General News
16 December 2006

	Copyright © Subaru Argentina Rally Team

Barattero driver Roberto Sanchez crowned FIA Codasur champion and South American Group N champion, while also taking 2nd in Argentinean National championship.

The Team:
The team participated in the South American championship, the FIA Codasur, running Roberto Sanchez and Raul Martinez in 2006 Spec C Imprezas. They also contested the Codasur Group N championship and the Argentinean National Rally championship.

The Championships:
The Codasur is the largest rally championship in South America and features events in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil. It's an eight-event series, Argentina being the only country with two rounds. One of these is in the same area of Cordoba as the WRC and the other is held in the south of the country, in Concepcion.

Run in the championship for the first time this year the Rally of Peru was by far the most difficult in terms of access. Over 3,000 kilometres from the Barattero base, the team had a lot of difficulty getting to the Peruvian round as their trucks, trailers and equipment had to negotiate the notoriously challenging terrain of the mountains that traverse the continent. The altitude of the event was another hurdle to be overcome.

The Drivers:
Among the Barattero drivers, Roberto Sanchez is a ten-year rallying veteran, and 40 years of age. 2006 marks his third Argentinean National championship title. His first was five years ago, where he took two National championships in a row. This year's overall South American title is his biggest achievement to date. It was his second year of trying.

Ana Barattero: "He's always run with us. Mainly he participates in the Argentinean National championship, though he's also participated abroad on many occasions, including three WRC events in 1998. In 2000, he was second overall on the Safari Rally in Kenya - so he has lots of worldwide experience."

	Copyright © Subaru Argentina Rally Team

To illustrate the level of dominance by the Argentinean team, five of the top six places in the standings are occupied by either Barattero or Barattero-prepared cars. The main rival (in second overall) is another SUBARU, the S10 of Juan Pablo Raies (ARG), in a car prepared by Prodrive.

Ana Barattero: "Roberto's performance this season was excellent, and in the end it allowed us to clinch the title. He and his teammate Raul Martinez (third overall), ran in all eight events of the championship. The pair also ran the National championship with Barattero."

"The other drivers under the Barattero banner include Ricardo Triviño (MEX), who hired a car from us and took part in three events. He is very happy with the car. In the beginning he had hired a Group N Mitsubishi, but he switched mid-season to a Spec C Impreza, and was very happy with the performance of the car and the results he was able to achieve."

Unlike in the P-WRC where six of the championship's eight rounds must be contested if a competitor is to fight for the title, there is no minimum number of events one must enter. However, with the level of competition being as high as it is, the serious contenders are there at every event.

Paraguayan driver Didier Arias ran a Barattero-built 2006 Spec C Impreza to fifth overall in FIA CODASUR, and third in Group N. He participated in all eight events; assistance on-event was carried out by his own team. Maintenance on the car was carried out in the form of two complete re-builds during the season.

The other car is that of Roberto Pardo (PERU), who was sixth overall and fourth in the Group N championship.