The extensive plans for the route of the 2024 Central European Rally have been completed. Fans around the world can now plan their own personal route for the second staging of this motorsport spectacle, which takes place from 17th to 20th October 2024.
As in its inaugural year, the Central European Rally will again feature four days of action and a total of 18 spectacular special stages. The start in Prague, in particular, has been streamlined: the itinerary on Thursday (17th October) includes the Shakedown, the start ceremony, two stages and the overnight Parc Fermé in the Czech Republic. Only after the six special stages on the Friday do the cars return to the service park near Bad Griesbach in the Passau region. A further ten stages will then be contested in the area around the border between Bavaria and Austria on the Saturday and Sunday. It promises to be exciting for competitors and spectators alike: three of the special stages are being completely redrawn this year, while there will also be significant changes to the route on all the other stages. The only exception is the ultra-compact opening stage at the racecourse in Velká Chuchle. Advance tickets are already on sale: tickets for the motorsport highlight in the heart of Europe start at € 45 (day tickets for Friday / Saturday / Sunday) and are available at centraleuropeanrally.eu.
The new itineraries see the international team of organisers – the ADAC (Germany), ACR (Czech Republic) and AMF (Austria) – incorporate many findings made during last year’s inaugural event. The route initially takes the competitors from the Shakedown near Prague straight into the heart of the Czech capital, where the start takes place on Thursday afternoon in front of the imposing backdrop of the Presidential Palace. From there, they move on to the Super Special Stage at Velka Chuchle, followed by the second special stage at Klatovy. At almost nine kilometres in length, this route is new to the programme and forms the event’s first hot spot. Thursday’s schedule draws to a close with the overnight Parc Fermé in the Czech town of Klatovy, before the drivers return for a second crack at the first two stages on the Friday. They alternate with the two special stages Strasin and Sumavske Hostice, which are based on highly modified versions of special stages that also featured on the 2023 itinerary.
Eyes of the rally world on Bad Griesbach
On the Saturday and Sunday, the WRC field travels to Germany and Austria. The focus shifts to Bad Griesbach, home to the rally headquarters and media center for the entire rally week. The service park is located at the nearby Karpfhamer Volksfestplatz, from where the cars travel to a total of ten special stages on the Saturday and Sunday. Three special stages will be used on the Saturday, each driven twice: over 130 kilometres of special stage make this the most intensive day of competition on the itinerary. The “Granit und Wald” stage to the northeast of Hauzenberg is new. The subsequent stages – “Beyond Borders, which transcends the border from Germany to Austria, and “Schärdinger Innviertel” in Austria – are based on last year’s tried-and-tested special stages. Sunday also features a new stage, in the form of “Knaus Tabbert Am Hochwald”. It alternates with the “Passauer Land” stage, which is a longer and modified version of the special stage of the same name from last year. As the final stage of the rally, it is also classed as the “Power Stage, on which valuable bonus points are up for grabs. The finish and subsequent presentation ceremony will take place on Sunday afternoon in Passau, where the picturesque old town in the “City of Three Rivers” again forms the impressive backdrop.
Organisers looking forward to second staging of the rally
Last year, the Central European Rally enjoyed a high-profile debut as a newcomer on the calendar of the World Rally Championship (WRC). The International Motorsport Federation (FIA) acknowledged the successful work carried out to achieve this unique project, a rally incorporating three different countries, by including it on the 2024 calendar before the event had even made its debut. ADAC Sports President Dr. Gerd Ennser explains: “Drivers and those responsible within the WRC were surprised last year by the extremely demanding routes that we included in this event. Rally of the highest standard – that is once again our goal in 2024, and one best achieved through this fantastic, international cooperation. We will do our best to justify the faith put in us by the FIA and the WRC promoter.” ACCR President JUDr. Jan Šťovíček, Ph.D., adds: “Last year, the FIA rewarded us for a whole year of intense preparation by giving us an early green light for 2024. That motivates our international team to cooperate even better and even more intensely, across language barriers and national borders. Our common goal is to stage a top-class WRC event again this year.” The spectacular event in the heart of Europe is also of great importance to the Austrian Motorsport Federation (AMF). President Prof. Dr. Harald Hertz: “When the rally made its debut, we were able to offer visitors an unforgettable experience with great special stages. We were rewarded with a real influx of fans. The many rally enthusiasts from all over the world were an important part of the event and made the weekend a real festival of rallying. At the same time, the nearby communities, residents and many local supporters also proved to be fantastic hosts, and are sure to open their doors to the event again in 2024.”
