How is each day of the RallyRACC 2013?

(08/06/2013)

RallyRACC 2012

The changes that have been introduced in the approach of the RallyRACC configure a rally structure significanlty different that should be analyzed. The first day of the rally will be short but it will take place in the evening, and the final day will have all the gravel and mixed stages. These are the ingredients of a new and important evolution in the Rally de España.

The three days of the RallyRACC 2013 will be as follows, begining with day 0, where the Shakedown takes place.

Day 0: Thursday, 24 October

•Shakedown in Salou, on asphalt and in the afternoon

The pre-race day, a true Day 0 for the Spanish Rally, will move the staging of the Shakedown to the afternoon and, as in recent years, it will be located in the area of Emprius in Salou, although this time it will be run completely on asphalt.

Day 1: Friday, 25 October

•Start from Barcelona and 3 asphalt stages, all run at night, heading for PortAventura

The magnificent start in Barcelona, one of the most beautiful images that remained from the 2012 WRC, will be repeated this year, but, as opposed to twelve months ago, it will be an official and at the same time real start, as the cars will be running three timed stages on asphalt, at night, to get to PortAventura, thus making-up a rally day with several challenges, including the almost 62 timed kilometres. The special stages will be those run for the last time in 2009,  Querol (Pontils-Esblada-El Pont d’Armentera/21.26 km) and Montmell (Vila-rodona-Sant Jaume dels Domenys/24.14 km), as well as the well-known Riudecanyes (16.35 km), inlcuding –as in 2012– the “donut” at the Coll de la Teixeta roundabout.

Day 2: Saturday, 26 October

•5 special stages on aasphalt, 1 mixed stage in Salou, start and arrival in PortAventura

The nerve centre of the two last days of the race will be located at the Costa Daurada, the second of them being very similar to last year, although with some changes. To begin with, the  Riudecanyes stages of the previous day will be repeated, to continue with two passages of El Priorat (42.04 km), just as in 2012 but some 4 km shorter at the finish, since the cars will turn in La Palma d’Ebre, following the T-2237 to Vinebre, and two passages of Colldejou (26.48 km), a stage run in 2007, but actually the stage run in 2012 as Santa Marina in opposite direction. The day will end like twelve months ago with the excellent urban mixed stage in Salou (2 km), with the sea in the back and spectators enjoying the action on the stage only a few metres away. On that day, at the end-of-the-day service in PortAventura (1h.15’) the car settings will be changed to gravel specs. That will also be the moment for drivers to choose the start position for the mixed stage, following their classification in the rally. 

Day 3: Sunday, 27 October

•4 special stages on gravel and 2 on mixed surface, with start in
PortAventura and finish in Salou

The sporting climax will arrive on the last day, as the RACC has replaced the asphalt, which had been usual so far due to the mixed and gravel surface opening the rally in the three last seasons. This implies that the difficulty will be the utmost and nothing shall be considered as final until the end of this difficult day. In any case, the three stages that will be run twice will be the same as last year: the gravel stages of  Gandesa (7 km) and Pesells (26.59 km) and the mixed stage of Terra Alta (35.73 km),  although the latter will be run in its 2011 version, i.e. starting from Vilalba dels Arcs, leaving out the previous loop made in 2012. The finish will be splendorous on the podium in Salou.