Thomas heads all-Cypriot rally team

An all-Cypriot team will contest the finale to the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge season, next week’s FxPro Cyprus Rally.

Featuring drivers Nicos Thomas, Constantinos Tingirides, the current Cypriot rally champion, Charalambos Timotheou and Panicos Polycarpou, the squad will be entered under the Petrolina banner.

Thomas, ranked as one of Cyprus’ leading rally drivers, is the best-placed of the quartet to land a strong result on the mixed-surface event after he achieved his long-held aim of securing the use of a Super 2000 car for his home rally.

The Peugeot 207 he will pilot will be run by the Italian Munaretto squad. The other three drivers will compete in Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancers.

Twenty-three-year-old Thomas is better known for his exploits in conventional turbocharged Group N machinery and his transition to a normally-aspirated S2000 car will be keenly anticipated, not least by the thousands of local fans lining the route.

In excess of 40 crews will contest the Cyprus Rally, which joins the IRC schedule for the first time this season and will receive four hours of live coverage on Eurosport and Cypriot channel Lumiere TV.