Zimbabwe’s Conrad Rautenbach will make his Intercontinental Rally Challenge debut on Sata Rally Azores from May 7-9. Rautenbach, who drives for the Citroen Junior Team in the FIA World Rally Championship, will compete at the wheel of a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 run by the French PH Sport operation. Rautenbach is keen to expand his experience of driving Super 2000 machinery. British co-driver Daniel Barritt will partner him. “I’ve never competed in one of these cars before so I’m really looking forward to having a go in one,” said Rautenbach. “Obviously it’s going to take a while to get used to the lack of torque which we have from a turbocharged engine in a World Rally Car, but having come from a Junior car (1600cc non-turbo), a few years ago, I’m used to revving engines to get the most out of them.” The 24-year-old’s agreement to compete in the IRC is currently for the Azores event only although he could enter further rounds later in the season. Rautenbach’s CJT teammate Sebastian Ogier participated in the IRC’s season-opener at Monte Carlo last January. At the controls of a Peugeot 207 S2000, he went on to take victory. Rautenbach won the Rwanda Gorilla Rally before winning the African Rally Championship title in 2007, piloting a Subaru Impreza. Ends
