Companc managed to finish 17th last year in Sweden and while that wasn’t a great result, he is hopeful that experience will pay dividends this time out.
“For Sweden, I am much more confident than last year, it was important to build up the experience and hopefully this year we should be faster,” he continued. “What I’m really looking forward to this year though is Argentina [my home event], especially this year because the start will be in Buenos Aires.”
Juan Pablo Raies meanwhile will drive the sister Munchi’s Ford WRT car, with Luis’ brother, Jorge Perez Companc alongside him. Luis is eager to try and help both of them given they only have limited experience.
“I have a very good relationship with my brother and we have spoken a lot about all that can happen this season,” added Luis. “Let’s hope that with my advice it can make things easier for him and Juan Pablo.”
Raies is aware this will be a learning year, especially as he has yet to experience much out of South America, apart from the Safari Rally of Kenya in 2002 and Rally of Cyprus last year.
“This year is going to be a big challenge and I have prepared myself for it, so I hope to do as good a job as possible. It is going to be a long season with nine new rallies for me, so my aim is to try and finish all of them,” he noted.
“I want to gain lots of experience on each of the events, so if I have the chance to return in the future I will have better knowledge and notes.”
Production WRC:
The Swedish Rally is the first round in the 2007
FIA Production Car World Rally Championship and of the 23 drivers’ set to compete in the championship, 15 have nominated this event.
Nasser Al-Attiyah will begin his title defence and he is sure to come up against stiff competition from the likes of Toshi Arai, three-time British Rally champion, Mark Higgins and 2006 runner-up, Fumio Nutahara.
Nutahara has only one goal this season: "This is my third season in the Production Car WRC and this year I am hoping to get the title," he promised.
