Pestana to compete in the N2 Class on board a Toyota Auris

Last year’s Turismo Superior Champion Sandro Pestana is getting ready to face new challenges during this new season of the Peruvian Rally Championship.

Forty-year-old Pestana will leave his Volkwagen Golf GTI which helped him win the Turismo Superior championship last season to take the wheel of a Toyota Auris and compete in the N2 class, which promises to be one of the most competitive categories in 2009.

The Auris is one of the cars with the most horsepower in the class and will be built by 2007 N3 national champion Paolo Zani who also helped French driver Denis Olivet take his third place in the N3 Class in the 2008 Incas Rally on board a Toyota Corolla.

Zani will build the Auris according to Pestana’s specifications trying to maintain the weight of the car as low as possible since it is about 1,230 kilograms heavy; a high figure compared to other much lighter cars in the class.

 “I am very happy about the decision I’ve made about competing in the Auris this season,” said Pestana. “The N2 Class is going to be very competitive with approximately 12 cars on the entry list each rally so I need the best car out there to try fight for the title again this year.”

Sandro will compete again with his brother Luciano to try claim a second consecutive title on a championship made up of seven rallies, the first one due to take place in Lima, followed by another one in Junín, Ica, Huancayo, Arequipa, Cusco and Huánuco.

“The calendar looks interesting this season with three new rallies on the schedule (Ica, Cusco, and Huánuco). It will be a year full of challenges but we’re ready to fight again and both, my brother and I, are already getting ready, physically and mentally.”

The first round of the championship takes place in Lima (28-29 March) and will be host again to some of the best drivers in the country like two times national champion Nicolás Fuchs, 2006 national champion Raúl Orlandini, 2008 Incas Rally winner Roberto Pardo, and many others.