Three-time European rally champion Luca Rossetti will return to the series at the wheel of a GT86 CS-R3 as part of the TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) team in this month’s Barum Czech Rally Zlin.
TMG will enter its own CS-R3 into the Czech Republic event to showcase its performance, which has been highlighted already by results achieved in the hands of customers in the German and Italian championships.
As European champion in 2008, 2010 and 2011, Luca and co-driver Eleonora Mori will also enhance TMG’s development of tarmac set-ups for the rear-wheel-drive CS-R3, which was homologated by the FIA late in 2015.
The Italian gets his first taste of the car in a private test shortly before the event, which begins with a super special stage on Friday 26 August before two full days of action. Barum Czech Rally Zlin is the eighth round of the FIA European Rally Championship.
The CS-R3 will compete within the ERC3 category, which is open to cars meeting the FIA’s R3 and R2 regulations.
Nico Ehlert, Principal Engineer Customer Motorsport: “We are really looking forward to see what Luca can do with the CS-R3. He is the ideal driver for this rally, because he knows the ERC scene very well and understands what it takes to be competitive. The CS-R3 is still a new car so we are constantly optimising the various set-ups and advising our customers how to get the maximum performance from it. We are very encouraged by the results so far and Luca’s entry in the Barum Czech Rally Zlin is another step in this process. ERC3 is a very competitive class so it will be really interesting to see what we can do.”
Luca Rossetti: “The CS-R3 looks like a really fun car to drive. As it’s a rear-wheel drive, it will certainly be spectacular so I am sure the fans will enjoy seeing it in action. Thanks to TMG for this opportunity; I look forward to working with them and I hope we can compete at the front of ERC3. I am sure the car has the potential to get a strong result.”
TMG is proud to work with local distributors in various territories, providing the best possible support for CS-R3 customers. Luck Co. Ltd. has recently been granted an exclusive license for Japan in terms of car sales and spare parts support.
Luck Co. Ltd joins Gassner Motorsport (Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany and Slovenia) and RallyPrep (UK and Ireland) as local distributors of the CS-R3 and associated spare parts.