SPECTACULAR GT CARS COULD BECOME A MORE FREQUENT SIGHT IN THE FIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT SEASON FOLLOWING THE INCLUSION OF TWO ROUNDS IN THE NEW FIA R-GT CUP.
Rallye Monte-Carlo (22 – 25 January) and ADAC Rallye Deutschland (20 – 23 August) form part of the five-round series, which also includes GEKO Ypres Rally, Rallye International du Valais and Tour de Corse.
WRC fans have enjoyed the spectacle of watching and hearing Class R-GT cars since they received the green light to compete from the start of 2014.
Marc Duez was first to drive one when he piloted a Porsche 911 GT3 RS in Monte-Carlo. Jari Ylipahkala entered a Porsche 997 GT3 in Finland and Richard Tuthill (pictured top) rallied a similar car in Germany.
François Delecour will be at the wheel of Tuthill’s car at Rallye de France-Alsace (2 – 5 October) and fellow Frenchman Romain Dumas will also drive a 997 GT3.
“We have been working closely with our technical department for some time to see how we can correctly include this class of car into our rally pyramid,” said FIA Rally director Jarmo Mahonen.“To have achieved this now is great news for all the rally fans that have been waiting to see these cars out on the world stage.”
Mahonen said the FIA had worked closely with preparation companies to establish the best way forward with the passports that confirm a car’s eligibility as each R-GT car had to be treated on an individual basis.
“The creation of the R-GT Cup was a natural progression and we really hope to see more cars out in competition in the future. Certainly from the reaction we have seen so far, the fans love the sight and sound of these iconic cars,” he added.
The Cup will be open to all Class R-GT cars with a valid FIA passport and points from all five asphalt rounds will count towards the title.
