Second round of the Abarth Rally Cup: Off to Latvia, off to the Rally Liepaja

– Three Abarth 124 rally cars will compete in the European Championship round in Latvia.
– In addition to the Latvian Reinis Nitišs and co-driver Māris Kulšs, the two Poles Dariusz Polonski and Lukasz Sitek as well as the Italian Andrea Nucita and his Romanian co-driver Alina Pop are also fighting for points.
– The decision will be made on 13 gravel special stages over 206 kilometers.

With its demanding and very fast gravel special stages, the Liepāja Rally in Latvia (24 - 26 May 2019) provides the stage for the second round of the Abarth Rally Cup. The one-make cup will be held with the current Abarth 124 rally as part of the European Championship.

In 2018, Italian driver Simone Tempestini drove the best-placed Abarth 124 rally at the Liepāja Rally. This time, three teams will be competing for the brand with the scorpion logo. The young Latvian driver Reinis Nitišs will be making his debut behind the wheel of the Abarth 124 rally. He is driving for the French team Milano Racing together with his compatriot Māris Kulšs. Nitišs, who is an experienced rallycross driver and was European champion in 2013, is looking forward to the new experience: “In rallycross, we are not used to driving rear-wheel drive cars. A rally with the Abarth 124 rally is new territory for me. In fact, I gained my previous experience with this type of drive concept in the karts and buggies that I drove in rallycross. So the rally is a big challenge for me, but I am ready to face it. The Abarth 124 rally is a new thrill for me – and I’m really looking forward to the start in Liepāja.”

Pole Dariusz Polonski and co-driver Lukasz Sitek, who are racing for the Rallytechnology team, are about to start their second race of the season. They finished their first rally with the Abarth 124 rally on the Canary Islands with third place in the Abarth Rally Cup. However, a gravel rally is new territory for Polonski. "On the Canary Islands I had the opportunity to get to know and appreciate the performance of the Abarth 124 rally on asphalt. Now I will try to get the best out of this extraordinary vehicle on gravel too. My goal is to achieve a result that will help me win the Abarth Rally Cup."

The third crew to start at the Rally Liepāja are Italian Andrea Nucita and his Romanian co-driver Alina Pop. Nucita, who can build on a wealth of experience and some successes with the Abarth 124 rally, drives for the Bernini Rally Team. Before the start, the 29-year-old Sicilian said: "We definitely want to show what we can do on gravel too. Because I am sure that our Abarth with rear-wheel drive can also be spectacular here in Latvia."

The first stage starts on Saturday in Liepāja, a port city on the Baltic Sea. The first stage comprises five special stages. On Sunday, another eight special stages await the participants. The finish in Liepāja is expected at around 19.00 p.m. The route is 859 kilometers long, 206 of which are on the 13 special stages.

Stand Abarth Rally Cup before the Liepāja Rally

1. Monarri/Chamorro (SPA) 25 points

2. García Perez/ Díaz Negrin (SPA) 18

3. Polonski/Sitek (POL) 15

4. Nucita/Ferrara (ITA) 12.

Press contact:
Anne Wollek
Phone: +49 69 66988-450
Email: anne.wollek@fcagroup.com

Photo: FCA Group