ERC Peugeot Rally Academy business resumes for Breen

It’s hard to believe but its way back in the middle of June since Peugeot Rally Academy driver Craig Breen last competed on a rally using the Peugeot 208T16. That was on round six of the European Rally Championship in Belgium at the “Geko Ypres Rally” on asphalt and that’s the surface he’ll make his return to the ERC 2014 on next weekend in the Czech Republic.

It’s been a busy summer break for Craig and his co-driver Scott, with the high of winning Craig’s home rally to the low of Craig suffering a back injury in Finland, but showing his usual determination he will arrive in Zlin with a clean bill of health to restart his ERC campaign on the Barum Czech Rally Zlín ( 29th-31st August).

Seeded number one on the road the Peugeot driver is no stranger to the fast asphalt stages that wind their way through a mix of villages, open farmland and forests as he finished an impressive seventh overall in an S2000 car back in 2011 in what was essentially a rookie year for him. The surface can be broken in places and he will be very much hoping his previous experience on the event will in someway keep him on the cleaner lines should the unpredictable weather choose to make driving conditions difficult as it often can there. Celebrating its 44th year the rally is based 300 kilometres south of the Czech capital Prague and for the first time in its history will have a qualifying Stage on Friday morning to determine the starting order for Saturday’s Leg 1. For the huge number of fans that are guaranteed to be there as always there is the treat of the opening SS1 City super special stage on Friday evening to whet their appetite for the real rally action the following day.

The service park for the weekend is located in Otrokovice, 14 kilometres from Zlín and the rally will return there several times throughout its fifteen stages. The event organisers haven’t introduced any new stages for 2014 but have instead made slight changes to the rally’s well known classics. The longest stage gets an all new section never used before that features tricky bends and a big jump. Speaking about the event Craig said “I’m really looking forward to the rally, I’ve really learned so much as a driver since I was there last” and on returning to his Peugeot 208T16 driving seat said “I really want to prove that I’m fit and that the 208T16 and I have what it takes to win again”.

You can keep up to date with Craig’s FIA ERC 2014 campaign by visitingwww.craigbreen.com  or www.peugeot-sport.com