Star drivers from the FIA European Rally Championship will be tested on Tarmac for the final time this season with the asphalt-only JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion preparing to host the action.
From 4 – 6 September, the UK’s round of the ERC will take place on spectacular, undulating stages in the Welsh counties of Ceredigion and Powys, when several titles could be won and lost ahead of Portugal’s all-gravel finale in October.
Leading the overall championship chase by 25 points, The Racing Factory’s Teemu Suninen is vying to become Finland’s first outright ERC champion since Esapekka Lappi triumphed in 2014. However, the Pirelli-equipped Škoda driver would need to complete the Aberystwyth-based event 36 points ahead of the opposition to prevail.
“I need to show the performance in every single rally, that’s the key point of this year,” Suninen said. “I have proven to be fast on Tarmac so maybe soon it’s time to be clever and think about the championship. In Zlín I wanted to take good, safe points but we ended up being second so that was good, but you need to be fast from the beginning in the ERC.”
The 32-year-old continued: “It’s a new rally again for me so I need to study a bit the conditions, see how the car goes. If I am giving away 10 seconds on the first stage it might be difficult to fight for the win, as happened in Czech. I think that’s the only right approach for me when I am facing new roads, new conditions. I need to understand the rally before I push absolutely on the limit.”
Suninen faces a tall order if he’s to become European champion ahead of the Rally 6 Cities of North Portugal season closer from 23 – 25 October. Established forces Andrea Mabellini, who pilots a factory Lancia, and Michelin-supported Miko Marczyk are back on form after early-season challenges and both possess previous Ceredigion knowledge, whereas Suninen is an event rookie.
However, with organisers making significant changes to the route – including adding two night stages on leg one – more of a level playing field is expected. But Suninen has also pointed to his lack of wet-weather driving time as a possible hindrance with forecasts for showers on all three days of the event.
“I haven’t driven on the wet this year [in the ERC] so it will be an unknown thing for me with a car I haven’t been driving on the wet before,” he said.
Maestro Meeke to make ERC comeback
Kris Meeke, a five-time FIA World Rally Championship event winner, is set for a sensational return to the ERC on JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion.
Northern Irishman Meeke, who was last registered for ERC points on Rally Poland 20 years ago, will contest the event in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 run by top Welsh squad Melvyn Evans Motorsport. Noel O’Sullivan will co-drive.
“I know how tricky it’s going to be but if I’m in the top three it would be pretty nice,” Meeke said. “You always keep that little sparkle that’s still there to try to win, but I don’t underestimate Teemu Sunninen, and all these guys are super-fast, so I’m under no illusions how tough the competition will be.”
Other top names in action include Colin McRae’s nephew Max McRae, Welsh hero Osian Pryce – who is chasing a third Ceredigion victory – his compatriot Meirion Evans and Polish champion Jakub Matulka. Bidding to win the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams for the fourth time, Team MRF Tyres will count on Czech duo Erik Cais and Martin Vlček – the reigning Master ERC champion – and Simone Tempestini, whose impressive career CV includes 10 Romanian titles and the 2016 Junior WRC crown.
