Marathon Season Ahead for Craig Breen

On the 24th of October last year Craig Breen secured a place in the inaugural season of the WRC Academy by winning one of six places at the Pirelli Star Driver Global Shootout in Salou, Spain. After hearing the news Craig said "It's time for me to move on to the next step of my career." Now as Craig turns twenty one he is about to embark on that next step.

In all Craig has outlined a marathon 2011 season that takes in 18 events. Six based within the WRC Academy and another ten, one off events based in Ireland and the UK. The season begins on the snow and ice of World Rally Sweden, where Craig will drive his Fiesta S2000 and the Waterford drivers schedule also takes in Rally Estonia in July.

The Craig Breen Rallying 2011 season will be prioritised by Craig's participation in the World Rally Championship Academy. The Academy consists of six events all of which are European based. The series opens in March with the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, round two moves to Italy for Rally d'italia Sardinia in early May. There's a break until late July when Craig returns to Jyvaskyla, for Neste Oil Rally Finland. All three events in the first half of the season are loose surface based and it's not until round four when the Academy drivers taste asphalt for the first time. Round four in August is located in the Mosel region in Germany with the rally based in the City of Trier. The second tarmac event follows as the Academy travels to France for the penultimate round and take place on the first weekend of October. The finally to the inaugural running of the WRC Academy season sees the showdown taking place in Wales on WRC Rally Great Britain in November.

As the Academy Championship is a one make series, using the Fiesta R2 model and there are gaps between the championship events Craig has decided to concentrate his full attention for 2011 on the front wheel drive R2 car. The team initially planned to utilise their current Fiesta S2000 and use the gaps within the academy schedule to enter SWRC events throughout the season, but after re-evaluating the academy and to maximize Craig's ambitions the team has targeted gravel and tarmac events at home in Ireland and in the British Rally Championship.

Craig is currently in Norway testing for WRC Rally Sweden. He will use his Fiesta S2000 for his opening event but then the Waterford driver will revert to his Fiesta R2 car that the team has purchased recently, Craig will use this car on non Academy events during the season. On the six counting Academy rounds Craig will drive a Fiesta R2 prepared by M-Sport which comes as part of his Pirelli Star Driver Global Shootout success in 2010.