Words: Liga Stirna
Pictures: Janis Barbars and Aigars Laurinovics/www.rallyemotions.lv
Rally Kurzeme has never been particularly kind to local drivers, and this the rally winner was a guest crew, Estonians Georg Cross/Raigo Mõlder (MM Motorsport). Until the very last stage of the event, the rally was led by Ivars Vasaraudzis/Peteris Spredzis (Skandi Auto rally Team), but fortune was not on their side: retirement occurred a few kilometres before the finish…
As there were two teams piloting WRC cars, this rally wasn’t boring at all, neither for drivers or the thousands of spectators. Georg Gross, who finished second in this rally last year, showed unexpected and fierce resistance to Ivars Vasaraudzis to claim several stage wins. Latvians were still overall leaders of the event, but at the finish of last stage the Estonians emerged first, meaning that Vasaraudzis had retired: his car’s electronics betrayed him. In second place overall and in Class A Plus was the second Skandi Auto Rally Team crew of Raimonds Kisiels/Arnis Ronis.
Rally Kurzeme has very fast roads: in Vecpils special stage Vasaraudzis/Spredzis showed 136.98km/h average speed. Except for the first two super special stages in the town of Liepaja, none of the other stages were slower than 121 km/h average speed.
Due the high speed nature of Rally Kurzeme, this event is also one of the most complicated rallies in Latvian Championship; it does not forgive errors nor daring, but requires full concentration at each stage corner and kilometre and a clever attitude to the car is also needed. The retirement list saw Ivars Vasaraudzis, champions of Lithuania Vytautas Švedas and Rokas Lipeiķis, and the 2WD Class leader Ivo Ķilpis. And they are experienced drivers, so what could the event haev been like for first-timers!
For some, Rally Kurzeme ended with joy: with a win in Class N4 Andis Neikšāns/Pēteris Dzirkals (LMT Rally Team) secured the Latvian Champions’ title. At the end of the rally they were even able to slow their pace so as to not take any unnecessary risks.
Second place in Class N4 in Rally Kurzeme 2010 was taken by Jānis Vorobjovs/Guntars Zicāns (Vorobjovs Racing Team), while in the third place in class was the five time Latvian Rally Champions Aivis Egle/Mārtiņš Jerums (Tieto Kronus Racing Team).
Before the rally, three-time British champion Mark Higgins was considered as one of the Class N4 favourites, but he met the blindingly fast Latvian rally roads and could not beat the locals on their home rally and only finished fifth in Class N4. Also a VIP guest of the rally, WRC star Toni Gardemeister, who drove the city super special stage, battled through the high-speed roads but praised Vecpils and Podnieki stages (SS4/SS6 and SS3/SS5) as very interesting.
In the Latvian Rally Championship Class N4, Andis Neikšāns/Pēteris Dzirkals now have 49 points, Aivis Egle/Mārtiņš Jerums have 40 points, but as the Latvian Championship counts five best results from seven rounds, Egle doesn’t have a chance to leapfrog Andis Neikšāns with just one rally left.
“It’s a fantastic feeling! For the first time in my career I have become Latvian Champion! Previously, almost every year I have been very close to the title, but always lost it in the very last moment. At last it has happened!,” said 25-year-old Andis Neikšāns. “Rally Kurzeme was very tight – I had to go all the time with maximum. Jānis and Aivis were very fast and in the end the three of us were separated by just 8 seconds. Excellent fight!”
In the 2WD Class, the leaders formed a truly international trio: one crew from each of the Baltic states. The fastest 2WD Class crews at Rally Kurzeme 2010 were Estonians Roland Murakas/Kalle Adler (Honda Civic Type R), but only 14 seconds behind them after more than 100 stage kilometers were Latvians Andris Dambis/Ilmars Jansons (FIAT 124). In third place in the 2WD Class were Lithuanians Rokas Kvaraciejus/Marius Samuolis (Renault Clio).
The last round of Latvian Rally Championship, Rally Latvija 2010, will take place on 25 – 26 September.
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION
01) G. Gross/ R. Mõlder
Ford Focus WRC – 50m 36.53s
02) R. Kisiels/A. Ronis
Mitsubishi Lancer WRC + 01m 18.71s
03) A. Neikšāns/P. Dzirkals
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX + 01m 28.52s
04) J. Vorobjovs/G. Zicāns
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX + 01m 35.25s
05) A. Egle/M. Jerums
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX + 01m 36.48s
06) M. Neikšāns/R. Jansons
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX + 01m 55.49s
07) M. Svilis/A. Aizsilnieks
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VIII + 02m 26.14s
08) M. Higgins/R. Kennedy
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X +02m 44.25s
09) A. Pärs/S. Koskinen
Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 02m 52.72s
10) R. Jeets/A. Toom
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX + 03m 00.40s
