New fan here - Information welcome.

[pettersolberg29]

First of all, if this just clogs up the forum, delete it or just PM me.

Anyway, I've followed WRC for about 10 years however as it goes downhill, I've seen more and more IRC on Eurosport and now I'm interested in following it this year. I've noticed though, that there is limited information about the IRC online - at least where I'm looking! So if you could answer these questions I would be delighted:

1) Could I have a list of the cars and drivers who are going to take part in a vast majority of the rounds i.e factory/contract drivers.

2) Who is good? i.e. favourite to win on gravel, asphalt, dark horse, young star?

3) Are there any split time sites online like there are on wrc.com or is it just end of stage times?

Thanks for any answers.

[Mirek]

1) There is no season entry list. IRC counts best 7 of 12 rounds and therefore entry oscilates very much. Expensive overseas events are usualy very bad (last year only one regular competitor in China etc.). On the other hand Barum, Sanremo or Ypres have very good entry (Barum 2008 had 25 S2000 on entry list including zero car - Fabia S2000 and more than 20 production cars).

Anyway, here is the website: http://www.ircseries.com/html/ In the moment there is old list of manufacturers as there is no Škoda there...

Any car of registred manufacturer may take points. There are no nominations at all. If for example some local is that good, he may take manufacturer points. That partly force manufacturers to support privateers.

Supposed to do at least 7 events in the moment (it is very likely some teams starts the season later in the spring):

Kronos (Peugeot): Vouilloz, Loix, Meeke, BFG driver (voted by journalists for selected events)

Abarth: Basso, Alen (Rossetii and Scandola for few rounds as well), Cavigioli (R3D 2WD)

Škoda: Kopecký, Hänninen

Mitsubishi: Wittmann jr. (Van den Heuvel for some rounds)

Maybe Proton or VW (last year Casier) will do some rounds, the same about Honda in 2WD (last year Bettega).

It's not sure which 2WD drivers will do more events in the moment. The same about most of privateers.

2) Vouilloz is 2008 champion although he won only once. Basso is very fast but Abarth had some reliability issues and he also made some istakes, Loix is fast as well. Meeke, Kopecký, Hänninen, Rossetti and others are possible top runners. IRC is very close and very hard to make pickems. Privateers, locals, BFG drivers, al of them have chance...

3) There basicly no splits and telemetry in IRC but there will be live TV coverage on Eurosport from 4 stages in every rally (5 from Monte Carlo). Some rallys makes splits on some stages on their own.

One dissadvantage of IRC is that there is no live result page for IRC. Every rally has their own and of course somehow different...

PS: There are some rounds of IRC joint with European rally championship. Those rounds have usualy great entry (Madeira, Ypres, Barum, Asturias).

[pettersolberg29]

Thanks very much Mirek. The lack of live results is annoying, but looking at the 2008 season review the IRC certainly looks good.

Is there any news about Sarrazin doing any more other than Monte this year? I've followed him for years and can't find any info about any rally plans.

[J4MIE]

Welcome to the club

Rally of Scotland website - http://www.rallyscotland.tv
Says it will be a 2 day event (presumably with a shakedown on Thurs), so one day near Stirling and one day in Perthshire. A national event will follow the IRC guys around and maybe a historic event on the Friday.

Maybe I won't need the full week off work after all!!

[PLuto]

Thanks very much Mirek. The lack of live results is annoying, but looking at the 2008 season review the IRC certainly looks good.

Is there any news about Sarrazin doing any more other than Monte this year? I've followed him for years and can't find any info about any rally plans.

From all races which are together with ERC are live results working as ERC has the same results system on each rally. We are trying to do the same with Eurosport, but we will see in the season... mokin:

[Finni]

On gravel I think Meeke and Hänninen are two fastest. Overally Meeke might be the best in the series as he is fast also on asphalt. However it's interesting to see if Rossetti or Vouilloz can challange Hänninen and Meeke on slow gravel. On fast gravel Hänninen and Meeke will in the class of their own.

To me Meeke is the favourite to win the series. He has the best car. Then becomes Hänninen, Vouilloz and Rossetti. Skoda is still mystery.

[RS]

On gravel I think Meeke and Hänninen are two fastest. Overally Meeke might be the best in the series as he is fast also on asphalt. However it's interesting to see if Rossetti or Vouilloz can challange Hänninen and Meeke on slow gravel. On fast gravel Hänninen and Meeke will in the class of their own.

To me Meeke is the favourite to win the series. He has the best car. Then becomes Hänninen, Vouilloz and Rossetti. Skoda is still mystery.

Do you write off Alen for fast gravel, Finni?

[Sulland]

Lets see the speed of the Fabia before we hand out medals, it is still early days for Skoda !!

But we are all hoping they can match the speed of the 207 and GP Abarth.

I am really looking forward to Monte !!

Does ERC have splits into their timing ?

[atsiotras79]

I also see Kopecky being very fast at Monte! I am surprised nobody counts him for the win.

[cali]

I also see Kopecky being very fast at Monte! I am surprised nobody counts him for the win.

+1