SWRC to thrill as crews confirm schedules

The battle for the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship is set to go down to the wire again this season after it emerged that all six registered crews will contest the final four events of the year.

Entrants must nominate seven events out of a possible eight on which they have to participate. While just three crews started the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo last week, all six registered runners will compete in Finland, Great Britain, France and Spain.

The SWRC first ran in 2010. Its two champions, Xevi Pons and Juho Hanninen, both clinched the title on the final round with Pons triumphing on the season-closing Wales Rally GB two years ago and Hanninen defeating Ott Tanak on RallyRACC-Rally de Espana last term.

All six registered crews will take part on the next round in Sweden where Yazeed Al-Rahji, Hayden Paddon, Alister McRae and Maciej Oleksowicz will compete in the category for the first time. Craig Breen, the winner in Monte-Carlo, and PG Andersson (pictured), who dominated the event for PROTON before retiring on the final night, will also be in action. Meanwhile, two wildcard entrants, Marius Aasen and Pontus Tidemand, will also be eligible for SWRC points.

Of PROTON’s SWRC campaign, team chief Chris Mellors said: “Moving to the Super 2000 World Rally Championship is great for us to show the way the Satria Neo S2000 is developing.”

Hayden Paddon, who switches to the SWRC as reigning Production Car world champion, added: “I am ecstatic about the move to Super 2000; it’s a fantastic opportunity. The S2000 is a full blown racecar and is basically a WRC car without the aero and turbo.”