Canary Islands Rally Kicks Off: Cruz Chases Tenth Title

The Canary Islands Asphalt Rally Championship (CCRAs) kicks off this weekend, promising a fierce fight for the regional title. For the second year in a row, the season starts with the Orvecame Isla de Lanzarote Rally – Ciudad de Arrecife Trophy. This event marks the first of eight races on the championship calendar.

Enrique Cruz, the current champion, is the top favourite to win again and secure his tenth regional title. His biggest challenger this year looks to be Yeray Lemes, a former champion (including 2019) who wants to reclaim the top spot. Other key drivers to watch include Sergio Fuentes, in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, and Alexey Lukyanuk, a two-time European champion, also driving a Skoda of the same model. All the top drivers will be using powerful Rally2 cars, setting the stage for very competitive racing.

There's one change to this year's calendar: the Villa de Teror Rally has been removed. In its place, the Comarca Norte de Gran Canaria Rally will now close the season.

The opening race in Lanzarote will see 39 teams compete. Most of the racing action happens on Saturday, with seven timed stages. Before that, administrative and technical checks, plus the opening ceremony, are set for Friday. Local hero Yeray Lemes is the favourite, having won the Lanzarote event for the past three years. Enrique Cruz, wearing race number 1, will be looking to end Lemes' winning run, especially after coming within just three seconds of victory last year.

Enrique Cruz and co-driver Yeray Mujica are starting their second year with the Copi Sport team's Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Cruz called last season "perfect," even though he felt the car hadn't reached its full potential. This suggests an even stronger performance is expected this year. Notably, Cruz is skipping the Spanish Asphalt Rally Championship to focus entirely on the Canarian championship.

Sergio Fuentes, who has finished third in recent championships, aims to climb higher this season. With co-driver Teco Hernández, Fuentes will continue to develop with his updated Fabia RS Rally2. Last season was strong for him, with wins at the Norte Rally and Isla Tenerife Rally, plus a second-place finish at Ciudad de La Laguna.

Russian driver Alexey Lukyanuk, who lives in Tenerife, is joining the championship with the Domingo Alonso Group and Sports & You Canarias team. Having previously finished on the podium in Lanzarote, Lukyanuk is aiming for a win this time, driving a new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Some familiar faces will be missing from the Lanzarote event. Miguel Suárez is out for unspecified reasons, though he has had health issues in the past. Enrique's brother, Fernando Cruz, also won't be competing due to budget problems that prevent him from doing the whole championship.

Meanwhile, Yeray Lemes, with co-driver Aitor Cambeiro, will again be in his Citroën C3 Rally2. He's expected to be Enrique Cruz's main rival all season. The event also sees the debut of young Lanzarote driver Joday Betancort with the Hyundai Canarias team and their Rally2 car. Plus, fans will see Porsche 911 GTRs on the stages, driven by Toñín Suárez and Aníbal Machín.

Saturday's racing starts at 9:30 AM with Stage 1 (La Asomada - Tegoyo - Tías - Heide - Cercado), followed by Stage 2 (La Candelaria - San Bartolomé) at 10:10 AM. After a break, these two stages will be run again at 11:30 AM and 12:10 PM. The second half of the rally begins at 2:45 PM with the longest stage, Stage 5 (Guatiza - El Mojón - Las Nieves - Haría), then Stage 6 (Máguez - Haría - Arrieta) at 3:30 PM. The competition ends with a second run through the Guatiza - El Mojón - Las Nieves - Haría stage at 4:35 PM. Drivers are expected to arrive back in Arrecife at 5:30 PM, with the trophy ceremony at 5:45 PM.

The scoring system for the championship remains the same as last year. Drivers get an extra five points for taking part in the La Palma and Lanzarote events. The Villa de Adeje Rally offers a bonus of seven points because it's also part of the Spanish Rally Cup (CERA). For the overall championship, only each driver's six best results will count, giving them some room for error if things go wrong in a race.

Following the opening event in Lanzarote, the CCRAs calendar continues with:

• Orvecame Norte Rally (April 10-11)
• Villa de Adeje Rally (May 8-9)
• Ciudad de Telde Rally (June 27-28)
• Ciudad de La Laguna Rally (July 17-18)

After a break in August, racing resumes with:

• Isla Bonita Rally (September 27)
• Maspalomas Rally (October 31 - November 1)
• Comarca Norte Rally (November 27-28), which will be the final event.