Sirmacis wins third class victory in three rallies despite technical issues
Latvian driver Ralfs Sirmacis, together with co-driver Māris Kulšs, won his class in the Lithuanian rally "Jusema Rally Ukmergė" despite technical problems and changing weather conditions.
Latvian rally driver Ralfs Sirmacis, with co-driver Māris Kulšs, achieved his third class victory in three rallies this weekend at the "Jusema Rally Ukmergė" in Lithuania. The event was full of challenges, including adverse weather and several technical issues with the car.
On Friday, during the second pass, a suspension arm broke. The team performed welding repairs, but the fix took longer than expected, causing Sirmacis to arrive late at a time control, resulting in a 40-second penalty. He drove the rest of the day with a partially repaired defect, and mechanics fully resolved the problem in the evening.
Saturday started well, with Sirmacis finding a rhythm and gradually recovering lost time. However, an electronic fault soon appeared, affecting the center differential. The driver noted that the car behaved differently in every corner – sometimes like a front-wheel drive, sometimes like a rear-wheel drive – making each turn unpredictable and making it difficult to maintain a stable pace.
Despite all the setbacks, the crew managed to finish the rally and secure the class win. "This only proves that fighting pays off until the very last meter," said Sirmacis, thanking his family, mechanics, sponsors, and fans for their support.
