Colin O’Hanlon
BY any standards, Craig Breen has had quite the fortnight. Two weeks ago he completed an astonishing fight back to beat Estonian Egon Kaur in the last stage of the Wales Rally GB, dramatically clinching the inaugural World Rally Academy Championship. Last week in Austria, Breen beat 30 of the world’s best young drivers to win the race of future champions, cementing a place in the prestigious FIA Institute Academy for 2012.
His homecoming last Saturday, driving around Waterford City, may be the first of many local celebrations this young man will enjoy in a career only in its infancy. At 21, Breen has yet to taste major disappointment as year on year he has improved, continually winning categories and making the step up with consummate ease.
Yet last weekend was perhaps the first time his achievements really hit home.
“It was amazing, there was a great turnout and it was fantastic to see how well received it was considering it’s a minority sport in Ireland at the end of the day,” he said.
“For the people to be giving such a warm welcome when I got home, it was definitely overwhelming. The sheer size of the amount of people was the one thing I will never forget. It was fantastic and definitely a proud moment.”
Success has led to a hectic 2012 schedule for Breen, a season that gets underway in the luxurious setting of Monte Carlo in less than two months time.
“The FIA Academy will be a small part of it, the SWRC [Super 2000 World Rally Championship] and possibly the IRC [Intercontinental Rally Championship]. It’s going to be a very busy year but I’m looking forward to it — everything is in position now to start,” he enthused.
“Obviously if we can win the SWRC next year it would be fantastic, hopefully in the next couple of years we can get ourselves into the WRC full time.”
His future is certainly one that Irish rallying fans will follow with great interest, as Breen has lofty ambitions for a career that has no limitations.
“I hope I will be driving full time in the WRC, if I haven’t been a World Champion at that stage I won’t be happy.”
Breen’s success has come at a time when rallying is suffering a decline in participation numbers in Ireland. The recession has had a major impact on a sport which requires ample investment for involvement.
“Hopefully what I’ve done over the past two weeks will give a bit of a boost to the rallying back at home. We still have a healthy championship and hopefully if the times improve rallying will be on the up again,” he said.
“I hope what I have done has been some bit inspirational and that any young fella, if they have the right determination and speed, they can pull anything off.”
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/9gbSMJhqOmQ/post.aspx
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