IRC Rallye Azores preview : The challenges

With the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge reaching its halfway point the focus switches to gravel for Sata Rallye Acores, round six of the 11-event all-action series.

Based on Sao Miguel, the largest of nine islands that make up the Portuguese-speaking archipelago, the rally marks the first loose-surface round of the season. Just like last year, the organisers have resisted the temptation to make major changes to the route that will take in 17 stages over a competitive distance of 205 kilometres.

The Azores, which was formed through a series of volcanic eruptions, is located equidistant between London and New York in the Atlantic Ocean and enjoys a variable climate with warm sunshine that can be replaced moments later by rain.

A new addition to the IRC schedule in 2009, the event is centred on Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel’s largest town, in the south-west of the island where the rally headquarters and harbourside permanent service park are housed.

The rally’s medium-speed stages use narrow gravel tracks lined by stone walls or, in some places, huge drops, meaning there is little margin for error. Small sections of asphalt increase the challenge facing the crews due to the reduced grip levels they will encounter running with gravel set-ups and tyres on Tarmac.

Despite a consistent sandy gravel surface, stage layouts could not be more contrasting. The Grupo Marques spectator superspecial, which runs on Thursday evening and again on Saturday afternoon and requires drivers to compete against each other in pairs, is a purpose-built facility located in a quarry. However, the Sete Cidades stage in the far west of the island runs around the rim of a non-active volcano. The lush landscape and scenery is dramatic but the stage represents a huge test for the drivers who charge through narrow tracks above huge drops.

Starting position will be a major factor on the event due to the effect of road cleaning. Bryan Bouffier is the highest-seeded driver on the entry so will start first on day one. He will therefore be tasked with forging a clean line for the drivers behind through the loose-surface gravel, which reduces traction and braking performance and benefits those running further down the order.

For day two’s nine stages, the top five runners after Thursday’s second stage will start in reverse order, meaning some drivers might opt to drop a few places on the Coroa Da Mata stage to gain a more advantageous road position for Friday. The same procedure will apply for Saturday when the rally draws to a close following a further five stages.

Crews will run in minimum intervals of two minutes to negate any potential hindrance caused by hanging dust clouds, which are another feature of gravel rallies.

All drivers competing in the Azores will be in contention for the prestigious Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy, which is awarded on all rounds of the IRC to the driver whose performance best embodies the spirit of the rally legend.