Rally Liepaja (Latvia) (J) - NEW DATE 14-16 Aug 20

Devine Ready To Leap In Liepaja

Posted: August 14, 2020 9:48 AM

After disappointment on the opening round in Italy, Callum Devine will aim to get his 2020 FIA European Rally Championship campaign back on track this weekend on Rally Liep?ja. The Latvian event is the first loose surface event of the ERC season and despite fluctuating travel restrictions around Europe, the event has attracted a strong entry and Devine will start the event at number 12 in the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy entered Hyundai i20 R5.

Despite limited loose surface experience in the 4 wheel drive Hyundai, Devine and co-driver Brian Hoy are looking forward to seeing what they can do in Latvia.
“Obviously Italy was a disappointment but thankfully the car has been repaired. I need to put that behind me now”, said Devine. “I’ve only had a little bit of loose surface experience with the Hyundai so at the moment my preparation has been about watching onboards but we have the official test ahead of the event which will be a help. It’s going to be a bit of a challenge but we knew from the start of the year this would be the toughest event, just because it’s something we are not used to. Myself and Brian both did Finland a few years ago as part of the Junior World Rally Championship and it wouldn’t be too dissimilar, but that was in an R2 car, an R5 car is so much faster! From what I’ve seen the rally looks really good and the stages look nice but it’s a place where you wouldn’t want to get it wrong because it’s so high speed. A lot of the guys will be quite used to it having done it before and if you are not on it from the beginning, you can get left behind very quickly. But we have to start somewhere, that’s how we are looking at it this year. I also have to remember that I need points on the board.”

Devine’s involvement with the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and Hyundai’s Customer Racing Junior Driver programs also saw him take in Rally di Alba recently.
“It was great to get out straight after the disappointment of Rome and especially on such a star studded event. It was also interesting to run with a new team for that weekend which was a great experience and I’m very thankful to Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing for setting it up.”

Callum and Brian will be partnered in Latvia by 2 other all Irish crews in Hyundai’s. Craig Breen and Paul Nagle will tackle the event as they continue their development of MRF tyres while Cathan McCourt and James Fulton will join Callum is the PCRS camp. “When you’re abroad, it’s nice to have a few competitors from home around too, it helps you relax a little”, said Callum.

Rally Liep?ja will begin on Friday Aug 14th with pre-event practice and shakedown before the event properly gets underway on Saturday which will see Callum and Brian tackle 4 stages before a further 6 stages on Sunday conclude the event. The competitive mileage of the event will come in at just over 180km

To keep up to date with Callum throughout the weekend, make sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit his website, www.callumdevine.com

ERC event preview: Rally Liepaja

Posted: August 12, 2020 6:31 AM

Overview
The 2020 FIA European Rally Championship has just got even faster with Rally Liep?ja’s high-speed, all-gravel stages next up for some of the sport’s leading drivers and top young talents.

Once a winter event, Rally Liep?ja has also run in late spring and early autumn but the eighth edition will be held in the sizzling summer sunshine.

A strong entry has been assembled by organiser RA Events, which has worked tirelessly to not only attract a high-calibre line-up, but to manage the numerous restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

With three former winners – Craig Breen, Nikolay Gryazin and Oliver Solberg – on the entry list along with 2018 ERC champion Alexey Lukyanuk, the 2019 national title winners from Poland (Miko Marczyk) and Romania (Simone Tempestini), plus ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena, an exciting battle is in store.

Other drivers in the mix are young flying Finns Emil Lindholm and Eerik Pietarinen, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member Callum Devine, Hyundai Junior Driver Grégoire Munster, Czech hope Erik Cais, German prospect Dominik Dinkel, Italian ASN-backed Alberto Battistolli, plus American Sean Johnston. Norway’s world championship event winner Mads Østberg is also entered but won’t chase ERC points.

Double ERC2 champion Tibor Érdi Jr returns to take on category leader Zelindo Melegari, while Ken Torn will be aiming to repeat his Rally Liep?ja success of 2019 when he lines-up for ERC3 and ERC3 Junior glory in M-Sport Poland’s all-new Rally4.

The ERC also incorporates the Abarth Rally Cup, a one-make series for the Abarth 124 rally, which welcomes newcomer Martin Rada for the first time. He will go up against Andrea Mabellini, the class winner in Rome, and last season’s runner-up Dariusz Polo?ski. The ERC’s Official Fuels Partner, P1 Racing Fuels, organises the P1 Racing Fuels Podium Challenge.

A busy four days await the crews in Latvia with reconnaissance of the special stages taking place on Thursday 13 and on the morning of Friday 14 August followed by Free Practice, the Qualifying Stage and shakedown that afternoon. The first stage of 10 begins from the town of Talsi at 12h20 local time on Saturday 15 August with the rally-deciding NESTE stage due to get underway at 16h15 on Sunday 16 August. The event is set to cover a competitive distance of 177.87 kilometres with all stages on gravel.

Measures introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic means there will be no ceremonial start or finish, no public access to the service park, the planned superspecial city stages in Talsi and Liep?ja won’t run, while tickets for fans to access the stages will be limited in number. All those attending the event must wash their hands regularly or use hand sanitiser, wear face coverings as required, respect social distancing, act responsibly and follow other rules on-site to ensure the safe running of Rally Liep?ja.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME OUT? RALLY DI ROMA CAPITALE
International rallying returned with a bang on Rally di Roma Capitale (24-26 July) as Russian Rocket Alexey Lukyanuk charged to victory on round one of the delayed 2020 FIA European Rally Championship.

Partnered by new co-driver Dmitry Eremeev, the Saintéloc Junior Team ace led from start to finish in his Pirelli-equipped Citroën C3 R5 to claim his second win in Rome and his 10th in the ERC by 16.1s.

“It’s good points for the championship and of course winning in Rome is something special,” said Lukyanuk, who hadn’t driven a rally car for 255 days prior to a test on the Tuesday before the rally got underway. “It was a long rally, very tough and very hot. It took a lot of effort to achieve the result and I’m delighted for the performance and happy for the team.”

Giandomenico Basso, the two-time ERC champion who won this event 12 months ago, finished second with Oliver Solberg taking third and winning the ERC1 Junior category on his Roma debut.

Zelindo Melegari claimed a richly-deserved ERC2 victory on his first start since he and co-driver Corrado Bonato were hospitalised following a crash on Barum Czech Rally Zlín 11 months ago. ERC newcomer Andrea Mabellini bagged Abarth Rally Cup honours.

Ken Torn won a frenetic battle for ERC3 and ERC3 Junior glory, as his rally-long rival Pedro Antunes crashed out of first place on the final stage. Pep Bassas took second for Rallye Team Spain on his first event as the winner of Spanish federation RFEDA’s Beca Júnior R2 scholarship.

ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena (Rallye Team Spain) marked his graduation to ERC1 Junior by finishing sixth overall behind fourth-placed Craig Breen (Team MRF Tyres) and Romanian champion Simone Tempestini, who came home 1.3s behind the five-time ERC winner from Ireland after a spin. Grégoire Munster held seventh ahead of the advancing ERC1 Junior champion Filip Mareš, who narrowed the Hyundai Junior Driver’s margin to 5.5s. Emil Lindholm and Miko Marczyk filled out the top 10 places.

HOW THEY STAND (AFTER ROUND 1/6)
ERC1 (Drivers): 1 Lukyanuk 38; 2 Basso 32; 3 Solberg 26; 4 Breen 19; 5 Tempestini 19; etc.
ERC1 (Co-drivers): 1 Eremeev 38; 2 Granai 32; 3 Johnston 26; 4 Nagle 19; 5 Itu 19; etc.
ERC2 (Drivers): 1 Melegari 39; 2 Mabellini 33; 3 Nešet?il 27; 4 Gobbin 22; 5 Feofanov 19; etc.
ERC2 (Co-drivers): 1 Bonato 39; 2 Arena 33; 3 ?ernoch 27; 4 Cervi 22; 5 Kokins 19; etc.
ERC3 (Drivers): 1 Torn 40; 2 Bassas 31; 3 M László 23; 4 Z László 19; 5 Molle 17; etc.
ERC3 (Co-drivers): 1 Pannas 40; 2 Coronado 31; 3 Zsiros 23; 4 Berendi 19; 5 Barral 17; etc.
ERC1 Junior: 1 Solberg 40; 2 Tempestini 30; 3 Llarena 26; 4 Munster 24; 5 Lindholm 18; etc.
ERC3 Junior: 1 Torn 40; 2 Bassas 31; 3 Molle 23; 4 Pollara 21; 5 Landa 17; etc.
ERC Teams: 1 Rallye Team Spain 52; 2 Saintéloc Junior Team 43; 3 Estonian Autosport Junior Team 40; 4 Team MRF Tyres 39; 5 Loran 32; etc.
Abarth Rally Cup: 1 Mabellini 30; 2 Gobbin 24; etc.

Rally Liep?ja in 100 words
The brainchild of driver turned promoter Raimonds Strokšs and first run to great acclaim in 2013, Rally Liep?ja was originally a winter event but switched to autumn in 2016 for more guaranteed weather. The new date effectively made for an all-new rally as crews adjusted to gravel roads free of snow and ice. Although the time of year had changed, the high-speed stages in western Latvia continued to thrill drivers and spectators alike. Organisers of this forward-thinking event made more changes for 2019 with a late May date and an expanded route taking in popular stages around the Talsi region.

ERC Q&A: M?rti?š Sesks (2018 ERC3, ERC3 Junior champion from Liep?ja)
He’s the local hero from Liep?ja returning to the FIA European Rally Championship for his home rally. This is what M?rti?š Sesks, the multiple ERC title-winning Latvian, has had to say.

It’s been a very unprecedented 2020. How did you keep busy during lockdown?
“Well, firstly, it’s good to be back in the ERC. Since the pandemic we have done two national rallies in Lithuania after our second place on Rally Sweden in February. On the one hand having no rallies meant we had quite much time to analyse what we have done during the winter, but also I had a very good opportunity to do my physical exercises and build up my strength for rallies so in every bad situation you can find good ones.”

What have you done to prepare for Rally Liep?ja?
“We have done good homework and we have done some good testing kilometres and these two rallies so we are feeling quite ready for Rally Liep?ja and our return to ERC3.”

As the local hero is there any pressure on you to deliver a top result?
“For sure there is some pressure but I have never won my home rally. I have done it since 2015 and I have been second or fourth all the time. Maybe it’s time to change that!”

Is there any chance of more ERC events now that the World Rally Championship is your focus?
“The basic plan is to get ready for Rally Estonia in September and to have a little fight with Ken Torn to see how fast we are.”

Having stepped up to a Rally2-specification car for last year’s event were you not tempted to try the ERC1 category again?
“Now we have our own R2 car at home to gain the kilometres for the Junior World Rally Championship, it would be a nonsense to drive an R5. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like the R5 and I got the podium here last year in an R5. I liked the R5 a lot and for sure we are working quite hard to compete next season in an R5, maybe, but now it’s only on the table and on the mind.”

The big entry numbers
Interest in the FIA European Rally Championship from drivers and teams remains strong with 42 crews registered for ERC points on Rally Liep?ja. Here are the big entry numbers:

42: Of the 48-car entry 42 (87.5%) are registered for the FIA European Rally Championship.
20: A total of 20 drivers are eligible for the headlining ERC1 division for Rally2 cars.
8: The ERC2 showroom category has attracted 8 entrants.
15: ERC3 honours will be between 15 drivers.
23: Of the 23 ERC Juniors entered, 10 are set to compete in ERC1 Junior and 13 in ERC3 Junio
20: With 20 nationalities represented by the competing drivers, the international appeal of the ERC is underlined once again.

ERC 2020: what’s new?
Points-scoring system: The top 15 rather than the top 10 will score points as follows: 30-24-21-19-17-15-13-11-9-7-5-4-3-2-1. The leg bonus points allocation has also changed with the top five rather than the top seven scoring leg bonus points: 5-4-3-2-1.
Rally5 for ERC3 Junior: Rally5 cars will also be eligible for ERC3 Junior (it was Rally4 cars previously).
Category names: Rally2 replaces R5, Rally4 replaces R2, Rally5 replaces R1

Rally Liep?ja talking points
Heading the pack: Following his standout Rally di Roma Captiale victory last month, Alexey Lukyanuk and new co-driver Dmitry Eremeev are seeded number one as the European championship leaders.

Going for a double: After making ERC history as the youngest winner in 2019, Oliver Solberg is going for a Rally Liep?ja victory double on the back of finishing third overall in Rome and winning ERC1 Junior.

Going for a treble: Not content with winning Rally Liep?ja twice, former ERC1 Junior champion Nikolay Gryazin is in contention for a Latvian hat-trick with new co-driver Konstantin Aleksandrov by his side.

Johnston returns: With Marijan Griebel not including Rally Liep?ja on his 2020 schedule, American Sean Johnstontakes over the vacant Saintéloc Junior Team Citroën C3 R5.

Norwegian could: He won’t be eligible for ERC points but Norway’s Mads Østberg will be rapid in his C3 R5. Rallye Team Spain’s Efrén Llarena, who is stepping up to Rally2 level as the ERC3 Junior champion, is also Citroën-powered.

Men on a mission: Former Liep?ja winner Craig Breen and Finnish young gun Emil Lindholm are heading up MRF Tyres’ development programme.

Finns to the fore: As well as Lindholm, ERC rookies Eerik Pietarinen and Mikko Heikkilä will fly the Finnish flag in ERC1, while Miika Hokkanen will do likewise in ERC3 and ERC3 Junior.

Strong start: After making a strong start to his ERC1 Junior campaign with second place in Rome, Simone Tempestini, the Romanian champion, will be aiming to transfer his Tarmac pace to gravel on an event he last contested in 2018 driving an Abarth 124 rally.

Three chase Abarth glory: Martin Rada joins the Abarth Rally Cup ranks for the first time and will go up against Andrea Mabellini and Dariusz Polo?ski. While Polo?ski has previous Rally Liep?ja experience to count on, Mabellini and Rada are event rookies.

Home comforts: Four drivers will fly the Latvian flag on Rally Liep?ja. Russia-born Dmitry Feofanov and European championship debutant Ain?rs Igave?š will compete in ERC2, while Liep?ja’s very own M?rti?š Sesks, the double ERC3/ERC3 Junior champion from 2018, and two-time FIA European Rallycross champion Reinis Nitišs will be in action in the Pirelli-supported ERC3 Junior category. Meanwhile, Polish champion Miko Marczyk can count on top Latvian team Sports Racing Technologies to run his ORLEN Team Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.

Learning mission: Domink Dinkel (Brose Motorsport), Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy’s Callum Devine and ACI Team Italia-supported Alberto Battistolli will aim to learn plenty on their first visit to Liep?ja. Erik Cais has also put prioritising learning over rapid stage times as he continues his progression from ERC3 Junior to ERC1 Junior in his Yacco ACCR Team-entered Ford Fiesta R5 MkII.

Family ties: Estonian Raul Jeets and son Gregor Jeets are entered in ERC1 and ERC3 Junior, while Austrian hope Nikola Landa’s father Günter Landa will co-drive their DriftCompany Fiesta Rally4.

Battlestar Galatariotis: Simos Galarariotis, who won the ERC-counting Cyprus Rally by 0.6s in 2018, makes his first Rally Liep?ja appearance, swapping Škoda Fabia for Volkswagen Polo power.

Where it started: Ex-GT racer Niki Mayr-Melnhof made is ERC debut on Rally Liep?ja in 2018 shortly after clinching the Austrian title for the first time. He returns in 2020 hoping for better luck following a troubled outing in Rome last month.

All-time favourite: Hungarian Tibor Érdi Jr has described Rally Liep?ja as his all-time favourite event. And for good reason after he clinched the first of his two ERC2 titles in Latvia in 2017. That triumph came following a thrilling final-round showdown with Zelindo Melegari, who heroically won ERC2 in Rome on his comeback from serious injury.

Poles hoping to get on a roll: After not finishing (Igor Wid?ak) and non-starting (?ukasz Lewandowski) in Rome, these two Polish drivers will be aiming for better fortune when they try out the Rally Liep?ja stages for the first time.

King Ken: A double class winner on Rally Liep?ja last season and a double class winner in Rome last month, Ken Torn is the driver to beat in ERC3/ERC3 Junior in his M-Sport Poland-built Ford Fiesta Rally4.

Spanish Armada: Pep Bassas and Sergio Cuesta carry Spanish hopes in ERC3 Junior with Bassas competing under the Rallye Team Spain banner as his prize from ASN RFEDA for winning the Beca Júnior R2 title in his homeland last season. Sergio Fuentes will chase ERC3 points with all three new to Liep?ja.

Swift Swedes: Dennis Rådström and Adam Westlund continue their ERC3 Junior adventures in Latvia, while Albin Nordh starts in the Pirelli-supported category for the first time.

A vital cause: Liep?ja rookie Rachele Somaschini is combining her ERC3 Junior bid with raising awareness of cystic fibrosis research through her #CorrerePerUnRespiro (Race for a Breath) campaign.

Molle goes for it: Following his ERC3 Junior podium heroics in Rome, Belgian Amaury Molle will aim for more success on his Rally Liep?ja debut.

Head to head: Nikolay Gryazin v Alexey Lukyaunuk
The former ERC Junior champion takes on the former outright ERC champion in a battle to finish up as top Russian. While Gryazin has won Rally Liep?ja twice, Lukyanuk has yet to take victory on an event where he first emerged as a major ERC force back in 2013, when ice and snow coated the high-speed Latvian lanes rather than gravel.

Form guide: Ken Torn
After winning ERC3 and ERC3 Junior on his least-favourite Tarmac surface in Italy last month, the rising Estonian star is back on gravel in his Ford Fiesta Rally4 on an event where he took a class double in 2019.

How to follow?
On TV and online: There will be live coverage on Facebook of the pre-event press conference from 20h15 local time on 14 August. On Saturday 15 August SS1 will be live from 12h20 followed by SS3 at 15h20 and the end-of-day regroup at 19h30. On Sunday 16 August, SS5 (10h00) and SS10 (16h15) will also be shown as they happen. Coverage includes footage from the ERC’s camera in the sky and from the stage finish lines where reporters Julian Porter and Chris Rawes will get instant reaction from the leading drivers. Daily highlights will be shown on Eurosport and Eurosport Player, while a number of videos will be published on YouTube before, during and after the rally. The ERC All Access magazine show will be broadcast on Eurosport on 18 August, while the extended Rally Reviewprogramme is distributed to broadcasters around the world, including TV6 in Latvia.

Callum Devine (IRL) ERC1 Junior
Co-driver: Brian Hoy (IRL)
Entrant: Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy Car: Hyundai i20 R5

“I’ve never, ever, definitely have not done anything like this before. At the moment my preparation is about watching onboards and then we have the organiser’s test. It’s going to be a bit of a challenge but we knew from the start of the year it would be the toughest, just because it’s something we are not used to. From what I’ve seen the rally looks really good and the stages look really nice but it’s a place where you wouldn’t want to get it wrong because it’s so high speed. A lot of the guys will be quite used to it having done it before and if you are not on it from the beginning then you can get left behind real quick. But we have to start somewhere, that’s how we are looking at it this year.”

Entry List

Posted: August 6, 2020 6:24 PM

Rally Liepaja (Latvia) (J) - NEW DATE 14-16 Aug 20 - ENTRY LIST

Rally Liepaja gets new mid-August FIA ERC date

Posted: May 17, 2020 9:24 AM

Rally Liepaja has been re-scheduled to a mid-August date, while the 77th running of Rally Poland has been put back to 2021 when the event celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Using high-speed stages around the cities of Liepaja and Talsi, Rally Liepaja will take place from 14-16 August** as the second round of the 2020 FIA European Rally Championship season.

Although extensive efforts were made to reschedule Rally Poland after its original date of 26-28 June was no longer achievable due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible to secure a workable slot on the calendar.

While the event won’t run in 2020, discussions are already underway between organiser PZM (Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation) and ERC promoter Eurosport Events to finalise a date on the provisional calendar for 2021, which marks the rally’s centenary year.

Jean-Baptiste Ley, the ERC Co-ordinator, said:
“We are very pleased we have found a calendar solution for Rally Liep?ja and we thank all those who have made this possible, particularly the FIA. Naturally we are disappointed the ERC won’t be visiting Poland this year, particularly given all the hard work and planning that has been undertaken and the warm welcome we always receive. However, we are already looking ahead to the 77th Rally Poland taking place in 2021 and to joining PZM in celebrating the 100-year milestone, which is a tremendous achievement.

“Our road map since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis has been to keep as much as possible all rallies included on the original calendar. Clearly this remains challenging given the ever-changing situation and the constant need to respect government restrictions. The health and safety of all remains the absolute priority and will never be compromised, after all.

“In the meantime, the thoughts of the ERC family remain with those whose loved ones have passed or have fallen ill as a result of COVID-19. Many jobs have been lost and people are in very challenging situations so it is vitally important that all official advice is followed.”

Raimonds Strokšs, Director of RA Events, Rally Liep?ja promoter, said:
“These are very changing times we are living right now. A lot of news regarding the world-wide pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus and how countries are responding to control the spread of it, is resulting in rapidly changing circumstances and government sanctions. We as organisers are left in the middle of it – trying to ensure public health, while also finding a way to host a major sports event. As stated before – we are not here to put rally ahead of health and safety of our competitors, spectators, and personnel; thus, together with our partners Eurosport Events, FIA, Government of Latvia, rally cities Liep?ja and Talsi, a déjà vu decision has been made to once again reschedule the running of Rally Liep?ja to August. It might be just a couple of weeks later, but as there are no long-term decisions, we will try each and every option that is available to host Rally Liep?ja in 2020. I would pinpoint that all the parties are working hard to make sure a great Rally Liep?ja takes place in Latvia. We will continue our work, consult the experts, and hopefully the situation will normalise and we can all return to on-site rallying. But while we wait that, please follow the guidelines put forth by your local authorities, as that will speed-up the recovery process. Stay safe.”

Micha? Sikora, President, PZM, said:
“Rally Poland is every year one of the most important, not only motorsport, events on the calendar in our country. Preparations for such a large international competition last almost the whole year, with the rally attracting crowds of fans from Poland and abroad. The rally is an unenclosed event of a mass nature and it is not possible to carry it out when it is difficult to predict when the existing restrictions will be lifted. There is no alternative for safety of competitors and spectators and no compromise in this area. After numerous consultations with our partners, we took the only reasonable decision to postpone the 77th Rally Poland to next year. We have already declared our will to run our rally as a round of the next year's European championship. Miko?ajki and the picturesque Masurian Lake District will stay as the venue of the event, which will be the setting of the centenary of our classic rally.”

Poland will not be replaced on the FIA ERC1 Junior and FIA ERC3 Junior schedules, which will now comprise five rounds with competitors counting their best four scores. This will enable them to focus their expenditure on a reduced roster of rallies.

**Date subject to FIA validation

High-speed FIA ERC action Rally Liepaja-style planned for this summer

Posted: April 22, 2020 4:09 PM

*Subject to FIA approval, spectacular gravel event will run from 10-12 July
*Replacement date in response to coronavirus pandemic
*Thoughts remain with those affected by COVID-19 outbreak
*All urged to follow official guidelines and stay safe at home

Rally Liep?ja will provide FIA European Rally Championship drivers with fast-paced action from 10-12 July** following an adjustment to the ERC calendar for 2020.

Originally planned to run from 29-31 May, the event has been rescheduled to a summer date in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting government restrictions that are in place in Latvia and Europe as a whole.

But while it was the collective wish of event promoter RA Events, ERC promoter Eurosport Events and governing body the FIA, to finalise a replacement date as quickly as possible following last week’s postponement, all thoughts are with those people whose loved ones have passed or have fallen ill as a result of COVID-19.

Furthermore, many jobs have been lost and people find themselves in very challenging situations so it is vitally important that all official advice is followed and people stay safe and stay home.

Jean-Baptiste Ley, the ERC Co-ordinator, said: “Of course the health and safety of everyone is the priority right now but as part of our ongoing efforts to maintain the planned eight-round schedule, we are pleased that a replacement date has been agreed upon, subject to final FIA validation.

“We would like to thank the FIA, RA Events, the Latvian ASN and the various authorities in Latvia for their ongoing cooperation and we hope our teams and drivers will be able to commit to this new date to ensure the eighth running of Rally Liep?ja emulates the success of the previous seven editions.”

Raimonds Strokšs, Director of RA Events, said: “We are glad that we have the date set so fast, and there is some sort of clarity now. Though, I would like to stress that the safe running of the event remains our top priority. Therefore, we will remain in constant consultations with authorities, to make sure running of the event is safe. As for now, stay safe, and let us meet in July.”

The 2020 ERC season is set to begin on 77th Rally Poland from 26-28 June.

**Date subject to FIA validation

Event Postponed

Posted: April 14, 2020 8:12 AM

Considering global pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus, running of the 2020 Rally Liep?ja, which has been planned for May 29-31, has been postponed indefinitely. Latvian round of the FIA European Rally Championship is the third event to be postponed due to global pandemic – following the events in Portugal and Spain that have been moved to September and December respectively.

“Organising a safe rally has always been our top priority. It should be a racing event that is safe for all the competitors, spectators, and our personnel. A couple of months ago it seemed that the global situation would cool down and normalize by the end of May, but the belief gradually dissipated as more and more news came in reporting the expanding nature of the Covid-19 globally,” comments Rally Liep?ja director Raimonds Strokšs.

“We must also consider that Rally Liep?ja is part of the FIA European Rally Championship and we are obliged to monitor and evaluate the situation not only in Latvia, but all over Europe. To run the event in May, we must be sure that all the parties will be allowed to leave their homes, so we can ensure a fair competition to all the crews.

At this moment we are working closely with our partners Eurosport Events, FIA, and rally cities Liep?ja and Talsi to find a mutual solution and to postpone the event to a later date, when, according to experts, we will be able to organise a safe event in Latvia. But till then – stay home, and be safe!” concludes Raimonds Strokšs.

FIA European Rally Championship round Rally Liep?ja is possible thanks to the support provided by the Latvian government, rally city Liep?ja, as well as the Talsi region. Thanks to our sponsors Neste, Ramirent, and SC Grupa, our car rental partner Sixt, as well as supporters Canon Business Center – IB Serviss, Liep?jas Olimpiskais Centrs, Pafbet, and Swecon. Informative support is provided by DELFI and media partners JCDecaux Latvija, Kurzemes V?rds, Sporta Av?ze, Talsu V?stis, and Zebra. The event would also not be possible without the involvement of all Rally Liep?ja friends: Baltic Taxi, Flora, FN Serviss, Fristads, J?nis P?ce, Latvijas P?rtikas Ražot?js, Lofbergs, MB Grupa, Meža D?rzs, Red Bull, SignTech, Sportland, and Törley. Rally Liep?ja is taking place with the support of Aizpute, Durbe, Grobi?a and Priekule regions. A special thank you goes out to the Latvian Automobile Federation.

News and other information about Rally Liep?ja can be found on the official website at www.lvrally.com, as well as on social media Twitter @LVRally, Facebook /LVRally, draugiem.lv /lvrally, YouTube /RallyLiep?ja and Instagram /lvrally.

Rally Guide / Details / Event Website

Posted: March 5, 2020 7:23 AM

Liepaja-Ventspils (Latvia)
European Rally Championship (ERC) - fiaerc.com