IRC 2WD Cup success for confident Abbring

Kevin Abbring says the confidence he felt with his pacenotes and with the handling of his Clio R3 were pivotal to his victory in the IRC 2WD Cup section of the Geko Ypres Rally, which finished in the historic Belgian town on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old Dutch driver beat fellow youngster and Clio runner Pierre Campana after a close fight between the pair, which ended in them finishing in a fine 11th and 12th overall respectively, separated by 33 seconds after 292 competitive kilometres.

“To win was quite a surprise but I really liked these roads and this rally,” said Abbring, who also won the Clio R3 European Trophy round, which was running in tandem with the main IRC event. “I felt confident with my car and with my pacenotes from the beginning and I think that made the difference.”

Campana, who overcame brake problems and two punctures, has moved into the lead of the IRC 2WD Cup standings following his second place finish. The Corsican is due to return to IRC action on Barum Czech Rally Zlín in August although Abbring has yet to reveal his plans for the remainder of the season.