×

Win your car finance with CarFinance 247


If you win, we'll pay off the finance on your car. It's that simple! Your car becomes completely yours, free and clear.

This amazing offer is open to anyone who has secured car finance with us throughout 2023, including Decemeber 2023!

This means that there's still time to enter, get your finance in December, and you're automatically in!

The lucky winner will be announced the week beginning 5th February 2024 on our instagram page.

Terms and Conditions apply.

Rally Liepaja: Chris Ingram guns for the European Rally Championship

This weekend, Chris Ingram, one of Britain’s most promising young rally drivers has the chance to win two major rally championships. The 22-year old Manchester-born lad, backed by CarFinance 247, will be driving his rapid Opel (Vauxhall) Adam R2, a purpose-built two-wheel drive rally car with a 1.6-litre engine, at the Rally Liepaja in Latvia.

Written by James Foxall
Written by James Foxall
Main image

 

After a gruelling championship that’s already taken in five rounds in Portugal, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic and Italy, his season reaches its climax this weekend. Chris is attempting to win the two-wheel drive ERC 3 category for the second straight year as he bids to follow in the wheel tracks of legends such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns. Here’s all you need to know about his season so far.

 

 

What is the European Rally Championship?

The European Rally Championship, or ERC as it’s known, is the oldest rally series in the world. It dates back to 1953 with former winners including rally mega stars and multiple world champions such as Walter Röhrl and Miki Biasion.

To increase the ERC’s appeal and make it more of a training ground for the World Rally Championship stars of the future, it is split into various categories. In the progression up to the main ERC class, drivers are divided by the power of their motor, whether it has two or four-wheel drive and their age. Categories go from 1.6-litre turbocharged, four-wheel drive R5 in the main championship down to R2. Chris competes in ERC 3 and the ERC Junior Under 27 class with his R2 Adam.

 

image of chris ingrams rally car racing on cobbled road

 

How different is the Adam R2 rally car to an Adam in Vauxhall showrooms?

There are some trick ingredients that go into creating the Adam R2. It uses a specially tuned, 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine that boasts 187bhp, and drives the front wheels through a five-speed sequential gearbox and limited-slip differential. It gets adjustable dampers for the suspension, a powerful handbrake - for tight hairpins, not showing off in an empty car park – AP Racing brakes, Sparco seats and a tough roll-cage.

 

What’s at stake this weekend?

For Chris, two titles are up for grabs. He currently leads the ERC 3 class for R2 cars by a single point from Czech Filip Mareš with Finland’s Jari Huttunen 16 points behind. The ERC U27 Junior championship is an even more tightly fought affair. Mareš leads by two points from Ingram with Huttunen and Poland’s Aleks Zawada all in with a shout of taking overall victory.

 

image of chris ingram rally driver being interviewed in his rally car

 

What does winning mean?

The road towards being a fully-fledged World Rally Championship driver is a long, expensive and rocky one. For Ingram, winning the ERC Junior U27 class would mean €100,000 (£89,000) towards furthering his career next season. That would likely go towards his rallying in the main ERC and U28 Junior class with an R5 car.

 

How easy will taking the title be?

That’s complicated. Six events make up the ERC Junior class but drivers only count the points from their four best finishes. As with other championships such as Formula One that are run by governing body the FIA, drivers score 25 points for a win, 18 for second, 15 for third, down to one point for 10th. However, drivers can also score bonus points depending on where they finish each leg. It means Chris could win the rally but not take the title. Or at the other extreme, he could retire but still be crowned at the end of the rally courtesy of the bonus points system.

 

image of chris ingrams rally car racing on street road

 

How has the season so far gone?

After the first two rounds, it looked as if both ERC 3 and U27 categories were going to be an Ingram walkover. He won the first two events and remains the only driver to have won more than one rally in ERC 3 and U27. However, Czech rookie Mareš and his Peugeot 208 have come on strong in the last three rallies with two seconds and a win. Chris meanwhile has finished eighth, seventh and third. Ironically this could favour the Brit in the U27 class. Both he and Mareš could have to drop points after the rally and Ingram’s worst score would see him losing fewer points than his Czech rival’s. Whatever happens, it’s going to be a thrilling contest.

 

Where is the Rally Liepaja?

Liepaja is the third largest city in Latvia and a seaside resort on the Baltic coast. Think Blackpool but for slightly hardier bathers. That’s because Liepaja is known throughout its country as ‘the city where the wind is born’ due to its constant and fresh sea breeze. The 125 competitive miles of the rally are split into 13 stages. Apart from one city centre special stage, the majority will be held around gravel tracks on the outskirts of the city.



Written by James Foxall
James Foxall

* The UK's largest online car finance broker by unique users to the website. Based on Similar Web data – 1,137,647 to CarFinance 247 vs. 753,819 for nearest competitor. January to June 2023.

CarFinance 247 is a trading name of CarFinance 247 Limited. Registered office: Universal Square, Devonshire Street North, Manchester, M12 6JH. Registered in England. (Registration Number 06035525).

CarFinance 247 is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for insurance distribution and credit broking (Firm Reference Number: 653019). CarFinance 247 is registered with the ICO (Registration Number Z1897658).

Finance is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Written quotations are available on request.

This site uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience. By continuing to use the site you are consenting for cookies to be used. Further information on cookies and how you can disable them is available on our cookie policy.