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Karlstad, Sweden — The Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Sweden, the high-profile one-make series for Group N Lancer Evolutions, is back for its third season and organisers are delighted to announce that with 12 crews lining up to start the opening round, 2010 is the biggest season so far!

The first Evolution Challenge round in a season of seven events is Rally Sweden. As well as being the first round of the Mitsubishi series it is also the first round of the Swedish Rally Championship and the World Rally Championship, with the WRC event featuring an extra day of competition.

Notable entries for this season are former Evolution Challenge event winners Jimmy Joge and Markus Hällbo, with Hans-Erik Weng, Joachim Carlström and Joachim Grahn all making a welcome return.

Organisers are delighted to welcome a further eight new drivers, two of which are Ramona Karlsson and Cindy Brüggemann, who will be battling to become the very first female Evolution Challenge Champion. Other newcomers to look out for will be Jari Saarinen, Patrik Johansson, Roger Enlund, Anders Johansson and Fredrik Alsdal.

“It is great that we have 12 teams and that we are starting our biggest ever season in the Swedish Evolution Challenge on such a prestigious event”, said Series Coordinator Simon Slade. “We have received a lot of interest from competitors this year and this is reflected in the number of teams registering. There’s no doubt that we have an exciting season ahead of us.”

Having spent the past few months preparing for the season ahead, organisers have confirmed that the regulations for the Mitsubishi series are now available and can be downloaded from the website: www.evo-challenge.com. They are pleased to announce that, once again, competitors will benefit from an extensive prize fund which will reward the leading drivers with prize money vouchers from Mitsubishi Motors Sweden on each round and at the end of the season, plus tyres and other awards on each event.

For the first time this year, the winner of the Evolution Challenge in each of the three countries: Sweden, UK and Ireland, will win the same prize: Asupported drive in an international event, which will take place at the end of 2010 or at the start of 2011. This will include: entry fees, tyres, fuel and other expenses. Then, whichever of the three crews are first home on this event, will be crowned European Evolution Challenge Champion.

2009 Swedish Evolution Challenge Champions Jocke Nyman and co-driver Bo Holmstrand will be making the most of their prize for winning last year’s series on the Rally Sweden, when they compete in the WRC section of the event in a hired Evolution IX. They will be competing for Group N honours and, if their form from 2009 is anything to go by, they are likely to feature well in the production class results.

The Rally Sweden is the first of two snow rallies in the 2010 Evolution Challenge calendar. It starts in Karlstad on Thursday
evening with a spectator stage close to the town. Competitors then head north of the town to tackle four stages on Friday and a further four stages on Saturday, with the Mitsubishi and Swedish Championship crews finishing in Hagfors at 3.00pm in the afternoon.

Teams competing in the WRC event will contest three more stages on Friday, four more on Saturday and a further five on Sunday.

The 2009 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Sweden is supported by: Pirelli tyres, Sunoco fuels, Speedline Corse PPE wheels, Endless brake pads, JR Motorsports, PIAAlights, Sparco racewear, MPart and Mitsubishi Motors Sweden.

Evolution Challenge Round 1 Entries

105 Jimmy Joge (Tjällmo)/John Stigh (Skänninge)
106 Markus Hällbo (Stora Skedvi)/Lars Gustafsson (Hofors)
109 Jari Saarinen (Mantorp)/Stefan Andersson (Mantorp)
111 Hans-Erik Weng (Säffle)/Henrik Hulterskog (Stensjön)
112 Patrik Johansson (Växjö)/Jesper Johansson (Ryd)
114 Joachim Carlström (Rockneby)/Jörgen Norman (Torsås)
120 Roger Enlund (Västerås)/Christer Carlsson (Katrineholm)
123 Joachim Grahn (Yngsjö)/Rickard Nilsson (Kristianstad)
126 Anders Jonasson (Växjö)/Jörgen Lindahl (Ryd)
142 Ramona Karlsson (Falköping)/Miriam Walfridsson (Torsby)
144 Cindy Brüggemann (Gamleby)/ Eveline Walfridsson (Torsby)
146 Fredrik Alsdal (Arboga)/Per Schlegel (Arboga)

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Image Copyrights: Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Sweden
Photo: Twelve Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge crews are entered in Rally Sweden 2010

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