Pierre Campana holds second place in the IRC 2WD Cup standings prior to the start of Barum Czech Rally Zlín this week. He reveals how has kept sharp since his last appearance in the series on June’s Geko Ypres Rally.

Since your last rally in Belgium in June how have you kept busy?
“My physical fitness is very important to me so I have been training very hard both in the gym and by running near my home in Corsica. I also have to work to pay my bills and this keeps me busy.”

Are you concerned you have not been in a rally car for a long time?
“It’s always nice to do rallies and test but it’s not always possible for logistical and financial reasons. My Ellip6 Renault Clio R3 is always very well maintained by my team, Munaretto, so whenever I get into the car I have a good base set-up. I work will with my co-driver Sabrina de Casteli so it doesn’t take long to get back up to speed when we have not competed for a while.”

It’s a busy couple of weeks for you with two rallies on successive weekends...
“I cannot wait! For sure you like as much time as possible to prepare for each event but it won’t be a problem to do rallies one after the other. I want rallying to be my career so I have to get used to a busy schedule. Certainly it’s something I am very excited about.”

Who will be your toughest opponent in the Czech Republic?
“Because I am leading the Clio R3 European Trophy I have to look to the people close to me in the points as being my big rivals, drivers like Kevin Abbring and Eric Mauffrey. In the IRC 2WD Cup there are some local drivers in Peugeots and some quick drivers in Honda Civics who I will be wary of.”

What about the battle between the four-wheel drive competitors in the IRC?
“I am concentrating only on my rally but I can see the fight being very close. Jan Kopecky is the home driver, the favourite, but Freddy Loix has been really impressive by winning the two rallies he has done this season. Kris Meeke is also very fast in his Peugeot and Bryan Bouffier could be a surprise.”

You hope to drive a Super 2000 car again this year, how realistic are those plans?
“I have some very good people helping me behind the scenes and some very loyal sponsors. We still need to find more budget and make we get the car we want. I am determined to make it happen so I would say it’s looking quite realistic although there is lots more work still to do.”

Are you concerned about the step up in performance?
“Not at all, in fact I am so excited. I drove a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 on the Lyon Charbonnieres Rally earlier this season and finished third out of the S2000 cars, which was a good result for me. I also gained lots of knowledge that I really want to put to good use again.”

Is the main IRC class your goal for next season?
“For sure it’s something I am considering. Everything comes down to budget but I want to compete at a higher level every year and against good competition. There is plenty of that in the IRC and I obviously have some experience of some of the rallies now, which could help me.”

What has been your most satisfying performance so far this year?
“I would have to say Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo. It’s a very famous event known by people throughout the world and it’s also a very challenging event held over four days and in very difficult and changing conditions. This year we had dry Tarmac, wet Tarmac, snow and ice. Just to finish was a big achievement but to be on the podium in the Clio R3 European Trophy and IRC 2WD Cup was a very special feeling.”