The Azores Rally 2019 was officially presented today at Nonagon building, Science and Technology Park of São Miguel, in Lagoa city.
Grupo Desportivo Comercial, the Organizing Committee of the Azores Rally, was represented by Bruno Cruz, the Vice President of Grupo Desportivo Comercial completing the table of honor with Veronica Almeida to represent the municipality hosting the site where the rally was presented, by Filipe Frias as element of the delegation of Tourism delegation of São Miguel, from the Azorian Government and António Medeiros, the new Clerk of the Course of the Azores Rally that carried out the presentation of the 54th edition of the largest automobile event in the Azores.
To not finish so late, the City Show on the streets of Ponta Delgada, will be held only in one direction starting at Kopke Avenue next to the historic São Brás Fort, following towards Est and finishing just before the service Park.
Spring 2019 begins on the first competitive day of the Azores Rally, with qualifying to determine the starting order in the usual Remédios stage, on the morning of March 21. Roughly in the middle of the afternoon, the rally starts with the return of Coroa da Mata stage, with a longer version beginning near the Miradouro de Santa Iria, additioning almost 2km in relation to the 2014 version.
Following the new Mediana/ Remédios stage that uses parts of the old Soluções M, with runway incursion on the motocross circuit with two jumps, followed by the woods of Agraçor, to call the final section that will end in Remédios, near the Natural Park of Macela. The first day ends again on the super special Grupo Marques which will take more around 200 meters, compared to the previous year.
The continuation of the first leg will take place on Friday March 22, with double-crossing in three renovated stages in the west area of the island. Pico da Pedra loses the initial asphalt section, but will earn around 4 km on gravel further north, to then resume the remaining 6 km from previous year.
The mythical Sete Cidades stage will retrieve the version played in 2014, with the use of the first ridge already recovered, being better for the two-wheel drive cars, with less kilometres uphill, as the new special Vista do Rei/Feteiras with a new 3 km section with to resume about 5 km from the previous version, but in reverse. The day ends as in the previous one, with new pass per Grupo Marques.
Also with changes, the ultimate leg starts in Graminhais stage, having added a new beginning in about 2 km, but the classic Tronqueira stage maintains the 2018 version, and it’s really the only stage without any changes. The penultimate section ends with the only passing through Vila Franca/São Brás, where was taken the ultimate abrasive asphalt part descent, followed by the second pass by Graminhais and Tronqueira, before the podium ceremony in Ponta Delgada.
The Azores Rally and his organizing Committee showed once again, concerns about environmental issues, as regards the treatment of waste and the importance of letting immaculate locations where he passes the rally.
This year and in close liaison and collaboration with the Regional Directorate of Environment, the organizer will reinforce environmental actions, where it also includes the municipalities where the Rallye passes. In addition to reinforcing the number of messages that will pass through the official channels, either on the official website or on social networks, a greater number of garbage storage points has been requested to be installed in some locations of the Rallye stages.
This edition of the Azores Rallye will also mark the start of a new Rallye in the Azores islands: the Azores E-Rallye! The test, which is of a regularity, will be disputed exclusively by electric vehicles, with passage through Sete Cidades, Tronqueira and Grupo Marques. In the Azores and by the time of the Rallye, will be present drivers of the FIA e-Rally regularity Cup as well as the FIA maximum responsible with this competition that will be given to know better within a few days.