This coming weekend (22 and 23 February), a dozen teams will be at the start of the third edition of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Iberian Cup (TGRIC), one of the most spectacular single-brand rally cups today, and that again has as its opening stage the gravel stages of the Serras de Fafe, Felgueiras, Boticas and Cabeceiras da Basto Rally, in the northern region of Portugal.

In the wake of the high competitive level of last season, in which the title of the cup organized by Toyota Spain, Toyota Caetano Portugal and MSI was hanging in the air until the last of the eight races that made up the championship, this year new and spectacular moments of pure excitement are expected.

Among the most relevant novelties for 2024 is the significant increase in the prizes to be distributed: 27,500 euros in each rally, plus another 64,000 euros to be distributed among the top three in the overall classification at the end of the season. And also a special "gift" for the winner: the participation, in 2025, in a rally at the wheel of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, with which Toyota Gazoo Racing Spain will compete this season in the Spanish Superchampionship.

The calendar features the same number of races (eight), divided 50/50 between Portugal and Spain, but with five new events: Sierra Morena, Rías Baixas, Villa de Llanes, Catalunya-Costa Daurada and Murça. In addition to Fafe, the Terras D'Aboboreira and Lisbon rallies will be maintained. Another highlight is that in 2024 all TGRIC races held in Spain will be included in the Spanish Rally Superchampionship, which will make each event even more attractive for the participants. And in the last event, Murça, another important novelty: the scoring coefficient will be 1.5, which means that both the points awarded at the end of the rally and those awarded to the winners of each stage will have a special value, something that can leave the classification of the cup open until the last kilometers of the season.

Ten teams are registered with the spectacular all-wheel drive Toyota GR Yaris RZ Cup for this start of the season, a somewhat lower number than last year, but which is expected to increase in the second event of the year, the Rallye Sierra Morena, which will be the first on tarmac. Bolivian Bruno Bulacia (CSM Automoció) and Asturian Javi Villa (Asturhíbrido), stand out among the six participants who repeat their participation, after finishing last year in third and fifth place in the overall classification, respectively. In addition, Bulacia even added two victories, the Rally Terras D'Aboboreira and the Rallye Ciudad de Pozoblanco, becoming one of the main protagonists of this competition. On the other hand, Villa, multiple mountain champion in Spain, impressed with his quick adaptability to this specialty, leaving a very good impression for the future.

Ricardo Costa (Macedo & Macedo GTW Racing), 6th classified in 2023, Pedro Lago Vieira (Toyota Caetano Auto), 7th, José Mulero (Labasa), 8th, and Miguel Campos (Macedo & Macedo GTW Racing), 11th, complete the group of drivers who return to the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Iberian Cup.

Spaniards Josep Bassas (Mavisa), Carlos Rodríguez (Grupo Breogán), José Lamela (Grupo Breogán) and Portuguese Manuel Martins are among the newcomers in the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Iberian Cup. With his proven experience in rallies, the first of them could become one of the excitements of the cup.

The Serras de Fafe, Felgueiras, Boticas and Cabeceiras de Basto Rally starts on Friday afternoon, with two timed sections (21.17 km) in the region of Boticas, to end the day with the night super special stage (1.2 km) in the center of the city of Fafe. Throughout the day on Saturday, the drivers will face a double pass through four special stages (87.54 km), with the finish scheduled at 17:32 hours (local time).

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