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Unforeseen risks assessed
V.Žala explained that this year is not only different due to the pandemic, but he also noticed that he has a significant advantage in the Lithuanian Car Rally Championship against the competitors and decided to implement a somewhat unusual plan: to start in the Rally Elektrėnai, but not finish.
Speaking about this plan before, the rider was not sure if he could really implement it, but said that such a choice would save the team’s main goal: to start in the most difficult race in the world, Dakar.
However, after consulting with the copilot, the rider informed that the initial plan will not be “burned”, since Andris Malnieks assured that the start only in the first stage, which would “win” 0 points, can be recognized as a violation of the rules.
“In the Elektrėnai rally we will not only start, but also finish. Andris gave me the devil for the original strategy. He can often be seen in the role of competition judge in rally, rally-cross and other competitions. The co-driver is realized that the plan that I had come up with could be interpreted as an infraction. So either we start and “drive” to the end, or we don’t drive, “explained the Agrorodeo team driver.
Looking for other ways to save
V.Žala admitted that even though the team in the classic rally has a kind of training before the big start in January in Saudi Arabia, they don’t want to miss the chance to become Lithuanian car rally champions.
Speaking about the “no-burn” plan to save, the athlete said that he would try to deal with budget problems in other ways, and during the next stages of the classic rally he will tighten his belt more sparingly.
“I have already decided how we can save during the Elektrėnai rally and the stage in Zarasai. In the previous stages, we invested in sports car insurance so that we could afford a little more while driving, but now we will not buy insurance for the remaining two stages and will try to drive a little more conservatively. In this way, I will save at least six thousand euros, “said the driver.
It is true that the Agrorodeo team rider did not hide that the decision to drive more carefully does not mean that the team does not try to become the leader of the stage. V.Žala assured that if he is already driving throughout the stage, he will try to achieve the best results.
The third qualifying stage of this year’s Lithuanian Car Rally Championship “Rally Elektrėnai” will take place from September 11 to 12.
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