Cyprus Rally 2009 Mixed surface event

[Leon]

PRESS RELEASE


2009 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 3 - Cyprus Rally - 13-15 March 2009

CYPRUS BREAKS NEW GROUND IN WRC RETURN


With rally fans already celebrating the return of the Cyprus Rally to next year’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), excitement levels ratcheted up another notch today with confirmation that the 2009 Cyprus Rally will be a mixed surface event. A WRC first!

The organizers of the Cyprus event, the Cyprus Automobile Association (CAA), have been quick to take advantage of the WRC commission’s ruling allowing events to incorporate alternate surfaces. The CAA has confirmed that it has designed Day 1 of next March’s Cyprus Rally as an asphalt leg, while Days 2 and 3 will continue to offer the sort of challenging gravel stages for which the event is renowned.

Clerk of the Course Takis Kyriakides spoke about the announcement today: “This is great news for competitors and spectators alike and is a great way to mark our return to the WRC. We’re already excited about welcoming the WRC back to Cyprus next year, and this adds a little extra spice to our event. We’ll be leading the way in world rallying by being the first to test out this new itinerary and I’ve already been contacted by the organisers of other WRC events who are all keen to see how we deal with the challenge so that they can incorporate it into their events. Cyprus is a holiday island with a strong rallying legacy and our ability to host a mixed-surface event such as this shows how much our island continues to offer to the world of motorsport.”

The Cyprus Rally will be one of 4 events rewarding points for next year’s Junior and Production WRC championships and the news that a third of the event is to be run on asphalt is sure to cheer the crews, especially those tackling the Rally in 2-wheel-drive vehicles. Plus, the new format will mean minimal double-use of gravel stages.

[Livewireshock]

Very interesting & I feel that it will not be the last rally with this mixed format in 2009.

[wwbroe]

Let's bring back a mixed surface San Remo Rally and also the mixed Catalunya rally, both had great gravel stage's. ;)

[bluuford]

Interesting.. :-) So, If they don't change the road position rule then we can think what is going to happen? Are Citroen's going to the limit on asphalt to take big enough gap? It is also said that they are going to use less stages twice :-) That adds another dimension to the sport for sure :-)

[AndyRAC]

PRESS RELEASE


2009 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 3 - Cyprus Rally - 13-15 March 2009

CYPRUS BREAKS NEW GROUND IN WRC RETURN


With rally fans already celebrating the return of the Cyprus Rally to next year’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), excitement levels ratcheted up another notch today with confirmation that the 2009 Cyprus Rally will be a mixed surface event. A WRC first!

The organizers of the Cyprus event, the Cyprus Automobile Association (CAA), have been quick to take advantage of the WRC commission’s ruling allowing events to incorporate alternate surfaces. The CAA has confirmed that it has designed Day 1 of next March’s Cyprus Rally as an asphalt leg, while Days 2 and 3 will continue to offer the sort of challenging gravel stages for which the event is renowned.

Clerk of the Course Takis Kyriakides spoke about the announcement today: “This is great news for competitors and spectators alike and is a great way to mark our return to the WRC. We’re already excited about welcoming the WRC back to Cyprus next year, and this adds a little extra spice to our event. We’ll be leading the way in world rallying by being the first to test out this new itinerary and I’ve already been contacted by the organisers of other WRC events who are all keen to see how we deal with the challenge so that they can incorporate it into their events. Cyprus is a holiday island with a strong rallying legacy and our ability to host a mixed-surface event such as this shows how much our island continues to offer to the world of motorsport.”

The Cyprus Rally will be one of 4 events rewarding points for next year’s Junior and Production WRC championships and the news that a third of the event is to be run on asphalt is sure to cheer the crews, especially those tackling the Rally in 2-wheel-drive vehicles. Plus, the new format will mean minimal double-use of gravel stages.

I wasn't aware that Rallyfans were celebrating the return of Cyprus. But I take my hat off to them for this bold move. And about time to - next we hope is the return of San Remo to it's rightful place. Let's hope the Manufacturers don't kick up a stink.

[N.O.T]

Very nice move by the organisers....

[Leon]

I wasn't aware that Rallyfans were celebrating the return of Cyprus.

I don´t know if you ever visit Cyprus or the Cyprus rally, but there are a lot of rally fans in the event. Some of them are from this forum also. And yes as a rally fan I´ m celebrating the return of Cyprus in the WRC.

If you ever decide to visit us you are welcome. you will have un anforgettable experience for many reasons.

As it happens to all aspects in life, this is about preferences also..some people like it, some not.

And last....I don´t claim that the Cyprus rally is the perfect event.

[Donney]

Good news, hopefully San Remo and Cataluña will do the same.

[Tomi]

wonder how much this idea will save the teams money.

[Livewireshock]

wonder how much this idea will save the teams money.

Do you mean in the fact they will have to carry a great deal more spares & equipment to the event in order to carry out the conversion from tarmac to gravel & back again?

Will make shakedown interesting? A morning shakedown stage on gravel with a busy service park over lunch before a tarmac shakedown in the afternoon!?! Plus the change back if needed in case the first stage is then gravel. Just a little bit of extra work to do.

But it will make it more interesting for the fans.

[AndyRAC]

wonder how much this idea will save the teams money.

Probably not any. But perhaps, they should spend less on hi-tech equipment - gearboxes costing £70-90,000, etc
After reading the short interview with David Lapworth - he was saying it's cost them possibly millions to develop all their hi-tech equipment - tough!! Sorry, but spending has gone silly, and all for what??

[cosmicpanda]

It would be better for day three to be an asphalt leg so that there would be no tactics on day 2. But meh...

[sal]

Fantastic!Already planning my trip. Having said that having been to Cyprus in the past some of the tarmac there is like gravel anyway so not much difference!!

[Leon]

It would be better for day three to be an asphalt leg so that there would be no tactics on day 2. But meh...

I think it will be dangerous to organise the asphalt leg during the weekend as that will draw even more casual "uneducated" spectators to the stages.

Asphalt rallying is new for Cyprus, so Friday where all those casual fans are at work will be better in my opinion.

[Roy]

It would be better for day three to be an asphalt leg so that there would be no tactics on day 2. But meh...

I was thinking the same. ;)

[koko0703]

It would be better for day three to be an asphalt leg so that there would be no tactics on day 2. But meh...

I thought about it, too, for a while but then thought with Loeb's dominance on the asphalt, maybe Seb could push to the limit on Leg 1 to open up enough margin to run away from the rest for Leg 2 and 3. Then it would be all flat out Loeb for whole 3 days although I would assume Seb isn't damn enough to push on Cyprus gravel.....

[HaCo]

Maybe stupid question? What is there different on a tarmac/gravel car? Why not say: use the gravel car with slicks on, on asphalt?

[MJW]

There is less differnce between tarmac an gravel cars these days. Many years ago there was even a difference in the shells. Now the difference is largely limited to dampers, ride height and brake sizes. And of course tyres and wheels. Assume the teams are taking plenty of spare dampers for each day then it should not be too much problem. In some ways this could increas the specatle as a compromise may be needed, and an out and out tarmac racer (like we saw in Spain) wont be used.

[MJW]

This will definately affect Pirelli.

[J4MIE]

I'll hopefully be there but would prefer it to be all gravel I must admit.... :s

[jacko]

I was there back in 2000, great country but i was there for the rally. Nice stages to watch, technical for the drivers because of the many slow corners (it's the opposite of Finland), let's bring it on again :)

[sollitt]

2009 Cyprus Rally will be a mixed surface event. A WRC first! ??? Somebody buy the writer some old rally magazines!

[Motorsportfun]

I wasn't aware that Rallyfans were celebrating the return of Cyprus. But I take my hat off to them for this bold move. And about time to - next we hope is the return of San Remo to it's rightful place. Let's hope the Manufacturers don't kick up a stink.


It's almost impossible to do, for what concern Sanremo. First of all, because actual safety mesures imposed by the FIA are too strictly to the Riviera tarmac roads. Sanremo organizers says that are happy with the IRC, and they DON'T want back the "actual" WRC. The gravel roads in Tuscany, used between '80 and '90 are now on tarmac ground (about 85-90 per cent).

What I hope, for what concern the rallies, is to have PERMANENTLY events like Acropolis, France, Finland, GB, Argentina... NOT Jordan, Poland, Indonesia and maybe Abu Dhabi! :rolleyes: