MOTOR SPORTS NEWS

Latest News

  • Rodin Cars Formula 1 Application turned down by FIA
  • Lancia Stratos celebrates 50th anniversary of its first international victory
  • ETRC – 7th race Le Mans, France – Race Report
  • Formidable Fourmaux seals British Rally Championship title with Yorkshire win
  • Statement from Motorsport Ireland on the tragic accident on the 2023 Clare Stages Rally
  • Home
  • News
  • Dakar
    • DAKAR 2016
    • Dakar 2015
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • Motorbike
  • Touring Cars
  • Circuit Racing
  • Events
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

BREEN STORMS THROUGH THE SNOW FOR LATVIA ERC GOLD

Feb 08, 2015


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Tweet

*Irishman wins tough winter Rally Liepāja in his Peugeot 208 T16
*ERC2 winner Plangi earns 7000 Euros in prize money
*Bergkvist claims first ERC Junior win driving an Opel Adam R2

Craig Breen has won the second round of the 2015 FIA European Rally Championship, Rally Liepāja in Latvia, after a faultless drive in his Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16.

Co-driven by Great Britain’s Scott Martin, the 25-year old Irishman mastered the most difficult of winter conditions, with thawing ice and slippery wet snow on day one and heavy blizzards of snow and freezing fog on day two. Breen’s last ERC win was on last March’s Acropolis Rally in Greece, when he went on to give the 208 T16 a famous victory on its ERC debut.

“It was really a rally of attrition in tough conditions, but when we were pushing we were only beaten on one stage by 0.7s so we always had the speed,” said Breen, who triumphed by 1m 40.7s. “Things changed very quickly but we stuck to our pace and this is an awesome result. You have to go back through the history books, to the 1960s, for the last time an Irishman won on snow. It’s a big boost for me and after winning on gravel and Tarmac in Greece last year I’ve now won on snow so that makes me a bit of an all-rounder. Hopefully this will be the first of many this year and the championship challenge is very much back on. Who can forget the next rally of the year is the Circuit of Ireland and we’ll be coming back there with a win under our belts just like last year.”

With other R5 and Super 2000 crews hitting problems, an incredible results table sees three ERC2 contenders (R4 production cars) finishing in the top four and three ERC Juniors (R2) finishing in the top 10. Siim Plangi (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X) held second place from SS5 onwards, winning ER2 ahead of Dominykas Butvilas (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) to claim 7000 Euros in prize money. Even more extraordinary was the performance of the ERC Junior winner Emil Bergkvist, who finished sixth overall in his ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team Opel Adam R2.

Out of the top category four-wheel drive cars that did complete all the stages, Robert Consani (Peugeot 207 S2000) grew in confidence as the event progressed and was delighted to reach the finish in fifth to main his ERC title challenge. Rear axle problems on the final day couldn’t stop Raul Jeets completing the top 10 in his MM-Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5, while Jarosław Koltun enjoyed a solid run in his Fiesta R5.

Martin Hudec’s first international rally in a ŠKODA Fabia S2000 was rewarded with 19th, although spectators did have to rescue him after he went off the road on SS8. Antonín Tlusťák lost a lot of time driving in heavy snow on the same stage, and finished 21st in his Fabia S2000.

For the drivers who returned under the Rally 2 rules, Alexey Lukyanuk showed what could have been had he not rolled his Chervonenko Racing Fiesta R5 on day one, by setting fastest time on five of day two’s six stages.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz (LOTOS Rally Team Fiesta R5) also returned to gain experience of driving on snow and ice. The day points that the newly crowned ERC Ice Master scored also sees the Polish driver maintain his overall ERC lead by five points ahead of Breen and Consani.

After damaging a wheel on day one, Jaroslav Orsák returned the following day, but retired his Fabia S2000 on the road section to the third stage with engine failure – while Giacomo Costenaro (Peugeot 207 S2000) to gain snow driving experience.

ERC2: Pacesetter Plangi dominates snow stages
Twenty-two-year old Estonian Siim Plangi led from start to finish, and set fastest class time on all but one stage, to win ERC2 by 3m47.7s in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. There was a tremendously close battle for second, with Jānis Vorobjovs (Mitsubishi) and Dominykas Butvilas (Subaru Poland Rally Team Impreza WRX STI) tied for position after SS9. However, Vorobjovs lost 90s on the final stage when he hit a snow-covered ditch and picked up a puncture. He dropped to fourth, leaving Butvilas in second and Latvian Mārtinš Svilis – who had received a 30s penalty for leaving service late at the end of day one – third in his Mitsubishi. Dávid Botka was delighted to finish fifth in his Lancer, while turbo problems delayed Krisztián Hideg, who came home sixth in his Evolution IX. Łukasz Kabaciński survived a high-speed off on the last stage to secure seventh, while Tarmac ace Vojtěch Štajf was eighth in a similar Subaru. Inessa Tushkanova had several moments in her Mitsubishi, but survived to take the ERC Ladies’ Trophy. Tomasz Kasperczyk restarted, but stopped again, this time with engine problems in his Subaru.


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Rodin Cars Formula 1 Application turned down by FIA
    Rodin Cars Formula 1 Application turned...

    Sep 30, 2023 Comments Off on Rodin Cars Formula 1 Application turned down by FIA

  • Lancia Stratos celebrates 50th anniversary of its first international victory
    Lancia Stratos celebrates 50th...

    Sep 30, 2023 Comments Off on Lancia Stratos celebrates 50th anniversary of its first international victory

  • ETRC – 7th race Le Mans, France – Race Report
    ETRC – 7th race Le Mans, France...

    Sep 30, 2023 Comments Off on ETRC – 7th race Le Mans, France – Race Report

  • Formidable Fourmaux seals British Rally Championship title with Yorkshire win
    Formidable Fourmaux seals British Rally...

    Sep 30, 2023 Comments Off on Formidable Fourmaux seals British Rally Championship title with Yorkshire win

More in this category
  • Rodin Cars Formula 1 Application turned down by FIA
    Rodin Cars Formula 1 Application turned...

    Comments Off on Rodin Cars Formula 1 Application turned down by FIA

  • Lancia Stratos celebrates 50th anniversary of its first international victory
    Lancia Stratos celebrates 50th...

    Comments Off on Lancia Stratos celebrates 50th anniversary of its first international victory

  • ETRC – 7th race Le Mans, France – Race Report
    ETRC – 7th race Le Mans, France...

    Comments Off on ETRC – 7th race Le Mans, France – Race Report

  • Formidable Fourmaux seals British Rally Championship title with Yorkshire win
    Formidable Fourmaux seals British Rally...

    Comments Off on Formidable Fourmaux seals British Rally Championship title with Yorkshire win


Fleet Car Magazine

Notice Board

  • Experience the Thrills of Motorsport in Emilia-Romagna: Following the Trail of Enzo Ferrari
    Experience the Thrills of Motorsport in Emilia-Romagna:...

    Sep 01, 2023

    TweetThe northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna boasts...
  • 1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evoluzione 2 for sale at Bonhams|Cars’ Goodwood Revival Sale
    1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evoluzione 2 for sale at...

    Aug 24, 2023

    TweetBonhams|Cars is delighted to offer one of the ultimate...
  • 1963 – 2023: Automobili Lamborghini, 60 years of unique cars
    1963 – 2023: Automobili Lamborghini, 60 years of unique...

    Aug 11, 2023

    TweetFrom the 1963 350 GTV to the Invencible and Auténtica...
  • One-off ‘Opera Unica’ Huracán Sterrato celebrates Lamborghini 60th anniversary
    One-off ‘Opera Unica’ Huracán Sterrato celebrates...

    Aug 05, 2023

    TweetInspired by the vibrant blues of Sardinia’s seas and...
  • Latest Statement by Galway Motor Club Limited
    Latest Statement by Galway Motor Club Limited

    Jun 16, 2023

    TweetThe recent decision by the Council of Motor Sport...

Categories

  • Africa Eco-Race
  • Baja
  • BRC
  • Circuit Racing
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Dakar
  • Dakar 2015
  • DAKAR 2016
  • DAKAR 2017
  • DAKAR 2019 PERU
  • DAKAR RALLY 2018
  • EV Motorsport
  • Events
  • EverGreeens: Irish Abroad
  • Extreme E
  • Forestry Rally
  • Formula 1
  • Hillclimb
  • IndyCar Series
  • Interview
  • Middle East Rally Championship
  • Morocco Rally
  • Motorbike
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • RallyX
  • Related products
  • Review
  • Sportscars
  • Touring Cars
  • Tribute
  • Truck Racing
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • WRC
Tweets by @IrMotSportNews

Recent Posts

Extreme E’s Island X Prix hosts crowning of inaugural E-Xplorer world champions

Extreme E’s Island X Prix hosts crowning of inaugural E-Xplorer...

Sep 22, 2023

TweetIt was yet another thrilling race weekend for Extreme E in Sardinia for the Island X Prix (16-17 September), which has ensured a five-way championship fight going into December’s Season 3...
Read More
Andreas Hölzl – New KTM AG Rally Team Manager

Andreas Hölzl – New KTM AG Rally Team...

Sep 22, 2023

ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team take victory in a dramatic Extreme E Rd 7 Finale

ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team take victory in a...

Sep 16, 2023

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price fourth 2023 Desafio Ruta 40

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price...

Sep 08, 2023

Podium for Monster Energy Honda Team on the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF Argentina

Podium for Monster Energy Honda Team on the...

Sep 08, 2023

Copyright 2016 / All rights reserved