IRC Manufacturers

[markf8691]

Hey Just wandering what way is the manufacturers working in the IRC? I realise that Mitsubishi have registered as a manufacturer but do not enter any factory backed cars, but what about the other manufacturers? Are the cars that Kronus, Abarth, Honda and Volkswagen Belgium run factory backed cars?

[wwbroe]

Hey Just wandering what way is the manufacturers working in the IRC? I realise that Mitsubishi have registered as a manufacturer but do not enter any factory backed cars, but what about the other manufacturers? Are the cars that Kronus, Abarth, Honda and Volkswagen Belgium run factory backed cars?

I think it is only Abarth that is really factory backed team. Off-course Kronos is in close contact with Peugeot factory, but officially it is not factory-team. Concerning RGRS for the VW Polo, it is private team, no contact with factory. I don't know about Skoda for future, but i guess it is factory backed team. Concerning next year you will have MSD with the Corsa (semiofficial team) and MEM with the Proton (some support of factory, but i don't know to what degree that is). All the rest is private teams i guess, alltough some may have some back-up from factory.

[markf8691]

Watching San Remo, it said Honda was run by JAS, is JAS not associated with Honda some how? Also i realise that Kronus is not officially a factory team, but do they not have the backing of Peugeot Belgium Luxumburg, so what does that mean?

[RS]

I think you could call Kronos a virtual works team. They are not just buying the cars and running them with private sponsor money, they are pretty closely associated with Peugeot and have funding from the Belgian importer.

Stephane Sarrazin will run Monte Carlo 2009 with a works 207, so maybe they will enter next year with a full works team and Kronos?

[Mirek]

markf8691: The only regular Honda in IRC this year (Bettega) is from Italian private team Procar. Last year there were 2 JAS works ones (Solá and Betti). In fact JAS is official Honda developer, something like Prodrive for Subaru but this year only Guy Wilks was driving works Honda in few rallys (APRC Canberra, IRC Russia, WRC Finland).

wwbroe: I don't know how much support from Opel MSD gets but I think funding is more up to MSD itself and MacHalles.

Škoda... We still don't know either they'll compete under works team or half-works CRT Kopecký.

[markf8691]

Ok so this year the only official factory team is Abarth, but has Mitsubishi, Honda, Volkswagen and Peugeot paid the manufacturer/entry fee for the teams?

Little off topic, but how much is the entry fee for IRC and does anybody know will a DVD be released?

[Mirek]

Yes, all registred manufacturers paid the entry fee. In the IRC they don't need works teams as the best two cars of each manufacturer may take points no matter the team or driver.

There is no entry fee for drivers or teams except usual entry fee for each rally. Manufacturers have to pay 50 tousand Euro, I think, for registration.

[GTA]

I think it is only Abarth that is really factory backed team. Off-course Kronos is in close contact with Peugeot factory, but officially it is not factory-team. Concerning RGRS for the VW Polo, it is private team, no contact with factory. I don't know about Skoda for future, but i guess it is factory backed team. Concerning next year you will have MSD with the Corsa (semiofficial team) and MEM with the Proton (some support of factory, but i don't know to what degree that is). All the rest is private teams i guess, alltough some may have some back-up from factory.

Why you have to write that RGRS have NO contact with the factory ??? VW Racing South Africa is supporting us ( CArs, PArts, development, Homologations, etc ) ... with them there would be NO Polo S2000 !! please be carefulle with these comments.. thanks.

[markf8691]

So it seems Abarth are the only full factory team, Kronus has support from Peugeot Belgium-Luxumburg, RGRS has support from Volkswagen Racing South Africa, Honda/JAS only entered IRC Russia in a factory team outfit, so has does any team have support from Mitsubishi in any way?

[Mirek]

There are several national official Mitsubishi partners like Ralliart Italy, Ralliart GB or BRR in Austria. They sometimes compete in their local IRC rally but there is no regular participant with Mitsubishi car because S2000 are faster.