin Kangur started the event tied on points with Hunt but dropped out on stage two with suspected powersteering failure on his Catwees Racing Honda Civic Type R.

Saturday’s action consists of eight stages and begins with the 6.82-kilometre Monte Benedetto stage at 10:23hrs local time. The finish is scheduled for 20:00hrs in San Marino.

Andreas Mikkelsen says it won’t just be the temperature that will be hot when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge visits Sicily for the famous Targa Florio next month.

The IRC champion says the competition on Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia will also raise the temperature with multiple winner Paolo Andreucci particularly hard to match.

“There will be a lot of fast Italian drivers who will be super, super fast because they know the stages very well so it won’t be easy,” said Mikkelsen, who will drive a ŠKODA UK Motorsport-run Fabia Super 2000 on the event. “For sure I hope to be up there fighting and hopefully I can at least beat the drivers who are not Italian.”

IRC rookie Wiegand goes racing

Sepp Wiegand will take a break from his successful Intercontinental Rally Challenge campaign to switch to the race tracks of Austria when he contests the latest round of the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup this weekend.

Wiegand, who has scored points on all four rounds of the IRC he has tackled so far for ŠKODA Auto Deutschland, will be in action at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, a 4.326-kilometre former Austrian Grand Prix venue.

As well as a number of series regulars, Olympic medal-winning ski jumpers Sven Hannawald, Andreas Kofler and Thomas Morgenstern will also be taking part in the double-header event.

Paddon to make IRC debut in San Marino

Hayden Paddon will do battle with leading runners from the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the first time when he contests Rally San Marino next month.

New Zealander Paddon is the reigning Production Car world champion but has yet to contest a round of the IRC during his impressive career. He will make his IRC debut on the gravel event, which is also new to the series for 2012.

The 25-year-old Paddon will switch from the ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 he uses on world championship rallies to an HRT Motorsport-run Peugeot 207 S2000. Rally San Marino takes place from 6/7 July.

Breen set for Sibiu IRC run

Peugeot 207 Super 2000 driver Craig Breen has revealed plans to contest Sibiu Rally Romania in July, the gravel event’s first appearance in the all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Breen had been due to contest the cancelled Canon Mecsek Rallye in Hungary but has instead added the Sibiu Rally to his schedule of events with the French Saintéloc Racing-Mister Auto operation, which currently totals four rounds.

“For now it’s going to be the last event we do but it will be an interesting rally because it’s new to the IRC so we’re all going to be starting at the same level,” said Irishman Breen.

Exciting format for IRC’s debut in Romania

Night stages, a fan-friendly superspecial stage, a stage run entirely on asphalt plus one mixed-surface test will be included on the exciting itinerary for Sibiu Rally Romania, which joins the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the first time from 20-22 July.

“This year is extremely important for the Sibiu Rally,” said organiser Sorin Itu. “All our work from the previous years has been repaid by being included in the IRC calendar. The Sibiu Rally is now the second biggest sports event in Romania, after the UEFA Europa League final, and we are ready to face the challenge at the highest level.”

More Sibiu Rally Romania information, including entry forms, is available by following this link: http://www.raliulsibiului.ro/en/index.php?link=concurenti

Three questions to: Thierry Neuville

Age: 23 Lives: Belgium

Former IRC event winner on watching the Eurosport’s live coverage from Corsica

As a former winner in Corsica were you able to watch any of the live television coverage?
“I watched two stages live on Eurosport. I put my onboard footage from last year next to me and started to play them at the same time the live stages started so I could compare to my performance.”

What was it like watching rather than competing?
“I was happy because nobody beat my time on the Fangu-Notre Dame de la Serra stage [run this year on day two of the rally] so I still have the record behind Carlos Sainz through that stage,”

Did you draw any conclusions from watching the coverage?
“We saw the turbo cars were very strong this year and my friend Andreas Mikkelsen was pushing very hard and very fast. Unfortunately he did a little mistake and lost the victory because of this.”

In the spotlight: Michelin

Motorsport has always been an integral part of Michelin’s DNA and the company remains committed to all forms of the sport, on two wheels and four. The Michelin brand returned to top level rallying in 2011 to face the technical and human challenges it craves in order to test the life, safety, energy efficiency and the notion of driving pleasure of its products. Last season it helped Andreas Mikkelsen and ŠKODA to the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles and has already enjoyed considerable success in 2012. Michelin has developed a range of tyres for use in the IRC for a variety of conditions, including dry asphalt, wet asphalt, rain, snow, and damp, smooth and rough gravel. A team of expert engineers, technicians and logistical personnel attend each round.