Rally
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Bangkok Post, 23/5/2008
Subaru Impreza WRC2008
to debut at Acropolis Rally next week.
The FIA and Pirelli, the tyre company,
have launched a worldwide young rally driver programme with
the prizes being sponsored drives in Group N or S2000 cars
in six WRC events next year.
Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific
are the four regions included in this programme - one winner
will be from each region and two from Europe.
The scheme only applies to the four
regional championships in 2008 and 2009.
Eligible drivers for this contest
have to be under 27 years old as of January 1 of either
year.
For Europe, Middle East and Africa,
the winners will be the most successful drivers in their
respective regional championships.
But Asia-Pacific will have the privilege
of selecting the winner in a shoot-out in just one event
- APRC Malaysian Rally this October.
And he who wins the prize need not
finish the rally or be the highest placed eligible driver.
Nor does he or she have to be registered
for APRC or Asia Cup so long as the rally car used is eligible
for APRC - which means any class of valid FIA Group N car.
A combination of fastest stage times
and their consistencies among all the completed stages will
be taken into consideration in selecting the winner for
the Asia-Pacific leg.
It may sound cruel, but virtually
all of this year's APRC registered drivers are well over
27.
Unfortunately for Thailand, all of
the best rally drivers are now over 27.
But there is a glimpse of hope in
two cross country rally drivers - both under 21 years of
age - who might be considered by one of the manufacturer
teams currently participating in the national championship.
However, if action is not taken soon,
Thailand will not have a shot at this competition.
Young rally drivers from Australia,
New Zealand and Japan are likely to enter this once-of-a-lifetime
contest.
Moving up to the big boys' World Rally
Championship and there is good news for Subaru fans with
the debut of the long-awaited hatchback Impreza WRC2008
coming sooner than expected at next weekend's Acropolis
Rally in Greece.
The traditional yellow-gold letterings
and crescent of a tobacco logo have been ditched in favour
of the current Subaru logos with white text.
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