Stohl to compete on OMV Rally Waldviertel.

OMV's Manfred Stohl has confirmed that he will compete on the OMV Rally Waldviertel in November, the final round in the Austrian national rally championship.

Stohl, who is competing in the FIA World Rally Championship this season with a Kronos-run Citroen Xsara WRC, will drive an OMV CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, which has been developed by his own company, Stohl Racing.

The OMV CNG team will enter two cars, with regular Beppo Harrach in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.

Speaking about the decision to do the event, Stohl explained that his desire to do it had been awakened after he came close to standing in for Harrach at the Judenburg Rally.

"I started to feel the urge to compete when I inspected the course in Judenburg and I said to myself: 'It is about time to try out the car that was developed by my own company'," he noted. "After all, I should know what I'm talking about and it is obvious that testing is no substitution for a racing competition."

Stohl, who was unable to do his home event in 2006, is looking forward to competing this year, especially since event organiser Helmut Sch?pf has changed several sections of the course and the gravel percentage currently lies at about 92 per cent.

"Gravel surely is to my advantage - and the CNG Mitsubishis, both the Evo VI and the Evo IX, are working perfectly," he continued. "Last year Beppo finished fifth in the VI at the OMV Rally Waldviertel and in Judenburg [recently] he steered the IX, as first natural gas car ever, onto the podium.

"That is reason enough to be very confident for this year's OMV Rally and the assignment of two cars obviously maximises the chances for a further podium place."

The OMV Rally Waldviertel runs from November 9-10, one week before the inaugural Rally Ireland, the penultimate round in the FIA World Rally Championship.