29 Jan 10

Federico Villagra

Fast Facts
Nationality:	Argentinean
Date of birth:	21/05/1969
Team:	Munchi's Ford World Rally Team
Co-driver:	Jorge Perez Companc
Championship titles:	Eight south American rally titles 2002-2009
WRC debut:	Argentina 1997
WRC wins:	None
Website:	www.villagraracing.com.ar
Why support him?	Born in 1969, he's the most experienced top line driver in the WRC With eight national rally titles he's a motorsport hero in Argentina His nickname is 'Coyote'

Career highlights:

2009: Fourth in Rally Argentina and Rally of Greece. Argentinean Champion

2008: Sixth place in Mexico and Argentina. Argentinean Rally Champion

2007: Wins the Group N class in Rally Argentina. Joins Munchi's team. Argentinean Rally Champion

2006: Wins the Group N class in Rally Argentina. Argentinean Rally Champion

2004: Chilean and Group N4 class Argentinean Rally Champion

2002/2003: Group N4 class Argentinean Rally Champion

2001: Wins the Group N4 class in the South American Championship

1997: Makes his debut in Rally Argentina finishing third in the F2 class

Career summary:

A long time Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Group N driver, both in his native Argentina and in the P-WRC, Cordoba based Villagra took over Juan Pablo Raies? seat in the Ford powered Munchi's WRC team midway through 2007 and has been there ever since.

Villagra had a passion for speed since he was 10 years old. He started competing in motocross at a very early age and achieved several motocross and enduro titles between 1984 and 1996. In 1997, Villagra started to explore the world of rallying, competing in his first national event with his brother, Javier. The same year, he took part in Rally Argentina for the first time, finishing third in the F2 class.

In 1998, he finished fourth in the same rally and in 2001 he clinched his first national title; becoming South American Champion in the N4 class. Over the next three years he won the Argentine Championship in the same class. In 2004, Villagra won the Chilean Championship and the overall championship in Argentina. Victory in the Group N class on Rally Argentina in 2007 convinced Munchi's team bosses of his potential and chose Villagra to replace Juan Pablo Raies.

A ten round Munchi's team programme followed in 2008, which netted six top ten finishes and a personal best of sixth in Mexico and Argentina. He beat that in 2009, when he collected two fourth places, one on the Acropolis Rally of Greece, the other in front of his legions of supporters in Argentina. With the benefit of another season with Ford under his belt, Villagra is hoping for further improvement in 2010.