János Puskádi hasn’t given up on his dream of winning the IRC 2WD Cup despite conceding that he only stands a mathematical chance of claiming the title in his Honda Civic Type R.
No Honda driver has ever clinched the IRC 2WD Cup before and Hungarian Puskádi will need to hope that his main title rivals, Stefano Albertini and Jean-Michel Raoux, hit trouble if he is to top the standings at the end of this week’s Cyprus Rally.
“Mathematically I still have a chance”, said the 33-year-old Hungarian. “But I won’t lie awake at night thinking about it. Finishing in third position in Cyprus and consequently gaining a place on the podium in the final classification of the 2WD Cup is more important. It’s important for myself, for the team and for my sponsors.”
Unlike Albertini and Raoux, Puskádi has previous knowledge of the Cyprus Rally, having tackled the mixed surface event when it formed part of the IRC for the first time in 2010, claiming a podium finish in the IRC 2WD Cup.
“The mix of gravel with asphalt always makes you drive differently and forces you to find a compromise between handling, grip and the right pace,” he said. “I remember enjoying it last year and performing well.”
Local drivers Andreas Charalambous and Zacharias Manoli will also rely on Honda power on the Cyprus Rally, which also counts as a round of their domestic championship. Manoli currently heads the two-wheel-drive standings.