ERC Rally Islas Canarias entries open

The first asphalt event of the upcoming ERC season takes place from 2 - 4 May on the island of Gran Canaria.   

And competitors can now sign up to take part and test themselves on the challenging roads around host city Las Palmas.  

Following the opening of entries at 14:00 local time today (6 March) competitors have until 20:00 local time on 16 April to register.

As well as entry information, the event’s official website, www.rallyislascanarias.com, contains the route map, draft itinerary and Rally Guide.  

In addition to counting for overall ERC points, Rally Islas Canarias forms round two of the Hankook-equipped FIA Junior ERC Championship, the FIA ERC3 and FIA ERC4 championships, the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams, the FIA European Rally Championship for Tyre Suppliers, plus the Supercampeonato de España de Rallyes (S-CER).

Rally Islas Canarias in short
Run for the first time in 1977, Rally Islas Canarias, Spain’s round of the ERC, is all about asphalt roads that climb and descend and twist and turn with rapid frequency and demand plenty of driving and pacenote precision.   

Changeable mountain weather adds to the task in hand and puts an onus on tyre strategy and management.   

A coefficient 10 ERC event in 1982, the rally became a fully-fledged round for first time in 2013 and has been ever-present on the European championship schedule since 2016.  

The rally boasts several prominent former winners including Didier Auriol, Piero Liatti and Carlos Sainz, who claimed five consecutive victories in the 1980s. Benjamin Boulloud co-drove Yoann Bonato to victory on Rally Islas Canarias in 2023 aboard a Michelin-equipped Citroën C3 Rally2.   

One of the highlights of last year’s event was the inclusion of a super special stage that ran partly inside the Gran Canaria Arena in front of packed grandstands. The timed test will form part of the 2024 route.