2009 Peugeot 207 S2000

A THIRD IRC TITLE FOR PEUGEOT IN IRC WITH 207 Super 2000

The result of this weekend's Rally Principe de Asturias in Spain has handed Peugeot its third consecutive Manufacturers' crown in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), with two rounds of the 2009 series remaining.

For the past three years, the Peugeot 207 Super 2000 has stood out as the machine to beat in the IRC, and the close-formation finish – behind Kopecky's Skoda – achieved by Peugeot's representives in Spain this weekend has handed the Manufacturers' title to the brand for the third year running. This achievement is a fitting reward for the everyday work that goes on at Peugeot Sport's base in Vélizy, near Paris, where it endeavours to develop the most competitive evolutions aimed at allowing 207 Super 2000 owners – subsidiaries, importers and privateers alike – to challenge for outright victory. To date, this year, Peugeot drivers have scored a resounding one-two-three finish on January's Rallye Monte Carlo, plus three wins in a row for Great Britain's Kris Meeke.

But while the fight for the Manufacturers' crown has been settled ahead of the championship's remaining visits to Sanremo and Scotland, there is still everything to play for in the Drivers' title chase. Kris Meeke continues to top the standings, but his advantage over Jan Kopecky has been reduced to just one point. The Briton was forced to push hard in Spain to come back after an off and a puncture on SS4. He completed the opening day in seventh spot, but succeeded in passing Vouilloz – who also lost time with a puncture on the Friday – to bag second place just before the finish. Loix finished just shy of the podium ahead of a fourth Peugeot 207 Super 2000 in the hands of Fontana.

Source - Peugeot

RESULT / IRC - RALLYE DU VALAIS (OCTOBER 23-25, 2008)NICOLAS VOUILLOZ CLINCHES THE 2008 IRC Drivers' Crown

Second place on this weekend's Rallye du Valais behind his Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg team-mate Freddy Loix sufficed to hand Nicolas Vouilloz the 2008 IRC Drivers' title. Following Peugeot's wrapping up of the Manufacturers' championship on the recent Sanremo Rally, today's result produced another outstanding finish for the French make which saw four of its cars monopolise the top-four on the Swiss round, with Luca Rossetti rounding off the podium and Bryan Bouffier claiming fourth place.

The Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg pair dominated their opponents on the Rallye du Valais and, right up to Saturday lunchtime, the two team-mates put on a spectacular show for the huge crowd. With four stages to go, Nicolas Vouilloz, who moved into the lead on Friday morning, enjoyed a slender advantage of 4.5 seconds over Freddy Loix. At this point in proceedings, it would have taken a brave man to gamble on who would come out of the fight on top, and the slightest incident could have tipped the balance in favour of either driver: 'I would obviously like to win the Rallye du Valais,' admitted Nicolas, 'First of all, because I have a close family tie with this region, and also because a win would take me level with Basso, Loix and Rossetti in terms of victories scored in 2008. But there are times when you've got to set yourself priorities. I have rarely experienced such an atmosphere of solidarity within the Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg camp as I have this weekend, especially with Freddy. I have a great chance of sewing up the title, and Freddy has helped me be in that position. If I back off now, on the one hand it will boost my hopes of wrapping up the championship, and on the other it would enable Freddy to finish just behind me in the points table...'

The Frenchman's sporting attitude was typical of the season which has seen the Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg team deliver competitive, reliable form all year. Nicolas Vouilloz has finished eight times on the podium (one win, six second places and one third place), while Freddy Loix was keen to add another victory to his 2008 score: 'Yes!' he beamed at the finish. 'I could have won on the stages, and it would have been nice to win in a straight fight, and Nico's thoughts followed the same lines. Putting a halt to our fight ended up giving us both good cause for celebration this evening...'

With the Manufacturers' title going to Peugeot, and the Drivers' crown safely in the hands of Nicolas Vouilloz, plus runner-up spot for Freddy Loix, Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg has more than achieved its objectives for 2008. 'Mission accomplished!' exclaimed Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg's Managing Director Jonathan Goodman at the finish. 'We announced at the start of the season that the Year of the Lion included a bid to win both IRC titles. Not only have we achieved that twofold goal, but we ended our programme today with a one-two finish on the Rallye de Valais which in turn gives us first and second places in the Drivers' championship. I'm delighted for the team and I would like to congratulate them all for the fantastic work they have put in.'

Rallye du Valais - final positions: 1, Loix/Buysmans Peugeot 207 Super 2000 2h 37m 33.5s 2, Vouilloz/Klinger Peugeot 207 Super 2000 +4.5s 3, Rossetti/Chioarcossi Peugeot 207 Super 2000 +53.9s 4, Bouffier/Panseri Peugeot 207 Super 2000 +1m 30.3s 5, Basso/Miatta Fiat Abarth Super 2000 +2m 48.2s 6, Alen/Alanne Fiat Abarth Super 2000 +2m 52.8s 7, Hotz/Ravasi Peugeot 207 Super 2000 +3m 24.3s 8, Toth/Tagai Peugeot
207 Super 2000 +6m 15.9s Etc.

Source - Peugeot