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.

[Tom206wrc]

]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.


It's time for Mitsu to develop an S2000 based for example on the new COLT(displaid at the Paris Motorshow) ;)

[markf8691]

Thanks for the replies.

Bruno Magalhaes was entered this year by Peugeot Total, are they any form of official factory team and does anybody know if IRC will be released on dvd, like a season review?

[Mirek]

Peugeot Total Portugal is team supported by local Peugeot importer.

[RS]

]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.

Is that all? That gives me more hope that Opel and Proton may register for next year.

[markf8691]

Is that all? That gives me more hope that Opel and Proton may register for next year.

It would be great to see them register, along with Skoda and a Peugeot Factory team.

Also now the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X has been homologated would be good to see a Mitsubishi factory team aswell.

IRC 2009 should be good.

[urabus-denoS2000]

I have small hopes for Opel,it is basically an MSD and Machale family project.
I was hoping for MG to start rallying in Europe outside Britain and make a step into national and international rallies including IRC.And it didnt.

I think that the Corsa S2000 is the most un-works S2000 project today and that it will be sold to 3-4 rich Irish guys (I would be glad to be proven wrong,the car looks great!!!).

Peugeot,Fiat and Škoda in my opinion will be the only cars sold in big numbers.
They are basically the only full-works projects

That is my opinion

[Mirek]

Urabus: There is a chance to see Jones in MG in IRC next year. He said they are working on it with their main partner Lico Wheels.

[OldF]

I think that the Corsa S2000 is the most un-works S2000 project today and that it will be sold to 3-4 rich Irish guys (I would be glad to be proven wrong,the car looks great!!!).

I don’t think they’re getting the invested money back by selling only 3-4 cars.

[urabus-denoS2000]

I don’t think they’re getting the invested money back by selling only 3-4 cars.

That is my opinion : I really think that this is already a dead car

I mean look at the promotion (I might be wrong about this because I was on holiday with very little Internet,this is what my friend told me) :Nobody knew about the project until a few weeks before Rally Deutschland where they said it was going to debut.
Everybody knew about Peugeot S2000 1,5 years before it debuted!!!
Not to talk about Škoda,everybody has been talking about them since 2006 and still hasnt made its debut (hope that will make it the best S2000 ;) )

As I said,these are factory projects so you can understand the promotion

But look at Proton and MG:Both half-works projects and everybody knew about it 1 year before they came to the rally stages.

I know that doesnt matter much but it seems to me that it shows the unprofesionalism of the project (as I said before,I would be glad to be proven wrong ;) )