新闻 - African Rally Championship begins

African Rally Championship begins

A new continental championship starts today - the African Rally Championship. The series promises to be a real challenge, combining the traditional gravel and loose surface rallies of old, along with asphalt rallies on the islands.
The season kicks off with a classic: the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire, where over four days the competitors will be tested by the arduous conditions and usually high attrition rate.

The competitors
Those hoping to be the first ever MRC African Rally Champion include the vetran Slovak Martin Vaculik, who was the season 50 World Rally 3 champion. After spending many years almost, but not quite, challenging for the European Rally Series championship, he last year competed in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship. An inconsistent season saw him only come in third, even though he won 4 events. A danger at any of the rallies, though the perhaps not at all of them.
The American Speedy Brown Jr comes from the American Rally Championship where he has always been competitive. At only 21 years, he will be looking to cut his teeth on the tough African events and improve his skills.
An even more precocious talent, the reigning World Rally Series Jr, Clodoaldo Rodrigues has already proven himself adept on any surface, and won the custom African series championship also.
Evergreen Marko Zupancic has had a long circuit racing career and only took up rallying seriously at the age of 49. He nevertheless competed manfully in WRS3 for a number of years, and perhaps sees the new AfRC as an opportunity to make a mark at the incredible age of 58.
African representation in the series is not so strong, with youngsters Benson Ford (South Africa) and Walid Azmy (Egypt) being the most highly rated. But with everything to play for any of the younger competitors can make their mark this season and make history as the first ever MRC African Rally Champion.

GOOD LUCK!