Craig Breen was an Irish rally driver who last competed part time for the Hyundai team in the World Rally Championship.
24 Facts About Craig Breen
2.
Craig Breen won the 2012 Super 2000 WRC, scoring class wins in the Monte Carlo Rally, Wales Rally GB, Rally France and the Rally of Spain.
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Craig Breen won the 2021 Rentokil Historic Rally in Killarney, Kerry, Ireland in his BMW M3 E30.
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Craig Breen died on 13 April 2023 after a collision during a pre-event test ahead of the 2023 Croatia Rally.
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Craig Breen began rallying in 2007, combining it with karting commitments in Europe in 2008.
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Craig Breen went on to win the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout and was awarded a twelve month contract with M-Sport.
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Craig Breen took his first BRC victory on the 2010 Ulster Rally and went on to finish 2nd overall in the ITC.
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Craig Breen finished 17th overall in the car at the 2010 Rally Finland and 12th overall at Wales Rally GB.
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In 2011, Craig Breen competed in the WRC Academy driving a Ford Fiesta R2.
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Craig Breen won his first WRC event at the Rallye Deutschland and his win at Wales Rally GB made him the inaugural WRC Academy Cup champion.
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For 2012, Craig Breen progressed to the S-WRC championship driving a Ford Fiesta S2000.
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Craig Breen won the opening round at Monte Carlo and led the championship after the second round in Sweden.
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Craig Breen was successful, achieving five podium places during the season, and eventually finishing 3rd overall, missing out on the runner-up spot by only four points.
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Craig Breen won his first ERC rally at the 2014 Acropolis Rally in Greece, driving a Peugeot 208 T16.
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Craig Breen did a part-time campaign with the Citroen Total World Rally Team in 2016, achieving his maiden Special Stage win and an emotional first podium finish with third place at the 2016 Rally Finland.
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Craig Breen improved the result in 2018 by finishing second at the 2018 Rally Sweden.
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Craig Breen joined Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT for two events in the 2019 WRC campaign, remaining with the team on a part-time campaign through to the end of the 2021 WRC season.
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In October 2021, it was announced that Craig Breen would join M-Sport World Rally Team as their lead driver for the 2022 season.
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Craig Breen joined Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith in competing at all 13 rounds, making it his first full-time WRC campaign.
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Craig Breen achieved two podium finishes with the Ford Puma Rally1, with a second place in Italy and a third place on debut in Monte Carlo.
21.
Craig Breen moved from M-Sport back to Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT for the 2023 World Rally Championship, again as a part-time driver for the Korean team.
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Craig Breen started his campaign in Sweden with a second place finish which saw him leading the rally for a considerable part of the event.
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Craig Breen died on 13 April 2023, aged 33, after a crash driving his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 rally car in a testing session for the 2023 Croatia Rally.
24.
Craig Breen's funeral took place on 18 April 2023 at The Sacred Heart Church in Ferrybank.