First all-Middle East team set for IRC
The Intercontinental Rally Challenge will welcome its first full-time team from the Middle East this season when the Skydive Dubai Rally Team embarks on a 10-event campaign with Rashid Al Ketbi and co-driver Khalid Al Kendi.
Starting from SATA Rallye Acores later this month, the Skydive Dubai Rally Team will field a SKODA Fabia S2000 for Al Ketbi, who made his IRC debut on last September’s Canon Mecsek Rallye in Hungary, and finished second overall in last year’s Middle East Rally Championship. Skydive, a skydiving experience centre in Dubai, is an offshoot of the successful Victory powerboat racing team.
In an interview with Sport360º, Al Ketbi said: “The IRC attracts huge media and is very widely televised. We will be competitive but we will not lose sight of our primary goal that is taking Skydive Dubai to a larger audience.”
Wiegand to head SKODA Germany’s IRC bid
SKODA Auto Deutschland has launched an all-out attack on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2012 with a one-car entry for rising star Sepp Wiegand.
Although the 21-year-old’s exact schedule of events is unconfirmed it is understood he will take part on 10 rounds in a SKODA Fabia Super 2000, similar to the one used by Juho Hanninen and Andreas Mikkelsen to land IRC title glory in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Wiegand, who has yet to take part on a round of the IRC, is highly rated in his homeland after switching to rallying from sportscar racing last season. JUKA Motorsport will run Wiegand with the experienced Timo Gottschalk, a former Dakar Rally-winning navigator, co-driving.
SKODA Auto Deutschland tackled selected IRC events in 2011 with Matthias Kahle and Mark Wallenwein.
SATA Rallye Acores gets own TV channel
Round one of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, SATA Rallye Acores, now has its own channel on YouTube, organisers of the spectacular gravel event have announced.
SATA Rallye Acores TV will give fans around the world the opportunity to gain an insight into the Atlantic archipelago and the IRC counter from 23-25 February.
Created and managed by Filipe Amaral, SATA Rallye Acores TV has already received several thousand views with visitors enjoying official promotional clips produced by the Azorean Tourism Bureau. Go to www.satarallyeacores.com for more information.
This year’s will be the third time that the island of Sao Miguel has hosted a round of the all-action IRC.
Rally Islas Canarias stars at FITUR trade fair
The Intercontinental Rally Challenge was promoted to a new audience in Spain last month when Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Ingles, the second event of the 13-round IRC season, formed the centrepiece of the island of Gran Canaria’s promotional stand at the FITUR International Tourism Fair in Madrid.
Representatives promoting holiday destinations in 60 countries around the world attended the exhibition and rally promoter Luis Monzon was pleased with the response: “The Canary Islands should be promoted in other ways than just sun and sand. For three years the IRC round supported by Eurosport is an ideal showcase of the islands to the world.”