The Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) is counting down to the 46th Rally Principe de Asturias which will get underway tomorrow morning following tonight's ceremonial start. The Spanish asphalt event, based in the city of Oviedo, will see the Abarth factory team in action in the title race for overall honours while Fiat interest will in strong the in the IRC 2WD Cup.

Abarth's lead driver Giandomenico Basso, who won this rally last year, will go into action seeking to galvanise his flagging IRC title hopes although a strong run would also push him back to the front of the European Rally Championship standings and this is a much more realistic target. Basso is lying third in the IRC drivers’ points table following his victory on Rali Vinho Madeira last month which saw him bounce straight back into title contention although a no points score last time out on the Barum Czech Rally Zlín has undone most of that very good work. However he can still overhaul Briton Kris Meeke, who is 15 points ahead of Basso at the top of the standings, with three rounds remaining. After a dismal season Abarth is currently fourth in the IRC manufacturers’ standings with 34 points and only third placed Mitsubishi Ralliart (42 points) is within realistic reach.

For the first time in the history of the rally, the Príncipe de Asturias is this year also valid for the European Rally Championship (FIA ERC), the highest category in Europe and is the only Spanish event to count towards the series. Basso is currently on 62 points in the ERC, 4 points behind new series leader Michel Solowow. The Abarth driver had led the standings going into the last round, the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, but misfortune on that rally saw him only pick up 3 points (for being the best ERC driver on day 2 when he re-entered the event under the SupeRally rule) while the Polish Peugeot driver collected 16 points to overhaul Basso in the title standings.

With regular team mate and gravel specialist Anton Alén having been dropped since the Rally Russia as the IRC goes through a swage of summer asphalt events, Abarth has been drafting in second drivers with specialist event knowledge and sealed surface experience. Bernd Casier deputised for the young Finn on the Ypres Rally Belgium while Abarth's regular Italian series pilot Luca Rossetti got the nod in Madeira and on the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. For the Principe de Asturias this week in comes former double Spanish Rally Champion and regular Fiat Auto Espana driver Miguel Fuster, who finished fifth overall on this event event last season at the wheel of his Fiat Auto Espana-run Abarth Grande Punto S2000. Jose Vincente Medina will co-drive as usual. Alén is due to return to the Abarth stable on the penultimate IRC round, the Rallye Sanremo, which takes place from September 24-26.

The two factory entries are the only Super 2000 category Abarth Grande Puntos in the rally; however in the IRC 2WD Cup there will be strong interest from Fiat as the two main protagonists of the year are lined up and ready to continue a hugely entertaining duel. Frenchman Denis Millet’s turbocharged Peugeot has taken the series lead from the Fiat Punto S1600 of Italy’s Manuel Villa after the latter missed the last round in the Czech Republic. Villa, who also leads the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe series on track with one round remaining, will be anxious to try and take back his points lead in the Rally Principe de Asturias, adding further drama and spectacle to the event.

Meanwhile Britain’s Kris Meeke currently leads the 2009 IRC drivers’ standings after a hat-trick of victories in Brazil, the Azores and Ypres earlier on in the year. Nevertheless the Peugeot UK driver’s margin has been whittled down by two victories for works Skoda Motorsport driver Jan Kopecký in Russia and his home event, the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, and now only three points separate the two aces.

Behind them in the title race lie the hugely experienced and extremely consistent Freddy Loix with his Benelux-entered Peugeot and Basso; they are tied in third place some 15 points off Meeke’s lead. For all the contenders, a classic IRC season is set to continue when the starting flag drops in Oviedo.  “It was fantastic for me, for my co-driver Petr Stary and the whole team to win on home ground in the Czech Republic,” said Kopecký. “If I have the chance to win the IRC drivers’ title it would be unbelievable, although Kris is still going to be strong everywhere. If I get the chance to take the battle to the end then I will, this year has been fantastic for us so far.”

The capital of the Principality of Asturias, and well-known as the hometown of double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso, Oviedo also plays host to what remains the longest-standing motor sport passion of Spanish fans: flat-out asphalt rallying.

As well as the main contenders for the championship there is huge strength and depth throughout the field. Guy Wilks returns with the Proton Satria Neo that starred on its Ypres debut and scored points in Russia, while Ralliart is represented not only by regular IRC star Franz Wittmann but also a team of four new Evo X machines from the RMC Motorsport outfit. Frenchman Julien Maurin returns to the fray in his Skoda Fabia S2000 and a similar car is entered for local hero Alberto Hevia, a former winner of the event and strong contender this year.

The reconnaissance for this 46th edition took place on Tuesday and Wednesday (8th and 9th September) while the Shakedown stage returned to the municipality of Siero this morning, being held on the road from Pola de Siero to Muncó. This evening will see the official start ramp ceremony getting underway from 2000 at the Paseo del Bombé in the Campo San Francisco at Oviedo.

The rally will be split into two legs, with four sections in the first leg tomorrow and two more sections in the second leg on Saturday. In total there will be 15 special stages, all held on asphalt, with 253.72 kilometres to decide the winner of the 46th Rally Príncipe de Asturias. The first leg will have nine stages, the first, Muncó Muñó, early in the morning, with 8 kilometres and two runs, followed by Pajomal Carbayín La Rasa, with 29.57 kilometres and also two runs that could already be removing contenders for the final win. Next will be the stage Cesa Valdebárcena, 11,36 kilometres long, to be run three times and that moves the rally to the eastern part of Asturias, completing the leg will be the stage Piedrafita La Zorea Anayo, 27.11 kilometres, to be run twice and closing the leg.

On Saturday the second leg will be run, with six special stages that will bring the rally to the mining basin, there are three classic stages in the history of the “Príncipe” and in Asturian motor sport to be run twice each. They are Argame Las Mazas (11.81 kilometres long), La Nueva La Invernal (21.37 kilometres) and Blimea La Casilla El Corvero (11.96 kilometres) that will see the end of this running of the Rally Príncipe de Asturias. The 46th Rally Principe de Asturias also retains its validity for the Spanish Tarmac Rally Championship.