The registration period starts, and the deadline is February 16th

50% discount for the Spanish drivers’ registrations at the
RallyRACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada

Barcelona, January 18th 2006.– With the beginning of the registration period, the 42nd RallyRACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada / Spanish Rally has set out and, as in year 2005, the RACC has decided to encourage the registration and presence of Spanish drivers by offering again a 50% discount on the registration fee for any competitor holding a Spanish license. Thanks to this discount, instead of paying 3.350 euros as registration fee, the amount is reduced to 1.675 euros, what is an important incentive to take part in the Spanish meeting of the rally championship. The registration deadline is on Thursday 16th February at 2 p.m.

The 42 RallyRACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada / Spanish Rally will be held between March 23rd and 26th. The date is one of the main changes, as now this event becomes the 4th meeting of the 2006 World Rally Championship. The province of Tarragona will be the setting of the race itinerary, and the headquarters and service park will be at the Port Aventura theme park again. The tourist site Salou will be also again the departure and arrival point of the rally and all the stages.

Two world championship rallies in 5 months

The changes in the championship calendar and structure that the FIA Rally Committee is carrying out have lead to the celebration of two rally editions –the 41st (2005) and the 42nd (2006)– of the RallyRACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada in a five-month period. The RACC Sports Department has received this challenge with enthusiasm and the wish that the Catalan race becomes once again a great success. As this meeting takes place during the first part of the world championship, the Spanish event has an important role in the development of the championship, held after the first three meetings counting for the championship –Monte-Carlo, Sweden and Mexico–, when all the teams will have drawn their first conclusions.

RACC drivers, present at Catalunya

The main interest for Spanish race-goers is the participation of two RACC drivers, Daniel Sordo and Xevi Pons. The first one, current Junior World Champion, will make his debut in 2006 in the same category at the wheel of a Citroën C2 Super 1600 after competing in Monte-Carlo and Sweden at the wheel of a WRC Citroën Xsara. As far as Pons is concerned, he will drive the same car as a member of the team Kronos Total Citroën WRT, together with the twice Rally World Champion, the French Sébastien Loeb, as teammate.