Marco Cavigioli (above, on the Belgium Ypres Rally earlier this year) driving a Fiat Grande Punto Diesel heads into the China Rally this weekend just three points behind his compatriot and rival Alessandro Bettega in the standings in the inaugural Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2WD Cup.

The 10th and final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge this year is the China Rally held in Shaowu, close to Fuzhou in the south of China. This all-new event, which has a different base to last year’s China Rally, takes in a number of different gravel stages that encompass a wide variety of speeds and terrain.

The biggest title fight within the IRC rankings is for the inaugural IRC 2WD Cup, which has gone down to the wire in its inaugural season. Italian driver Marco Cavigioli, driving a Fiat Grande Punto Diesel, heads into the China Rally just three points behind his compatriot Alessandro Bettega, who leads the standings with a total of 18 points. However, Bettega will not be contesting the China Rally, which leaves the way clear for Cavigioli to clinch the championship, provided that he can finish within the top four two-wheel drive cars.

That will be far from an easy task, as there are a number of talented local drivers who will line up to take the start, driving Hondas and also Volkswagens: both manufacturers having played a crucial part in the outcome of the inaugural IRC 2WD Cup this year.

China is the most populous country in the world, with one of the most thriving car markets, making the rally a major event in the locality. The event gets underway with an elaborate opening ceremony in Shaowu city centre, in front of thousands of excited fans, during the afternoon of Friday December 5. The crews then go on to complete a two-kilometre superspecial stage before returning to parc ferme.

Saturday’s action begins early for the first of six special stages. The crews face fast and narrow roads, with the mud often hiding some sharp rocks that make punctures a constant hazard. The stages pass through some spectacular countryside, visiting some places where the way of life has not changed for more than a thousand years. The continuously-variable levels of grip, together with the constant risk of rain, will make tyre choice a crucial factor.

Sunday sees the crews leave parc ferme even earlier, at 05:30, for the first of six more special stages that will decide the outcome of the rally. During the repeated stages the roads are expected to cut up badly, which could lead to a dramatic finish. The final podium will take place at 15:12 back in Shaowu, where the IRC 2WD Cup winner will be crowned – possibly in his absence.

The China Rally service park is located close to Shaowu city centre, meaning that both press and public can easily access the heart of the action. As well as being round 10 of the IRC, the China Rally is also a round of the Chinese Championship – which means that there will be a healthy contingent of local competitors to challenge some of the stars from Europe. One of the pre-event favourites will be well-known Finn Juha Salo, who has plenty of experience of Chinese and Asia-Pacific events and has won three Finnish Group N titles. His Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX will be well-suited to the treacherous terrain of China, where traction and grip is at a premium. He will be challenged by his compatriot Jarkko Miettinen, in a similar car, who is the reigning Romanian Champion. Brian Green, a protagonist of the China Rally last year, is back for another attempt at the event in his Mitsubishi Lancer.