Canadian GP || June 9 || 14h00 (Local time)

Second IRC 2WD Cup win hard for Lemes

"A shortage of sponsorship has meant they could only afford to buy a 13-year-old Honda Civic"

By Franck Drui

14 April 2011 - 17:57

Yeray Lemes’ co-driver Rogelio Peñate has conceded that it will be difficult for them to win the IRC 2WD Cup section of Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés for a second successive year.

Lemes and Peñate triumphed at the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2. However, a shortage of sponsorship has meant they could only afford to buy a 13-year-old Honda Civic for this season’s event, which Peñate admits is not the most competitive car in the field.

“It’s more like an historic car than a modern car but with the economic problems we had no option,” said Peñate. “For this reason, to win the two-wheel-drive class again will be difficult but we will try because it’s an important rally to do.”

Lemes has tackled one rally and one hillclimb with the Japanese machine. He was the third fastest IRC 2WD Cup contender in pre-event shakedown.