and co-driver and it is something that Craig and Gareth obviously have in each other.
Summing up his partnership with Craig to date, Gareth says, “I've been with Craig three years and since the fi rst rally we've gone up the ladder. This year has been unbelievable.” 2011 has been spent competing in the SWRC, the competition within the World Rally Championship for S2000 cars, once again in a Fiesta. Their main focus has been on winning the WRC Academy, one of the most prestigious and valuable prizes in motorsport. That battle came down to the fi nal stage of the fi nal round, Wales Rally GB.
To deprive their Estonian rivals, Egon Kaur and Erik Lepikson of victory they had to win fi ve of the fi nal day's six stages. With the Estonians winning the fi rst stage of the day, Breen and Roberts could afford
no further slips and remarkably cleaned up the last fi ve stages to snatch the half million Euro cheque which must be used to fund their rallying next year.
Speaking after the event, Gareth said “It’s absolutely fabulous. … I believed we could do it and I told Craig that he could do it, and obviously everything went all right in the end.”
With father Michael having returned to competing on local road rallies and brother David enjoying considerable success in the British Rally Championship alongside another Irish driver, Jonny Greer, it seems like rallying will be the main topic of conversation at the Roberts dinner table for the foreseeable future.
issue19twothousand&twelve sportingwales
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