New Super 2000 WRC class adds exciting dimension to Rally New Zealand

Kiwi rally fans get to enjoy a whole new class of World Rally Championship action when the new Super 2000 WRC category lines up for Rally New Zealand in May this year.

The Super 2000, or S2000, class of rally car currently comprises production-based cars with non-turbocharged two-litre engines. Ford and Skoda are the two manufacturers with the most S2000 vehicles confirmed for the 2010 season to date.

There are two competitions for S2000 entrants, explains Paul Mallard, general manager of Rally New Zealand.

“The Super 2000 World Rally Championship (S-WRC) is a competition for drivers and the WRC Cup is a competition for teams running S2000 cars,” says Mallard.

“Currently six teams have confirmed entries for the WRC Cup, with four of the teams selecting Rally New Zealand as one of their seven events in 2010.”

The international teams confirmed for Rally New Zealand are:

• The Czech Ford National Team brings Martin Prokop, the reigning FIA Junior World Rally Champion, to New Zealand in another Ford Fiesta S2000. Prokop’s move to the S-WRC is regarded by European rally commentators as one of the biggest names to make the switch to the new category. Prokop contested Rally New Zealand in 2008, taking a tight-fought P-WRC class win.
• Swedish driver Patrik Sandell and the Red Bull Rally Team are bringing a new Skoda Fabia S2000 to Rally New Zealand. Sandell drove this model of car to victory on the opening two P-WRC rounds in 2009 (when the S2000 cars were allowed to run in the same class as P-WRC cars). Like 2009, Sandell’s car will be run by Austrian motorsport company BRR under the Red Bull banner. Driving a Group N Mitsubishi, Sandell came second in the P-WRC category in Rally New Zealand in 2008.
• Barwa World Rally Team, which will run a Ford Fiesta S2000 for Qatar driver Nassar Al Attiyah, the 2006 Production World Rally Champion and six-time Middle East Rally Champion. Al Attiyah was one of the stars of the 2009 P-WRC season, driving his Subaru Impreza to class wins in Argentina and Italy. He will be accompanied to New Zealand in 2010 by his regular co-driver Italian Giovanni Bernacchini.
• The JanPro team from Finland has entered another Ford Fiesta S2000 for former official Skoda driver Janne Tuohino. Having contested 40 WRC events in several different WRC cars over seven seasons, the double Finnish rally champion will be back in 2010 with his privately-run team and co-driver Markku Tuohino.

The S-WRC for drivers currently has eight drivers entered – those listed above and the following drivers who are not planning to come to New Zealand:

• Last year's J-WRC runner-up Michal Kosciuszko with the Dynamic World Rally Team in a Ford Fiesta S2000;
• Former P-WRC driver Eyvind Brynildsen and Skoda Rene Georges Rally Sport will campaign a Skoda Fabia S2000;
• Portugal’s Bernardo Sousa is driving a Ford Fiesta S2000 prepared by M-Sport;
• And former WRC manufacturer team driver Xevi Pons is also contesting the S2000 Ford.

Marc de Jong, responsible for the commercial development of WRC support championships through the championship promoter North One Sport, says the take up for this year’s inaugural S-WRC competition was ‘fantastic’.

“The S-WRC has a very strong appeal because it is the championship of the future,” says de Jong. “These are the cars that are going to dominate the WRC of 2011, because S-WRC cars form the basis of the next generation of World Rally Cars.”

De Jong believes the number of entries could increase to 12 by the final cut-off date of 9 April.

“I'm aware of about four others who are close to signing up and confirming. If all goes to plan, I expect we will have between 10 and 12 entries. In the first year of a championship like this that is a fantastic number.”

Skoda and Ford are the only two manufacturers represented in the entries so far, but de Jong is expecting entries from other marques to follow. “I know that Peugeot, Abarth, Proton and MG drivers are among those looking to get into the championship.”

WRC regulations state that no new Super 2000 cars may be homologated after the end of 2010 with a normally aspirated two-litre engine. In future, they must be fitted with 1.6 litre turbocharged engine.

The Ford Fiesta S2000 car had a successful competitive debut in the hands of last year's WRC runner-up, Mikko Hirvonen, winning the 2010 Monte Carlo Rally - WorldRallyPics.com/BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team