Rallye Azores (J) - 4-6 Jun 15

Next stop Azores for Peugeot Rally Academy Craig Breen.

Posted: June 4, 2015 10:23 AM

There are many iconic events in the world of rallying but few grab our attention like the spectacular volcanic stages of the ERC Sata Rallye Azores. For spectators it?s the fantastic scenery, for Peugeot Rally Academy driver Craig Breen it?s the fantastic roads that rate amongst his favorite in the world.

Based on the largest and most populated island of the Azores S?o Miguel the fourth round of the FIA European Rally Championship will celebrate its 50th birthday when it runs this week from the 4th to the 6th of June.

A gravel rally known for the sandy narrow stages that carve their way through the island?s rolling hills and mountains though clearly enjoyable the rally is one of the most challenging as drivers can often experience multiple seasons in one stage ranging from sunshine to showers with patches of fog thrown in for good measure. The rally kicks off on Thursday morning with the traditional qualifying stage where the drivers will battle it out for chance to choose first their road order position for the opening leg that includes three stages that evening one of which is the now famous ?Grupo Marques? quarry super special stage and seven more on Friday the first full day of competition. Starting in the area of Macela the opening stage on Friday morning will ensure the drivers are wide awake as it starts with a wide gravel road with very fast sections that in turn switch to very fast asphalt before coming back onto gravel again for the finish. Sete Cidades will be the showcase stage of the day running along the top of the crater of a dormant volcano with lagoons as a backdrop reminding every spectator along its 5.5 km route why it?s known as one of the most beautiful rally stages in the world. Standard format of a midday service in Ponta Delegada will let the crews catch their breath before the second pass over each test that will bring them to the overnight halt and the end of leg one.

Saturday may only have six stages again centered around a mid-day service, but it will be far from an easy run home. Classic stages on technical forest roads will deprive the crews the chance to relax until they reach the podium in Ponta Delegada that evening. Number one seed Craig and his co-driver Scott Martin go there as the championship leaders after back to back victories in their Peugeot Rally Academy 208T16 at Rally Liepāja in Latvia and on the Circuit of Ireland but a narrow three point lead over their rival Kajetan Kajetanowicz means that Craig will be eager to lead from the start. A large local entry always throws another element into the mix as their ability to cope with the changing conditions mean they always feature high in the overall results.

Speaking ahead of the event the Peugeot Rally Academy ace made clear his intentions saying ?We are going to the Azores with only a win in our sights. I really enjoy this rally and the challenge it offers, it will be a great opportunity to extend our championship lead?.

You can keep up to date with Craig?s 2015 season by visiting www.craigbreen.com or www.peugeot-sport.com

Irish Young Guns Aim To Hit The Target In Azores

Posted: June 4, 2015 9:17 AM

A host of talented Irish drivers are hoping to make an impression on the Sata Rally Azores this weekend, the 4th round of the FIA European Rally Championship. Waterford?s Craig Breen heads to the island as the leader of the European Championship after back to back wins including his recent, dramatic Circuit of Ireland triumph. Breen will start as number 1 seed followed by his championship rival, Poland?s Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

Monaghan brothers Sam and Josh Moffett have also the trek to the volcanic island for the second European outing of the year. After a strong performance on the Circuit of Ireland where Josh took 3rd overall and Sam 4th, the brothers are keen to attempt more FIA events and they also plan to go to Ypres in Belgium at the end of June to gain more European experience. Josh will start the Azores and number 4 with Sam and 5 and they will be co-driven by Antrim?s John Rowan and Maynooth?s Karl Atkinson in their Ford Fiesta Regional Rally Cars. Killarney navigator Noel O?Sullivan is also representing Ireland on the Azores as he partners young Fermanagh driver Jon Armstrong in the ERC Junior category in a Peugeot 208 R2.

While the above crew will hope to shine abroad, at home competitors and spectators can look forward to action on both sides of the country with Mayo and District Motor Club hosting their autocross at Harrington?s Quarry in Swinford with the action starting at 10.30am on Sunday. On the east coast the Motor Enthusiasts Club will hold a race meeting in Mondello Park on Saturday and Sunday while Sunday also sees Laois Rallysport Club?s Heartlands Mini Stages Rally. The rally has attracted a strong entry with many crews using the event as a shakedown for the forthcoming Donegal International Rally. The first cars will leave event headquarters, O?Loughlin?s Hotel, Main Street, Port Laoise at 9.50am on Sunday morning.

Star-studded ERC field to mark 50th SATA Rallye Acores in style

Posted: May 29, 2015 2:22 PM

The FIA European Rally Championship is set for a big celebration next week (4-6 June) when SATA Rallye A'ores takes place for the 50th time. Counting as round four of the 2015 ERC season, the popular island event has attracted a 49-car entry, while a massive 50,000 Euro privateer prize fund is up for grabs.

Portuguese drivers will turn out in force to try to ensure a home victory. But they'll face stiff competition from an equally strong visiting ERC contingent And it will be a spectacular battle, with 18 R5 and Super 2000 cars and 14 ERC Junior Championship contenders on the entry list and all drivers vying for ERC Gravel Masters points.

Based on the archipelago's largest island of S'o Miguel in the mid-Atlantic, this year's SATA Rallye A'ores features 17 special stages covering 216.61 kilometres (88 per cent gravel and 12 per cent asphalt) and will include the famous signature Sete Cidades stage, part of which runs around the rim of an extinct volcano.

A favourite event for many of the drivers, owning to the island's breathtaking scenery and its challenging stages, this year's rally begins with the traditional City Show demonstration event in Ponta Delgada on Wednesday evening before the competitive action begins with the 3.22-kilometre Qualifying Stage for ERC registered drivers on Thursday. The fastest 15 will then select the running order for Leg One, which begins with three stages (totalling 23.56kms) later the same day. Leg One continues the following day, with eight stages ' four run in the morning and repeated in the afternoon. This includes the Sete Cidades test, which, at 28.92kms, is the longest of the event. After another 92.16kms, Leg One comes to an end on Friday evening.

Leg Two begins at 08h30 on Saturday, with a further six stages (totalling 100.89kms). This includes the 21.38km Tronqueira stages, which is lined with the island's famous hydrangea bushes, making it one of the most beautiful stages in the ERC. The finish will take place at Pra'a Gon'alo Velho in Ponta Delgada from 19h00.

Breen takes slender ERC lead to Azores

Craig Breen takes a slender three point FIA European Rally Championship lead into SATA Rallye A'ores, with the Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16 driver on top form after his dream victory on the previous round, the Discover Northern Ireland Circuit of Ireland Rally. Hot on the Irishman's heels is Kajetan Kajetanowicz, who will drive a brand new LOTOS Rally Team Ford Fiesta R5. After making a superb four-wheel drive ERC debut in Northern Ireland, Charles Martin takes to the gravel for the first time in his Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16. Robert Consani will compete in his stunning Citro'n DS3 R5, while ERC regular Giacomo Costenaro appears in his Peugeot 207 S2000. Anton'n Tlusť'k, Tom'' Kurka and Jaroslav Ors'k all drive 'KODA Fabia S2000s, while Jonathan Hirschi returns to the fray in his 208 T16. Jean-Michel Raoux is excited by the prospect of the 'completely mad' Sete Cidades stage. The French gravel expert scored his best ERC result of his career in the Azores last year, finishing third in a 207 S2000, and returns in a H-Racing Fiesta R5. Irish brothers Josh and Sam Moffett, who finished third and fourth respectively on the Circuit of Ireland, will drive Fiesta RRCs on their first appearance on the event.

Portugal's top drivers aim for SATA Rallye A'ores victory

Several top Portuguese drivers will take on the FIA European Rally Championship regulars on SATA Rallye A'ores. Two-time event winner Bruno Magalh'es, who tackled selected ERC events in 2014, will contest his first rally for six months, and believes his 208 T16 is capable of giving him his third win. Seven-time Azores champion Ricardo Moura will drive an ex-Kajetanowicz Fiesta R5, while Jos' Pedro Fontes, who has already won two rounds of this year's Portuguese championship, appears in a Citro'n DS3 R5. Jo'o Barros (Fiesta R5) will also be one to watch, as will the 'KODA Fabia S2000s driven by Joaquim Alves and Carlos Martins. Unfortunately, Pedro Meireles hasn't been able to repair his all-new 'KODA Fabia R5 following a testing accident, which suffered a cracked engine block.

ERC2 title rivals face stiff opposition from series newcomers

The close battle for the ERC2 title will intensify further on SATA Rallye A'ores, as two rapid drivers make their first appearance of the season. Vojtěch 'tajf arrives in the Azores leading ERC2 after regaining the series lead by scoring top points in Northern Ireland, after Kriszti'n Hideg was excluded. This will be 'tajf's 173rd rally, but his first on gravel, so he's planning a cautious outing in his Subaru Duck Czech National Team Impreza WRX STI. D'vid Botka led ERC2 after Rally Liepāja in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and is now only seven points behind 'tajf, so will been keen to swap positions again. Botka has even driven his team's service truck from Hungary to Portugal himself, to help ensure the safe passage of the precious cargo! Dominykas Butvilas was super-fast in his Subaru Poland Rally Team Impreza in Latvia, and will be looking for his first win of the season. Adding to the fight will be last year's SATA Rallye A'ores ERC Production Car Cup winner Luis Rego (Lancer), while Hungary's Peter Ranga also makes his first appearance of the season in his Topp-Cars Rallye Team Mitsubishi.

After snow and asphalt, ERC Juniors set for gritty battle on gravel

Emil Bergkvist is aiming for a straight hat-trick of ERC Junior wins in the Azores, but the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team driver might not necessarily arrive as pre-event favourite. The Swede has never done the event before, and he'll be up against Chris Ingram ' a driver who finished second in Azores last year, beaten only by eventual ERC Junior champion, St'phane Lefebvre. The Peugeot UK driver has, like Bergkvist, enjoyed a good pre-event test programme this time, his 208 R2 is an equal to the Adam R2 on tight and twisty sections and the British driver, who lies second in the standings, has identified SATA Rallye A'ores as one of his best changes to score maximum points. Ralfs Sirmacis's pace on snow and asphalt has put him third in the series, and the Latvian will surely fly in his 208 R2 ' as indeed will his Sport Racing Technologies team-mate Vasily Gryazin, who came close to an overall podium in the Azores last year. Portugal's Diogo Gago will be aiming for a good performance on his home round of the ERC in his Peugeot Rally Academy R2, while rising Romanian star Florin Tincescu returns to 'one of the most beautiful rallies I have ever done' in his Napoca Rally Academy 208. Steve R'kland is back on his favoured surface and match-fit after rallies in his native Norway, while Azores is a new adventure for fellow rapid Peugeot drivers Jon Armstrong and Mattias Adielsson. Gino Bux finished on the podium in the Azores last year, on what was his first gravel rally. That will give Marijan Griebel some optimism, as the German ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team driver will land in the Azores with one previous gravel rally under his belt. Since the Circuit of Ireland, Łukasz Pieniążek has contested two rounds of the Polish championship, finishing on the class 4 podium both times. Meanwhile, Aleks Zawada has been getting some pre-event advice from Krzysztof Hołowczyc, who was ERC champion in 1997 ' when Zawada was just five years old. Emīls Blūms is the latest driver to register for ERC Junior, and the talented Latvian will make his first rally start outside the Baltics in a Fiesta R2.

Pita returns in battle for non-Junior ERC3 honours

ERC stalwart Renato Pita returns to the battle for honours for ERC3 drivers outside the ERC Junior category in his colourful Peugeot, and faces a tough fight with fellow Portuguese drivers Henrique Moniz and Paulo Neto, both driving Citro'n DS3 R3Ts, and Wilson Aguiar (208 R2). The only non-Portuguese driver in the line-up, Romanian Alex Filip, will make his first ERC appearance of 2015 in a Renault Clio R3 Maxi Plus.

50,000 Euros up for grabs in ERC privateer prize fund

To mark the 50th running of SATA Rallye A'ores, ERC promoter Eurosport Events has increased its privateer prize fund from 20,000 to 50,000 Euros. In addition to the top-placed privateer finisher receiving a larger cheque for 10,000 Euros, the top three privateer ERC Junior finishers will also share 12,000 Euros ' with the leading Junior privateer receiving 6,000 Euros. Eurosport Events has already given away 60,000 Euros in prize money to the most successful private crews on the first three rounds of the ERC ' with 20,000 Euros awarded at the opening Internationale J'nnerrallye powered by GaGa Energy in Austria, Rally Liepāja in Latvia and at the Discover Northern Ireland Circuit of Ireland Rally. To be eligible for ERC privateer prize money drivers must register for the ERC, receive no manufacturer support*, use tyres from one of the three ERC partner companies (Michelin, Pirelli and Yokohama) and not compete in a Regional Rally Car. *Eurosport Events will determine privateer status in consultation with the manufacturer in question.

ERC brings 13 million Euros to the Azores

The Algarve University carried out an economic impact study of the SATA Rallye A'ores, showing that last year's FIA European Rally Championship event generated revenues of more than 13 million Euros ' a return 13.5 times higher than the investment. Vitor Fraga, the Azorean Regional Secretary of Tourism and Transport, added that for the Government of the Azores, SATA Rallye A'ores continues to be one of the biggest and best events that promotes the Azores globally, thanks to its partnership with Eurosport Events. He said that the Azorean Government will continue to support the rally, as the economic results demonstrate that the investment continues to be beneficial for all.

Ponta Delgada City Show stage back by popular demand

The City Show on Ponta Delgada's main promenade is back by popular demand. Run purely for fun, rally cars will blast along an all-asphalt stage on Wednesday evening, with the ERC stars encouraged to put on a spectacle for the thousands of fans who line the route. The City Show stage does not count towards the final results.

Q&A: BRUNO MAGALH'ES

Bruno Magalh'es has on SATA Rallye A'ores twice, and the Portuguese star believes his victory in 2010 was the most important of his career. This year he returns in a Peugeot 208 T16 ' a car he feels has the potential to carry him to a hat-trick of wins. What better driver to ask then about his home round of the FIA European Rally Championship.

What makes Rallye A'ores such a special event'
'It's a fantastic event with a great history in motorsport, one of the most beautiful rallies in the world due to the quality of the stages and the beautiful scenery. It's a different event in which all drivers love to take part, as they are always impressed when they drive these roads for the first time.'

What is the key to success on Rallye A'ores'
'This rally is difficult for those who participate in it for the first time, because the roads are quite narrow in some places and very slippery. It's a rally where the sections are not so long, so it is always done at maximum attack, and a small mistake can ruin everything because it is harder to recover. Usually the differences between the drivers is small, so the key to success is to do all the rally attacking and not make mistakes.'

You have won Rallye A'ores twice before, can you make it three wins this year'
'The most important victory of my career was in 2010 in the IRC. It was a rally to the tenth of a second, against fantastic drivers like Kris Meeke, Juho H'nninen, Andreas Mikkelsen and Jan Kopeck', all with very similar cars in terms of competitiveness, so to win was a dream come true. I would love to be able to win for the third time and I feel that this year I have a better chance than in previous years because I have a more competitive and current car. So for the first time in three or four years, I feel that I can return to fight for the top position. But winning will be really difficult, because there are many very fast drivers with good experience of the event.'

Which drivers do you feel are likely to be your main rivals for victory'
'I would say that the most serious candidates to win the rally are Craig Breen and Kajto [Kajetan Kajetanowicz], because both are very fast and with very strong and large teams to support them. I think some Portuguese drivers will be very fast, like Ricardo Moura, who is from the Azores and knows 100 per cent the roads, and Jos' Pedro Fontes, who has been very fast in the Portuguese championship. I think Robert Consani will also be very strong, because he knows the rally from previous years, so there are many drivers capable of scoring a great result.'

This is your 14th year driving with Peugeot. How does the 208 T16 compare to the other Peugeots you have rallied over the years'
'I have a long association with the Peugeot brand and I am very proud of it, being quite rare that this happens these days. All my titles were achieved at the wheel of a Peugeot, so the connection is quite strong. As we know the cars evolve very quickly, so every car that I drove was better than the previous one. The car that most impressed me was the 207 S2000 because I was champion for the first time in my career, but I want to get good results also with the 208 T16 and believe a lot in its potential. The Peugeot has a long history in the automotive sport, always with many victories and with excellent cars, so I believe I will have good results once again with the new 208.'

For the many crews contesting Rallye A'ores for the first time this year, especially the ERC Junior drivers, what advice would you give them'
'The rally is very special, with a difficult and treacherous route for those who participate in it for the first time. It is important to get very precise pace notes and a car with good traction because the surface is slippery, and very narrow areas that do not allow any error. However, I am sure that all the ERC Junior drivers will enjoy the rally and will get very excited about the sections and the island's landscape. To all of them, I wish them good luck.'

FIVE SATA RALLYE A'ORES FACTS

*This year's SATA Rallye A'ores takes on added significance as the 50th running of the popular island event. The winners back in 1965 were Lu's Toste Rego and Zeca Toste in a Fiat 1500.

*Despite winning seven Azorean championships, local legend Ricardo Moura has never won SATA Rallye A'ores. The same can't be said for Fernando Peres, whose tally of seven wins is a record. However, when it comes to the record number of starts he trails Franco Horacio, who has taken part 23 times.

*The A'ores archipelago, which lies approximately equidistant between Lisbon and New York in the Atlantic Ocean, consists of nine islands formed from a series of volcanic eruptions. S'o Miguel to the southeast, where the rally is based, is the biggest at 747 km2, while Corvo, to the northwest, is the smallest at 17km2.

*Known as the Green Island due its lush and fertile landscape, S'o Miguel is famous for its changeable weather with sunshine one minute and rain the next.

*Azorean menus are big on fish and seafood with barnacle a particular delicacy. It wouldn't be unheard of to start a meal with a dish of local mashed red peppers and cheese.

ON THIS EVENT IN 2014'
Portugal's Bernardo Sousa scored his first ERC victory in a Ford Fiesta RRC, after a dramatic final-stage showdown. Sousa started the last stage just 5.1s ahead of Kevin Abbring, and in a final push won the stage by 1.1s to secure a victory margin of 6.2s. Abbring finished second in a Peugeot 208 T16, and was awarded the Colin McRae ERC Flat Out Trophy for his efforts, which included using cable ties to fashion a replacement belt to drive the alternator and powersteering after it had failed mid-way through the event. Jean-Michel Raoux (Peugeot 207 S2000) took a career-best third when Vasily Gryazin slid his Fiesta S2000 off the road into a ditch with one stage remaining. Robert Consani (Peugeot 207 S2000) battled home in fourth following punctures and broken driveshafts, while Luis Rego took a narrow ERC Production Car Cup win in fifth ahead of sixth-placed Ricardo Teod'sio ' both in Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. St'phane Lefebvre won the ERC Junior category in his the Peugeot Rally Academy 208 R2. There were several top retirements, including Craig Breen, whose Peugeot Rally Academy 208T16 suffered an electrical failure. A technical problem with his 207 S2000 also put two-time event winner Bruno Magalh'es out, while the victory aspirations of Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Ricardo Moura were dashed when they both hit the same rock and damaged the suspension on their Fiesta R5s.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: May 29, 2015 2:20 PM

Rallye Azores (J) - 4-6 Jun 15 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST

Rally Guide / Website / Details

Posted: April 9, 2015 7:00 AM

• Azores Rallye