Rally / 18 March 2008

JAS MOTORSPORT IN THE INTERCONTINENTAL RALLY CHALLENGE 2007 WITH LUCA BETTI AND DANI SOLA'

JAS MOTORSPORT IN THE INTERCONTINENTAL RALLY CHALLENGE 2007 WITH LUCA BETTI AND DANI SOLA'

While the development of the Honda Civic Type R FIA Group R is progressing, JAS Motorsport have signed their drivers for the Rally season 2007.

For the first time in 10 years of professional Motorsport in circuit racing, JAS Motorsport will participate to rally races with their own team, aiming to further develop the new Civic Type-R for racing customers.

Therefore all Honda Racing-Customers, who have enthusiastically reacted to the new Rally car by JAS, will take advantage of such intensive and high-profile racing experiences, as all improvements and developments carried out during the season will be automatically transferred on the customers cars.

The challenge to the IRC 2007, has been launched, the first step being the signature of two professional and highly talented drivers.

The participation to the IRC, and to some others important rallies, falls within the scope of the Development Program of the new Type R, an official program launched by Honda for their racing customers, through JAS Motorsport.

JAS ambitions will be officially supported by Pirelli, providing factory support and custom developed tyres to suit one of the most competitive front wheel drive rally cars.

?Our main goal is to promote the car in several countries? says JAS team principal Alessandro Mariani ?so to show our customers how competitive the Type R can be in the new Gr.R configuration. that is why we have decided to race in the IRC which, on top of a huge visibility on the media, will help to promote our car in seven different countries, all of them having long tradition in rally.The official support of such a renown tyre manufacturer like Pirelli makes us proud and it further feeds our commitment to this rally program ?.

?Both drivers have extensive international experience, having raced and won in the JWRC? continues Alessandro Mariani ?therefore we believe that an international scene would suit more our targets and ambitions?.

Luca Betti (Italian, 28 years old, 2nd in the last Montecarlo rally between the J-WRC cars) and Dani Sol? (spanish, 32 years old, J-WRC Champion in 2002) had their first approach with the new car last week, and both have expressed their satisfaction for the Civic which has proved to be ready to face the most competitive rally cars.

"Compared to the last tests we did" explains Luca Betti "the car has definitely improved, and we are at the point where we have eliminated all little problems of youth and can focus on set-up development. Now we need to grow experience with the car and achieve the necessary confidence with it".

"I am positively impressed by the car" says the spanish driver Sol?, "the base is already very good, however the car is still young and there is a big margin for improvements."

First show up of JAS Motorsport and the new Civic Type R, with Luca Betti at the wheel, will be at Rally 1000 Miglia (April 20-22) valid for the Italian Championship and FIA European Championship, while the first European round of the IRC, when JAS will be present with both drivers, will be the FIAT Rally in Turkey (May,12-13).


For more infos or technical support please contact +39.02.9037541 or mail us at info@jasmotorsport.com.