Rally Ireland Information
· Surface: dry and damp asphalt, a possibility of ice and/or snow

· Host town: Sligo

· Practical information: Rally HQ is based at the Clarion Hotel in Sligo, while the service park uses the campus of the adjacent Technology Institute. The Media Centre is located in the service park. The time difference between Ireland and Continental Europe is one hour. When it is 8am in Paris, it is 7am in Dublin. Sunrise on Day 1 of the rally (Friday January 30) is at 8.24am. Sunset is at 5.12pm.

· Technical matters: The engines used in Ireland will be sealed and will go on to contest the rounds in Norway and Cyprus. One spare gearbox and one spare set of differentials are permitted per driver (although not paired with any other events). Steering racks and subframes will not be sealed in Ireland, unlike the turbos (one spare turbo per car, not paired with any other events).

· Tyres:
Two types of tyre may be used: the Pirelli PZero (soft) and the SottoZero (non-studded). Competitors may carry two spares, but the ’re-cutting’ of tread patterns is not authorised. There are no restrictions regarding the quantity of PZero tyres teams can use, but only 16 SottoZeros will be available for the entire rally.

· Recce:
Tuesday January 27 and Wednesday January 28 (8.00am to 7.00pm). Two runs authorised at a maximum speed of 70kph (or lower, depending on local restrictions.

· Shakedown: Thursday January 29 (8.00am to 12.00 noon). Uses a 2.87km stage near Lisduff (5.97km from the service park).

· Press conference: Thursday January 29 (1.30pm), Media Centre.

· Start ceremony: Thursday January 29 (from 7.30pm), Enniskillen.

· Route length: 1,407.68km, including 366.94km divided into 19 stages (13 different).

· Day 1 (Friday January 30): 642.54km, including 164.57km divided into 8 stages (5 different). Starts from service park at 07.25am. SS1 (Glenboy 1, 22.25km), SS2 (Cavan 1, 15.09km) and SS3 (Aughnasheelan 1, 25.21km). Regroup (11.24, 20 minutes). Service A (11.44, 30 minutes). SS4 (Glenboy 2), SS5 (Cavan 2) and SS6 (Aughnasheelan 2). Regroup (16.16, 20 minutes). Service B (16.36, 30 minutes). SS7 (Murley, 24.70km) and SS8 (Fardross, 14.77km). Service C (21.39, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 02.00.

· Day 2 (Saturday January 31): 515.76km, including 133.46km divided into 6 stages (3 different). Exit parc ferme/Service D (06.25, 15 minutes). SS9 (Sloughan Glen 1, 27.76km), SS10 (Ballinamallard 1, 25.51km) and SS11 (Tempo 1, 13.46km). Regroup (11.34, 20 minutes). Service E (11.54, 30 minutes). SS12 (Sloughan Glen 2), SS13 (Ballinamallard 2) and SS14 (Tempo 2). Service F (17.18, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 21.30.

· Day 3 (Sunday February 1): 249.38km, including 68.91km divided into 5 different stages. Exit parc ferme/Service G (07.40, 15 minutes). SS15 (Geevagh, 11.48km), SS16 (Arigna, 27.90km) and SS17 (Lough Gill, 13.51km). Regroup (10.21, 20 minutes). Service H (10.41, 30 minutes). SS18 (Donegal Bay, 14.52km) and SS19 (Donegal Town, 1.50km). Service I (14.30, 10 minutes).

· Podium: Sunday February 1 (from 15.10), Sligo.

· Post-rally press conference: Sunday February 1 (16.30), Media Centre.

· New: Seven of the 13 different stages were run on the 2007 event. Aughnasheelan (SS3/6, previously ’Bencroy’) has been lengthened by 9.77km after the former finish. Ballinamallard (SS10/13) has had an additional section added before the start, and a new loop has been added. Lough Gill (SS17) has been shortened to 13.55km and Donegal Bay (SS18) is run in the opposite direction. Two stages are new: Cavan (SS2) and Donegal Town (SS19).

· Crew statistics before the Rally Ireland:
Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena –WRC debut: Catalonia 1999 (Saxo Kit-Car, retired). WRC starts: 113. First WRC win: Germany 2002 (Xsara WRC). WRC wins: 47. WRC titles: 5 (2004 to 2008).

Dani Sordo: WRC debut: Catalonia 2003 (18th). WRC starts: 59. Junior world title: 2005 (C2 S1600). Marc Martí: WRC debut: Catalonia 1992 (21st). WRC starts: 125. Junior world title: 2005 (C2 S1600).

· The crews’ previous Rally Ireland records:
Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: 2nd participation: 2007 (C4, 1st)
Dani Sordo/Marc Martí: 2nd participation: 2007 (C4, 2nd)

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