The popularity of the all-action FIA European Rally Championship has once again been underlined, this time with the Rally Islas Canarias organising team confirming a 125-car entry for the second event of the 2017 ERC season.
Sixty-eight crews will tackle the ERC section of the famous asphalt rally with 57 competitors from the Canary Islands and mainland Spain also in action in a separate national-level event from 4-6 May.
Bruno Magalhães, current leader of the ERC following his standout victory on the Azores Airlines Rallye earlier this month, tops the list with ERC Junior Under 28 Championship contenders Marijan Griebel, Pepe López and Nikolay Gryazin seeded second, third and fourth respectively. Last year’s Rally Islas Canarias winner Alexey Lukyanuk is the fifth seed, one place ahead of double ERC champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz.
Other entry list highlights include:
*Multiple ERC event winner Bryan Bouffier *French asphalt champion Sylvain Michel *ACCR Czech Team trio Dominik Brož, Jan Černý and Filip Mareš *Polish champion Grzegorz Grzyb *New ERC Junior U28 recruits from Spain: Cristian García, Cristóbal García, Surhayen Pernía *Castrol Ford Team Turkey duo Buǧra Banaz and Murat Bostanci *Antonín Tlusťák as part of an expanded Botka-Tlusťák Racing line-up *Strong ERC2 line-up featuring Gilbert Bannout and Tibor Érdi, plus leader Luis Pimentel *ERC Junior Experience graduate Sébastien Bedoret in ERC Junior U27 *Factory Opel ERC Junior U27 drivers Chris Ingram and Jari Huttunen *ERC3 newcomers Timo van der Marel and Dariusz Poloński *ERC Ladies’ Trophy contenders Emma Falcón, Tamara Molinaro and Catie Munnings
Eighteen nationalities will be represented on Rally Islas Canarias, 27 R5 cars will compete while 41 registered ERC drivers will be in action including 10 ERC Junior Under 28 contenders and 11 in ERC Junior Under 27.
THE RALLY IN 100 WORDS The ERC returned to Gran Canaria in 2016 following a two-year absence for a rally big on challenge and spectators. Because the stages climb and descend, drivers pay close attention to corner speed and lines to ensure optimal momentum is maintained, while precise car set-up and pacenote accuracy are vital. One of the notable features of the stages is the abrasive surface, constructed partly from volcanic lava. It means grip levels are high and will remain constant if it rains, although tyre wear can increase. However, with the opportunity to take ‘cuts’ through corners limited, the roads remain relatively debris-free.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016? Alexey Lukyanuk won the opening round of the 2016 FIA European Rally Championship after defeating the defending champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz on the final day. Lukyanuk started leg two with a 22.7-second deficit to his fellow Pirelli-shod Ford Fiesta R5 driver Kajetanowicz but profited when the LOTOS Rally Team driver suffered excessive tyre wear during the morning loop as the result of high tyre pressures. Lukyanuk took the lead on SS9 and resisted Kajetanowicz’s attempts to get back on terms, picking up his third and fourth stage wins of the event on the final two stages to finish up 32.7s ahead. Despite suffering gearbox gremlins of Friday in his Citroën DS3 R5, local rallying hero Luis Monzón returned to the ERC podium, matching his third place from the championship’s last visit to Gran Canaria in 2013. Robert Consani had moved up into third place overall at the end of Friday but endured a torrid second day, which began with his Peugeot 208 T16 failing to start prior to the morning’s first stage. The Frenchman then battled brake issues and was eventually classified seventh. Spanish Fiesta driver Jonathan Pérez took fourth while Jarosław Kołtun, in another Fiesta, was only 1.1s behind his fellow Polish driver and ERC2 leader Wojciech Chuchała going onto the final stage but was forced to settle for sixth after stopping to change a tyre. Hermen Kobus moved into fifth position on the second day’s opening stage, but crashed into a tree on SS9. Iván Ares was struck with braking issues after running a fine fourth during Friday. Visiting star Mads Østberg led until the final stage of day one on his ERC debut, before crashing his Fiesta R5 after experiencing brake fade. Wojciech Chuchała led ERC2 from start to finish, setting the best time on every stage and finishing 3m37.8s ahead of his nearest competitor, as well as taking fifth overall for the Subaru Poland Rally Team. Giacomo Scattolon (Italy) had held second position since the first stage on Friday but severe tyre wear during the morning loop had eroded an advantage of over 30s to Hungarian Péter Ranga, driving an older Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The Hungarian cut the gap to Scattolon and outpaced his rival by 6.1s in the decider to steal the place. Argentina’s Juan Carlos Alonso was fourth on an unfamiliar surface ahead of Tibor Érdi (Hungary). Łukasz Habaj matched the efforts of his compatriot and fellow national champion Chuchała by sweeping the board in ERC3 and taking 15th overall in his Peugeot 208 R2. Double Turkish champion Murat Bostanci held second at the start of day two in his Ford Fiesta R2T but was passed by two-time ERC 2WD champion Zoltán Bessenyey on SS8. The Hungarian Renault Clio R3T driver held on, but the largest his margin grew to all day was the 4.3s gap at the finish – after the pair set identical times on the final stage. Habaj’s team-mate Tomasz Gryc claimed fourth ahead of four-time Slovenian champion Aleks Humar in a Clio R3T. Two more Polish drivers, Łukasz Pieniążek and Aleks Zawada, restarted for the second leg after being stopped on Friday by accident damage and a broken driveshaft respectively on their Opel Adam R2s, and were frequently the closest to Habaj in the stage times.
EVENT ESSENTIALS (all timings local and subject to change) Starts: 20h30, Thursday 4 May, Podium, Parque Santa Catalina Finishes: 17h50, Saturday 6 May, Podium, Parque Santa Catalina Headquarters: Hotel AC Gran Canaria, Eduardo Benot 5, 35007, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Service park: Plaza de Canarias, 35007, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ERC appearances (since 2004 restructuring): 2 (2013, 2016) Stages: 12 Stage distance: 207.29 kilometres (97.87 kilometres leg one, 109.42 kilometres leg two) Liaison: 369.74 kilometres Total: 577.03 kilometres Surface: Asphalt
PREVIOUS WINNERS 2016: Alexey Lukyanuk/Alexey Arnautov (Ford Fiesta R5) 2015: Miguel Fuster/Ignacio Aviñó (Porsche 997 GT3 RS)* 2014: Didier Auriol/Denis Giraudet (Citroën Xsara WRC)* 2013: Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (Škoda Fabia S2000) 2012: Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (Škoda Fabia S2000) *Did not count as a round of the ERC/IRC
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