• After having won the Portugal Rally Cup in Lisbon, at the debut of the Skoda Fabia RS, Armindo Araújo and Luís Ramalho present themselves at the Castelo Branco and Vila Velha do Rodão Rally with the clear objective of collecting another triumph in the race.
• Another highlight is the presence of Max McRae. The young Scot codriven by Macartan Kierans will use the race to cover important kilometers at the controls of the Opel Corsa Rally4, preparing the asphalt phase of the Junior European Rally Championship.

Armindo Araújo has one of his favorite races in Castelo Branco, among all those that are disputed on asphalt, having dominated the rally organized by the Escuderia de Castelo Branco in the last editions, being clear that the national champion in title goes in search of another triumph.

The presence of the Scottish duo led by Max MCrae is one of the big news. It will be another opportunity for Portuguese fans to see racing in Portugal the young man who represents the 3rd competitive generation of the famous clan.

Aloísio Monteiro clearly assumes that “the team is in Castelo Branco to win. The difficult start to the season is completely behind us and we have proven that we are back to the maximum level of competitiveness that we have always shown. Armindo and Luís are in excellent shape and our new Skoda Fabia RS has already proved to be a fabulous car. We are going to be in the fight for the win and we really want to start this stage on asphalt in the best way”.

As for the presence of the young Max McRae, the CEO of The Racing Factory emphasizes that “Max lines up in Castelo Branco without any pressure of results. The rally serves exclusively for him to gain confidence in the car, to get a better rapport with the team and to give him confidence for what ERC Junior lacks. We are very satisfied with his performances, but we know that he has a huge margin of progression, and this rally will be important for him to evolve”.

The Castelo Branco Rally will include 101 kilometers divided into 11 timed specials, in a race where the strong temperatures will be an extra difficulty factor. The race organized by Escuderia de Castelo Branco starts on the morning of Friday, June 30th, with Free Practice and Qualification and the start is scheduled for 2:00 pm of the same day, in Castelo Branco, with the closing happening at the same place Saturday night.