FIA CODASUR RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP – RALLY TRANSITAPUA, PRY (ROUND 2/5)

Paraguay’s Diego Dominguez and his co-driver Edgardo Galindo continued their strong start to the season by winning Rally Transitapúa, their home event and second round of the FIA CODASUR Rally Championship. Alejandro Galanti and Marcelo Toyotoshi finished second, 8.4 seconds behind, while Augusto Bestard & Héctor Nunes completed the all-Paraguayan podium.

It was the 32nd edition of the Transitapua Rally, with special stages taking the crews around the city of Encarnación del Paraguay. Dominguez and Galindo, aboard their Hyundai i20 R5, showed a consistent performance throughout the two-day event: they finished second at the end of the first day and snatched the top spot of the leaderboard at the start of the final loop, when rally leaders Galanti and Toyotoshi experienced a problem with the fuel pomp on their Toyota Etios and had to give up the lead. Bestard and Nunes finished third with a Ford Fiesta R5, 1min 52.7 seconds behind.

Among the rally’s favourites, national hero Gustavo Saba and his Argentinian co-driver Fernando Mussano were on a charge on the first day, scoring the fastest time in stage 3 to take the lead. But the pair had to face a hard setback on the following test when the suspension grid of their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 broke. They were unable to repair and left with no other choice than to retire.

After their win in the season opener in Argentina, Domingez and Galindo now have a strong advantage in the FIA CODASUR series with a total of 79 points ahead of Galenti, 48 points, and Bestard, 53 points. The third out of five rounds, Rally de Erechim, will take place in Brazil from May 31 and June 2.

Check out the photo gallery! The provisional FIA CODASUR standings can be consulted here.

UPCOMING

FIA ASIA-PACIFIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP – RALLY OTAGO, NZ (ROUND 1/5)

From the muddy soil of South America, now let’s move to the Eastern hemisphere and the wild green landscapes of New Zealand, where Rally Otago will kick off the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship!

The Asia-Pacific series consists of two cups - the Asia Cup and the Pacific Cup - of four events each,  with a shared grand finale in China at the end of October. The first round on the calendar heads to the South Island of New Zealand for what is set to be a captivating two-day event!

All entrants registered to score points towards the FIA APRC title, among which national hero Hayden Paddon at the wheel of a Hyundai i20, will battle it out with an AP4-specifications car. They will compete against a strong field, as the event enjoys a record-breaking entry of 138 cars.

An iconic event for the variety of blind crests, brows and variety of hard based roads, Rally Otago will cover a total distance of 855.49 kilometres including a total of 272.53 kilometres over 15 stages.

Follow more on the Rally Otago website, FIA APRC website & check out the live streaming service!

FIA EUROPEAN RALLY TROPHY ALPINE (ROUND 1/3) & FIA R-GT CUP (ROUND 3/8) – RALLY DI SANREMO, ITALY

Also coming up this weekend, Rally die Sanremo in Italy will feature the opening round of the FIA European Rally Trophy’s Alpine series as well as the third round of the FIA R-GT Cup, after Rally Monte-Carlo and the Tour de Corse.

The 66th edition of the classic event comprises two legs and ten special stages for a total of 152.20 competitive kilometres. In the R-GT class, Italy’s Enrico Brazzoli and Manuel Fenoli will defend their championship’s lead after having claimed both wins this season aboard their Abarth 124 RGT. But the pair will have the Northern American crew of Ian Crerar (Canada) and Aaaron Crescenti (USA) on their heels.

Find out more on the event website!

FIA NACAM RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP – RALLY MONTAÑAS (ROUND 2/6)

Last but not least, this weekend will also bring rally action to Mexico again! Rally Montañas will feature round 2 of the FIA NACAM Rally Championship after Rally México, the season opener.

Mexico’s Ricardo Triviño, navigated by his Spanish co-driver Marc Marti, who currently hold the lead after one stop, will fight with their Škoda Fabia R5 against the Mexican pair Ricardo Cordero and Marco Hernández with their Citroën DS3 R5 on home soil.