Thu February 12, 2015

 Strong ERC Junior start for Ingram Chris Ingram’s FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) campaign got off to a strong points-scoring start in Latvia, when he finished sixth in the ERC Junior category in his PEUGEOT 208 ‘R2’ rally car. The talented 20-year old Manchester-based driver was competing against 15 othe...

Mon February 9, 2015

 Opel triumphs on ERC opener! Sweden's Emil Bergkvist wins the Rally Liepaja in an Opel ADAM R2. Truly sensational performance in adverse conditions against toughest competition. Marijan Griebel in the second Opel ADAM retires following an accident. ...

Sun February 8, 2015

 Victory for Craig Breen & 208 T16 ! A perfectly paced performance in Latvia saw Craig Breen and his co-driver Scott Martin collect the second ERC victory of their career in the Peugeot 208 T16. The Peugeot Rally Academy pair's result puts them back in contention ahead of the European Championship's next rou...

 Breen storms to Liepaja ERC glory 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 win...

NEWS JUST IN

 LV SS12 cancelled @ 12:38 AM - Thanks god for that. This was a 1.4km drive round a soccer field. Why wait another 3 hours for the results when nothing is going to change any more? Something the WRC could learn, too!

 LV SS11 (end) @ 12:31 AM - Bergkvist gives Opel a 1st win! Janis Vorobjovy breaks his suspension and loses several places with still a question mark if he can last the road section. Final results (after SS11)(subject to last road section and scrutineering):
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 1h56m49s1;
2nd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m40s7;
3rd= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +5m48s6
4th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +6m39s2;
5th= Consani/Vilmot, Peugeot, +6m51s5;
6th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +7m29s9;
7th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +7m58s;
8th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +8m;
9th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +8m09s1;
10th= Jeets/Toom, Ford, +8m36s

 LV SS10 @ 11:51 AM - Calm stage. One stage to go. Results after SS10:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 1h44m47s2;
2nd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m25s9;
3rd= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +5m34s7
4th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +5m47s5;
5th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +6m04s2;
6th= Consani/Vilmot, Peugeot, +6m18s6;
7th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +6m49s1;
8th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +7m04s4;
9th= Jeets/Toom, Ford, +7m09s9;
10th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +7m13s6

 LV SS9 @ 11:18 AM - Jeets had to plough some frehs snow and also was off into a field. Several position changes. Results after SS9:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 1h38m06s1;
2nd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m16s2;
=3rd= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +5m25s
=3rd= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +5m25s;
5th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +5m38s3;
6th= Consani/Vilmot, Peugeot, +6m02s2;
7th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +6m19s3;
8th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +6m28s8;
9th= Jeets/Toom, Ford, +6m37s4;
10th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +6m44s1

 LV SS8 @ 08:12 AM - FWD cars slowly dropping the order. Adielsson went off after finish line. Sirmacis went off in stage. Results after SS8:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 1h31m03s4;
2nd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m12s9;
3rd= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +5m06s
=4th= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +5m14s5;
=4th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +5m14s5;
6th= Jeets/Toom, Ford, +5m53s1;
7th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +5m53s5;
8th= Consani/Vilmot, Peugeot, +5m54s7;
9th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +5m58s9;
10th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +6m20s5

 LV SS7 @ 07:34 AM - This stage is very fast with lots of snow, won by Lukyanuk. Leading 2WD Bergkvist drops 2 places. Results after SS7:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 1h18m43s3;
2nd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m05s;
3rd= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +4m42s2
4th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +4m51s;
5th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +4m58s;
6th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +5m03s6;
7th= Jeets/Toom, Ford, +5m04s9;
8th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +5m16s4;
9th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +5m16s6;
10th= Adielsson/Bäck, Peugeot R2, +5m19s2

 LV SS6 @ 07:02 AM - FWD advantage clearly gone, so we will see several position changes today. Breen has a spin and fastest drivers on stage are retirees Kajetanowicz and Lukyanuk. Results after SS6:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 1h11m56s5;
2nd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m02s7;
3rd= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +4m11s7
4th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +4m29s;
5th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +4m33s;
6th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +4m36s6;
7th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +4m44s6;
8th= Jeets/Toom, Ford, +4m45s5;
9th= Adielsson/Bäck, Peugeot R2, +4m46s;
10th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +4m46s1

Sat February 7, 2015

 Breen on course for ERC Liepaja glory Craig Breen leads round two of the FIA European Rally Championship, after an incredibly difficult opening day of Rally Liepāja that saw many of the top drivers retire, an ERC2 driver in second and four ERC Junior drivers finish in the top 10. Co-driven by Scott Martin, t...

 Starting order for Rally Liepaja After the qualifying stage (does anybody know why this idea was cancelled from WRC? Oh yes, of course, it was a good idea and good ideas or for ERC only!), drivers chose their starting position for the Latvian Rally Liepaja:...

 Lukyanuk wins Liepaja qualifying Alexey Lukyanuk will start 15th on the road for the opening leg of Rally Liepāja after he set the fastest time on the Qualifying Stage for round two of the FIA European Rally Championship. ...

NEWS JUST IN

 LV day1 @ 04:42 PM - Dramatic end of day after a calm 36km SS4: Costenaro, Orsak and 2nd placed Kajetanowicz both out with broken wheels. This means Breen is the only top driver left. Results after day1 (SS5):
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 1h04m22s8;
2nd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m23s;
3rd= Buttvilas/Heller, Subaru, +4m00s7
4th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +4m04s1;
5th= Adielsson/Bäck, Peugeot R2, +4m14s;
6th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +4m29s7;
7th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +4m33s4;
8th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +4m33s5;
9th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +4m39s8;
10th= Jeets/Toom, Ford, +4m47s1

 LV SS4 @ 04:27 PM - 36km, heavy rain, no dramas with front crews, but ERC3 drivers Griebel, and Gryazin are out. Advantage of 2WD cars clearly gone now on 2nd loop. Results after SS4:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 54m54s;
2nd= Kajetanowicz/Baran, Ford, +22s6;
3rd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +1m18s4
4th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +3m43s5;
5th= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +3m44s1;
6th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +3m51s3;
7th= Adielsson/Bäck, Peugeot R2, +3m59s2;
8th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +4m03s8;
9th= Svilis/Pukis, Mitsubishi, +4m06s8;
10th= Sirmacis/Simins, Peugeot R2, +4m27s2

 LV SS3 @ 01:01 PM - It's a 2-way-battle really now. The strength of the R2 cars is the long straights don't need traction and the weather means with every car there is less snow. Results after SS3:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 34m45s7;
2nd= Kajetanowicz/Baran, Ford, +21s;
3rd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +47s6
4th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +1m54s9;
5th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +2m07s3;
6th= Adielsson/Bäck, Peugeot R2, +2m18s3;
7th= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +2m27s1;
8th= Rohtmets/Rohtmets, Citroen R2, +2m33s2;
9th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +2m34s3;
10th= Blums/Vilsons, Ford R2, +2m42s3

 LV SS2 @ 11:07 AM - Lukyanuk off road early in stage, crew OK. But that basically narrows the battle to Kajetanowicz vs Breen now. Results after SS2:
1st= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, 29m51s9;
2nd= Kajetanowicz/Baran, Ford, +18s9;
3rd= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +39s2
4th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +1m35s8;
5th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +1m47s9;
6th= Adielsson/Bäck, Peugeot R2, +1m57s9;
7th= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +2m06s6;
8th= Rohtmets/Rohtmets, Citroen R2, +2m09s7;
9th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +2m15s9;
10th= Blums/Vilsons, Ford R2, +2m16s8

 LV SS1 @ 10:18 AM - Hirschi is off and this might be his first retirement in this car. Top3 maybe as expected, but 2WD cars surprisingly strong in +3 degrees C with snow melting. Results after SS1:
1st= Lukyanuk/Chervenenko, Ford, 9m15s6;
2nd= Breen/Martin, Peugeot, +0s7;
3rd= Kajetanowicz/Baran, Ford, +10s7
4th= Plangi/Sarapuu, Mitsubishi, +11s3;
5th= Bergkvist/Sjöberg, Opel R2, +31s4;
6th= Butvilas/Heller, Subaru, +32s2;
7th= Vorobjovs/Malnieks, Mitsubishi, +36s4;
8th= Adielsson/Bäck, Peugeot R2, +38s;
9th= Rohtmets/Rohtmets, Citroen R2, +39s8;
10th= Rokland/Aldridge, Peugeot R2, +40s1

Fri January 30, 2015

 Q&A Vasily Gryazin The 21-year-old rising Russian star looks ahead to his ‘home’ round of the European championship as he makes his debut in ERC Junior. ...

 Full preview Rally Liepaja A strong 51-car entry made up of drivers from 20 countries will contest round two of the 2015 FIA European Rally Championship next week, as the ice and snow-covered roads of Latvia play host to Rally Liepāja. In addition to the six R5 and five Super 2000 cars that will b...