Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen has an unrivalled record on the Rally of Argentina, the sixth round of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship and, at the wheel of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the World Rally Champion will be the man to beat. He can count on strong support from Belgium's Freddy Loix in a Mitsubishi Carisma GT.

The only round of the World Rally Championship held in South America, the Rally of Argentina presents a unique challenge. It reaches higher altitudes with stages in the foothills of the Andes at up to 2,000 metres, posing a tough test for engines and electronics. It is also noted for the fanatical support of the local fans, who throng practically every kilometre of the route as it winds and twists across dusty plains and barren mountain ranges. The rally celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and also has its strongest ever entry, with no fewer than six factory teams sending four-wheel-drive cars.

Tommi Makinen, who currently lies second in the World Championship points table, has won for Mitsubishi on three of his four visits to Argentina. The Michelin-shod Lancer Evolution is quicker than ever following a recent test and Makinen himself expects to be back on top form after a minor operation to his nose. The four-times World Champion and fellow Finn Risto Mannisenmaki face the trip to South America with renewed confidence.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Marloboro Mitsubishi Ralliart T. Makinen / R. Mannisenmaki (Photo: at Rallye Catalunya)

"All through the beginning of the season, I have been suffering a little bit with flu, which was not so nice. But I feel much better now. Of course Argentina has always been good for us, I know the car will be competitive and I am looking forward to the rally very much. I am sure we will be back, " Makinen promised.

Freddy Loix and co-driver Sven Smeets are hoping for better things after an awkward first trip to Argentina last year. They are confident they can build on previous experience and will be aiming to make the most of the Carisma GT's reliability to finish in the points.

"Last year was so difficult, because you cannot practice the stages much and some of the time we were checking them in fog, so I am sure this year must be easier! It's a nice rally, particularly the stages in the second leg, which are a bit faster. It's like a mixture of Portugal and Greece. It is so competitive now that it is hard to make predictions about the result, but the testing was good and I hope we can finish in a strong position, " Loix stated.

Mitsubishi Carisma GT Marloboro Mitsubishi Ralliart F. Loix / S. Smeets (Photo: at Rallye Catalunya)

"The order in which the legs are run has changed this year and that might affect the way the rally goes. The really rough stages occur at the end and that could move the pressure point of the rally. Quite often those stages have a big influence on the outcome. Even on the final day, it is possible that drivers could be going absolutely flat out in those stages on top of the mountains and that often causes some difficulties. But the whole rally can be very hard on the car. It can be rough, quite often causing punctures or suspension damage - but we are well prepared," said Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Phil Short.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions and Mitsubishi Carisma GT's have swept the board so far in the Group N production class in the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship and remarkably, Mitsubishi Motors is aiming for a sixth successive Group N victory on the Rally of Argentina in mid-May. With drivers like Uruguay's Gustavo Trelles and Germany's Uwe Nittel, it has every chance of extending that superb record.

South America's only round of the World Rally Championship is a punishing test of man and machine. It is one of the roughest events on the calendar, while the high altitude makes a powerful engine vital to success. It's the sort of challenge for which the Lancer Evolution and the Carisma GT were designed and they figure strongly on the entry for the 20th running of this popular rally.

Marloboro Mitsubishi Ralliart Driver / Tommi Makinen

Four-times World Group N Champion Gustavo Trelles is inevitably the favourite in South America, having won Group N for Mitsubishi for the last three years, and he is relishing the chance to go for a fourth win.

"Coming from Uruguay, this is almost like driving at home for me and of course, my co-driver Jorge Del Buono is from Argentina. We need a victory for the championship as well, so I hope we can keep up our record here, " he said.

However, he faces tough opposition. Uwe Nittel is full of confidence after winning Group N on the last round of the World Championship in Catalonia and the experienced German is a previous winner in Argentina as well, while Group N World Championship leader Manfred Stohl from Austria is also no stranger to this event.

"It was good to get our first win of the year in Catalonia and I have a good feeling about Argentina, but of course you have to be careful. There are so many big rocks on some of the stages that you cannot just drive flat out all the time, " Nittel commented.

"Argentina is a difficult rally and maybe the hardest place to beat Gustavo, but it is also one of the nicest. I want to win again, but for the championship it is also important to finish," Stohl said.

There are plenty of other drivers capable of challenging these three. One of their most dangerous rivals is likely to be Argentina's budding star Claudio Menzi, who scored a sensational Group N triumph on the Safari Rally and is sure to have the home crowd cheering him on. Other potential front runners include Italian Champion Andrea Aghini, Corsican Francois Mariani and two of Argentina s most highly regarded drivers, the flamboyant Gabriel Raies and Gabriel Pozzo. It promises to be a hotly fought contest. No one can be sure of winning, as five different drivers have been victorious so far this year, but a Mitsubishi success looks highly probable.

The rally runs from May 11-14 begins with two crowd-pleasing stages in Villa Carlos Paz near Cordoba, before the action begins in earnest with a tough, seven-stage loop north of the town into the hills around La Cumbre and Ascochinga. The first leg is the longest of the three with 133 kilometres of competitive stages. The second leg heads south towards Santa Rosa de Calamuchita, for the smoothest and fastest stages of the rally. It includes another seven stages, totalling 131 kilometres. The third and final leg covers six stages, covering 126 kilometres. They include some of the most demanding in the entire World Championship, such as El Condor and the notorious downhill run from El Posto to Mina Clavero.