IRC welcomes rising star Gassner Jr

Hermann Gassner Jr, one of Germany’s best young rally drivers, will contest eight rounds of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2012 driving a Red Bull-backed ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 for Raimund Baumschlager’s Austria-based BRR operation.

Gassner Jr made his IRC debut on the Canon Mecsek Rallye in Hungary last September finishing an impressive fifth overall. He says he decided to return to the IRC because the strong level of competition in the series will boost his development as a driver.

“It looks like I’m going to spend a lot of time in the cockpit this year, and that’s a good thing too,” said the 23-year-old. “It’s certainly the best for my development. I’m going to try and keep up with the best of them from the very start. My team as well as my familiar rallying machine, the ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, will help me in doing so. And with Klaus Wicha a very experienced co-driver will be available to me. I can hardly wait for the season to finally kick off.”

Gassner Jr will begin his campaign on next month’s all-gravel Sata Rallye Açores. His programme will also take in the asphalt-based Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés, Tour de Corse, Canon Mecsek Rallye, GEKO Ypres Rally, Barum Czech Rally Zlín and Rallye Sanremo. His IRC bid will conclude on the mixed-surface Cyprus Rally in November.