Craig Breen

Craig Breen (born 2 February 1990) is an Irish rally driver. He is the current World Rally Championship Academy champion, winning his first event at the 2011 Rallye Deutschland and sealing the championship with a win at Wales Rally GB. The Academy title going down to the last stage, with Breen and Estonian rally driver Egon Kaur ending the season, both on 111 points, Breen then won the title on count back of stage wins, 39 to 14.

Contents

Career

Craig is the son of Ray Breen, a national champion in Irish rallying. He began karting in 1999 in Ireland. He began rallying in 2007, combining it with karting commitments in Europe in 2008.

In 2009 he made the full-time switch to rallying, competing in the Irish, British and International Fiesta Sporting Trophys, winning all three championships, the Irish Junior Championship. He also went on to win the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout and was award a twelve month contract with M-Sport. For his achievements Breen was crowned Young Irish Rally Driver of the Year and received the Billy Coleman Award. [1]

In 2010 he debuted the Ford Fiesta S2000in both British Rally Championshipand the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. He took his first BRC victory on the 2010 Ulster Rally and went on to finish 2nd O/A in the ITC. He also finished 17th overall in the car on 2010 Rally Finland and 12th overall at [[Wales Rally GB|Wales Rally GB].

For 2011, Breen competed in the WRC Academy driving an Ford Fiesta R2. He won his first WRC event at the Rallye Deutschland[2] and his win at Wales Rally GB made him the inaugural WRC Academy Cup champion.[3]

WRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points
2009 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta ST IRE NOR CYP POR
25		 ARG ITA GRE POL FIN
26		 NC 0
Ford Fiesta R2 AUS ESP
36		 GBR
39
2010 Castrol Ford Team Türkiye Ford Fiesta SWE MEX JOR TUR
22		 NZL POR BUL NC 0
Craig Breen Ford Fiesta S2000 FIN
19		 DEU JPN FRA ESP
Barwa Rally Team GBR
12
2011 PS Engineering Ford Fiesta S2000 SWE MEX POR JOR ITA ARG GRE FIN DEU AUS FRA ESP
15		 GBR NC 0

SWRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 SWRC Points
2010 Barwa Rally Team Ford Fiesta S2000 SWE MEX JOR NZL POR FIN DEU JPN FRA GBR
2		 12th 18
2011 PS Engineering Ford Fiesta S2000 MEX JOR ITA GRE FIN DEU FRA ESP
4		 10th 12

WRC Academy Results

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 WDC Points
2011 Craig Breen POR
Ret		 ITA
8		 FIN
2		 DEU
1		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
1		 1st 111

References

  1. ^ "Craig Breen adds Fiesta Sport Trophy International series as an amazing fourth rally title in 2009!". RallyBuzz. http://www.rallybuzz.com/breen-clinches-fsti-title-gb-09/. Retrieved 24 August 2010. 
  2. ^ "WRC Academy wrap: Breen takes maiden win". WRC. 20 August 2011. http://wrc.com/news/wrc-academy-wrap-breen-takes-maiden-win/?fid=15234&page=5588. Retrieved 21 August 2011. 
  3. ^ "WRC Academy wrap: Breen wins title in thrilling finish". WRC. 12 November 2011. http://wrc.com/news/wrc-academy-wrap-breen-takes-maiden-win/?fid=15234&page=5588. Retrieved 13 November 2011. 

External links