The FIA European Rally Championship is all set for another big year after 55 crews entered next week’s Rally Serras de Fafe, Felgueiras, Boticas, Vieira do Minho e Cabeceiras de Basto.

Of those 55, 42 are eligible for ERC points with 37 lining up in pacesetting Rally2 cars from Citroën, Hyundai, M-Sport (Ford) and Škoda and equipped with tyres provided by the official ERC manufacturers, including Michelin, MRF and Pirelli.

In total, 21 nationalities are represented on the list of entries to underline the ERC’s widespread appeal.

ERC Championship Manager Iain Campbell said: “It’s fantastic to be heading into the ERC’s 70th-anniversary season knowing there is so much interest in the championship based on the size of the entry list for the opening round in Fafe. But as well as being big on quantity, the entry list is also big on quality with an incredible number of top-level drivers plus drivers new to the championship aiming to gain international experience but in a highly competitive environment taking part. It’s also great news that so many nationalities are represented.”

Celebration of international rallying talent

The Rally Serras de Fafe entry list, which is available by clicking HERE, is a celebration of international rallying talent. Drivers taking part whose participation on the event has yet to be announced include Armindo Araújo, Simone Campedelli, Gregor Jeets, Miko Marczyk, Martin László, Filip Mareš, Rachele Somaschini, Bernardo Sousa, Simone Tempestini and Ricardo Teodósio. News on these drivers and many more will be published at FIAERC.com in the build-up to the season opener

Interest in all categories

As well as the huge number of Rally2 cars competing, several Rally3 and Rally4 cars will also be in action on the mainly gravel-based event, which take place in northern Portugal from 10 – 12 May.