Reinis Nitišs(born 16 December 1995) is arallycrossdriver fromJēkabpils,Latvia.He is the winner of the Super1600 division in theEuropean Rallycross Championshipin 2013 and is the youngest event winner inFIA World Rallycross Championshiphistory.
Reinis Nitišs | |
---|---|
Nationality | Latvian |
Born | Jēkabpils,Latvia | 16 December 1995
FIA ERX Supercar Championshipcareer | |
Debut season | 2018 |
Current team | Set Promotion |
Starts | 5 |
Championships | 1 (2018) |
Wins | 3 |
Podiums | 4 |
FIA World Rallycross Championship | |
Years active | 2014–2017,2019-2020 |
Former teams | Olsbergs MSE Münnich Motorsport EKS RX GRX SET ESmotorsport-Eigesa WRX Team |
Starts | 53 |
Wins | 1 |
Podiums | 8 |
Best finish | 3rd in2014 |
FIA ERX Super1600 Championship | |
Years active | 2012–2013 |
Former teams | Set Promotion SKN Sports |
Starts | 14 |
Championships | 1 (2013) |
Wins | 6 |
Podiums | 8 |
Championship titles | |
2013 2012 2011 2011 2009 2009 | European Rallycross Championship (Super1600) NEZ Rallycross Championship Estonian Rallycross Championship Baltic Rallycross Championship Latvian Karting Championship Baltic Karting Championship |
Biography
editEarly career
editNitišs started racing go-karts at the age of seven and was quickly successful having won multiple Latvian national titles and the Baltic series by 13. He moved into rallycross and dominated the Baltic and NEZ championships before moving into the European Super1600 category in 2012. The 2013 season brought about a very successful period in which he won 6 out of 9 events on his way to the title.[1]
World Rallycross
edit- Olsbergs MSE (2014–15)
In 2014 he debuted in theFIA World Rallycross ChampionshipSupercar category, driving aFord FiestaforOlsbergs MSE(OMSE) alongsideAndreas Bakkerud.[2]His career started promisingly, with a semi-final win and ultimately a podium finish in hisfirst race,followed by qualification for the final in hissecond- which he later failed to take part in due to engine failure. His third event inNorwaybrought his first and so far only win in World Rallycross. A further three podiums and points finishes in every round cemented third place in the standings at seasons' end behindPetter SolbergandToomas Heikkinen.
Despite staying with OMSE, 2015 was a much tougher year for Nitišs - the highlights being second inHockenheimand third inBelgium.He failed to qualify for the semi-finals twice and despite once again finishing every round in the points he finished seventh in the standings compared to Bakkerud in fourth with over two events worth of points in hand.
- Münnich Motorsport (2016)
For 2016, Nitišs switched to German outfitMünnich Motorsportand their brand newSEAT IbizaSupercar.[3]The first half of the season was challenging for him, with the new car's unreliability restricting him to two semi-final appearances. Following the initial struggle, Nitišs ultimately quit the team effective after theFrench round,despite reaching the final there.[4]
- Return to Olsbergs MSE (2016)
He returned to OMSE for three of the final four rounds, skippingGermanyto allow the team to give RX Lites title winnerCyril Raymonda run in a Supercar.[5]He made the semi-finals twice, at his inaugural home round inLatviaas well asArgentina.
- Audi Sport EKS RX (2017)
On 20 February 2017, it was announced that Nitišs would move to reigning championsAudi Sport EKS RXfor the2017 season.The move will see the Latvian driving a third car which, under the current rules, is ineligible to score teams' championship points.[6]
Racing record
editComplete FIA North European Zone (NEZ) Rallycross Championship results
edit(key)
NEZ-1600
editYear | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Position | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | SKN Sports | Peugeot 206 | DEN 2 |
NOR 1 |
LTU1 1 |
LTU2 4 |
1st | 70[7] |
Complete FIA European Rallycross Championship results
edit(key)
Super1600
editYear | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ERX | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | SKN Sports | Peugeot 206 | GBR |
FRA |
AUT |
HUN |
NOR |
SWE (16) |
BEL 16 |
NED 14 |
FIN 12 |
GER 15 |
23rd | 11 |
2013 | SET Promotion | Renault Clio | GBR 6 |
POR 4 |
HUN 1 |
FIN 1 |
NOR 1 |
SWE 2 |
FRA 1 |
AUT 1 |
GER 1 |
1st | 227 |
Supercar
editYear | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ERX | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Set Promotion | Ford Fiesta | BAR 1 |
BEL 2 |
SWE 1 |
FRA 6 |
LAT 1 |
1st | 135 |
Complete FIA World Rallycross Championship results
edit(key)
Supercar
editYear | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | WRX | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Ford Olsbergs MSE | Ford Fiesta ST | POR 3 |
GBR 7 |
NOR 1 |
FIN 3 |
SWE 4 |
BEL 8 |
CAN 4 |
FRA 2 |
GER 16 |
ITA 11 |
TUR 7 |
ARG 2 |
3rd | 210 | |
2015 | Olsbergs MSE | Ford Fiesta ST | POR 11 |
HOC 2 |
BEL 3 |
GBR 5 |
GER 7 |
SWE 5 |
CAN 9 |
NOR 7 |
FRA 16 |
BAR 9 |
TUR 7 |
ITA 9 |
ARG 14 |
7th | 167 |
2016 | all-inkl Münnich Motorsport | SEAT Ibiza | POR 15 |
HOC 13 |
BEL 12 |
GBR 21 |
NOR 12 |
SWE 18 |
CAN 13 |
FRA 5 |
16th | 44 | |||||
Olsbergs MSE | Ford Fiesta | BAR 13 |
LAT 11 |
GER |
ARG 10 |
||||||||||||
2017 | EKS RX | Audi S1 | BAR 10 |
POR 5 |
HOC 12 |
BEL 13 |
GBR 16 |
NOR 10 |
SWE 18 |
CAN 16 |
FRA 12 |
LAT 11 |
GER 12 |
RSA 18 |
14th | 71 | |
2019 | GRX SET | Hyundai i20 | ABU 11 |
BAR | BEL | GBR | NOR | SWE 3 |
CAN | FRA | LAT 8 |
RSA | 14th | 40 | |||
2020 | ESmotorsport-Eigesa WRX Team | Škoda Fabia | SWE | SWE | FIN | FIN | LAT 11 |
LAT 13 |
ESP | ESP | 19th | 12 |
Complete Global RallyCross Championship results
edit(key)
GRC Lites
editYear | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | GRC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Olsbergs MSE | Lites Ford Fiesta | BRA |
MUN1 |
MUN2 |
LOU |
BRI |
IRW 5 |
ATL 6 |
CHA |
LV |
10th | 23 |
Records
edit- Youngest winner in World Rallycross Supercars, at 18 years and 6 months.
- First WRX event winner from outsideScandinavia.
- First WRX event winner from theBaltic states.
References
edit- ^"Set Promotion - History".SET Promotion.Retrieved20 March2017.
- ^"OlsbergsMSE previews 2014 team lineup".OlsbergsMSE.Retrieved23 January2014.
- ^"NITISS MOVES TO ALL-INKL.COM RACING WITH NEW SEAT IBIZA".fiaworldrallycross. Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2017.Retrieved1 March2016.
- ^"REINIS NITIŠS AND ALL-INKL.COM MÜNNICH MOTORSPORT TO PART COMPANY AFTER LOHÉAC RX".reinisnitiss.Retrieved29 August2016.
- ^"REINIS NITIŠS TO JOIN OLSBERGS MSE FOR BARCELONA RX".reinisnitiss.Retrieved31 August2016.
- ^"Audi expands to third World RX car for Nitiss".Motorsport.Retrieved21 February2017.
- ^"Rallycross Tabellen/Standings (in German)".rallycross. Archived fromthe originalon September 5, 2014.Retrieved20 March2017.