Not long ago it was announced that the Latvian motorsports management company „RA Motosport” is actively working on a project that will result in the IRC Season Opening Round on January or February 2013. This is a state-level project, so the „RA Motosport” team, while working on this event, has turned to the National Sports Council, several municipalities in Kurzeme Region, the Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and the President of Latvia Andris Bērziņš. So far the Liepāja Municipality has been the most responsive, and after the presentation of the project it has decided to support the IRC round in Liepāja and the Liepāja neighborhood. It is planned that this week the issue on the support will be considered also in the Ventspils Municipality.
Earlier this year the Director of the „RA Motosport” Raimonds Strokšs went to France to meet the organizers of the IRC Series and to get all the information about the terms and conditions for organizing such an event in Latvia. Now the representatives of the IRC series — the Motorsports Director of the Eurosport Events François Ribeiro and the Eurosport Events IRC Commercial Director Antonello Lodoletti — are planning to visit Latvia. The main purpose of this visit is to meet the „RA Motosport” team, to see the progress of the work done on the project, to visit the possible cities and rally routes, where the event can be held, and to meet the representatives of the municipalities and possibly the representatives of the Government of Latvia.
„Liepāja has the necessary experience in organizing the European Championship event in motorsports. This would be the next step forward, and organization of the biggest motorsports event in the Baltic would mean a lot of international, high-level drivers as well as spectators. In the municipality with positive decisions made by the City Development and Finance Committee we have expressed our readiness to give our support and to participate in the organization of the IRC round in Kurzeme at the beginning of 2013, which may turn out to be a real motorsports festival in the city and would facilitate the recognition of the city, as well as can ensure the necessary return and profit to the city enterprises working in the service sector,” the Chairman of the Liepāja City Council Uldis Sesks comments the organizers' choice to organize the event in Liepāja city.
Also the Director of the „RA Motosport” Raimonds Strokšs comments the rapid development of events: „For three years already I have had the idea about organizing the IRC event in Latvia so I am very happy that since the end of the last year we have come so close to achieve this. If everything works out well, this will definitely be the biggest motorsports event in the Baltic and a great opportunity for local drivers to show themselves in such a prestigious rally and for spectators to enjoy a world-level show. So far we have invested a lot of work, and already in June we will know for sure if the 2013 IRC Season Opening Event will be held in Latvia.”
„Intercontinental Rally Challenge” was established in 2006 and since then it is considered to be one of the best rally series in the world. Many teams of car manufacturers’ also take part in the IRC, most of the teams drive S2000 class rally cars and in three days of each round race approximately 230 competitive kilometers. If this IRC round is to be held in Latvia, it will be the only winter round in the series, and we expect a lot of participants as well as spectators from all over the world.
Oskars Kaņeps-Kalniņš: RA Motosport. Foto: www.ircseries.com
