|
The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
 |
|
The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
|
|
To follow his fortunes and learn more about his career, visit www.craigbreen.com
|
Four-some! Breen takes 4th straight Fiesta victory
However, this would prove to be the young Waterford driver’s toughest event yet. As Craig explains, “the rally started on Saturday morning with a daunting run up the world famous Molls Gap. After my big crash on the Circuit of Ireland, I was anxious to bring the car home in one piece - but also keen to get a respectable time on the board. I caught a slower car, which upset my rhythm and cost me vital seconds”. Indeed he found himself well down the time-sheets at the finish. With their rivals laying down faster times, Craig and his navigator Gareth Roberts knew they needed to gather themselves and mount a charge - but couldn’t quite pull it off on the second stage. As rain began to fall, Craig dropped more time after again coming across two slower cars that inadvertently baulked him as he tried to find his way past. With a brief halt in the service area, his Tom Gahan Motorsport mechanics quickly made changes to the little Fiesta ST’s suspension which would prove to be crucial. Craig promptly set the fastest time in the following stage, as his rivals failed to match his pace - or crashed trying. “I remember saying to Gareth as we came back into the service park, ‘we’re a little bit faster now but there’s still lots of room for improvement’. But we were now up to second place and I was getting into my stride”. Another fastest time on stage five brought the Gallo-Irish pair to within two seconds of the lead. It was now time to ‘give it death’, as they say in rallying and a stunning drive saw them develop what was to become an unassailable advantage, as the other crews struggled to make it to the finish line. “Gareth and I are over the moon,” Craig told waiting journalists. “We had a hell of a lot of luck, especially as our competitors pushed us hard but began to fall by the wayside. Luck can be a factor in rallying and thankfully, today it was on our side!” Saturday’s triumph has extended Breen and Roberts’ lead in the Irish Fiesta Sporting Trophy Championship to put them fifteen points clear of their nearest rivals.
Breen starts the party with third Fiesta win
The financial meltdown of the past few months has served to highlight the often previously undetected flaws of the global economy, the international markets and, of course, the people working in them. Even those with not the slightest interest in hedge funds, sub-prime loans or the price of the Euro have now become familiar with phrases like quantitative easing. Perhaps now, speculators working in the futures markets, should look at an entirely new stock - that of Craig Breen. The 19 year-old sealed his latest victory in the dramatic setting of the Kielder Forest in Northumberland, England. The Pirelli International Rally played host to the third round of the Kick Energy Fiesta Sport Trophy, and after a gearbox failure put him out of the first round and cost him vital points, Craig needed a strong result if he was to get his title bid back on track. Things didn’t quite go to plan when on the opening day, Craig and his co-driver, Gareth Roberts were hampered by the clouds of dust kicked up by fellow title protagonist, Kris Hall, “We were running second on the road, and soon into the first stage we got caught behind Kris limping along with a puncture. That cost us 10 seconds trying to get past him,” Craig explained. He was able to make up for the lost time on the second stage and give himself a 6 second lead in the Fiesta class and 13th overall. Last week, the young pair had a spectacular roll which destroyed their car whilst pushing hard for overall points in the Circuit of Ireland rally and as the rally moved to the daunting Kielder stages, Craig admitted, “The forest there is not great for confidence building, I can tell you! I was still feeling the effects of last weekend’s off, and to be honest I was nowhere near committed enough on the fast stuff.” This cost the duo time and their lead was cut to just two seconds. But - needing to dig deep - Craig responded by attacking the following two stages. His advantage was not only restored, but extended - “At this point of the rally, the Fiesta Sport Trophy finished, so we won by fifteen seconds. We were over the moon. To win in Portugal (the Fiesta Sport Trophy International class, on the Rallye de Portugal), win (the Fiesta Sport Ireland round) on the Circuit of Ireland and now come to here to England and win again, what more could I ask for?" However, with little time to reflect on, or bask in the glory of their victory, Breen and Roberts jumped straight back in their fast Ford in a bid to score more British Rally Championship points. Craig explains, “We were locked in a battle with fellow Irishman, Marty McCormack for the top two- wheel drive honours. Unfortunately, we lost 9 seconds to him on Special Stage 7 but it looked like it was ‘game on’, all the same. Sadly, proceedings were brought to a halt on the following stage when a car caught fire and burnt to the ground, causing the cancellation of stages eight, nine and ten. We headed back to the service area, with two hard stages to go. On stage eleven, we put ourselves one second ahead of Marty and I was really looking forward to going for a good go at it in the remaining stages!” Two stunning stints behind the wheel in the remaining two stages saw Craig and Gareth classified 10th overall, the first two-wheel drive crew and finish first in the R3 class. Craig said, “It was an incredible day. But as I was being presented with my Fiesta awards, I was suddenly called to the interview area and was then presented with the Pirelli Star Driver award for the Rally! This accolade puts me into a shootout with every other winner of the award over the season, and if I win I will receive a fully-funded drive in the British Rally Championship in a top of the range Group N car.” He added, “To say that I’m absolutely shocked is an understatement. I never expected to win the International, Irish and British Fiesta rounds one after another - but to then win the Pirelli Star Driver as well, was the icing on the cake." pics - Trevor McGrath/Rallyprint
Brilliant Breen wins on World stage
The Waterford teenager crowned a brilliant debut in Europe with a dominant performance from the start. Fresh from taking second place in the Bulldog Rally the previous weekend, the Tom Gahan Motorsport driver travelled to Vilamoura on the Algarve coast to join the support bill for the Portuguese round of the World Rally Championship (WRC). After two days of careful preparation, he and his co-driver, Gareth Roberts took to the shakedown stage and instantly set the pace. The 19 year-old said, “We were fastest in our class, and by a considerable margin.” Buoyed by this, the crew then entertained a packed Algarve Stadium in a Special Stage that paired two cars directly competing against each other, and the clock. Going head to head with the man he’d beaten in the first stage - the German Patrick Anglade - Craig snatched victory by just 0.9 of a second and aptly described the experience as “like being side by side in a Scalextric race.” The following day, the rally returned to the more ‘traditional’ mixture of tricky road conditions and exuberant spectators. In each of the three stages, Breen topped the timesheets as began to build a one minute lead over his rivals. Saturday proved to be “a lot trickier” though, as he candidly explains - “The slow uphill sections didn’t suit our little Fiesta, and in the evening we had our first problem. On the last stage of the day, we got a puncture about 9km from the end the stage. We were well over half way through the stage, so decided not to change it and drive to the end. That cost us a minute.” However, it was time he could afford to lose, after having extended the gap to more than 5 minutes. Deciding to protect their lead, Breen and Roberts opted to not make any unnecessary risks - but still managed to extend their advantage and move from 32nd overall up to 25th. Using the same tactic in the successive stage again worked. Returning to the Algarve Stadium for the finale, Craig again found himself paired against Anglade - and again emerged out of the dust, and into the flashbulbs, as the victor. “Once the dust had settled, we also found out that we’d won the N3 and Fiesta Sporting Trophy classes and finished 25th overall – equaling the record for this type of car in a WRC event.” He added, “We’re over the moon. We just missed out on winning our class in the Bulldog last week, so to come here, onto the World Championship scene and win on our international debut is a dream come true. Gareth and I both worked hard all week and it paid off. It's onwards and upwards from here! I must thank Gareth, everyone at Tom Gahan Motorsport, my parents and everyone that’s helped to get me here."
Hall had won the first two stages of the Malcolm Wilson Rally, but 19-year old Breen from Ireland fought back on SS3 to record exactly the same time as his rival. Craig said, “We finished the first stage seven seconds behind Kris and I felt that I’d been sloppy and found it hard to get a good rhythm going. On the day’s second stage, we found ourselves a further six seconds adrift. But at that point I felt that we’d begun to find my pace and had driven better. I remember saying to my co-driver Gareth (Roberts), ‘we can push now’’. On the third stage I finally got into the swing of things and we were joint fastest with Kris.” Now thirteen seconds behind Hall, Craig felt that he could make the deficit up in Greystoke Forest. “You could say it was time to go ape” the young Irishman joked. But then disaster struck. The Greystoke stage was scheduled to be the last one of the day before the cars were due to go into the service area, but the relentless pace and conditions took their toll before the cars reached safety. Hall’s was the first to suffer when fuel pump problems forced him to slow. He lost over a minute and dropped to 3rd position. Breen meanwhile had the hammer down and was set to assume the lead when, just three miles into the stage, his gearbox failed. “The stage was going really well until about halfway through. I went to select second gear and there was no drive. I wracked my brains to think what the problem, and of course the solution could have been - but no matter what we tried, it soon became evident that whatever it was, it was terminal.” Craig added, “I was gutted. After an exciting morning, the afternoon was shaping up to be even better. I experienced the highs and lows of rallying in the space of just two hours. It proves that, even with the best preparation, there are some things which can’t be avoided. On the plus side though, we’d shown our pace and proved that we could well be strong contenders for the Championship this season.” Hall - who survived to the service area and was able to repair his car before going on to seal the Fiesta class victory - sportingly acknowledged the threat from Breen. “I’m delighted with this result, but disappointed that Craig had to retire in Stage 4 and it’s a shame that we were denied that battle. I look forward to the challenge he’ll surely offer during the remainder of the season.”
Breen’s incredible run continues
The 18-year old from Kilmurry is rapidly making a name for himself in the world of rallying and last Friday (27 February) he was in Bournemouth in Dorset for the Rallye Sunseeker. Craig was using the event as preparation for the first round of the Kick Energy Fiesta Sport Trophy UK, which starts in Cumbria this Saturday (7 March). It was also his first time out in the car with co-driver, Gareth Roberts from Carmarthen in Wales. The pair was instantly competitive, and as the day progressed Craig upped the pace to put him and Gareth in podium contention in the two-wheel drive category and take the lead in Class 2 - Group N. With their rivals fighting back, the result was close-run but they hung on to finish 3rd in the two-wheel drive category and seal a comfortable Class 2 victory. Craig said, "We both enjoyed the day, especially as Gareth and I bonded quickly and worked well together. I don’t think the stages were ideal for the little Fiesta, as they were very fast and open. As good as the car handles, it couldn’t keep up with some of the bigger and faster cars. However, we’re both very happy and in good shape for the coming season". With no time to savour the champagne, Craig and the team rushed back to the airport and flew home in order to contest the following day’s Carrick on Suir Forestry Rally - in a completely different car. Craig had switched
to the Citroen C2R2 with which he After the opening stage, Breen and Roberts led by 6 seconds from their closest rivals - John Byrne and Kenneth Shiels – which they then extended over the following stages to an unassailable 2 minute advantage. Such was Craig’s mastery of the forest that he was able to trade times with the faster cars and finish 7th overall – another excellent achievement for the youngster who only switched from karts to cars late last year. "What can I say? What a weekend, perhaps?! Things just clicked between me, Gareth and the team, right from the word ‘go’. We carried our early Saturday morning pace in Bournemouth across the pond and did ourselves proud. I would like to thank Gareth, Tom Gahan and his fantastic crew of mechanics - without their commitment and phenomenal hard work none of this would have been possible." He added, “I’ve now taken two maximum points scoring results in the National Junior Rally Championship and things are looking good for the future”.
The 18-year old from Kilmurry and his co-driver, Sorcha Kelly overcame challenging icy conditions to take their first win of the season and the early championship lead. Craig, who switched from international karting to rallying just last year said, “We’re both absolutely thrilled. It’s an incredible feeling, especially for me. To take a win so early in my career is just fantastic.” His delight was compounded by the fact that the event hadn’t got off to a flying start. “The first stage was cancelled due to the snow and the second stage was shortened because of the bad weather again. When we got underway, I decided not to take any chances and that approach saw us move into third in class but 20 seconds off the lead.” During the service interval Craig’s team made crucial alterations to the car’s set-up that would allow him to push the little C2R2 Citroen harder in the following stages. This he did, to great effect. “On the third stage, I just got my head down and took 24 seconds out of my competitors which gave us a 4 second lead.” Their bid for victory received a further boost when the crew in second place was forced to retire with fuel pump failure, effectively increasing Breen’s margin to 40 seconds. Not content with that, Craig decided to press home his advantage and attacked again on the remaining stages. “We stayed fastest for the rest of the day and eventually took the win by over a minute from Vincent McAree. I think playing that safe card on stage two proved to be the right thing to do although, if I’d have pressed harder we could’ve been higher up in the rally’s overall standings (18th). Still, we did the job we set out to do, so I’m delighted that we achieved that.” He added, “I’d
just like to thank Sorcha and the team, who worked so hard to give us a
great car with which to go out and win.”
Craig stars on International Rally debut
Not even a broken engine mount could take the shine off Craig Breen’s outstanding debut in the demanding Galway International Rally (16-18 January). Despite competing amongst more powerful WRC-spec cars, the Kilmurry teenager was able to break into the overall top ten with a string of consistent drives through the stages. Prior to the opening day, heavy rain had made the road surfaces wet, muddy and very tricky but by setting the 3rd fastest time, Craig and his co-driver Andrew Purcell were quickly able to settle their pre-event nerves. Although Breen admitted, “I was surprised (with the time) because I felt I hadn't pushed hard enough”. A storm sweeping in from the Atlantic forced the cancellation of SS2 (Special Stage 2) and so the teams and crews proceeded straight to SS3. Unable to repeat their pace in the opening stage, Craig’s mechanics opted to change the car’s settings in the service area and really go for it in the following stages. Their plan worked. “On SS5 we set our first fastest stage time, taking four seconds out of Alistair Fisher (then heading the Fiesta Sport Trophy-class leaderboard). This motivated me to push even harder,” Craig said. Fisher responded and re-opened the gap, but Breen and Purcell felt that they had more to come and again upped the pace for the following stage. Again, their ‘maximum attack’ approach worked and they took their second, fastest stage time - and 7 vital seconds out of the leader’s time. Upon their return to the service area, the whole team was now in a bullish mood. However, after hitting a large patch of standing water flat-out in 5th gear, the Keltech Engineering-backed driver was forced to momentarily re-appraise his approach - “We were going for what we call ‘a good cut at it’ and things were going well until we had that ‘moment’. I asked my co-driver, ‘Is that what a ‘moment’ is?’ and I just got a faint reply, ‘Yes’. “ Adopting a more cautious would ultimately pay off, as the 18-year old explains, “We went into the final stage with one thing in mind, bring it home. We settled for second (in class) and finished the day extremely happy with our work”. A rule change to the Fiesta Sport Trophy regulations meant that Craig and his fellow championship competitors could also contest the full international rally, if they so desired - and he needed little prompting. “The Championship’s new regulations allowed us to compete in the second part of the full international rally. We started Sunday leading our class and were 15th overall. We kept our noses clean all day, didn’t put a wheel wrong, finished 10th overall and won the N3 class. We returned to Eyre Square - where the rally had started from - and were greeted by another massive, cheering crowd. It was one of the most proud moments of my life.”
mail your
news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk |
|
After
his Pirelli International success a fortnight before, Kilmurry rally
star Craig Breen returned to Irish Fiesta Sporting Trophy duties in last
weekend’s (2/3 May) Killarney International Rally of the Lakes - and
was once again the man to beat. 
Craig
Breen further underlined his credentials as Ireland’s brightest rallying
hope with his third victory in as many events last weekend (17/18
April). 
Irish
rallying has a new hero, after Craig Breen won the opening round of the
Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy International in Portugal (4/5 April). 
Sadly,
the anticipated showdown between eventual winner Kris Hall and his
nearest rival, Craig Breen never happened on last weekend’s (7 March)
opening round of the Kick Energy Fiesta Sport Trophy UK. 
Waterford
rally driver Craig Breen shone in England before returning home to win
in the forests of Carrick-on-Suir – on the same weekend! 
Kilkenny’s
Craig Breen took an emphatic win in the opening round of the Petro
Systems National Junior Rally Championship at Mitchelstown, Tipperary
yesterday (8 February). 