But yet again Craig has shown his career long determination and been given the all clear by his doctors to start the ADAC Rallye Deutschland (Aug 21-24) in Trier on Thursday.
Just one week before his regular Peugeot Rally Academy FIA European Rally Championship duties restart in the Peugeot 208T16, Craig and his co-driver Scott Martin will take on what many drivers see as the most difficult of the WRC season’s asphalt rallies. Early on Thursday morning both will get a chance to compare themselves up against the WRC regulars on asphalt for the very first time through a 4.6km shakedown stage and this will also give them a chance to make any final adjustments to the same Kel-tech Fiesta RS WRC that they last used in gravel specification.
Following a ceremonial start at Trier’s historic Porta Nigra later that evening the real action gets underway on Friday when the drivers will tackle six stages that wind their way through the scenic vineyard roads now synonymous with the event. New for this year, the rally will head further north than usual for a sixteen and a half kilometer stage near the Belgian border twice during the day and this will give the less experienced drivers a chance to make up some time on those that have competed on the event before.
It’s the tricky Panzerplatte military tests that have in previous years created the drama on Saturday and the crews face eight stages in the region that include two runs over a mammoth 42km stage full of huge tank stopping kerb stones, known as hinkelsteins that will be waiting to catch drivers out should they stray from the tracks that are slippery in the dry and treacherous in the wet. Sunday sees the stages return to the bumpy and narrow Mosel vineyards for the final four stages of which one is the power stage with the finish back in Trier shortly after lunch.
Because Craig won the World Rally Academy class on this event back in 2011 on his way to winning the WRCA championship he has be really looking forward to driving a world car here and said “I am very grateful to all those that have aided my recovery since Finland, and although I have had success here in the past I face a completely different challenge by using a WRC car this time.”
You can keep up to date with Craig’s 2014 season by visiting: www.craigbreen.com or www.peugeot-sport.com
