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APRC starts this weekend in Malaysia

The start to the six-round 2011 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) in Malaysia this weekend features a driver line-up that  makes this season's APRC title chase one of the toughest seen in recent history.

A field of 38 cars cross the start-ramp for the three-day rally on 1 April from Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia. Covering 233.76 kilometres of roads split in to 15 special stages, reigning APRC champion Katsu Taguchi from Japan returns against heavy-weight opposition including former champion Cody Crocker.

Driving a Subaru STI for the Pennzoil GSR team, Crocker and co-driver Mohd Izwan Abdullah are contesting the Malaysian Rally Championship having taken a year off after winning four successive APRC titles.

Taguchi's MRF tyres team-mate Gaurav Gill from India and co-driver, the New Zealand-based Australian Glenn Macneall start in second position having finished runner-up in 2010. Taguchi and Gill run Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 model cars and their biggest competition comes from Scot Alister McRae and team-mate Chris Atkinson from Australia. Having both been World Rally Championship drivers, they will also fly the Malaysian flag for the factory backed Proton team using the latest S2000 naturally-aspirated Satria Neos.

Starting down the order but similarly form rated to the first four, former British champion Mark Higgins has proven his ability when competing offshore. Contesting the Asian series for the first time, he will be running with championship stalwart Fan Fan from China. The pair will drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 cars for the Soueast Motor Kumho Team. Also returning to the series for the Pertamina Cusco Racing Team, Japan’s Yuya Sumiyama and Indonesian Rifat Sungkar will also be driving the latest Mitsubishi Lancers.

Former Malaysian rally champion, New Zealand’s Brian Green and co-driver Fleur Pedersen are also entered, driving a Subaru STI. The pair switch brands throughout the season and also contest the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.

Starting from the Angsana shopping complex at 4:30pm Friday evening 1 April, the teams have a short 2.5 kilometre spectator stage to contest before the event begins in earnest on the Saturday. Using looped sections of roads through rubber and palm plantation lots, the teams return to the Angsana complex for scheduled service stops and the overnight park. Sunday again uses roads to the east of Johor Bahru in the south-east peninsula of Malaysia, before returning for a final run of the spectator stage and the ceremonial finish at 4pm.

The Asia Pacific Rally Championship is spread across six countries including Malaysia, Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Japan and the final round in China, early November. New Zealand’s round, the International Rally of Whangarei, takes place 15-17 July from the quayside town basin in Whangarei and qualifies for both the APRC and Pacific Cup portions of the series.