Enrique Cruz Triumphs at 42nd Orvecame Norte Rally in Tenerife

The local driver showcased his consistency to overcome Alexey Lukyanuk and secure victory in the second round of the Canary Islands Asphalt Rally Championship.

Image of a rally car tire on a dirt road, with a volcanic landscape in the background.
IA

Image of a rally car tire on a dirt road, with a volcanic landscape in the background.

Tenerife driver Enrique Cruz, alongside co-driver Yeray Mujica, has been crowned winner of the 42nd Orvecame Norte Rally in Tenerife, overcoming Russian driver Alexey Lukyanuk in an exciting competition held this Saturday.

The event, part of the Canary Islands Asphalt Rally Championship (CCRA), saw Cruz and Mujica, driving their Toyota GR Rally2, set the fastest time of 1:03’04.3’’. This victory solidifies their position in the championship, where the rivalry with Lukyanuk is expected to be a recurring theme.
Lukyanuk, accompanied by Yury Kulikov in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, finished in second place with a time of 1:03’55.6’’, 56 seconds behind the winners. Third place went to Sergio Fuentes and Tecorice Hernández, also in a Fabia RS Rally2, who completed the course in 1:04’45.4’’.
Friday's stage had favored Lukyanuk, who went to bed as the leader after a strong performance in the rain on the Los Realejos-Aguamansa section. However, Saturday marked a turning point in the competition. Enrique Cruz gained ground in the La Corona-Montefrío-Llanito Perera section, where he cut almost 22 seconds off Lukyanuk's lead, taking over the lead in the third stage of the rally and holding it until the end.
Despite the defeat in Tenerife, Alexey Lukyanuk maintains the top spot in the CCRA with 71 points, thanks to his victory in Lanzarote and the 30 points obtained for second place in this event, plus three extra points from the TC Plus. Enrique Cruz follows closely with 65 points, while Yeray Lemes is in third place with 58 points.
Other notable drivers in the overall standings included Yeray Lemes (fourth with 1:04’56.4’’ in his Citroen C3 Rally2) and Manuel Mesa (fifth with 1:07’40.2’’ in his Ford Fiesta Rally2). The competition promises more excitement in the upcoming championship rounds.