- Third consecutive victory for Kajetanowicz in Ponta Delgada City Show – incredible festival for rally fans;
- The test was held in rainy conditions, on slippery and bumpy cobblestones and asphalt;
- The LOTOS Rally Team driver faces a fight for maintaining undefeated position in the Championship standings.
Kajetan Kajetanowicz achieved a great result on Wednesday night, at the beginning of his outing on São Miguel Island. The LOTOS Rally Team driver recorded his third consecutive victory in City Show: a superspecial which does not count towards overall standings of Azores Rallye and is run as a bow towards the rally fans. The weather conditions did not make his task easy – it started to rain shortly before the competition began.
Kajto enjoyed an error-free run in narrow street of Ponta Delgada and according to unofficial timing, defeated José Antonio Suárez by no less than 6.4 seconds. Third-fastest time went to Dávid Botka, who lost 8.6 s. Top five was completed by José María López Planelles (+9.2 s) and Jan Černý (+10.7 s). The drivers competed on gravel tyres, fighting on asphalt and slippery cobblestone.
Kajetan Kajetanowicz:
– Ponta Delgada City Show is equally charming to me as classic Race of Aces in Karowa Street, in the capital city of Poland. Every time I strive for victory in this test precisely for the fans. Now we are facing the real competition, preceded by the Qualifying Stage. I have many reasons to be happy with this start. Among them there is an incredible number of competitors, record-breaking this year, and stages which we will not encounter in any other place in the world. We are about to start the battle in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, keep your fingers crossed!
We would like to inform all rally fans interested in watching the Azores Rallye that the organisers have prepared several live broadcasts. You can find the schedule on the rally’s website (www.azoresrallye.com/rally-17/live-rallye/?r=1). Below you will find a precise rally schedule, all times are CET:
- 30 March, 14:30 – Selection of start positions;
- 30 March, 15:00 – Pre-event Press Conference;
- 30 March, 17:20 – Special Stage 1, Lagoa (2.14 kms);
- 30 March, 19:15 – Special Stage 4, Grupo Marques (3.95 kms);
- 1 April, 14:30 – Special Stage 13, Grupo Marques (3.95 kms);
- 1 April, 20:50 – Finish Ceremony (Ponta Delgada).
The 2017 Azores Rallye in numbers:
- 1 – starting number of double European Rally Champions, Kajetanowicz and Baran;
- 1st round of the 2017 FIA European Rally Championship;
- 28 – record-breaking field of R5 cars on the entry list of exotic Azores Rallye;
- 2 podium finishes for Kajetanowicz and Baran in overall standings on the Portuguese island;
- 210.20 kms – total length of 16 special stages;
- In 1992 the Azores Rallye was included in the European Rally Championship calendar for the first time;
- 99 – the number of stages won in the FIA ERC by Kajetanowicz;
- 25.72 kms – the longest special stage of the rally – famous Sete Cidades stage, around the rim of a dormant volcano;
- Just 10 times in 52-years history of this event the rally was won by foreign drivers;
- 89% of the route is on gravel, the remaining 11% – on asphalt roads;
- 63% of last year’s stages in the Azores Kajetanowicz and Baran finished in top three;
- 32 stages of the Azores Rallye finished by Kajetanowicz and Baran in top three in 2014-2016;
- 3 times in a row the LOTOS Rally Team driver won Ponta Delgada City Show – street superspecial run before the start of real competition on São Miguel Island;
- 11 stages won by Kajetanowicz and Baran in their three previous outings in the Azores Rallye;
- 52nd edition of this event takes place this year;
- 3930 kms is the straight-line distance from Warsaw, capital city of Poland, to rally base in Ponta Delgada;
- In their 16 previous FIA ERC outings Kajto and Jarek scored points.
Schedule of the 2017 Azores Rally (all times are CET):
Thursday 30 March (4 special stages, 26.64 competitive kilometres):
10:00 – Free Practice
12:03 – Qualifying Stage (Remedios, 3.12 kms)
14:30 – Selection of start positions (Ponta Delgada)
16:30 – Starting ceremony (Ponta Delgada)
16:35 – Service A – 15 mins (Ponta Delgada)
17:21 – SS 1 – Lagoa Stage (2.14 kms, 47% gravel, 53% asphalt)
17:40 – SS 2 – Solucoes (7.08 kms, 64% gravel, 36% asphalt)
18:25 – SS 3 – Villa Franca – Sao Bras 1 (13.47 kms, 85% gravel, 15% asphalt)
19:22 – SS 4 – Grupo Marques Superspecial 1 (3.95 kms, 100% gravel)
Flexi Service B – 45 mins (Ponta Delgada)
Friday 31 March (6 special stages, 80.20 competitive kilometres):
11:45 – Service C – 15 mins (Ponta Delgada)
12:43 – SS 5 – Pico de Pedra Golfe 1 (7.02 kms, 73% gravel, 27% asphalt)
13:22 – SS 6 – Feteiras 1 (7.46 kms, 98% gravel, 2% asphalt)
13:53 – SS 7 – Sete Cidades 1 (25.72 kms, 82% gravel, 18% asphalt)
15:38 – Service D – 30 mins (Ponta Delgada)
16:43 – SS 8 – Pico de Pedra Golfe 2 (7.02 kms, 73% gravel, 27% asphalt)
17:22 – SS 9 – Feteiras 2 (7.46 kms, 98% gravel, 2% asphalt)
17:53 – SS 10 – Sete Cidades 2 (25.72 kms, 82% gravel, 18% asphalt)
Flexi Service E – 45 mins (Ponta Delgada)
Saturday 1 April (6 special stages, 103.36 competitive kilometres):
10:38 – Service F – 15 mins (Ponta Delgada)
12:08 – SS 11 – Graminhais 1 (21.01 kms, 92% gravel, 8% asphalt)
12:58 – SS 12 – Tronqueira 1 (21.96 kms, 96% gravel, 4% asphalt)
14:34 – SS 13 – Grupo Marques Superspecial 2 (3.95 kms, 100% gravel)
15:40 – Service G – 30 mins (Ponta Delgada)
17:03 – SS 14 – Villa Franca – Sao Bras 2 (13.47 kms, 85% gravel, 15% asphalt)
17:58 – SS 15 – Graminhais 2 (21.01 kms, 92% gravel, 8% asphalt)
18:48 – SS 16 – Tronqueira 2 (21.96 kms, 96% gravel, 4% asphalt)
20:39 – Service H – 10 mins (Ponta Delgada)
20:56 – Ceremonial Finish (Ponta Delgada)
Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Jarek Baran are supported by strategic partner of LOTOS Rally Team – LOTOS Group – as well as CUBE.ITG, Delphi and Driving Experience. More info about Kajetan Kajetanowicz and the team available at: www.lotosrallyteam.pl, www.kajto.pl, www.facebook.com/EmocjeDoPelna, www.facebook.com/KajetanKajetanowicz and www.twitter.com/Kajto_pl.
