Just four days after crossing the finish line in Sweden, the WRC is back in action in neighbouring Norway this week for the third round of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship.

Rally Norway is one of two rallies making its championship debut this season, and the 250km journey from the Swedish city of Karlstad across the border to the Norwegian event's base of Hamar makes it natural to pair the events on consecutive weekends.

Norway will become the 28th country to host a WRC event this week and the speed tests north of Oslo will be new to virtually all the drivers.

After a ceremonial start in Hamar on Thursday night, the inaugural Rally Norway begins in earnest at 0743hrs on Friday. The event is made up of 18 special stages and the total route length is 1109.57km (355.99km competitive and 753.58km (liason).

Leg One's stages take place to the south-east of Hamar, and the day's route includes a Remote Service Zone at Kirkenaer, about 75km south of the rally's base, Legs Two and Three both comprise tests to the east and north of the city. On Saturday and Sunday the crews will tackle some varied terrain including a demanding 24km section simply called Mountain and also a short blast through a stage in the city of Hamar itself.


Special notes:

Although the events in Sweden and Norway take place only 200 kilometres apart, there are some key differences between the two rallies.

Whereas the stages in Sweden were fast and flowing, the rally route in Norway will be much more tight and twisting. Most of the stages are situated in the forests in the agricultural region of Hedmark, and although some tests were used during the non-championship Rally Norway last year, much of the route has been revised and extended now that the event has gained WRC status.

Servicing of the competing cars will take place inside the Viking Ship, an arena which was built for the 1994 Winter Olympics. The facility, which is shaped like an upturned vessel, will provide some welcome respite from the elements for the teams' and mechanics, who had to endure temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius as they worked at the Hagfors service area in Sweden last weekend.

But conditions on the special stages could be even tougher than in Sweden, because February is traditionally one of the coldest months of the year in Norway. Some snow is forecast during the forthcoming week and an average temperature of minus 15 is anticipated.


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