SNOW AND ICE BECKON FOR HYUNDAI LOCAL HEROES

The snow and ice of Sweden will be the backdrop for the 50th Anniversary of the Swedish International rally next week, when crews from over 20 countries cross the start ramp in the centre of Karlstad on Thursday 10 February. Among the entrants will be a pair of the much awaited, brand new, Castrol-backed Hyundai Accent World Rally Cars, making their competition debut after months of interest.

Heading for Sweden will be the same driver pairing which brought so much success to the team in 1999 with the venerable Hyundai Coupe Evo2, Kenneth Eriksson and Alister McRae. This will be a monumentous occasion for both Hyundai Castrol World Rally Team drivers, for several reasons.

For Eriksson, and fellow Swede, co-driver Staffan Parmander, it marks their return to the pinnacle of rallying in a World Rally Car, on their home event, as the only Swedish crew in a works World Rally Car. "I am incredibly excited about getting back into a World Rally Car," said Eriksson. "I will be trying to go as fast as I can, of course, to see how the car compares with the competition. And to see how I perform as well! As with any new car, the other teams will have an advantage but we know there is plenty more to come from the car and this will happen through the year."

And for Alister McRae and 11-year team-mate David Senior, it sees the beginning of a season of competition where both will be able to realise a long-held dream, of competing against the very best in the World Rally Championship, on equal terms. "This certainly won't be an easy event but like Kenneth, I'll be trying to go as fast as I can while making sure I get to the finish. I've done this event four times before but Kenneth has an enormous amount of experience, so hopefully I can learn more from him. I'm sure we'll set some good times during the event while making sure we have a trouble-free rally."

Sweden will provide the first indication of the team's competitiveness with the brand new Accent WRC. The car has undergone extensive testing since its first runs in the Autumn of 1999 and both drivers, McRae and Eriksson have praised the Accent WRC's balance and handling highly. Before and after Christmas, each driver logged rally distances on the car, on two separate occasions, in preparation for the first event. However, as with all testing, it won't be until the team has several stages under its belt that it will know just how competitive the new package is, against stiff competition from the five of the other six teams competing (Skoda is not taking part).

KEY ISSUES
According to David Senior, there are two main factors which will play a key role in the outcome. The first is the 48km Jutbo stage on leg two; "All long stages are difficult, because they require the driver and co-driver to maintain concentration for such long periods of time. It also means the car is operating at full speed for a long period and that means that everything becomes very stressed."

The changeable weather is another factor that could affect the outcome; "It's relatively warm in the area at the moment and this could make tyre choice very difficult. We've done a lot of testing in the North and the Michelin studded tyres are excellent. But we will have to rely on the gravel crews a lot to tell us what proportion of the stages are ice, hard ice or gravel, where the ice has melted. We will also have to rely on them to give us an idea of what happens to the surface as cars pass over it - whether or not the ice cuts away to reveal gravel, which could rip the studs from the tyres."

Staffan Parmander added; "The stages around the Hagfors area will be critical -if the surface is mixed, it will make things very tricky. If the weather is warm, the rally could be decided on tyre choice."

THE RALLY
The 2000 Swedish International Rally begins with a ceremonial start in the central square of Karlstad on Thursday 10th February, while the first day of competition, Friday 11th, sees the crews head 85km north of Karlstad to the area around Hagfors and Torsby. Leg one comprises nine stages, including the famous Torsby lake stage. Leg two takes place on six stages around the Borlange area, 220 Km north-east of Karlstad. Day three, Sunday 13th, heads back to Hagfors for five more stages. Sweden is GMT + 1 hour.