Honda on top in IRC 2WD Cup standings

Honda will top the IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers´ standings when the series resumes on the Geko Ypres Rally later this month following the recent Prime Yalta Rally, the fourth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge season.

The Japanese manufacturer has been a long-term supporter of the IRC with its Civic Type R model and now heads Peugeot, IRC 2WD Cup manufacturer title winners for the past three seasons, in the makes’ classification thanks to the combined efforts of Janos Puskadi and Archil Bidzinashvili in Ukraine.

Puskadi, from Hungary, claimed maximum manufacturer points in Yalta with Georgian driver Archil Bidzinashvili securing second-place points in his similar Civic.

Bidzinashvili’s performance was particularly notable. Not only did he and navigator Georgi Arjevanidze compete on the demanding Ukrainian stages, they also worked as the two-man service crew due to their limited funds, which also meant they slept in their service van throughout the event.

Honda’s success in Ukraine means it moves ahead of Peugeot in the IRC 2WD Cup standings with Abarth third and M-Sport fourth. Jean-Michel Raoux, from France, tops the IRC 2WD Cup drivers’ table in his Clio R3.