Monday, February 10, 2014

"Crazy Leo" Urlichich Selected to Compete in The DRIVE DMACK Fiesta Trophy

 
"Crazy Leo" Urlichich has been competing in both the Canadian and The Rally American Championships in the past few years in an Open Class Car. Leo will be make the transition back to 2wd for the Drive Dmack Fiesta Trophy. Photo Neil McDaid /Rally World News.
 
 
Cumbria, England. February, 10th. "Crazy Leo" Urlichich  will be one of twelve competitors from 11 countries will battle it out over the five-event Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy to win a prize drive in the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship. Leo, a native of Russia, who now calls Canada home will have his work cut out for himself as he goes up against a tough field of talented drivers who have been very competitive in 2WD in the past few years.
 
After receiving 24 registrations from across the globe, the organiser's final selection is set to give the series a healthy mix of raw talent, close competition and a real world-wide feel.
The list sees drivers from across Europe, the Middle East, Russia and North America. The high caliber of talent is outlined with competitors like Yeray Lemes, Jose Suarez and Sander Parn, who finished second, third and fourth on last year's FIA Junior World Rally Championship. They are joined by French ace Quentin Gilbert, the UK's Tom Cave, who stunned with fastest WRC 2 times on Wales Rally GB, and Finn Max Vatanen – son of the legendary 1981 world rally champion Ari Vatanen.
 
The oversubscribed contest has been pitched as a cost-effective entry level to world rallying and gives crews the opportunity to battle it out on both gravel and asphalt rounds using identical M-Sport-prepared Ford Fiesta R2s on DMACK tyres.
The winner will come away with a remarkable full seven-round WRC 2 campaign using's M-Sport popular Ford Fiesta R5 in the Drive DMACK World Rally Team.
The trophy will get underway with Rally Portugal on 4-6 April.
The confirmed drivers are:
Nicolas Amiouni, 24, Lebanon
Tom Cave, 22, UK
Ghislain De Mevius, 25, Belgium
Quentin Gilbert, 24, France
Szymon Kornicki, 31, Poland
Yeray Lemes, 26, Canary Islands
Sander Parn, 21, Estonia
Allan Popov, 27, Russia
Nils Solans, 21, Spain
Jose Suarez, 23, Spain
Leo Urlichich, 28, Canada
Max Vatanen, 23, Finland
Dick Cormack, DMACK managing director, said:
"The Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy is set to be an exciting series and the huge prize on offer is sure to bring some close competition over the season. The list of drivers we've got is impressive and shows the true global attraction that the initiative has had. It's encouraging that DMACK can help so many talented drivers get proper WRC experience."
Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport managing director, said:
"It is fantastic to see such a talented line-up for the first Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy and I am delighted that we can reveal the final 12. Of course it is a real shame that we cannot accommodate all 24 applicants. The level of interest was extremely high and far surpassed all of our expectations. That said, I am confident that we have devised the best possible championship and that a very exciting competition lays ahead."
 
Source: MSPORT / DMACK