On Saturday, Reinis Nitišs overcame his qualification at the Biķernieki track in Riga in the fifth stage of the World Rally Cross Championship and ensured participation in the semifinals. Continuation of the race at 15.20 live broadcast will be available on LTV7 and replay.lv. Another Latvian driver Jānis Baumanis is claiming a victory in the electric car class.
In the sum of three qualifying races, Nitišs won 11th place and was among the 12 semi-finalists.
On the Bikernieki track, the winners in the “Supercar” class will be determined in both the World Championships and the European Championships. The competition in the electric car test, where Jānis Baumanis starts, will be held separately.
During the World Championship stage, it is planned to hold three qualifying races in one day, as well as semi-finals and finals. 12 pilots entered the semi-finals according to the points accumulated in the sum of three qualifying trips.
Reinis Nitis’ race in the first qualification
Reinis Nitis’ race in the first qualification4min
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In the first qualification, Nitišs was slow at the start and finished third in the race, leaving behind the Swedish Anton Marklund, who had experienced technical adversity. The fastest in the race was the Finn Nicass Grenholm, but the second was finished by the British Liam Doran. Nitišs took the 11th place in the overall evaluation of the first qualification.
Reinis Nitis’ race in the second qualification
Reinis Nitis’ race in the second qualification5min
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In the second qualifying race, Nitišs crossed the finish line in third. In the start, he took second place behind Hungarian Christian Sabo and held on until the last turn of the last lap, where he returned to the track after the joker’s lap. A little faster was the German René Minnihs, finishing second after the convincing winner Sabo. In the second qualification, Nitišs took the 12th place, but in the sum he rose to the 10th position.
Interview with Rhine Niabs after the second qualification
Interview with Reini Nitis after the second qualifying trip1min
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Nitišs was not really satisfied with his performance in the first qualifications and in an interview on Latvian Television he expressed hope that he would do better in the third qualification.
Reinis Nitis’s trip in the third qualification
Reinis Nitis’s trip in the third qualification5min
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Nitišs started the third qualifying race in the most unfavorable starting place, but the pilot was able to advance to the third position. Nitišs took the lead until the end of the race, but unlike his competitors, he still had to make the joker lap. Although Anton Marklund finished first, Reinis retained the second position after the joker lap, improving his chances of reaching the semi-finals.
Interview with Rhine Niš after the third qualification
Interview with Reini Nitis after the third qualification1min
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Nitišs said after the third qualification in an interview on Latvian Television that the car has yet to find the best technical regulations. The third trip was better, but there were also technical difficulties.
In the last qualifying race, Nitišs won 11th place and was in the same position in the overall qualifying standings, the penultimate being among the semi-finalists.
Jānis Baumanis’ first trip in “Projekt E” qualification
Four vehicles started in the electric car class “Projekt E”, and in the first qualification Baumanis reached the finish line convincingly first.
Interview with Jānis Bauman after the first qualification
After the first ride, Baumanis said that it was difficult on the track, because in a new car there is more excitement than in the usual environment, but at the same time very exciting. Baumanis thanked the fans who came to Biķernieki track, as well as invited to support both him and Reini Nitišs.
Interview with Reini Nitišs before the race
Nitišs admitted in an interview on Latvian Television before the race that he had little time to get to know his Škoda Fabia vehicle, and the team was still trying to adjust the last nuances shortly before the race days. Nitišs emphasized that a successful start is very important in rallycross, where there are a lot of significant nuances.
Interview with Andris Bauman before the race
Jānis Baumanis’ father and spotter at the race Andris Baumanis said in a conversation on Latvian Television that there is no stress in the electric car test, because all four participants do not see the race as fierce competition, but as an opportunity to learn new technical possibilities. Andris Baumanis believes that next season his son could return to the “Supercar” class, which this season denied membership due to sponsorship problems Covid-19 crisis.
Interview with Jānis Bauman before the race
Jānis Baumanis, on the other hand, said that driving an electric car is different, but the smile on his face was an opportunity to try something new. Jānis estimates that adjusting the electric vehicle for the competition is simpler, but for the first time it has its own specifics.
Safety conditions in media work on Biķernieki track
The race on the Biķernieki track will take place in special epidemiological safety conditions, which prevent filming of what is happening in the technical area.
Another stage in Biķernieki is scheduled for Sunday, when the sixth stage of the world championship will take place. During the European Championship stage, only two qualifying races took place on Saturday and the fight for victory will continue on Sunday.
After the four stages so far, the six highest positions in the overall ranking of the World Championship are occupied by Nordic motorists. The leader with 111 points is Johann Christoferson from Sweden, followed by his compatriot Matthias Extreme with 94 points.
The current schedule is to complete 10 stages of the World Cup, the last of which is scheduled for mid-December in the Nürburgring, Germany. LTV7 and replay.lv will be able to see the stages of the World Championship live.
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