Halls Winter Rally sets a new record

One hundred crews – a record number of winter rally entrants in Lithuanian history after the Restoration of Independence – has registered for the first Lithuanian Automobile Rally Championship event “Halls Winter Rally 2011″ to take place in Utena surroundings on the 29th of January.

Fifty-three crews representing Lithuania, twenty-five cars from Latvia and over two dozens of entrants from other countries will make a start in the race that is an official event of three racing series – Lithuanian and Latvian Automobile Rally Championships and Baltic Winter Rally Cup.

Foreign entrants include as many as eight crews from Poland. Rally drivers from this country used to attend Lithuanian rallies quite rarely in the past. Among other things, they will introduce a novelty making a debut in the Lithuanian Rally Championship – Škoda Fabia S2000 of Super 2000 category driven by a famous Polish racer Maciej Rzeznik.

Latvian forces are equally impressive as they include the fastest drivers of the country: Janis Vorobjovs, brothers Maris and Andis Neiksans, Aivis Egle and Ivars Vasaraudzis. The latter, by the way, did not take part in Lithuanian rallies for a while. But this time, having changed cars to the tenth generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, he will attend “Halls Winter Rally 2011″. Furthermore, ten racers from Russia, four from Ukraine and one crew from Belarus will also take part in the rally.

Rally drivers representing Lithuania include a number of famous names. These are last-year’s Lithuanian champions competing with the fastest cars: Rokas Lipeikis and Martynas Samuitis, equally fast Vytautas Švedas, Dominykas Butvilas, Martynas Samsonas and Saulius Girdauskas, the latter driving Škoda Fabia WRC last seen in our country’s rallies rather long ago. Moreover, after a year’s break, Benediktas Vanagas is also returning to the Lithuanian Rally Championship. He is now the main pilot of Subaru team formed at the end of the last year and will drive the latest model Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

The participation of the charming Ukrainian female racer Inesa Tushkanova may pleasantly surprise the spectators. This racer is also known in Russia as a Playboy model. She will pilot a powerful Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.

As many as fifty-five all wheel drive vehicles will make a start in the race this year. They are the fastest crews of the rally and will offer a great many impressive moments for the spectators, – says B. Vanagas, one of the main organisers of “Halls Winter Rally 2011”.

He notes that several crews, which have never yet participated in races in Lithuania, will make a debut in this year’s rally.

This only proves that our winter rally is gaining more prestige in the eyes of foreign racers. This fact certainly makes us happy, - adds B.Vanagas.

Rally special stages will be settled on Utena Region roads in cooperation with winter rally capital’s District Council. The racers will compete in twelve stages, the total length of which reaches 115 km. Eleven spectator areas will be available for the audience. Their exact location is to be announced at the beginning of next week.

Official rally website in English: www.hallswinterrally.lt/en