New car for 2015 DMACK trophy
Turbocharged 1 litre Fiesta to feature in 2015 trophy
Pärn secures DMACK trophy win in Spain
Estonian Sander Pärn has been crowned winner of the 2014 Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy on the series finale at RallyRACC - Rally de España today.
Holding a strong lead after winning the opening three rounds of the series, the 22-year-old and his Welsh co-driver James Morgan pair put in a measured drive to secure the inaugural title.
Their reward is a seven-round programme in the 2015 FIA WRC 2 championship driving a Ford Fiesta R5.
Pärn had taken a 29-point advantage into the final round which his championship rival Tom Cave was unable to overhaul.
Pärn said: “It’s an incredible feeling. We came to this rally knowing we must finish so really it’s been quite difficult to judge the pace. I must give a big thanks to all my supporters from Estonia and my family. James and myself have had a really great season, pushing when we could and backing off when we needed to. This prize is a great way to move forward from here.”
Welshman Cave led for much of the mixed-surface event after Pärn lost a minute on Friday when he was caught behind a slower competitor. Cave was forced to push hard for the additional points awarded for stage victories but he slid off the road on Sunday morning and dropped back to second.
That left Spanish driver Nil Solans to take victory on his home event. The 22-year-old used his home advantage to good effect, setting a raft of competitive times including his first-ever fastest stage time on Friday. When the rally switched to asphalt he upped the pace, eventually taking his maiden win by two minutes and two seconds from Cave.
Frenchman Quentin Gilbert was the early pacesetter in Spain however his perfect start came to a halt on Friday afternoon when he slid off the road and damaged the suspension on his Ford Fiesta R2. Gilbert returned to dominate the time-sheets with 11 stage wins which helped him secure third in the championship race.
Szymon Kornicki just edged out Max Vatanen for third place on the event but Vatanen ended up two points ahead in the championship and took the Rookie award.
Click here for more information about the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy.
