i20 N Rally2 crew Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin took two superb overall victories
Hyundai Motorsport customers further boosted their title hopes as they approach the mid-point of the year with great results in both circuit racing and rallying. Two dominant overall victories for Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin carried on an excellent start to their season and podiums across Europe underline the strength of the i20 N Rally2 in national series.
1-2 for i20 N Rally2 crews on Croatian event
i20 N Rally2 crews finished 1-2 on the Delta Rally (June 6-9), with Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin overall victors by nearly two minutes. The pair had been part of a close battle for victory during the opening day of the rally but found themselves clear in the lead after their rivals suffered an accident on SS10. Even then they refused to ease off their terrific pace – taking victory on three of the last four stages and nearly doubling their advantage over the more cautious Antal Kovács and Gergő Istovics. The Hungarian crew picked up two stage wins to Turk and Kacin’s nine and were promoted to second at the same moment they took the lead, before opting for a safer approach through the final loop to avoid any unwanted late drama.
Dominant win continues Turk and Kacin’s excellent start to 2024 season
Hyundai Slovenia-supported i20 N Rally2 crew Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin added a second victory in the national championship to their fast start to the season. The duo led throughout Rally Velenje (May 23-25), winning five of the eleven stages on their way to win with an advantage of more than 30 seconds.
Marko Grossi and Tara Berlot finished fifth overall in their i20 R5 after losing ground over the closing stages. The defending Slovenia champions contributed to a pair of Hyundai Motorsport customer 1-2s on the stages behind Turk and Kacin and were third overall with four stages remaining.
Consistent run results in second place
Michaël Burri and Gaëtan Aubry finished second overall on Rallye International du Chablais (May 30-June 1) in an i20 N Rally2. They were consistent for the duration of the rally, allowing them to make up ground after setting the fourth fastest time on the opening stage. It took then just three stages to climb to second, but the continued to improve their pace, ending the rally with three stage wins to their credit.
Charles Munster and Loïc Dumont set the fastest time on SS2 with their i20 N Rally2, and were in contention for the podium places, before crashing out on the first stage of day two.
BMA crew complete podium in latest Belgian Championship outing
Bastien Rouard and Félicien Poncelet finished as the best of the three BMA-run i20 N Rally2 crews at the Sezoensrally (May 18). The pair ran trouble-free during the event – round three of the Belgian Rally Championship to secure the podium and a share of the prize money for the i20 N Rally European Challenge, which includes every round of the series.
Charles Munster and Loïc Dumont finished just off the podium, with a stage win to their name. Cédric Cherain and Damien Withers – the leading i20 N Rally2 pair at both the first two rounds – struggled by comparison in the changing conditions but were still on course for a top five finish before having to change a puncture on the penultimate stage.
Final stage victory helps maintain podium streak for French Gravel Championship crew
Victory on the final stage of Rallye Terre d’Aléria (May 24-25) helped Laurent Pellier secure a second consecutive runner-up finish, and a third podium of the season in the French Gravel Rally Championship. Alongside co-driver Kévin Bronner he held a podium position for the entire rally – despite a spin on SS2.
i20 N Rally2 crews show strong pace in Danish Championship round
i20 N Rally2 drivers Simon Vallentin Hansen and Ib Kragh finished second and fourth respectively on Rally Sønderjylland (May 25) in the Danish Rally Championship. Vallentin Hansen and his co-driver Karsten Isaksen claimed victory on three of the eight stages and held second from start to finish. Kragh and Jeannette Kvick Andersson started and ended the rally in fourth but had to recover lost ground after slipping to sixth overall after SS2.
Day 2 push propels Dutch crew to second place finish
Three fastest times on the second and final day of the ELE Rally (May 24-25) ended with i20 N Rally2 crew Kevin van Deijne and Hein Verschuuren finishing second overall after a rally-long fight for the podium spots. The pairing had started on top, with stage victory on SS1, but dropped to fourth after the following test. That proved to be the low point for van Deijne and Verschuuren as they recovered to third before the overnight halt.
On the longer second, and final, day of the contest they again showed excellent pace – leading the way three times, the first of which moved them up to the second place they would hold to end of the event.
They finished as the best of four Hyundai Motorsport customer crews in the top ten overall. Swedish driver Stig Andervang had the pace to join van Deijne on the overall podium, through a 60-second penalty limited him and his Dutch co-driver Johan Findhammer to a fifth place finish. Ronald van Loon and Martin Nortier were seventh in an i20 R5, ahead of Henk Vossen and Radboud van Hoek in eighth, Vossen’s best performance yet in his first year with the i20 N Rally2.
i20 R5 pair take class win and overall podium in the USA
Partick Gruszka and Aris Mantopoulos won their class and finished third overall on the Southern Ohio Forest Rally (June 6-8) in an i20 R5. They were the fastest crew in the RC2 category on 13 of the 16 competitive stages, confirming their position beyond all doubt.
Irish pair John Coyne and Eoin Treacy were fastest in class on two stages aboard their PCRS-run i20 N Rally2 – including on the Power Stage – though a problem during the opening day prevented them from taking a strong overall result to match.
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Benoit Nogier said:
“The Customer Racing department and our customers can be quite happy looking back on results over the last few weeks. Our rallying customers have also enjoyed a strong period of results, with podiums in national events across Europe – including at the most recent event of the i20 N Rally2 European Challenge – and a pair of overall wins for Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin in their campaigns.”
