RALLY LIEPAJA :: Eerik Pietarinen and Antti Linnaketo to compete at Rally Liepāja

LIEPĀJA, LATVIA
11/08/2020

Just a week after taking part in the mini “Jämsän Äijät Ralli” where they finished as runners-up, Eerik Pietarinen and his co-driver Antti Linnaketo are set to compete in Latvia on 15-16 August at Rally Liepāja, round two of the European Rally Championship, in a Skoda Fabia R5 prepared by TGS Worldwide.

Eerik Pietarinen ©EerikPietarinen

The interminable wait is finally over for the Finnish crew. After a long, enforced break, the time has come to return to racing with the Skoda Fabia R5 on gravel roads running from Talsi, through Liepāja to the west of the country. The event’s ten stages (total competitive distance of 180.51km), contested on fast and flowing roads, are popular with all the drivers and are sure to provide them with a healthy dose of adrenaline throughout the weekend.

For Eerik, the rally will above all be an opportunity to get his bearings with a new co-driver, as Antti Linnaketo will be sitting alongside him in Latvia, and also a chance to get the feeling back in the Skoda Fabia R5. Competing in the RC2 category of the ERC, he can expect to face some strong competition from the 19 R5 class cars taking part, driven by the likes of Mads Østberg and Craig Breen, who won here back in 2015. The Tuusula driver will therefore have quite a task on his hands but is eager to get back to racing.

“I’m really happy to be competing at Rally Liepāja in the Skoda Fabia R5. I have had great support not only from the TGS Worldwide team but also from all my sponsors, and I’d like to say how truly grateful I am to them for standing by me in these difficult times. My new co-driver, Antti Linnaketo, will be joining me in the car this season. His experience will be invaluable to me and I'm sure that we’ll work together really well, that’s certainly what I have seen so far in testing and at the ‘Jämsän Äijät Ralli’ last weekend. This is my first appearance at Rally Liepāja and I can't wait to get started. The event is going to be another challenge for me.”

Rally Liepāja, held over two days on 15-16 August, will be organised in strict compliance with COVID-19-related restrictions and rules. We urge spectators to read the relevant information available on the event’s website and comply with all the safety instructions. Stay safe and enjoy!