The official start of the Speed Festival – Rally Kurzeme 2011 will be announced already in nine days, when the fastest rally drivers of Latvia, Baltic states, neighbouring and other countries, who have proved themselves in the world as the best and fastest, will begin a competition for marked down titles.
Among them there will be a Finn Jari Ketomaa, who, after the stage of World Rally Championship this year – Finland Rally – was a leader in total classing, Estonian Egon Kaur, who is currently a leader of the WRC Academy in total classing, winning three previous rounds, as well as our local Andis Neiksans, who won the Finland Rally in N4 class and currently is also a leader of Championship of Latvia.
Roads of Latvia are not unfamiliar for Jari Ketomaa, because he had competed previously on our side for four times, besides with noticeable success. And this is no surprise, because Ketomaa is not only one of the fastest drivers of Finland – he had also proved his skills worldwide, when two weeks ago he reached the absolutely best result in the first special stage of World Rally Championship in Finland, leaving behind both, 1000 traditionally strong ones in lake rally, fellow-countrymen representing the team of Ford factories, as well as seven-time world champion Sébastien Loeb from Citroen WRC team and all other competitors.
Although the 32 years old Finn did not reach the finish of rally, his talent has not been left without attention and next year a Ford Fiesta RS WRC race car will be given in charge of Ketomaa to participate in at least six stages of World Rally Championship.
In Rally Kurzeme 2011 a four-time Finnish champion will participate with Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X R4 class car designed by MML Sports in A plus group Cup.
Besides the talented Finnish rally driver, also other sportsmen, who had proved themselves in routes of world rally, will participate in Liepaja in the end of August. One of them is 23 years old Estonian Egon Kaur, who is currently „studying” succesfully in the WRC Academy of International Automobile Federation.
Kaur is a strong leader in the Academy, whose students are driving with the same Ford Fiesta R2 racing cars – after three stages spent this year in Portugal, Sardinia and Finland, there are three wins in his account and no signs that in the rest three stages in Germany, France and Wales something might change.
Unlike Jari Ketomaa, Kaur is not familiar with rally race route in Latvia and it means that it would be interesting for Kaur to find out, why in the lists of Latvia rally starts it is possible to often find names of his fellow-countrymen, as well as representatives of other countries as the fastest ones, while rally fans will have an opportunity to watch in person and assess, what a representative of a neighbouring country, which is considered to be a future Estonian among WRC drivers, can do. In the end he is the one, currently being the only candidate for the main prize of WRC Academy in the amount of 500 000 euros for education and development of sportman’s career. Besides, there is no doubts, that the main prize will be supplemented with good luck from the patroness of WRC Academy, the fastest and most titled world class female rally driver of all time Michele Muton.
“Within Rally Kurzeme 2011 a Ford Fiesta R2 Cup stage will take place, which means that Kaur will have to prove his superiority over the new ones, not less talented Finnish and Estonian rally drivers, who will participate with identical Fiesta R2 racing cars,” – says Uldis Hmielevskis, the Director of Rally Kurzeme 2011.
Rally KURZEME 2011 in Liepaja city and surroundings for sportsmen will start with getting acquainted with the route and route test stage on Thursday, August 25. On August 26 an official opening and first special stages of Rally KURZEME 2011 will take place in the approaches to Liepaja city, including also night special stage in Vecpils. The rest of special stages, including two city stages in the territory of Liepaja Port, sportsmen will manage on Saturday, August 27. Meanwhile the city special stages a SuperMoto training race and competition will start at Liepaja Port promenade at 12.00. Right after that the awarding of rally winners will take place, as well as closing and entertaining part of Speed Festival – Night maneuvers – with participation of musicians and actors, installations, expositions, light projections in the central streets, squares and clubs of Liepaja.
Speed Festival Rally KURZEME 2011 is supported by: LDz Ritošā sastāva serviss (Latvian Railway Rolling Stock Service) , SEB, Neste Latvija, Liepaja City Council, Liepaja Port, Lauma, VEGA-1, Canon IB Serviss, Skandi Motors, Rietumu Radio, Radio 101, TVNET, LNT, Tavs Auto.