Home hero leads the field on opening day

Yuriy Prostasov will lead the way on tomorrow’s Prime Yalta Rally, round 10 of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, which gets underway at 13:01hrs local time.

Protasov will pilot an M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC on home turf as the rally’s opening day challenges competitors over two short stages totaling 7.61-kilometres. The two speed tests will be closely followed by a ceremonial start in the historic Black Sea resort of Yalta at 17:00hrs.

Turkey’s Yağiz Avci will be second on the road in a Fiesta S2000, with Mikko Pajunen third in a similar car. Fourth on the road will be Hungary’s Laszlo Vizin (ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000) with Russia’s Yukhym Vazheyevskyy fifth in the running order in a Peugeot 207 S2000.

Leading the way for the IRC Production Cup runners will be Ukraine’s Vitaliy Pushkar, followed by Marco Tempestini in a Subaru Impreza R4 STI. Eighth on the road will be Marco Cavigiolo, closely followed by Robert Consani in a Renault Mégane RS. Rounding off the top 10 will be the second part of father and son duo, Simone Tempestini.