Loix nyert, a Skoda a bajnok – Barum Rali 2. nap

Freddy Loix idei harmadik, pályafutása hatodik IRC-futamgyőzelmét szerezte a Barum Ralin, amellyel ő lett a legsikeresebb versenyző az IRC történetében.

Juho Hänninen második és Pavel Valousek harmadik helyének köszönhetően a Skoda hármas győzelmet aratott és a hátralévő három futam eredményétől függetlenül megnyerte a gyártók bajnokságát.

Drámai fordulatokban bővelkedett a Barum Rali második napja. A versenyt, a rajttól kezdve toronymagasan vezető Jan Kopecky négy gyorsaságival a vége előtt előbb megforgott, majd annyira arra figyelt, hogy defektet kapott-e vagy sem, hogy nem sokkal később kicsúszott, a Fabiája felült és kiesett a versenyből.

Ekkor vette át a vezetést Bryan Bouffier Peugeot-val. A francia versenyző azonban az utolsó előtti gyorsaságin megütötte a kerekét, amivel az első helyet 3,8 másodperc előnnyel Loixnak passzolta. Az utolsó gyorsaságin pedig egy eltört csőből víz folyt a Peugeot kerekére, ami miatt Bouffier árokba esett, és majdnem hét percet veszítve csak tizedik lett.

Így került az utolsó gyorsasági szakaszon a második helyre Juho Hänninen.

A Peugeot dobogós reménye pedig akkor szállt el végleg, amikor az utolsó gyorsaságin Kris Meeke differenciálműve eltört így a cseh fél gyári versenyző Pavel Valousek is meg tudta őt előzni.

Meeke végül a legjobb peugeot-sként a negyedik helyen ért célba. Andreas Mikkelsen Ford Fiestával szerezte meg az ötödik helyet, Vaclav Pech Mitsubishivel – legjobb nem Szuper–2000-es versenyzőként – a hatodikat, míg a balesetéből visszatérő Guy Wilks lett a hetedik Skodával.

A magyar versenyzők közül a Vizin–Zsiros páros az abszolút harmincadik, A7-ben pedig a negyedik helyet szerezték meg Honda Civic-kel. A Puskádi–Szabó duó szintén A7-ben lett hetedik.

Foto: Brilliant Driver Program

Brilliant Driver Program – Why is a pre-season test important? And why do you need three of them?

As in most sports, karting is also about pre-season preparation. That’s why the Brilliant Driver Program team has prepared three themed tests for the season opener. 

With four drivers in three categories, the Brilliant Driver Program – BDP Team – will be competing in this year’s Hungarian and international karting championships. 

Last year Balázs Juráncsik competed in the SeniorMax category, this year he switched to DD2. 

Marci Fally will start his second season in JuniorMax, while his younger brother, last year’s MiniMax Hungarian champion Markó Fally will move up a category and continue in JuniorMax. All three will focus on the international series, especially the Central European Rotax Max Challenge (CEE).

Foto: Brilliant Driver Program

Joining the BDP Team this year is Marcus Papp from Sweden, who will compete in MiniMax in the Hungarian championship. 

„Preparation at the beginning of the year is also very important in karting,” said Róbert Kurgyis, team manager of the BDP Team. – Three of our four drivers changed categories, so we had to prepare even more thoroughly. 

We started testing in January in Jesolo. Here we were lucky with the weather, as the wet track required less effort from the drivers, which made it easier for them to learn. 

Foto: Brilliant Driver Program

This was followed by a test in Kecskemét, which was specifically designed to give our drivers a more serious fitness session on the dry asphalt. All of them have a fitness programme, but kart racing requires special muscles that can almost only be acquired through karting. 

Our third test was again in Jesolo, a week before the CEE Bonus Cup. Here we were in the final phase of preparation. We tried several settings on each kart. It is important to rely on the feedback of the drivers as well as the stopwatch. The whole programme was set up so that there was always progress by the end of the day. And at the end of the three-day test, all four of our drivers got out of the kart feeling satisfied and motivated. 

Balázs Juráncsik has made good progress and I think we can even fight for victory in DD2 with him. 

Foto: Brilliant Driver Program

Marci Fally and Markó Fally have also made a lot of progress. They are two very talented youngsters. Marci is getting a better lead in JuniorMax. Markó had a successful year in MiniMax last year, this year he will have a big challenge in JuniorMax, but he is making serious progress. I expect a good performance from both of them in qualifying. With them we are aiming for continuous improvement. 

Marcus Papp was with us for the two tests in Jesolo. He has previously competed in the Swedish championship. He still has a lot to learn, but he is a very intelligent and determined driver who shows a tremendous desire to improve. He’s got better and better at every entry. He will take part in two more tests in Kecskemét before the Hungarian Championships. 

In Jesolo, the BDP team was strengthened by Bertold Bors, who had a good result in DD2 at the Grand Finals last year. This time he was not a driver but a mechanic and coach. In the Brilliant Driver Programme we want to train complex drivers, and Berti’s introduction in a different role was part of this. He has done a very good job and we hope to see him in a racing overall as soon as possible.

Fotó: Brilliant Driver Program // Krózser Menyhért

It was a great pleasure for us that while he was testing for BDP Team in Jesolo, Brilliant Driver Program driver Menyhért Krózser was doing a great job in the WSK Super Master Series in Franciacorta. We would like to congratulate him.” 

The BDP Team’s first race of the year will be in Jesolo from 23-25 February, where Balázs Juráncsik (DD2), Marci Fally (JuniorMax) and Markó Fally (JuniorMax) will compete in the CEE Bonus Cup.