What, When and Where:

The Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) is now firmly established as one of the premier regional championships in World Rallying. The quality of events and the level of competition continues to go from strength to strength. 

Taking place in one of the most diverse regions of the world, in a climate of rapidly expanding economies, the FIA APRC continues to attract drivers and teams from across the world. Some of the best Gp N drivers in the world feature in this exciting and exacting championship, where television audiences around the world are measured in hundreds of millions.

Each of the seven events of 2008 APRC has its own unique characteristics, adding to the allure of rallying in this part of the world. From the dust and dirt of Canberra, to the tropical paradise of New Caledonia, to the wintery conditions of Whangarei, to the home of Gp N rallying in Japan, to the steaming jungles and plantations of Malaysia and Indonesia, to the majesty of China, APRC offers each and every participant something to savour.  With its diversity of climate, topography, culture, language, cuisine and history, APRC is truly a regional championship offering the very best of what this region has to offer.

APRC 2008 will feature seven events on the calendar, Noumea (New Caledonia), Canberra (Australia), Whangarei (New Zealand), Obihiro (Japan), Makassar (Indonesia), Johor (Malaysia) and Longyou (China).

At the time of registration for the APRC, competitors must nominate six rounds that they wish to score points at.

The last possible date for registration is 18 April 2008. (see series regulations). 

A major change for 2008 is the introduction of the Asia and Pacific Cups. This provides an opportunity for competitors to get a “taste” of international rallying, without the need to commit to the full APRC. Each Cup will comprise 3 events (3 of 3 in Pacific – 3 of 4 in Asia). Full registration requirements are detailed in the series regulations.

APRC is primarily a Group N championship, in that the favoured cars are the current world leaders in Gp N rally technology. Subaru and Mitsubishi will be well represented in the series in 2008.

In 2007, Subaru were the recipients of the manufacturers trophy, while the Motor Image Rally Team supported Australian  driver Cody Crocker won the drivers title with his co-driver Ben Atkinson taking the co-driver honours.

 Format: 

The championship runs under similar competition format to the FIA World Rally Championship and is subject to regulations as laid down by the FIA. These include the FIA International Sporting Code, the FIA General Prescriptions (Rally) and the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship  Regulations which are specific to the APRC.

Most events follow the FIA format of a central service area with “cloverleaf” legs over 2 or 3 days. Parc Ferme’s are established at end of each leg or day.

Vehicle eligibility is open to Production cars (Group N), Touring Cars (Group A5, A6, A7) but excludes World Rally Cars and Group A8 cars. Super 1600 and Super 2000 cars are also eligible to compete. Each class has a driver and co-driver award along with an overall manufacturer trophy.

Points scoring is based on finishing order in each round to calculate overall points, using the same formula as for World Rally Championship. (10,8,6,5,4,3,2,1)In addition to this, points are awarded for each leg of each event for the first 3 place getters, 1st (3), 2nd (2), 3rd (1). This is known as SUPERally and allows for non-finishing competitors from the 1st leg to restart the 2nd and any subsequent legs. Points are awarded for each of the Cups on the same basis as the full APRC.

To be eligible for championship points, each entrant, driver and co-driver must have registered with the FIA (on the APRC Registration forms) by the latest closing date. (2008: 18 April 2008). The process of registration includes the requirement to nominate which 6 events (of the 7 in 2008) the team wishes to score points on.

In recent times, the Asia Pacific Rally Championship has become more of a focus for international media with media outlets around the world seeking information and updates on what is happening in this challenging and demanding series. With this increased media attention, and the increasing popularity of motorsport in the region, this well-established championship will continue to grow.

The 2008 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship will feature the following events:

Rallye de Nouvelle Caledonie 12-13 April

Rally of Canberra 10-11 May

International Rally of Whangarei  7-8 June

Rally Hokkaido  11-13 July

Gudang Garam International Rally Indonesia 22-24 August

Malaysian Rally 11-12 October

China Rally 8-9 November