Craig Breen driving the Kick Energy Ford Fiesta S2000 has tasted victory for the first time in the British Rally Championship by winning the International Rally Northern Ireland. Rally Northern Ireland has turned into a happy hunting ground for the Waterford driver as twelve months ago he secured both the Irish and UK Fiesta Sport Trophy titles on the Antrim based event. Craig’s smile was easy to be seen at the finish, “The car was fantastic and so was the rally. Last nights stages were the best tarmac stages I have ever done.” Twenty year old Craig continued, “I’d like to do the Trackrod and Cork 20 next, then Rally GB. Next year hopefully come back and string all the rallies together for the championship. Craig’s father Ray was standing quietly in the service area and was rightly very proud of his son and commented, “I’m delighted with him, he led from the front.”
Craig took the lead after the first run over Glendun 1 (special stage 2) and extended his advantage to hold an over night lead of 20.9 seconds. Craig did say “The stages are very fast and my car was on the rev limiter in top gear quite a lot but I’m very happy to be in this position and to hold the overnight lead.”
When the action resumed on Saturday morning Craig initially lost time on stages seven and eight but his blistering time on Tardree 1 (stage 9) regained the advantage from the start of the day. Again as day two unfolded Craig constantly commented “The stages are very fast and my car is on the rev limiter for 20 seconds at a time on the really fast sections, it’s killing me. I’m trying to make up for it on the tighter stuff and under braking.”
The debut win for Craig also signifies the first victory for the Ford Fiesta S2000 in the UK.
The remainder of Craig’s 2010 season is now made up of the final rounds in both the British Rally Championship and the Irish Tarmac Championship. First up is the International Rally Yorkshire (Trackrod) on the 24th and 25 of September and Craig is back in Ireland for the Cork 20, which take place on the 2nd and 3rd of October. He will then complete the season with his second trip of the year in the Fiesta to the World Rally Championship for Rally Great Britain.
– Credit: www.rallyprint.com