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ADAC Eifel Rallye Festival 2017 - Let the games begin

The entry list is now published and the final preparations for the 2017 Eifel Rallye Festival (July 20-22) are in full swing. Within the next few days, the organisers are looking forward to welcoming 170 historic rally cars and drivers from 17 different countries who have come to celebrate 'Six Decades of Rallying' at their annual rally party held in the Vulkaneifel region. "This is an extremely exciting time for us. We have both been involved in the Festival before and when we took over our new roles for this year, we found a perfect structure. But still it is a very special feeling to be in charge of this event. It is now time for the games to begin", say Chief Organiser Otmar Anschütz and Festival Manager Tim Becker.

This demonstration event for historic rally cars will kick off next Thursday at 15.00 hrs with a shakedown on the 'Mantaloch' stage. Once this final test session is over, drivers and spectators alike will move back into Daun for the Welcome Evening starting at 20.30 hrs. During the evening, the audience will be taken through 'Six Decades of Rallying' with video clips from famous film-maker Helmut Deimel plus the VIP drivers on stage talking about the development of the sport. On Friday morning, the 'Rally Mile' in Daun is the main attraction with the public scrutineering starting at 8.00 hrs followed by the autograph session at 11.00 hrs.

New Recruit: Marc Duez driving a Mercedes 450 SLC 5,0
During the autograph session, the VIP drivers present at the Eifel Rallye Festival will have to sit a little closer together at the table due to a last-minute addition to their ranks of Marc Duez. The Belgian allrounder, who won the Belgian Rally Championship three times and clinched nine overall victories at various 24-hour races, will drive a Mercedes 450 SLC 5,0 over the Friday stages while owner of the car has to leave Daun for a private event. Duez will complete a full dozen of VIP drivers already scheduled to be at the Festival including former World Champions Stig Blomqvist and Hannu Mikkola (with co-driver Gunnar Palm), current vice-World Champion Thierry Neuville, European Champion Armin Schwarz, German Champions Harald Demuth, Kalle Grundel and Matthias Kahle as well as Mike Kirkland, Niki Schelle and Harri Toivonen.

The first stage for Duez and Co. will be the all-gravel Hyundai Super Stage starting on Friday at 14.20 hrs and comprising a jump, a water splash and plenty of sideways action. Next to follow is the night stage, proWIN Hilgerath, which is famous for its atmospheric passage through the centre of the town of Sarmersbach and the rally party that surrounds it. This stage will start at 19.30 hrs with the 'Festival Parade' which only tackles two stages and thus is perfect for original cars that are too fragile or valuable to do the whole 120 kilometres of stages. The second stage for the 'Festival Parade' will be the 'Kelberger Land 2' on Satuday afternoon (starting at 13.44 hrs).

On Saturday, the drivers will do two loops of three stages each - 'Kelberger Land', 'Demerath' and 'Lehwald' - which are run mainly on fast and flowing tarmac roads. In between, they will have two and a half hours to spend in the 'Rally Mile' in Daun. Here, once the crews have completed their second run over the stages, they will also cross the finish ramp in the centre of Daun beginning at 17.00 hrs. Then from 19.30, the Rally Party starts and together with the Prize Giving, it makes up the final part of the 2017 Eifel Rallye Festival.

A jury of experts selects the winners
One of the several unique characteristics of the Eifel Rallye Festival is the fact that there is no sporting contest whatsoever. But there is still a Prize Giving during the Rally Party on Saturday night. How does that come about? At first, the spectators were empowered to vote for their winners. However, since 2015, a jury of experts has taken over that role. Consistent with this year's theme of 'Six Decades of Rallying', the jury will award six prizes, each to be handed out by a rally driver from one of those six decades. The best replication, the best original rally car and the most spectacular of the course-opening cars (The Sideways Star) will also receive prizes as well as a great personality from the sport who will receive the 'Rallying Ambassador' trophy. Additionally, the VIP drivers will award their favourite rally car from the Festival the 'Champion's Choice' trophy and there will be a 'Special Prize' for a person which has achieved something distinctive during the Eifel Rallye Festival.

Wanted! The best pictures of the 2017 Eifel Rallye Festival
But it is not only the drivers and teams who can win something during the Eifel Rallye Festival since the fans also have a chance to win - in the photographic competition. A Safari Manta making its way through a thunderstorm, a Mk1 Escort on full opposite lock, and a low shutter speed shot of a sliding Stratos, these were the pictures that won awards from the Oldtimer Markt magazine in the 2016 Photographic Competition. This year, the editors of Europe's biggest classic car magazine will again select, reward and print in their magazine their favourite images taken by the spectators at the Eifel Rallye Festival 2017. The top prize in the competition, which is open until July 30th at midnight, is a co-drive with seven-times German Rally Champion Matthias Kahle in a Skoda 130 RS during the 2018 Festival. More info on the photographic competition can be found here: http://eifel-rallye-festival.de/en/Photo_Contest.html.

Eifel Rallye Festival – Time Table

Thursday, 20.07.2017
15:00 – 19:00 hrs Shakedown at the ‘Mantaloch’ in Brück
from 20:30 hrs Welcome Evening in the Rally Mile, Open Air Cinema with film-maker Helmut Deimel

Friday, 21.07.2017
From 08:00 hrs Scrutineering in the Rally Mile
11:00 – 12:00 hrs Autograph Session with the VIP drivers
From 14:20 hrs Hyundai Super Stage with jump, water splash and gravel action
From 19.30 hrs prowin Spectator Stage in Sarmersbach at night Including the ‘Festival Parade’

Saturday, 22.07.2017
08:30 – 17:00 hrs Tarmac Stages in the Vulkaneifel region, inbetween Rally Mile in Daun with various attractions
From 19:00 hrs Rally Party & Prize Giving

More information on: www.eifel-rallye-festival.de
Visit us: http://facebook.com/EifelRallyeFestivalOfficial Use our hashtag: #EifelRallyeFestival

Contact for international media
John Davenport (UK)
Email: john.davenport@eifel-rallye-festival.de

Sebastian Klein (Germany)
Email: sebastian.klein@eifel-rallye-festival.de