- LOTOS Rally Team crew returned to competition in round four of the 2017 FIA European Rally Championship;
- Kajetanowicz and Baran won both stages of the opening loop;
- The Polish duo lead Leg 2 standings and fight for points in the championship classification;
- There are still four stages to go in Cyprus Rally.
The second and final leg of the 2017 Cyprus Rally is underway. Kajetan Kajetanowicz returned to competition in round four of the FIA European Rally Championship, setting the pace right from the beginning of Day Two. The LOTOS Rally Team driver, co-driven by Jarek Baran, won both very long stages on the opening loop and leads the standings of Sunday’s leg!
Today’s competition takes place in windless and very hot conditions. The crew fight on the longest stages of the rally, covering over 45 kilometres during the morning loop. Kajto avoided mistakes and was the fastest driver by far, defeating Nikolay Gryazin (Russia, Skoda Fabia R5) by 7.0 seconds on the opening stage and Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar, Ford Fiesta R5) by no less than 36.6 seconds on the second one.
In Leg 2 standings the LOTOS Rally Team crew leads with 53.0 seconds advantage over Al-Attiyah/Baumel (Qatar/France, Ford Fiesta R5). Top three is completed by local crew of Timotheou/Chrysostomou (+1:39.9, Skoda Fabia R5), followed by Galatariotis/Ioannou (Cyprus, +1:47.7, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) and the Turkish duo of Denktaş and Derviş (+1:57.3, Ford Fiesta R5).
There is still a long way to the finish: the crews have four special stages to go – another run on two stages of the opening loop and then two runs of Love Cyprus Golden Stage. Top crews of different categories (in overall standings and front-wheel-drive cars) with the best aggregate times on these two final stages will receive financial bonuses. The prize fund is no less than 24 thousand euro. The test runs along Larnaca Bay, in south-eastern Cyprus. In the first version it is 5.31-kms long (100% gravel), in the second – 6.17 kms (74% on gravel, 26% on asphalt).
Kajetan Kajetanowicz:
– We are back in competition in Cyprus Rally. Today’s opening loop was very good for us, we won two special stages. I am happy with my performance. We did not damage our car and it very easy to make such mistake here, sometimes it is a lottery. There is a lot of soft sand, where you do not see huge rocks which can easily damage the suspension. I am doing my best. My goal is to score seven points and I am focused on achieving this target.
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
Classification of Leg 2 of the 2017 Cyprus Rally after SS10:
1. Kajetanowicz/Baran (Poland, Ford Fiesta R5) 28:09.1
2. Al-Attiyah/Baumel (Qatar/France, Ford Fiesta R5) +53.0 s
3. Timotheou/Chrysostomou (Cyprus, Skoda Fabia R5) +1:39.9 s
4. Galatariotis/Ioannou (Cyprus, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) +1:47.7 s
5. Denktaş/Derviş (Turkey, Ford Fiesta R5) +1:57.3 s
6. Tlusťák/Vybíral (Czech Republic, Skoda Fabia R5) +1:57.5 s
7. Polykarpou/Winter (Cyprus/Austria, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +2:03.0 s
8. Panteli/Christodoulou (Cyprus, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +2:13.0 s
9. Demosthenous/Laos (Cyprus, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) +2:21.0 s
10. von Thurn und Taxis/Degandt (Germany/Belgium, Skoda Fabia R5) +2:24.7 s
