08/05/2008
RallyRACC 2008: An itinerary with a few changes and two novelties

Chris Atkinson (Subaru). RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA 2007

The route of the 44th edition of the RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA, will be similar to the previous year, but with some novelties, such as two completely new stages, i.e. Les Garrigues and La Llena, both to be raced on Day 2 and the first of them located in the province of Lleida. The rest of the stages are similar to those raced in previous editions, but some of them including so many variations that make them look new as well.

However, a major change is the distribution of the stages, which will be divided into equal parts over the three legs with an identical number of passages for each of them. The total 18 special stages of the rally will be distributed into six stages per day, three of which will be different. Thus there will be nine different stages, the longest of which is El Priorat-La Ribera d'Ebre, with 38 km and the shortest being La Serra d'Almos with 4.11 km.

The three stages of the first Day are La Mussara (20.60 km), Querol (21.40 km) and El Montmell (24.14 km). The only one including novelties with regard to 2007 is La Mussara. The features of the special have changed, making it really attractive, since the initial 8.5 km are new, followed by 2.5 km that were part of last year's Vilaplana stage but in opposite direction. The highlight is however the last 10-km section of the stage with a spectacular and complicated descent in La Mussara, which was already recognised in 2005 under the name of Capafonts. It is a long descent, filled with hairpins, newly asphalted, with safe areas for the public and a wide view, allowing to watch the cars for a long time.

The next two stages, El Querol and El Montmell, will be grouped and they are both identical to those in 2007, although the first one has been shortened by 4 km at the beginning. They are also demanding and selective, and will be raced after the refuelling in Valls.

The second Day will be with no doubt the most complicated, since the new stages of Les Garrigues (9.10 km) and La Llena (16 km) are joined by the star stage of the Spanish round, i.e. the longest stage of the event, El Priorat-La Ribera d'Ebre with a total of 38 km to be covered. The start of the stage is last year's El Lloar-La Figuera, but from then onwards there are almost 9 new kilometres which connect with the halfway mark of last year's Margalef-La Palma d'Ebre stage, to continue the last 7 km of the special in the same direction as last year. Participants will be passing again the well-known El Molar intersection, a popular place for large spectator crowds.

After a refuelling in La Granadella, drivers will face two completely new stages, Les Garrigues and La Llena, both of them located to the north of La Bisbal de Falset, where some stages had already been raced in previous editions but not on the same roads, since some of them have been recently reasphalted.  The road of the Les Garrigues stage belongs to the province of Lleida, which is a novelty in the RallyRACC since the change of headquarters to the Costa Daurada in Tarragona.

The third stage will be almost identical to that of last year, having as only novelty the inclusion of the short special of La Serra d'Almos to Riudecanyes (16.32 km) and Santa Marina (26.51 km). The three stages are similar to those raced in 2007 and the closest to Salou, although all drivers know the challenges they include. In fact, Riudecanyes will be raced in the same direction, making it more spectacular with the descent surrounding the reservoir in the final area and the extension made last year on the former national highway.

Santa Marina, a stage that recovers its original name instead of Colldejou, is also one of the most selective and difficult stages, especially for the co-driver, who will have extra work to do during the last kilometres. The fact of closing the rally with La Serra d'Almos may make it easier for RACC Motor Sport to make a wish come true, i.e. broadcasting the last special live, a superb finish for the Spanish WRC scoring round.