63 entries have been received for the 77th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo (21-24 January) which this year runs as the opening round of the IRC series. Around two-thirds of the entry qualifies for the IRC championship, and 19 of the entry are Super 2000 cars. Big news will be the debut of the Skoda Fabia S2000, making the Czech company's return to official rallying since the company withdrew at the end of the 2005 season. Their cars will be driven by Jan Kopecky and Juho Hanninen. Manufacturers expecting to be registered for the IRC in 2009 are Abarth/Fiat, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Skoda, VW and Honda, though no competitive VW or Honda are entered at Monte Carlo.

Favourite for the season must be Peugeot, whose 207 Super 2000 cars are run by different teams. The IRC reigning champion team Kronos is to run entries for the Benelux importers (Vouilloz and Loix) and the British importers (Meeke) while the factory itself run a car for Stephane Sarrazin, as well as a guest entry for a local star, courtesy of BF Goodrich. These cars are essentially in the same specification as 2008.
The entry for Meeke represents a landmark occasion, the return to international competition for the British team, once named Talbot, which won the world rally championship in 1981. The official Abarth team of Grande Punto S2000s however come to Monte Carlo with many new technical changes, including Xtrac gearboxes replacing the Sadev units, and a brand new driver, the reigning European champion Luca Rossetti. His teammates are Basso and Alen.

Former Suzuki driver Toni Gardemeister has been entered in a Fiat for Monte Carlo the car being runned by the Italian Astra Team. Also 50 years old Didier Auriol will be one of the most experienced drivers in the field when he lines up to take the start of the Monte Carlo Rally, having competed on the event 13 times. He hopes to put that experience to good use over stages that he enjoys like St Jean en Royans.

3mmm

As the organiser Automobile Club de Monaco has not published yet the entry list here are the main teams:
Hänninen-Markkula         (FIN-Skoda Fabia S2000)
Kopecky-Stary             (CZ-Skoda Fabia S2000)
Loix-Smets                (B-Peugeot 207 S2000)
Vouilloz-Klinger          (B-Peugeot 207 S2000)
Sarrazin-Renucci          (F-Peugeot 207 S2000)
Meeke-Nagle               (GB-Peugeot 207 S2000)
Alen-Alanne               (FIN-Abarth Punto S2000)
Basso-X                   (I-Abarth Punto S2000)
Rossetti-Chiarcossi       (I-Abarth Punto S2000)
Gardemeister-Tuominen     (FIN-Abarth Punto S2000)
Auriol-Giraudet           (F-Peugeot 207 S2000)
Burri-Gordon              (CH/F-Abarth Punto S2000)
Romeyer-Fournel           (F-Abarth Punto S2000)
Jereb-Kacin               (SLO-Peugeot 207 S2000)
Maurin-Thimonier          (F-Abarth Punto S2000)
Ogliari-Verdelli          (I-Peugeot 207 S2000)
Palmero-X                 (I-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Proh-Dell’Agostino        (I-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Artru-Virieux             (F-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Aymard-Aymard             (F-Subaru Impreza)
Baudouin-Gastinel         (F-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Romano-X                  (I-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Schelle-Wenzel            (D-Suzuki Ignis S1600)
Pierrat-Galmiche          (F-Subaru Impreza)
Cornu-Leclerc             (F-Citroën C2 S1600)
Frau-Legars               (F-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Knapick-Mora              (F-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Gonon-Arlettaz            (CH-Subaru Impreza)
Wittmann-Ettel            (A-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Liska-Jugas               (CZ-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)
Bos-Leuvrey               (F-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9)