6/1/09

Rally Ireland entry list announced

Today’s publication of the entry list for Rally Ireland, the first event of the 2009 WRC season, reveals a total of 43 crews and a manufacturer switch for one of the sport’s rising stars.

As expected the factory Citroen and Ford squads will be represented by the same driver line-up as 2008. Defending champions Sebastien Loeb / Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo / Marc Marti are confirmed as Citroen’s nominated drivers, while Ford has nominated Mikko Hirvonen / Jarmo Lehtinen and Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila. The crew of Khalid Al Qassimi / Michael Orr will pilot a third factory Ford Focus RS WRC.

But the entry list also reveals for the first time that Estonian Urmo Aava has ended his 2008 association with Citroen’s satellite team, PH Sport, in favour of a seat with the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford outfit.

Aava impressed on his ten round debut season in 2008, setting a number of stage wins and achieving a fourth place on the Acropolis Rally. This year, however, wrc.com can reveal that Aava, and co-driver Kuldar Sikk, will contest an eight rally programme with a Stobart run Ford Focus RS WRC, with appearances confirmed in Norway, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Finland, Spain and GB.

In Ireland Aava joins Stobart regular Henning Solberg as the second points nominated driver, while Matthew Wilson will drive a third car for the team.

Citroen’s brand new Junior Team is represented by three crews. Reigning Junior World Rally Champions Sebastien Ogier / Julian Ingrassia and ex Subaru drivers Chris Atkinson / Stephane Prevot are nominated points scorers, while Conrad Rautenbach / Daniel Barritt will drive a third C4 WRC.

A further nine World Rally Car entries are listed, the majority of which are in the hands of local competitors. Driving Subaru Imprezas will be Stephen Murphy, Tim McNulty, Eamonn Boland and Welshman Gareth Jones. While Michael Barrable, Ray Breen and three members of the McHale family (Austin, Gareth and Aaron) will each drive Ford Focuses.

The 2009 J-WRC season kicks off in Ireland with a field of eight cars, headed by 2008 runner up Aaron Burkart in a Suzuki Swift S1600. Martin Prokop, who was third in the series last year, will campaign a Citroen C2 S1600.

Rally Ireland takes place between the 29 January and 1 February and includes 350 competitive kilometres, run as 19 stages through the counties of Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Sligo, Donegal and Roscommon.

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