Crews contesting Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés have completed the two-day reconnaissance for the second round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Held in warm and sunny conditions, the recce passed without incident and enabled competitors to sample the new stages that will feature on this year’s all-asphalt event, starting with the Gran Karting Club stage in the south of the island.
Guy Wilks, who finished third on the event last year and currently holds third spot in the IRC drivers’ standings, said he was surprised with the variety of road layouts on the new stages.
“The recce went well, no problems but there was a real mix of roads, even in one stage,” said the Peugeot UK driver. “You went from really fast to some really slow and tricky sections. It was all quite different.”
Following the recce, drivers and co-drivers took part in an autograph signing session at the rally base in Las Palmas.
The event programme resumes on Thursday morning with shakedown from 10:00hrs local time when teams will get a final opportunity to find an optimum set-up for the rally’s opening stage on Friday afternoon.