Ojeda back in the IRC

Enrique García Ojeda says he is delighted to be back in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge – even though he accepts he won’t be able to fight for outright victory on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés.

Ojeda won the inaugural IRC drivers’ crown in 2007 in a Super 2000-specification Peugeot 207. Since then financial constraints have restricted him to selected rallies in his native Spain only.

He will make his long awaited return to the IRC on Gran Canaria this week in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2 and will compete for IRC 2WD Cup honours against reigning IRC 2WD Cup champion Harry Hunt and Yeray Lemes, who was the first two-wheel-drive finisher on Rally Islas Canarias in 2010.

“For sure this car is a little different to what I know,” said Ojeda, who was the fifth fastest IRC 2WD Cup contender in shakedown. “At the moment I am doing the Spanish championship in this car to show the young drivers it can be good for them to learn and to give them an objective to aim for. But of course my intention is to return to the IRC although with the economical situation how it is this is not easy.”

Ojeda is currently working to find backing to contest a handful of IRC rounds later this season with Rali Vinho Madeira in August one possibility.