Jānis Vorobjovs will be the most experienced Rally of Champions competitor this year, having competed in Talsi fifteen times, and winning his class on five occasions. The 2016 Lithuanian rally champion in LRČ1 (R5 group) class has also had some success in battles for the Champions Cup, having won it twice in three tries – in 2012 with co-driver Guntars Zicāns, and in 2015 with Andris Mālnieks. This year, Vorobjovs will be co-driven by Ivo Pūķis and compete in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X N4.
Another Latvian driver, Ralfs Sirmacis, will also be competing for the Champions Cup this year, having achieved great results in the highest level of rallying of the continent – the FIA European Rally Championship. Last year, Sirmacis won three rounds of the European championship, in addition to becoming the North European Zone (NEZ) rally champion in 4WD class. This will be the sixth time Sirmacis competes in Rally Talsi, but will mark the first time he competes for the Champions Cup. Sirmacis will be driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX N4, co-driven by Artūrs Šimins.
Lithuania will be represented by Gintautas Šlepikas, the 2016 Lithuanian champion in LRČ2 (N4 group). Even though this will be the first time Šlepikas battles for the Champions Cup, he is quite familiar with Rally Talsi, the upcoming rally being the fifth time he races on stages around the nine hillocks of Talsi. Audrius Pivoras will be his co-driver in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X N4.
2016 Latvian rally champion in LRČ1 (R5 group) class, Kalle Rovanperä, will also be fighting for the Champions Cup. The talented Finnish driver also competed in Rally Talsi last year, showing great pace and concluding the event in second position, behind Lithuanian Martynas Samsonas. Rovanperä has begun the 2017 Latvian rally season with two picturesque victories in the winter rallies, and could become the youngest ever winner of the Champions Cup, at the age of just 16 years, 7 months and 19 days! Risto Pietiläinen will co-drive the young Finn, with the crew competing in a Škoda Fabia R5.
“Each year, I eagerly await the list of crews that will compete in the Rally of Champions, as it serves as a reminder of those who had the best results in the past season. All of this year’s champions are great fighters and I predict that the fans will be able to witness some unforgettable rally battles! The champions also have very varying amounts of experience, and I am really looking forward to seeing how big a role this plays in the results. Last year, Vytautas Švedas won the Champions Cup for the third time, meaning that he can keep it forever, so this year’s winning crew will be the first one to have their name added on the base of the new cup!” says RA EVENTS director Raimonds Strokšs.
Since 2009, Rally Talsi is also known as the Rally of Champions, with battles taking place not only for the overall win and class wins, but also to determine the winner of the prestigious Champions Cup. Past year’s national champions from near and far countries are welcome to compete here, in order to determine the fastest of champions in equal conditions. In past years, crews from the Baltic States, Scandinavia, Belarus, Russia, Great Britain, Slovakia, and even Kuwait, have competed in the Rally of Champions. Some of the drivers who have fought for the Champions Cup are racing in the FIA World Rally Championship – Norwegians Andreas Mikkelsen (Škoda Motorsport), Mads Østberg (Onebet Jipocar World Rally Team), and Ott Tänak (M-Sport World Rally Team).
RALLY OF CHAMPIONS 2017 COMPETITORS>
Champion Times participated Won Champions Cup
Jānis Vorobjovs (LVA) 3 (2012, 2015, 2016) 2 (2012, 2015)
Kalle Rovanperä (LVA) 0 0
Ralfs Sirmacis (LVA) 0 0
Gintautas Šlepikas (LTU) 0 0
RALLY OF CHAMPIONS WINNERS>
2016 Vytautas Švedas (LTU) / Žilvinas Sakalauskas (LTU) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4
2015 Jānis Vorobjovs (LVA) / Andris Mālnieks (LVA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X N4
2014 Vytautas Švedas (LTU) / Žilvinas Sakalauskas (LTU) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4
2013 Dominykas Butvilas (LTU) / Renatas Vaitkevičius (LTU) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4
2012 Jānis Vorobjovs (LVA) / Guntars Zicāns (LVA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X N4
2011 Vytautas Švedas (LTU) / Žilvinas Sakalauskas (LTU) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X N4
2010 Jocke Nyman (SWE) / Bo Holmstrand (SWE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX N4
2009 Aivis Egle (LVA) / Mārtiņš Jerums (LVA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX N4
Tickets ro Rally Talsi are available in Biļešu Serviss locations and online, with single ticket price of 12.00 EUR until May 14, and 15.00 EUR on the week of the rally. We would also like to remind you that the tickets need to be exchanged for wristbands before heading out to the special stages!
More information about Rally Talsi: www.rallytalsi.lv and http://autorally.lv
Teksti: Janis Unbedahts
