18 Dec 12

Junior WRC
dates revealed

The 2013 FIA Junior WRC Championship, the new name for the WRC Academy, will get underway on Vodafone Rally de Portugal from 12-14 April, motorsport's world governing body has confirmed.

Six rounds will make up the young-driver training category with events also taking place in Greece (31 May-2 June), Finland (2-4 August), Germany (23-25 August), France (4-6 October) and Spain (25-27 October) to mirror the 2012 WRC Academy schedule and offer a spread of asphalt and gravel events.

The opening round in Portugal (pictured) is one of three gravel contests on the calendar. The all-asphalt rounds in Germany and France run in late August and early October respectively with the mixed-surface finale in Spain scheduled for late October.

Junior WRC organisers said: “The calendar provides an exciting mix of surfaces with competitors starting on gravel in Portugal, Greece and Finland, before switching to asphalt in Germany and France. Providing one of the toughest challenges on the calendar will be the Junior WRC season finale at the Rally de Espana. This is a mixed surface rally which is likely to provide a scintillating final test of driving skills.”

Drivers will count their best five scores. There will be a separate classification for co-drivers, while a Nations Cup will also be up for grabs.