IRC Canon Mecsek Rallye Preview: The competitors

Juho Hanninen heads the Intercontinental Rally Challenge drivers’ standings after seven rounds but with the Canon Mecsek Rallye not forming part of his schedule this season it will leave the
Finn’s SKODA Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecky in prime position to move to the top of the drivers’ table.

Kopecky, fresh from his dramatic victory on the previous round in his native Czech Republic, is three points behind Hanninen in the title race and knows that a strong finish will move him to the top of the
order at the wheel of his Fabia Super 2000.

Belgian Freddy Loix lost out on victory in Zlin by 1.2s and will be determined to get revenge over his SKODA team-mate. Loix, who competes under the BFO-SKODA Rally Team banner, is 10 points behind Hanninen and a contender for victory in Hungary.

SKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen has won more stages in the IRC than other driver this season and will be hoping to convert that pace into his maiden win in the series. Other SKODA drivers in action include Finn Toni Gardemeister, who competes in a Fabia run by his own TGS Worldwide operation, Estonian teenager Karl Kruuda, and Red Bull SKODA driver Hermann Gassner Jr, from Germany, who is switching from the Super 2000 world championship for a one-off
appearance in the IRC.

The two-car team from SKODA Auto Deutschland will also be in contention in Hungary after drivers Matthias Kahle and Mark Wallenwein both impressed on the previous IRC round. Norbert Herczig is new to the IRC but the former Mecsek winner could prove a surprise package in his SKODA Rally Team Hungaria entry.

Bryan Bouffier, currently fourth in the IRC standings, heads Peugeot’s challenge in his Peugeot France-backed 207 Super 2000. The Frenchman crashed out in Zlin and will be anxious to get his
season back on track in Pecs. Like Bouffier, Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg’s Thierry Neuville is an IRC event-winner this season and will be a threat, as will Peugeot UK’s Guy
Wilks.

Peugeot Sport Portugal’s Bruno Magalhaes is back in the IRC after missing round seven in Zlin and will be eager to score well. Janos Toth leads the Hungarian championship and is being supported by Peugeot’s local importer. Italian Marco Tempestini, who lives in Romania and competes under a Romanian licence, is another 207 exponent competing in Pecs.

Sweden’s PG Andersson and Giandomenico Basso, from Italy, will drive the brace of factory PROTON Satria Neo S2000s and will be looking to build on their strong performance in Zlin where they increased the Malaysian make’s manufacturers’ championship points’ total.

Leading the M-Sport Ford Fiesta effort in Hungary are Germany’s Felix Herbold and local driver Frigyes Turan, a former Mecsek Rallye winner.

IRC Production Cup Toshi Arai will make his third start in the new-for-2011 IRC Production Cup aboard his Yokohama-backed R4-specification Subaru Impreza. While the Japanese is regarded as a
rapid performer, he will face strong opposition for category honours from several local drivers including Ralliart Lancer pair Gyorgy Aschenbrenner, who competes under the pseudonym ‘ASI’ and Miklos Kazar, currently second in the Hungarian championship chase.

Andras Hadik will also be a frontrunner in his Impreza, while Beppo Harrach, from Austria, has previous Mecsek experience in his Lancer.

IRC 2WD CupEstonian Martin Kangur and Hungarian Janos Puskadi front Honda’s push for IRC 2WD Cup honours, which will also be a target of class leader Jean-Michael Raoux, Eric Mauffrey and Stefano Albertini, the category winner in Zlin late last month. Raoux holds a 24-point advantage over Albertini following a strong start to his inaugural IRC campaign, despite being better known as a gravel specialist.