M-Sport Poland introduces new ERC-based category with enticing prize package and additional incentives.

 
The FIA European Rally Championship is gearing up to provide an exciting platform for the all-new Fiesta Rally3 Trophy, which will be contested over five ERC events in 2024 and offer a hugely attractive package of incentives.

Partnering with Pirelli and Gulf Race Fuels in establishing the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy, M-Sport Poland has identified the ERC as the perfect arena to showcase the performance, reliability and accessibility of its four-wheel-drive challenger.

While the ERC is the established career launchpad for competitors stepping up from national level with the aim of competing in the FIA World Rally Championship in the future, it’s also a destination itself.

That means drivers of differing age, experience and ability choose the ERC year on year to mount an international-level campaign – and benefit from the opportunity to compete on established events backed up by strong organisation and promotion.

With the Fiesta Rally3 proving to be the ideal car for those keen to sample high-performance four-wheel drive, but for a lower cost than Rally2, the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy is an ideal starting point, with drivers using their own cars prepared by themselves or by a team.

But to ensure competitors get access to the best technical assistance available, M-Sport Poland will attend all events with a fully stocked spares vehicle, while its engineers will be available to provide technical support when required.

To be eligible for the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy, competitors must first register for the FIA ERC3 Championship and then enter the series through M-Sport Poland.

All drivers will use the same specification Pirelli tyre and Gulf’s MSR EVO2 fuel, which will be available on site at every Fiesta Rally3 Trophy event at a discounted price of €2.00 a litre.

Pirelli is generously offering a 15 per cent discount on event tyre packages to all participants. The winner of each Fiesta Rally3 Trophy event will secure 12 new tyres for use on the next event, the runner-up will receive six new tyres with two new tyres going to the third-place finisher.

Gulf Race Fuels will reward the winner of each round with 300 litres of Gulf MSR EVO2 fuel. The drivers finishing second and third will receive 150 and 50 litres respectively.

The eventual Fiesta Rally3 Trophy winner is handed a fully funded drive package for the 2024 Central European Rally, round 12 of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship.

Rally Hungary, which switches from asphalt to gravel in 2024, opens the inaugural Fiesta Rally3 Trophy season from 12 - 14 April followed by Rally Estonia (gravel, 5 - 7 July), Rally di Roma Capitale (asphalt, 26 - 28 July), Barum Czech Rally Zlín (asphalt, 16 - 18 August) and Poland’s Rally Silesia (asphalt, 11 - 13 October).

Iain Campbell, ERC championship manager for WRC Promoter GmbH, said: “The Fiesta Rally3 has been a welcome addition to ERC events since it came on stream in 2021. It’s clearly proving attractive, both in terms of its high-performance levels, but also its lower operating costs. It’s therefore a great pleasure to welcome the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy competitors on five rounds of the European championship in 2024. We are in no doubt that the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy will be a big success and provide yet another incentive to compete in the ERC.”

Maciej Woda, M-Sport Poland Board Member, said: “The Fiesta Rally3 Trophy is a totally new one-make series that I hope will help reward and encourage the next generation of drivers that are destined for the top of our sport. At M-Sport Poland we are in contact with drivers on a daily basis. One-make series were once the core of M-Sport Poland’s business and I remember the thrill and excitement of seeing so many talented drivers from a variety of backgrounds. It became apparent to us that with the popularity of the Fiesta Rally3, there needed to be a supported trophy-style competition to help highlight who we should be supporting in the near future. We are seeing some incredible results from the Fiesta Rally3 Evo at the moment, I am sure the entrants for next year’s Fiesta Rally3 Trophy will keep on adding to that list.”