The RACC, Salou and the Costa Daurada will host the final round of the FIA European Rally Championship

01/08/2022

• RallyRACC Catalunya - COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España 2022, confirmed as the 8th and last round on the European calendar
• ERC rising stars to share stages with WRC regulars
• The top two rallying championships combine for a thrilling finale

Barcelona, 1 August 2022 - Salou, PortAventura World and the Costa Daurada will host the final round of this year's FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) following its definitive addition to the calendar, the promoter announced today, Monday.

The rising stars of the ERC will cross paths with the legends of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) when the two series combine at the 57th RallyRACC Catalunya - COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España 2022 (20-23 October), offering the best possible show for rally fans around the world.

The technical tarmac roads of the Costa Daurada area that form the daily competition loops will welcome the crews entered in the ERC for the first time. The qualifying special stage will take place on Thursday 20th and the two days of action will take place on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd October, with the scoring route ending on the second run through El Montmell (24.40km), which will be the Power Stage for the ERC. Sunday's stage of the RallyRACC will not be valid for the European classification. The two days of European racing include 14 timed stages totalling 240.60km, making it the longest rally of the season.

The head of the FIA European Rally Championship, Iain Campbell, was delighted to welcome the RallyRACC as the eighth round of the ERC: "We are very excited to announce that RallyRACC Catalunya - COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España, will be the final round of this year's championship," he said.

"The ERC is committed to developing and raising the profile of young talents. Many of our drivers have aspirations to reach the very top of the WRC and the inclusion of RallyRACC as the final event will provide them with the perfect opportunity to showcase their skills. The RACC knows exactly what it takes to run a successful rally at this level and they will take the opportunity to have everything in place".

RACC President Josep Mateu added: "The RallyRACC Catalunya - COSTA DAURADA, Rally of Spain 2022 will be bigger and have a greater impact than ever before. It will be a perfect gift for the fans, as they will witness the two most important rally championships in the world in the same event and with many home drivers competing. We are delighted and very pleased to welcome the FIA European Rally Championship to Salou and PortAventura World next October, an event that will be legendary."

The scoring of the RallyRACC for the European Rally Championship will also allow the Spanish drivers who follow this championship to be present at the Spanish event and in front of their fans, among them Efrén Llarena - Sara Fernández (currently leaders), Nil Solans - Marc Martí and Javier Pardo - Adrián Pérez, third and fourth provisional, respectively. These teams are achieving great success this season, the first of them, as well as leading the standings, won in the Azores and achieved two more podiums in the Canary Islands and Latvia. As for Solans, he has two victories to his name, in Fafe (Portugal) and the Canary Islands.

In addition, Joan Vinyes - Jordi Mercader are first in the ERC Open ahead of Alberto Monarri - Carlos Cancela, while Óscar Palomo - Xevi Moreno lead the ERC 4 section and are second in the Junior category. The fact that the Catalan event closes the championship will be a great expectation, as it will decide the final classification of the FIA ERC overall and the rest of the categories.

The relationship of Rally Catalunya with the European Rally Championship is preceded by a splendid past. In 1980, the then XVI Rallye Catalunya - XI Rallye de les Caves, based in Tarragona capital, had its debut in the European Championship with an international scoring it that did not leave until 1991, when the new Rallye Catalunya - Costa Brava, Rally of Spain, was staged for the first time that same year in the World Championship, where it remains to this day.