ABOUT "Rally2" CATEGORY?
What is Rally2?
“Rally2” is a classification of rally machines complying to regulations governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) which compete in international rally championships like the World Rally Championship (WRC) and other national championships.
In 2012, FIA created the “R5” regulation as a replacement for the “S2000” (Super 2000) classification. And in 2019, in order to clarify the pyramid structure of motor sports, FIA introduced the Group Rally specifications, under which the name was changed from “R5” to “Rally2”. Then in 2022, the “Rally1” regulation to replace the existing “WR Car (World Rally Car)” classification as the top category, with “Rally2” then becoming the second highest category in the pyramid.
Unlike the Rally1 specification adopting a space frame, Rally2 cars are developed with production models as their base and powered by turbo-charged engines having no more than four cylinders. Rally2 cars are developed and manufactured by the automobile makers (or directly related tuners) and sold to the various teams or individual owners, with the makers also providing maintenance. The chassis and engines of these Rally2 cars must be based on a production model with production volume exceeding 2,500 cars, and their external appearance and design must strongly reflect the production model they are based on.
Rally2 cars must comply with detailed specifications for the chassis, engine output, transmission, suspension and safety equipment.
The teams and drivers competing in the Rally2 category must also comply with standards specified by FIA, thus ensuring minimum technological differences between the teams, while also ensuring a fair and equal competitive environment. Furthermore, in order to ensure that “customer drivers” can compete in this category, another thing that defines the Rally2 category is the maximum limit set on the cars’ sales price.
Young and “Gentlemen” drivers from around the world competing in Rally2
In WRC, there are many drivers competing with Rally2 cars in the class just below Rally1. Every year, drivers that have performed well in the WRC2 category are able to move up to compete in Rally1 the following season.
Among such former WRC2 champions are Kalle Rovanperä, Esapekka Lappi, Pierre-Louis Loubet and other top drivers who have gone on to win positions on works teams, as proof that it has been a true “gateway to success” for young drivers, just as FIA-F2 and Super Formula are for F1. Furthermore, besides the fact that performing well in WRC2 leads to good chances to move on to works teams, the category is also popular because of the proven safety and high performance of the Rally2 machines.
In addition to WRC, the Rally2 machines are popular as a top category in ERC (the European rally championship) and other national championships, where not only professional drivers but also privateers are attracted to Rally2 machines because the price cap set on these machines makes them an affordable choice for participating in high-level race series. Although Europe may be the main market for the four-wheel drive high-performance Rally2 machines, they are also popular in regions like Central and South America where gravel rallies are a favorite category.
Currently, a total of eight carmakers like Toyota are officially certified by FIA, thus providing customers with a good range of Rally2 models to choose from.
Series They Can Compete In
In addition to the previously mentioned WRC2 series just below the WRC, Rally2 machines developed under the regulations certified by FIA are also certified to compete as a major class in other regional series internationally, including the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) and the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).
Furthermore, Rally2 machines are used as a top class in national championships around the world such as the Finnish Rally Championship, British Rally Championship, French Rally Championship, German Rally Championship and the Portuguese Rally Championship.
The main specifications for Rally2 machines include mounting a power unit of no more than 1620cc, adopting turbo-charged aspiration. The engine can have no more than four cylinders and must be fitted with a 32mm-diameter intake restrictor. The transmission has a five-speed sequential gear box and four-wheel drive with mechanical differentials for the front and rear axles. The minimum weight is 1230 kg, and to be Group A homologated the car must be based on a production model of no less that 2,500 units, within a family (same platform) of 25,000 production units.
As race-specific cars, the Rally2 machine includes a large number of modifications from the base model, but there are also requirements that must be met in the form of a cost cap and mileage performance desirable for the Customer Motor Sports category.
In the Japanese Rally championships, it is also possible for Rally2 machines to compete in the top category, the JN1 class, and in addition to performing well in each event, they are attracting more attention each year.
Series They Can Compete In
WRC2
FIA European Rally Championship
African Rally Championship
Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
CODASUR Rally Championship (South America)
Middle East Rally Championship
NACAM Rally Championship (North and Central America)
Japanese Rally Championship
Finnish Rally Championship
British Rally Championship
French Rally Championship
German Rally Championship
Portuguese Rally Championship
Etc.
