Burak Cukurova claims FABIA R5’s maiden Turkish win at the Yeşil Bursa Rallisi
The ŠKODA FABIA R5 has its first ever win in the Turkish Rally Championship after Burak Cukurova secured victory at the Yeşil Bursa Rallisi (21st to 23rd July) last weekend. Cukurova and his co-driver Vedat Bostanci were driving for the BC Vision Motorsport team in a FABIA R5 prepared and run by the Topp-Cars Rallye Team and finished two minutes and seven seconds ahead of their closest challengers.
Cukurova began modestly and allowed rival Yagiz Avci a lead of around seventeen seconds. The two drivers were neck-and-neck throughout the middle part of the rally, with Avci maintaining his lead. But Avci had a disastrous penultimate special stage, losing more than two minutes which allowed Cukurova to take the lead, which he extended in the final SS to secure what was - on paper at least - a comfortable victory.
Kalle Rovanperä roars to another win at the Rally Latvija to extend his championship lead
There was yet more success for the young Finnish rallying prodigy Kalle Rovanperä in the Latvian Rally Championship as he claimed his third victory of the season at the Rally Latvija (22nd to 23rd July), the fourth round of the season. Rovanperä, the defending champion, who alongside co-driver Risto Pietiläinen was driving for the TGS Worldwide OU team, came into this event after victories at the opening two rounds of the year, the Rally Alūksne and the Rallijs Sarma, and only missing out on a third win at the Rally Talsi by 0.8 seconds.
Conditions were about as perfect as they could get and Rovanperä will have been in confident mood as he set out to defend his crown after winning this event last year at the age of just fifteen. And his victory was rarely in doubt as the now sixteen-year-old won all but one of the twelve special stages and led the rally from start to finish.
The other FABIA R5 taking part just missed out on a podium place as the Lithuanian duo of Benediktas Vanagas / Agnė Vičkačkaitė-Lauciuvienė finished in fourth place. Driving for the General Financing Team Pitlane, they finished second in the opening special stage, but then problems on the following two stages saw them fall back to eighth. But some fast times over the rest of the rally helped them climb back through the field, although they couldn’t quite find enough to get onto the podium.
The result means Kalle Rovanperä continues to lead the way in the Latvian championship standings and with just three rallies remaining, few would bet against him retaining his title.
The next round of the Latvian Rally Championship will be the Lõuna-Eesti Ralli which takes place on 25th and 26th August in neighbouring Estonia.
2017 Rally Latvija
Marijan Griebel and Bernhard ten Brinke to drive a FABIA R5 at the Rallye Deutschland
There will be two different names competing in a FABIA R5 in the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the Rallye Deutschland next month.
Marijan Griebel, the reigning Junior ERC Champion and current European Rally Championship front-runner will be competing in his debut event in the WRC2 Championship. As a teenager, the young German stood in the crowd and watched the first World Rally Championship event in Germany in 2002 whilst dreaming of one day emulating his heroes. This year, for the first time, he will have the opportunity to do so in a FABIA R5 prepared and run by the BRR Baumschlager Rallye & Racing team. He will be supported by co-driver Stefan Kopczyk.
Meanwhile the Dutchman Bernhard ten Brinke will also be driving at the Rallye Deutschland in what will be his first start since the RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada last year. He will also compete at one more round of the 2017 WRC, which has yet to be determined, as well as the Eurol Hellendoorn Rally in Holland. Together with his regular co-driver, Belgian Davy Thierie, ten Brinke will be driving a FABIA R5 for the Wevers Sport team, in what will be his fourth season of competition at the highest level.
2017 Rallye Weiz
Burak Cukurova claims FABIA R5’s maiden Turkish win at the Yeşil Bursa Rallisi
The ŠKODA FABIA R5 has its first ever win in the Turkish Rally Championship after Burak Cukurova secured victory at the Yeşil Bursa Rallisi (21st to 23rd July) last weekend. Cukurova and his co-driver Vedat Bostanci were driving for the BC Vision Motorsport team in a FABIA R5 prepared and run by the Topp-Cars Rallye Team and finished two minutes and seven seconds ahead of their closest challengers.
Cukurova began modestly and allowed rival Yagiz Avci a lead of around seventeen seconds. The two drivers were neck-and-neck throughout the middle part of the rally, with Avci maintaining his lead. But Avci had a disastrous penultimate special stage, losing more than two minutes which allowed Cukurova to take the lead, which he extended in the final SS to secure what was - on paper at least - a comfortable victory.
Kalle Rovanperä roars to another win at the Rally Latvija to extend his championship lead
There was yet more success for the young Finnish rallying prodigy Kalle Rovanperä in the Latvian Rally Championship as he claimed his third victory of the season at the Rally Latvija (22nd to 23rd July), the fourth round of the season. Rovanperä, the defending champion, who alongside co-driver Risto Pietiläinen was driving for the TGS Worldwide OU team, came into this event after victories at the opening two rounds of the year, the Rally Alūksne and the Rallijs Sarma, and only missing out on a third win at the Rally Talsi by 0.8 seconds.
Conditions were about as perfect as they could get and Rovanperä will have been in confident mood as he set out to defend his crown after winning this event last year at the age of just fifteen. And his victory was rarely in doubt as the now sixteen-year-old won all but one of the twelve special stages and led the rally from start to finish.
The other FABIA R5 taking part just missed out on a podium place as the Lithuanian duo of Benediktas Vanagas / Agnė Vičkačkaitė-Lauciuvienė finished in fourth place. Driving for the General Financing Team Pitlane, they finished second in the opening special stage, but then problems on the following two stages saw them fall back to eighth. But some fast times over the rest of the rally helped them climb back through the field, although they couldn’t quite find enough to get onto the podium.
The result means Kalle Rovanperä continues to lead the way in the Latvian championship standings and with just three rallies remaining, few would bet against him retaining his title.
The next round of the Latvian Rally Championship will be the Lõuna-Eesti Ralli which takes place on 25th and 26th August in neighbouring Estonia.
2017 Rally Latvija
Marijan Griebel and Bernhard ten Brinke to drive a FABIA R5 at the Rallye Deutschland
There will be two different names competing in a FABIA R5 in the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the Rallye Deutschland next month.
Marijan Griebel, the reigning Junior ERC Champion and current European Rally Championship front-runner will be competing in his debut event in the WRC2 Championship. As a teenager, the young German stood in the crowd and watched the first World Rally Championship event in Germany in 2002 whilst dreaming of one day emulating his heroes. This year, for the first time, he will have the opportunity to do so in a FABIA R5 prepared and run by the BRR Baumschlager Rallye & Racing team. He will be supported by co-driver Stefan Kopczyk.
Meanwhile the Dutchman Bernhard ten Brinke will also be driving at the Rallye Deutschland in what will be his first start since the RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada last year. He will also compete at one more round of the 2017 WRC, which has yet to be determined, as well as the Eurol Hellendoorn Rally in Holland. Together with his regular co-driver, Belgian Davy Thierie, ten Brinke will be driving a FABIA R5 for the Wevers Sport team, in what will be his fourth season of competition at the highest level.
