Nine WRC3 entrants will tackle the 57th Vodafone Rally of Portugal, as the event is not a round of the Junior World Rally Championship.
Competition is likely to be fierce nonetheless with Czech driver Jan Cerný and co-driver Ondrej Krajca leading the way in the first of six Ford Fiesta Rally3s on the entry list. Cerný won his class at the Monte-Carlo Rally.
Paraguay’s Diego Dominguez Junior returns to action with Spaniard Rogelio Peñate on the Iberian Peninsula and lines up alongside Marco Bulacia’s younger brother Bruno and his Brazilian co-driver Gabriel Morales.
The French duo of Tristan Charpentier and Florian Barrall, Croatia’s Slaven Šekuljica and Damir Petrovic and the local duo of Nuno Caetano and Sofia Mouta round off the Ford runners.
The WRC3 list is completed by three French crews taking part in Renault Clio Rally3s: Mattéo Chattilon, Ghjuvanni Rossi and Tom Pieri drive the three two-wheel drive machines with co-drivers Maxence Cornuau, Kylian Sarmezan and Alexis Maillefert reading the pace notes.
Action gets underway on Thursday (May 9th) morning in Baltar with a 4.61km shakedown stage and this precedes the ceremonial start ceremony in Coimbra from 17.00hrs.
Competitors then head to Figueira da Foz for the opening 2.94km super special stage, starting at 19.05hrs and broadcast live on RTP1.