The list has just been published in order of departure, which is divided into 78 cars in speed and five in Regularity Sport
The official poster makes a nod to the Lighthouse, where the departure ceremony will be this Friday at 21:30 p.m. Before, the technical verifications at Expomeloneras, from 17 to 21 p.m.
The 49th edition of the Maspalomas Rally is almost ready and this afternoon it has published its official entry list, which finally contains 83 teams, five of them in the Regularity Sport modality. The acceptance of this Las Palmas BP Championship rally has been very important and, among the various promotion formulas, the participation of the Clio Trophy and Nissan Micra de Canarias drivers stands out, as other focuses of attention, in addition to the fight for the podium places, where Toñi Ponce-Pedro Domínguez (Hyundai i20) and Alfonso Viera-Ariday Bonilla (Citroen C3), cars belonging to the highest Rally2 category, start as favorites.
The return to the Maspalomas Lighthouse will be evident this Friday with the departure ceremony starting at 21:30 p.m. They will be in reverse order of the order on the list. Previously at 21 p.m. there will be a meeting of the drivers/co-drivers with race direction, in addition to the technical verifications of the vehicles from 17 to 21 p.m. in Expomeloneras. After the eight timed sections of Saturday's day, a repeat of last year's route test, the emblematic Maspalomas Lighthouse will also be the final goal to receive the teams that manage to finish the test, starting at 19 p.m.
Last Monday at the rally presentation, the promotional poster was unveiled, where the Lighthouse is once again a key part of it, in addition to the different partners of the rally and championships, with the main part dedicated to the new Opel Corsa of the sponsor Orvecame.
A VERY COMPLETE RALLYE IN THE FIGHT FOR THE BP CHAMPIONSHIP AND ITS TROPHIES
The test organized by the Maspalomas Team since the 80s of the last century, continues to always aim high and has a special attraction for the drivers, based on its route meter designed for the least explored timed sections of the territory of the island of Gran Canaria and perhaps because of the tradition of the rally itself.
In this year, 2022, last year's route meter is repeated and the official list of entries reaches 85 teams, five of them in the Regularity Sport modality for classic vehicles (RS). And most importantly, with all the contenders for the title within the BP Las Palmas Championship to which the Maspalomas event belongs. It will be the penultimate event of the provincial contest and its different promotional formulas, such as the Clio Trophy Canarias and Nissan Micra, among the most notable.
Maspalomas (October 28 and 29) is number seven of a total of nine events, in what is now the final stretch of the BP Rally Championship, with the exception that this year it overtook “Villa de Teror” due to its postponement the following week. A contest that is still very open and where Toñi Ponce is emerging as the 2022 favorite.
Precisely the driver Julio Martínez with Pedro Viera as co-driver will be the ones who open the stages with the Porsche 911 GT3 (996), as leaders of the BP championship, followed by the drivers of the Rally2 type cars of Toñi Ponce, with Pedro de Domínguez at the rear. right and Alfonso Viera-Ariday Bonilla. Completing the group of favorites Domingo Ramos-José Angel Batista with his usual mount.
Hence this situation, without a clear favorite, is the key to this rally to define the candidates for the provincial title for the remainder of the season, since only Toñi Ponce has a victory in the last Telde Rally, among the theoretical candidates to win the “Maspa”. None of the winners of the previous events are on the entry list for this rally, which increases the value of the opportunity to achieve victory in the San Bartolomé de Tirajana rally.
And after the top five on the list, a wide range of teams opens up with the possibility of fighting for the "top-ten" spots. They are teams that a priori are off the podium, but if the classic toughness of the rally continues for another year, they could climb many positions and finally be part of the trio of honor.
Among the 78 teams in speed, the important participation of the Clio Trophy Canarias and the Nissan Micra Cup of the Canary Islands stands out, followed by the veteran Toyota Enma-2RM Trophy of the Yaris and the Opel-N3 Cup with the Adam. Other promotional formulas present at Maspalomas 2021 are the Hankook-Pastelería La Madera Cup for 1.6 cars, FALP Promotion and Steering Wheel Trophy, Best Rookie Driver and Co-pilot, Clio Cardones Prodrive, Proauto and Marbella Cup.
Another piece of news is the return of Armide Martín with his veteran Mitsubishi Starion Turbo, a vehicle from the H90 group, which can still give a lot of war in its hands if it works correctly. And attention to the Honda Civic Type R of Aridane Ojeda and Alexander Santana. Or the Peugeot Rally4 of Jonathan Nuez and the Clio of Samuel Talavera. Another important return to “his rally” is that of Noé Armas within the Clio Rally5 cup, where the man to beat will once again be Alejandro Martín.
In Regularidad Spor,t there are only five teams registered, partly due to the agglomeration of rallies these weeks, before and after Maspalomas. This test is scored for both the Provincial and Regional RS Championships.
For now, the Maspa continues to generate passion and high expectations for this Saturday, October 29, the day on which the timed stages will take place, after Friday evening dedicated to the verification of the participating vehicles and the starting ceremony from 21:30 p.m., in the best possible environment, such as the Maspalomas Lighthouse and Expomeloneras.
