Huge demand for Canarias IRC entries

Organisers of Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés are reporting a huge demand for entries for the second round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from 14-16 April.

With less than 50 days to go before IRC season five resumes on the island of Gran Canaria, Rally Islas Canarias bosses have revealed some of the names set to take part on the asphalt event.

They include last year’s winner Jan Kopecký, who is in line to drive a Škoda Fabia Super 2000, and defending IRC champion Juho Hänninen, who finished second to Kopecký on Rally Islas Canarias last season and is expected to partner Kopecký in the factory Škoda Motorsport team. Meanwhile, Spaniard Alberto Hevia, Belgian Freddy Loix and Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen are also set to line up in Fabia S2000s.

The Peugeot challenge will feature Bruno Magalhães, Thierry Neuville, David Perez and Guy Wilks, while PH Sport, the team responsible for guiding Bryan Bouffier to victory on the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo last month, has enquired about an entry.

PG Andersson will head the PROTON Motorsports challenge in a Satria Neo S2000, while leading Spanish driver Xevi Pons has been linked to a drive in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

With entries not closing until 1 April, several more drivers in Super 2000 machinery are expected to register, while interest from two-wheel-drive crews is also likely to be high.