EHRC – Rallye Weiz to provide latest Tarmac test for FIA European Historic crews
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 4×4 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 (Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4, below).
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.
How they stand?
The provisional FIA European Historic Rally Championship standings after round three are available here: https://www.fia.com/events/european-historic-rally-championship/season-2024/classifications
FIA EHRC 2024: how it works?
The FIA EHRC is for historic rally cars built prior to 1969 and homologated up to 1990. It’s divided into four categories (1-4) based on year of manufacturer with sub-divisions in Categories 2-4 to allow for different levels of car performance. Further details on the categories are available HERE.
Competitors count their best six scores from nine rounds held on asphalt and gravel between March and November. Events typically run for one and a half days following reconnaissance with approximately 150 timed kilometres on offer.
The overall title is contested by all drivers and co-drivers regardless of their category with all rounds counting. The FIA Historic 1600cc Trophy is for cars up to 1600cc from Categories 1-4 with the six best scores counting. The rise in the number of front-wheel-drive cars competing has been recognised with the FIA European Historic Front Wheel Drive Trophy with crews also counting their best six scores.
In addition, the FIA EHRC Teams’ Trophy, which has attracted more than 25 entries for the 2024 season, features a new bonus points system with 10 additional points on offer on the Historic Rally of Asturias and the Historic Acropolis Rally.
Three new titles are up for grabs in the FIA EHRC this season. An overall FIA European Historic Rally Championship crown is being awarded for the first time, while the FIA European Historic 1600cc Trophy and FIA European Historic FWD Trophy titles have also been introduced for 2024.
Although the creation of the all-new titles is partly in response to competitor feedback, their introduction is in line with the FIA’s desire to raise the profile – and spectacle – of the FIA EHRC, while also providing an accessible point of entry to international-level historic rallying.