Fiat will have a two-car N.technology-run entry on the 42nd Ypres Westhoeck Rally this weekend as Giandomenico Basso will be chasing FIA European Rally Championship points while fellow Italian Umberto Scandola will be looking to get off the mark in the inaugural International Rally Challenge, aimed squarely at the new breed of Super2000 cars. With the rally based around its traditional technically-demanding asphalt Belgian roads, the Fiat Grande Punto should be in a position to challenge for victory and claim its most important win to date.

After a successful Zulu Rally South Africa (May 27/28) launch event, the second round of the brand-new International Rally Challenge (IRC) sees the series arrive in Europe with the famous 42nd Ypres Westhoek Rally, which also counts towards the FIA European and the Belgium Rally Championships, being the first date. Promoted by SRW Events Ltd., the IRC is an exciting new international series which aims to give young and amateur rally drivers new opportunities to compete together in recognised regional and international rallies. Reserved in particular for the new Super2000 cars it also features Gp N, Gp A 5/6/7 and Gp A Diesel cars. The series also offers innovative TV coverage - including live shows, daily highlights and magazines features on Eurosport. 21-year-old Umberto Scandola has been retained by Fiat to drive the new Grande Punto Rally in this series, and having retired early on in South Africa, he will be bidding to chalk up his first IRC points of the year. Scandola who drove a GpN Subaru Impreza in Italy last year, will be partnered again in Belgium by the highly experienced Luigi Pirollo.

Leading the 93 car field away from the starting ramp in Ieper tomorrow afternoon though, and the favourite for victory,  will be Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta in other N.technology-run Super2000-category Fiat Grande Punto Rally taking part in Belgium.
 

The Italian driver, now has a clear lead in the FIA European Rally Championship after three rounds thanks to his win on the Fiat Rally in Turkey (round 2) and a solid fourth place on the previous round of the series, the Rally of Poland, a fortnight ago.

As one of the most prestigious rallies outside of the FIA World Rally Championship the Ypres Rally always attractes top-class opposition, and this year will prove to be no different providing the new Fiat Grande Punto Rally with one of its toughest tests to date. Local hero Freddy Loix, the former Peugeot and Hyundai factory WRC pilot, will lead the challenge driving a PH Sport-run Super1600 Citroën C2. A four-times winner of this event (1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999) the proven Belgian will be gunning for a fifth victory. Further Super1600 opposition will come from Estonian Urmo Aava (Suzuki Swift) who currently lies fourth in the 2006 FIA Junior World Rally Championship, and a trio of 2006-specification Renault Clios driven by Pole Michal Solowow, Italian Marco Cavagiolo, rapid local driver Bernd Casier and last year's Ypres winner Kris Princen. Turbocharged GpN opposition will be led by the highly-rated 2004 winner Belgian Larry Cols (Mitsubishi Evo XI), Bernard Munster (Subaru Impreza STi) and another experienced local driver, Patrick Snijers. The 42nd Ypres Westhoeck Rally will start tomorrow and finish on Saturday evening.