It’s Rallye Weiz time for the FIA European Rally Championship contenders this week (July 11-13) as the series prepares for its summer break with the title chase wide open after four action-packed rounds.
The Austrian event is also the final FIA EHRC round on Tarmac before the switch to gravel for next month’s Historic Lahti Rally in Finland, prior to two asphalt events in Italy and a return to gravel for the season-decider in Greece in November.
And the appeal of Rallye Weiz – and the FIA EHRC – is underlined with a 26-strong entry for round five of the season.
The FIA EHRC’s standing as the ultimate celebration of rallying’s glorious past is once again highlighted by the variety of competing cars representing the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The championship also continues to provide and accessible platform for drivers with varying levels of experience and resource to compete at an international level.
Who’s in it to win it?Hungarian Tibor Érdi Jr (above) tops the entry as last year’s winner and starts the event on the back of winning his home round of the FIA EHRC, June’s Mecsek Rallye. That result has enabled the Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4 driver to close the gap to the Category 4 leader Ernie Graham, who competes in a Flexifly Rally Team BMW M3. Other contenders for Category 4 honours include Vojtĕch Štajf, the winner of April’s Historic Vltava Rallye in a Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185, Pascal Eouzan (BMW M3), Péter Magoss (Subaru Legacy Turbo 4WD) and Austrian Georg Reitsperger
Italian Audi Quattro driver “Zippo” (below) won Rallye Weiz in 2022 and returns as the overall FIA EHRC leader as well as topping the Category 3 order following strong results on the previous three rounds. Maciej Lubiak, a tennis player in his youth, continues his FIA EHRC campaign in a Porsche 911 Carrera SC following his championship debut on Mecsek Rallye. Guy Trolliet (Porsche), Christophe Jacob (Ford Escort RS) and Éric Guignard (Renault 5 Turbo) are also in contention for Category 3 honours along with Volvo 244 driver Siegfried Mayr and Dorin Alexandrescu (Volkswagen Golf).
The Category 2 contingent includes points leader László Mekler (Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA), Stansilav Budil (BMW 2002 TI) and Hervé Guignard (Renault Alpine A110).
Flexifly Rally Team’s James Potter (Ford Escort Twin Cam, below) heads the Category 1 order after four rounds, while Harold Bunting is back in action in his Austin Cooper S following an aborted Rally Costa Brava appearance in March.
Sicily-based Natale Mirabile (Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC) is half a point ahead of Piotr Gadomski (Toyota Corolla AE82) in the FIA EHRC Front Wheel Drive Trophy. János Dunavölgyi will be another FWD contender in his Lada 2108 Samara. Meanwhile, James Potter, László Mekler and Piotr Gadomski are among the drivers in contention for FIA EHRC 1600cc Trophy honours. Flexifly Rally Team tops the FIA EHRC Team Trophy ahead of Rododendri Historic Rally. Click HERE for the Rallye Weiz entry list.
Rallye Weiz in short
Organised by a dedicated team of volunteer officials from Rallye Club Steiermark, Rallye Weiz is based in the town of Weiz in Austria’s Styria region and consists of 13 stages over a competitive distance of 152.20 kilometres. One of the highlights of the Austrian championship season, the event’s stages are typically undulating in nature with numerous grip and rhythm changes adding to the challenge facing the crews. Spectators attend the event in great number and create a memorable atmosphere with the start and finish ceremonies not to be missed.
FIA/EHRC
