On the eve of the 52nd Rally Bulgaria, we decided to take a look at the current standings in the national rally championship of Bulgaria and to examine how the competition will shape the course of the title battle in the 2023 season.
Martin Surilov / Zdravko Zdravkov (Citroen C3 Rally2) and Plamen Staykov / Rafi Kadır (Skoda Fabia R5) each have one victory, making the 2023 season one of the most contested in the recent history of rally discipline in our country.
Plamen Staykov leads with a mere of 2.8 points ahead of Martin Surilov, with his advantage stemming from a strong performance in the Tvarditsa rally, where he managed to score nine more points than Surilov. On the other hand, the Shumen native (Martin Surilov) proved himself on his home turf in the Stari Stolitsi rally, accumulating 6.2 points more than Staykov.
This makes the victory in the 52nd Rally Bulgaria significant for both drivers, despite facing serious competition from Romania.
Miroslav Angelov, whose performance so far places him in fifth position in the title battle, mathematically has the opportunity to disrupt the calculations of Plamen Staykov and Martin Surilov in the 52nd Rally Bulgaria. If the Veliko Tarnovo resident can capitalize on the advantage of competing in his home event to the fullest, he can steal crucial points and alter the distribution of forces in the national rally championship.
Will Plamen Staykov manage to retain the top spot in the championship? Will Martin Surilov once again prove that he has the necessary speed for victories? Will Miroslav Angelov make a return to the title battle? The answers to these questions will become clear this weekend at the 52nd Rally Bulgaria.
Photo: Ivaylo Starchev