Argentina rally gets major modifications

THE organizers of the YPF Rally Argentina have made major changes to the route for the fifth World Rally Championship ( WRC) race that will be held on April 26- 29.

Based from its traditional home in Villa Carlos Paz, near Cordoba, Argentina, this year’s stages are focused on the soft gravel roads of the Santa Rosa de Calamuchita Valley and rocky, narrow tracks in the Traslasierra mountains.

The event will start with a 1.9kilometer street stage in the heart of Cordoba City.

On the second day of the race, the action moves to the Calamuchita Valley for two passages over Las Bajadas– Villa del Dique ( 16.65 kilometers) Amboy– Yacanto ( 33.58 kilometers), which returns after a three- year absence, and Santa Rosa– San Agustín ( 23.85 kilometers).

At midday, on the way back to the Service Park in Villa Carlos Paz, competitors will tackle two laps of the head-to-head Super Special at Parque Tematico, totalling 6.4 kilometers.

The third day of the race will start with the brand- new Tanti– Mataderos test ( 13.92 kilometers), which features a winding, fast route on a smooth road. This will be followed by a shorter, 16.19kilometer version of the Los Gigantes stage, which will finish in Cuchilla Nevada.

A revised Cuchilla Nevada– Río Pintos ( 41.49 kilometers) will complete the loop. Considered the longest test of the rally, it will include sections of different stages from previous editions of the event. There will be a second visit to the Parque Tematico Super Special before a midday service and then a repeat of the morning loop.

The scene shifts to the Traslasierra on the fourth day of racing with a new version of the high- altitude classic El Cóndor ( 16.43 kilometers).

One of the main features of the 2018 YPF Rally Argentina is the stages will run in reverse, which organizers said offers greater safety control for both the competitors and spectators. The revised rally will have 18 stages and a total of 360.61 kilometers.