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Following requests from its customers, Citroën has become the fourth manufacturer to register for the Intercontinental Rally Championship (IRC), the new international motor sport series organised by SRW Events, an operation recently established by Eurosport with a view to organising, promoting and developing international sports events. The next round of the 2007 IRC calendar is the Rally of Turkey (May 11-13).

“Registering as a manufacturer for the IRC is a big plus for our customers,” says Citroën Sport’s Customer Competition Manager, Yves Matton. “It will allow all Citroën drivers – whether they compete in a C2 Super 1600 or an R2 – to score points at each round of the series and consequently figure in the official standings. They stand to profit, too, from the active communications campaigns run during every event, including the extensive TV coverage scheduled by Eurosport.”

In addition to the prospect of good media coverage, the IRC will also enable Citroën to further showcase its commitment to motor sport in those countries not visited by the World Rally Championship (WRC). “This aspect is particularly important for our subsidiaries and/or importers,” continues Yves Matton. “It will give them a chance to profit from this expansion of Citroën Sport’s Customer Competition programme to organise their own promotions.”

Citroën’s involvement in the IRC will begin with the outing of French pairing Simon Jean-Joseph/Jack Boyére with their C2 Super 1600 on the forthcoming Rally of Turkey (May 11-13). “Another advantage of the series is its calendar,” observes Yves Matton. “Four of the IRC’s eight rounds also count towards the European Rally Championship which Simon hopes to contest in its entirety. All depends now on the response Simon obtains from his different partners who have expressed an interest in this new adventure…”

The 2007 IRC calendar

May 11-13 – Rally Turkey (TR)*
June 22-24 – Ypres Westhoek Rally (B)*
July 12-14 – Rally Russia (R)
August 2-4 – Rally Vinho da Madeira (P)*
August 24-26 – Barum Rally Zlin (CZ)*
September – 27-29 Rally Sanremo (I)
October 24-27 – Rally du Valais (CH)
November 23-25 – Rally China (pending authorisation of the ASN)

* Also qualifying rounds of the 2007 European Rally Championship

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2007 at 1:05 pm and is filed under Citroën, Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Press release. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.