The 1999 Rally Catalunya (formally the 35th Rallye Catalunya - Costa Brava) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over three days between 19 and 21 April 1999. It marked the 35th running of the Rally Catalunya, and was the fifth round of the 1999 World Rally Championship season. eWRC 1999 Season Retrieved 15 Oct 2024 The 1999 event was based in the town of Lloret de Mar in Spain and was contested over nineteen special stages, covering a total competitive distance of 396.01 km (246.07 miles).
Colin McRae was the defending rally winner, as was Ford Motor Co Ltd, having won the previous two rallies. Tommi Makinen lead the championship with twenty three points; three more than McRae.
The event was won by Philippe Bugalski, driving a Citroën Xsara Kit Car that was not entered for the full World Championship. eWRC Rally Catalunya Final Results Retrieved 15 Oct 2024 This would foreshadow an overhaul of the regulations for next season to the detriment of the two-wheel drive kit cars.
Background Entry list The following crews were set to enter the rally. The event was open to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, as well as privateer entries that were not registered to score points in the manufacturer's championship. Twelve were entered under Group A regulations to compete in the World Rally Championship's Manufacturers' Championship. eWRC Rally Portugal Entry List Retrieved 16 Oct 2024
+ No. Driver Co-Driver Entrant Car Tyre 1 Tommi Makinen Risto Mannisenmaki Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI 2 Freddy Loix Sven Smeets Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evo VI 3 Carlos Sainz Luis Moya Toyota Castrol Team Toyota Corolla WRC 4 Didier Auriol Denis Giraudet Toyota Castrol Team Toyota Corolla WRC 5 Richard Burns Robert Reid Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza S5 WRC 99 6 Bruno Thiry Stephane Prevot Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza S5 WRC 99 7 Colin McRae Nicky Grist Ford Motor Co Ltd Ford Focus WRC 99 8 Simon Jean-Joseph Fred Gallagher Ford Motor Co Ltd Ford Focus WRC 99 9 Harri Rovanpera Risto Pietilainen SEAT Sport SEAT Cordoba WRC 10 Piero Liatti Carlo Cassina SEAT Sport SEAT Cordoba WRC 11 Armin Schwarz Manfred Hiemer Skoda Motorsport Skoda Octavia WRC 12 Pavel Sibera Petr Gross Skoda Motorsport Skoda Octavia WRC
Itinerary All dates and times are EAT (UTC+3). Date No. Time span Stage name Distance 19 April 9:49 Service A, Girona SS1 10:19 Els Angels 1 15.66 km SS2 10:46 Santa Pellaia 1 11.66 km 11:32 Service B, Girona SS3 12:41 Coll de Bracons 1 19.89 km SS4 13:20 La Trona 1 12.86 km 14:23 Service C, Manlleu SS5 15:05 La Fullaca - Arbucies 1 32.64 km SS6 15:53 Cladells 1 15.27 km 16:48 Service D, Girona SS7 17:28 Els Angels 2 15.66 km SS8 17:55 Santa Pellaia 2 11.66 km 18:41 Service E, Girona 20 April 9:35 Service F, La Selva del Camp SS9 10:29 Prades 13.77 km SS10 11:20 La Riba 1 32.86 km 12:11 Service G, La Selva del Camp SS11 12:59 Riudecanyes 12.68 km SS12 13:20 Santa Marina 31.38 km 14:17 Service H, Mora la Nova SS13 15:04 Gratallops - Escaladei 45.88 km 16:34 Service I, Mora la Nova SS14 17:41 La Riba 2 32.86 km 18:36 Service J, La Selva del Camp 21 April 9:38 Service K, Manlleu SS15 10:31 Coll de Santigosa 10.62 km SS16 11:07 Coll de Bracons 2 19.89 km SS17 11:46 La Trona 2 12.86 km 12:49 Service L, Manlleu SS18 13:31 La Fullaca - Arbucies 2 32.64 km SS19 14:19 Cladells 2 15.27 km 15:11 Service M, Lloret de Mar
Report Overall Summary The winner was Philippe Bugalski aboard a Citroën Xsara Kit Car, an unprecedented event in the world championship, since he won in a front-wheel drive car, something that had not happened in years. The Kit Cars, which were supposed to be inferior compared to the all-wheel drive of the World Rally Cars, prevailed in asphalt rallies, first in Catalonia and later in the Corsica Rally that same year. The great weight/power ratio, accompanied by the good condition of the road surface and the good weather conditions in the Spanish test, made the Kit Cars prevail over their rivals.
Although Citroën did not officially compete in 1999, it had been developing the Citroën Xsara Kit Car for two years and after several tests in the nationals of Spain and France, it lined up two Xsaras for Bugalski and Jesús Puras in the Rally Catalunya. The Frenchman won the test, achieving the first victory of his career in the world championship. His victory aboard the Citroën Xsara Kit Car, a front-wheel drive car, raised some complaints among the official teams. Second was Didier Auriol with a Toyota Corolla WRC, which had already won the previous year, nothing could do against Bugalski's Xsara, although he finished half a minute behind his compatriot and third was Tommi Mäkinen, further away, with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, who was penalized one minute but kept third place ahead of Freddy Loix. The race could have been a one-two for Citroën, since on the first day it was dominated by Jesús Puras with the other Xsara Kit Car, who scored four scratches and led the race until in the first section of the second day he suffered an electrical fault in his car and had to leave. Bugalski relieved Puras at the head of the race and kept it until the end.
Among the most prominent retirements were Carlos Sainz, Auriol's teammate, who retired in the last section due to a fault with the alternator belt and Colin McRae who retired after the second day. It was also the debut in the world championship for the Frenchman Sébastien Loeb who ran with a Citroën Saxo but did not end up suffering an accident in section eight.
One of the most controversial moments outside the race was the confrontation on the sets of Canal+, which was broadcasting the race, between Jesús Puras and Juanjo Lacalle, Sainz's manager. Puras defended himself against the accusations of Luis Moya, Sainz's co-driver, of having trained illegally, and had a small verbal dispute with Lacalle.
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