The Automóvel Club de Portugal, Turismo Centro de Portugal and the municipalities hosting this year's Vodafone Rally de Portugal signed the program-contract in Figueira da Foz today to make the event official in the region.
The 57th edition of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal will once again bring the World Rally Championship (WRC) to six municipalities in the Centro region, with the anticipation of yet another big crowd at the region's famous stages.
This Tuesday, the program contract was signed at Casa do Paço, in Figueira da Foz, making it official that the race will be taking place in the region. In addition to the president of the Automóvel Club de Portugal, Carlos Barbosa, the ceremony was attended by Jorge Sampaio, member of the executive committee of Turismo Centro de Portugal, Anabela Tabaçó, vice-mayor of Figueira da Foz, Luís Paulo Costa, mayor of Arganil, Rui Sampaio, mayor of Góis, Ricardo Pardal, mayor of Mortágua, Francisco Veiga, vice-mayor of Coimbra, and João Santos, councillor of Lousã.
"I'd like to thank the local councils for the effort they've made to keep the rally here in the Center. It's very important for us to define, more and more, this support from the Town Halls and the route we've been taking, to consolidate, year after year, the rally here in the Centro region", said Carlos Barbosa, at the opening of the session.
Jorge Sampaio, from Turismo Centro de Portugal, emphasized that the Vodafone Rally de Portugal "is an excellent tourist product, which attracts a huge number of people to the Centro de Portugal region, from outside and inside the country, with an impact on the regional economy. The possibility of hosting the rally is the result of something we are very used to doing, which is working together. Turismo Centro de Portugal, the CIMs, the various entities and the municipalities in the region have this ability to come together and work together," he said.
The Vodafone Rally de Portugal has its ceremonial start in Coimbra, scheduled for 17:00 on May 9, followed on the same day by the opening super-special in Figueira da Foz, at 19:05. On the 10th, the rally will pass through the sections of Mortágua, Lousã, Góis and Arganil, all in central Portugal.