Caminos del Inca Rally
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Category | Rally |
|---|---|
| Region | Peru |
| Inaugural season | 1966 |
| Drivers' champion |  André Martinez Matias Aranguren |
The Caminos del Inca Rally (Spanish: Rally Caminos del Inca) or simply "Caminos del Inca", formerly known as the Gran Premio Nacional de Carreteras (lit. 'Grand National Highways Award'), is an annual multi-stage rally race organised by the Peruvian Automobile Club (ACP) since 1966. It is considered the country's most important racing event,[1][2] and its route—which crosses central and southern Peru—covers a total distance of 2,695 kilometres (1,675 mi).[3]
The first rally took place in 1966, divided into three categories for different car sizes. It concluded on November 6, with the arrival of Henry Bradley Unzueta's Volvo Amazon, then car number 302.[4] Its Lima–Huancayo route originally covered a distance of 306 kilometres (190 mi), after which it was shortened to 267 kilometres (166 mi).[3] It surged in popularity following its 1970 edition and,[5] since 1971, it is part of the international calendar of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).[3]
The event did not take place from 2020 to 2021 due to the then ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, returning only in 2022 with a symbolic start at Magdalena del Mar District's Costa Verde road.[6]
Route
The 2,695 kilometres (1,675 mi) race starts in Lima, and its route travels through Huancayo, Ayacucho, Cuzco, and Arequipa, returning to the country's capital.[3] It has also previously included Bolivian territory.[7] The race's 2013 edition inverted the route's regular path, a change proposed several times before by former participants, such as Thomas Hearne in the 1970s, and Ernesto "Neto" Jochamowitz in 1998.[8]
The country's geography presents the foremost danger, and has taken the lives of a number of pilots, including Esteban Quispitupa, Emilio Fort, "Kike" Zúñiga, Pepe Llona and Abraham Ortega, among others.[9]
