Other runners likely to be in contention include Nasser Al-Attiyah, Fumio Nutahara, ex-Moto-X star Travis Pastrana and
Red Bull Rally Team man Andreas Aigner, who missed out on a solid points' finish in Sweden when he went off the road on day two while running in fifth position.
Red Bull Rally Team boss Raimund Baumschlager has now told the Austrian that he needs to step up to the plate this weekend.
"It is time that Aigner converted his terrific split and stage times into a decent finish," he confirmed. "He just has to drive a tactically better rally. If he can just do that a top result will be the logical outcome."
Other significant entries:
62 crews set to start.
62 crews are due to start round four - 14 of which will be in World Rally Cars, with all the manufacturer teams' represented.
In addition to the usual 'works' entries,
Conrad Rautenbach will be the only other driver in a WRC car, once again using a PH Sport-run
Citroen C4 WRC.
Conrad recently conducted a test with the C4 in the south of France and he is now looking forward to his second competitive outing with the machine.
"After a day testing my Citroen C4 WRC, I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel for shakedown in Argentina," he stated. "Every kilometre I do in the car – and I did another 100 in France – I feel more at home with it.
"It was a real shame that we had the problem in Mexico, we were on for a good result there - and that’s just what I want in Argentina: I want to be in the points."
Of the rest, in addition to the 23 PWRC runners, another 17 will compete in Group N cars, while four will be entered in the A6 class, two in the N2 category and one in both the N3 and A7 classes.
Route:
The rally remains faithful to its traditional format of visiting the three valleys of Cordoba province, each of which offers stages of differing character and landscape. However, several of last year's scheduled opening day tests near La Falda have been dropped and two stages not used for several years have been reintroduced. Organisers have also scrapped the opening stage in Buenos Aires' River Plate soccer stadium.
