Recognition to Sébastien Loeb in his last RallyRACC

(05/11/2012)

Following the future plans made known by the driver himself a few weeks ago, the 48 RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España 2012, will be the last time the nine-time World Champion Sébastien Loeb (Citroën) will be taking part in the Spanish WRC round. As a consequence, RACC wants to offer a public recognition to the driver who started his WRC career precisely in the event organised by the club since 1991, awarding him with a special trophy on the starting podium located on the stairs of the Barcelona Cathedral on Thursday, 8 November.

RACC President, Sebastià Salvadó will be in charge of the presentation, a few moments before the start. Daniel Elena, faithful companion throughout these years, will also receive an identical trophy, in both cases in recognition to a unique career in the Spanish round, which started back in 1999 and will finish in 2012.

Loeb had his debut in the FIA World Rally Championship at the rally organised by RACC (1999), always at the wheel of a Citroën machine,  and although the Spanish round will not be his last participation in the WRC it will probably be the last race on the Iberian territory, which will be a good reason to bid farewell in style to a man who has marked a before and an after in the FIA World Rally Championship, with nine world titles, and in the RallyRACC as well, with his seven consecutive wins, nothing more and nothing less since the Spanish round moved its headquarters to the Costa Daurada, in 2005. In 2003, when the race was based in Lloret de Mar, Loeb finished second behind Gilles Panizzi (Peugeot 206 WRC).

First RallyRACC without Philippe Bugalski
This will be the first RallyRACC in which the French driver Philippe Bugalski will not be seen at the Citroën service, after passing away last 10 August, at the age of 49 years following an accidental fall at his home. Bugalski has become part of history as the first driver to win a race of the FIA World Rally Championship with Citroën: the 35 Rally Catalunya-Costa Brava in 1999, the Spanish race in which he participated and finished five times: 5th in 1998 and winner in 1999 (Xsara Kit Car), 8th in 2001 (first participation of the Xsara WRC), 3rd in 2002 and 10th in 2003 (all of them with Xsara WRC). Bugalski had a special relationship with the RACC's round, in which he achieved his first stage win in the world championship (1998), his first WRC race leadership (1999), his first world championship victory of the two he achieved (1999) and also raced his last WRC race (2003). He was currently test driver at Citroën Racing.