Zoom All set for a run with Kronos Racing

Last Friday in Udine, Italy, some 100km from the magnificent city of Venice, 24-year old Andrea Torlasco was selected to defend the BFGoodrich Drivers Team's colours on September's Rallye Sanremo (September 25-27), the eighth round of the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

The BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation is proving extremely popular in Italy and no fewer than 133 applications were received for the drive by the country's national motor sport governing body (CSAI).

BFGoodrich and Kronos drew up an initial shortlist of five finalists before 14 representatives of the Italian media, BFGoodrich, Kronos and the CSAI (Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana) ultimately picked out Andrea Torlasco who scored seven votes. He finished ahead of Simone Campelli (six votes), Piergiorgio Deila (two), Davide Medici (two) and Sandro Sottile.

Torlasco will drive the car for the first time on September 22 during a test session near Sanremo which the journalists who voted will be invited to attend.

The BFGoodrich Drivers Team gives selected crews from five countries (Portugal, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain and Italy) a unique opportunity to contest their respective home rounds of the IRC . All applications are carefully examined with the help of the national governing body of the country in question and an initial shortlist of five drivers is drawn up by Kronos Racing and BFGoodrich.

The next phase gives the local media a chance to vote for the driver of their choice. Torlasco, who was selected to contest the Italian round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in the BFGoodrich-backed, Kronos-run Peugeot 207 Super 2000, will join forces with the team's resident drivers Freddy Loix and Nicolas Vouilloz.

The car and the BFGoodrich Drivers Team driver will be in the care of Kronos Racing, the same Belgian operation which took Sebastien Loeb to the World Rally Championship title in 2006.

"The news came as a huge surprise for me," said Torlasco following the vote. "I had no idea I would be chosen, but I'm absolutely thrilled! I would like to thank all the journalists who voted for me. BFGoodrich has decided to give me a unique opportunity to compete in a major international event. They can rest assured that I will do all I can to figure at the sharp end of the Rallye Sanremo leaderboard."

The young Italian will be able to familiarise himself with the Peugeot 207 S2000 and the potential of his BFGoodrich tyres during a test session near Sanremo, Italy, on September 22, before going on to contest the Rallye Sanremo later the same week.

© CAPSIS International