- 24 teams in the Mitropa Rally Cup (MRC) will compete for points in the second round of the 2026 Mitropa Rally Cup
- Competitors from 5 countries will battle for victory in their categories on 14 special stages totaling 149 kilometers
- Selective special stages await the teams and spectators around Wolfsberg
The Mitropa Rally Cup (MRC) kicks off its second round of the season with the traditional 48th Laser Hero Lavanttal Rallye powered by Dohr Wolfsberg / SG Toolbox in Carinthia (April 9–11, 2026). A total of 76 teams have entered this rally, arguably Austria’s oldest rallying event. The Mitropa Rally Cup is represented by 24 teams from five nations – Italy, Hungary, and Austria each have six teams, Germany has five, and Switzerland has one.
Eleven competitors will compete in the class for vehicles built to the current FIA regulations, led by Hermann Gaßner Sr., who holds the lead after the first round, with co-driver Natascha Vrga (DEU/AUT) in a Hyundai i20 Rally2 (start number 10). They are followed by the Austrian crew of Roland Stengg and Rebeka Kobalauf in a Renault Clio Rally3 (start number 11). Making their debut this year is the team of Manuel Kößler and Benedikt Hofmann (DEU), who will be chasing points for this year’s championship standings in a Hyundai i20 Rally2 (start number 12).
Eight teams will compete in the MRC classification for historic vehicles under FIA Appendix K. As usual, Italian driver Rino Muradore and his co-driver Cristina Delbello will be entering their Ford Escort RS 2000 MKII. Alois Nothdurfter from Tyrol, with co-driver Manfred Cerny in a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, and the local team of Jörg Schieder and Marcel Baumgartner in a BMW E28 528i round out the top three starters in this class.
Florian Auer/Elke Irlacher (GER) are once again competing for points in the internal Club Championship with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII. A total of five registered teams will tackle the special stages in the category for non-homologated vehicles.
In this round, which also counts toward the Austrian Rally Championship, participants will start at 3:17 p.m. on Friday. The winners will be determined over a total of 14 special stages covering 149 timed kilometers. The finish is scheduled for Saturday at 5:56 p.m. at the event hall in St. Stefan near Wolfsberg.
