Sordo and del Barrio “allowed” to score IRC points in Corsica

Good news for fans of Dani Sordo, Mini, IRC and rallying in general – experienced Spaniard and his co-driver Carlos del Barrio are eligible for drivers’ and co-drivers’ points in the fourth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Sordo and del Barrio can score points on behalf of Mini’s intention to register as an official IRC manufacturer, joining the host of other major manufacturer involved in the series. Same thing applies to all other crews competing in Mini’s machinery. Sordo is debuting Mini’s latest rally racer, Prodrive built Mini John Cooper Works RRC rally car.

I guess the main question remains – will Sordo do more IRC rounds this year?

Official announcement by Eurosport Evenst is behind this link.

In view of MINI’s intention to register as an official Intercontinental Rally Challenge manufacturer, Eurosport Events, the promoter of the IRC, has sought a waiver to amend its sporting regulations to allow Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio to score points in the IRC drivers’ and co-drivers’ classifications respectively on Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse.

Crews using MINI’s John Cooper Works Super 2000 will be able to score IRC points on future rounds of the IRC once MINI has confirmed its registration. At such time, MINI will become eligible for IRC manufacturer points as well.

Sordo, from Spain, will drive an upgraded version of the MINI S2000 car in Corsica, which features 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with a 30mm air restrictor. The changes, overseen by car developer Prodrive, include a new induction system, electric water pump and engine mapping. The MINI that Sordo is using in Corsica is owned by Drive-Pro and run by SMG Motorsport with engineering support from Prodrive.

Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse covers a competitive distance of 318.23 kilometres over 14 special stages from 10-12 May. Four stages will be shown live on Eurosport.