After competing in the southern city of Cutral-Có the Argentine Rally Championship now heads to the north of the country to Catamarca, which will host the fifth round of the season.
Rally de Catamarca is a popular event, best known as the Rally del Poncho in honor to the typical costume its people wear. The Poncho is also a gift given to the race winners to crown its triumph at the podium ceremony.
The event features high speed gravel stages through the Ancasti and Ambato mountains, and as was in 2009 the rally begins this Friday with a 1,9km night Super Special Stage. After that competitors will face a well-known route that has changed very little since Rally de Catamarca’s last edition.
On Saturday the majority of the action takes place near the service park in Catamarca city. However, on Sunday the race moves 60km north where the organisers have allowed for a remote service area. In total the drivers will tackle 12 stages covering 145,27km.
Although Gabriel Pozzo (Subaru Impreza) comes to Catamarca enjoying a 22 point lead over Federico Villagra (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X), Federico “Coyote” Villagra has claimed five victories and two second places in the Rally de Catamarca over the last eight editions, so he will have to ratify his supremacy with a triumph if he wants to reduce the gap to Pozzo.
– Credit: Media Rally Argentina; Translation: Pablo Machi – www.rallyreportnewsworld.com
