All three ERC title-contenders to take part in the Cyprus Rally

We are just weeks away from the celebration of speed that is the Cyprus Rally. With just one event remaining on the calendar for this season of the ERC, three drivers are going head-to-head for top honours. Chris Ingram, Alexey Lukyanuk and Lukasz Habaj will battle it out on Cypriot soil, having already confirmed their participation. Alongside them will be Nasser Al Attiyah, who has won the event multiple times, as well as drivers from Cyprus who have proven a match for their European adversaries in the past.

Leading the ERS is this year’s revelation. Brit Chris Ingram is currently first in the standings, ahead of the champion, Alexey Lukyanuk, without winning a single event. An interesting part of this year’s tale for Chris is that his mother had to setup a GoFundMe account in order to secure funds for her son’s participation in our rally, an endeavour in which she was successful! Chris wishes to become the first British European champion since 1967, when Vic Elford became the rally king of Europe. Just below Chris, by a single point, is last year’s champion and 2016 Cyprus Rally winner, Alexey Lukyanuk. The fast Russian has had a dramatic season so for, which kicked off with two consecutive retirements. He found his rhythm in the next event with a second place finish and a win in Poland, before being struck by misfortune in Italy. A 15^th place in the Czech event found the Russian just one point behind the championship leader with 107 points. In third place is Poland’s new hope, Lukasz Habaj, who hit the ground running at the beginning of the season with a victory in the Azores Rally and two second-place finishes in Spain and Poland. A 16^th place finish in Italy and a retirement in the Czech Republic, left Lukasz struggling to maintain contact with the Lukyanuk and Ingram. He will look to cover lost ground, right here in Cyprus.

This year’s Cyprs Rally, apart from being the fifth round of the Cypriot Championship, is the seventh round of the European Rally Championship and the fourth round of the Middle-East Rally Championship, and still remains the only event in the world to host two regional FIA rounds in the same rally. This year’s course has a total distance of 684.10 kilometres, 200.07 of which are the 12 special stages. Our rally will take place on a mixed surface, once again, with 87% taking place on dirt while 13% will be run on asphalt. The event will be based in Nicosia, where the Service Park, Headquarters and Press Office will be located. The Start and Finish ceremonies of the rally will be hosted on the beautiful beachfront of Foinikoudes in Larnaca.