What’s in a number? Reinis Nitiss #15

There are a lot of new things for Latvian star Reinis Nitiss to get acclimatised to this season in the World Rallycross Championship. A new team in EKS, new team mates in Mattias Ekstrom and Toomas Heikkinen and a new stead in the Championship-winning Audi S1 EKS RX quattro.

But, one thing that has remained consistent for Nitiss, as it has throughout his rallycross career, is his number: #15.

Nitiss arrived on the FIA European Rallycross Championship scene in 2012, driving a part-season in a Peugeot 206. He switched to a Renault Clio run by the Set Promotion squad in 2013, and dominated. In his first full campaign he lifted the front-wheel drive crown and progressed straight to Supercar.

Having made his Supercar debut in a national event at Kinnekulle, Sweden at the close of 2013, in only the third-ever World RX event he claimed victory in Norway, on June 15 2014, beating home hero Petter Solberg hands down in the final.

“It’s a cool coincidence that my maiden World RX victory in Hell took place on the 15^th of June. For sure, that added an extra meaning to the number,” says Nitiss.

“My dad used to race in autocross and autotrek with 45 on his car. I don’t know if it’s a visual resemblance or maybe nothing, but I have always raced some combinations of 1 and 5. 15, 51, 151…. But, then I won some karting races with 15 on my kart and decided to stick with it.”

“On rallycross cars it has always been 15, but there is no other deeper meaning to it than that really, I just like it. I’m not that attached to it though – I would swap 15 for 1 any day, without thinking twice!”

Driving the third car for reigning champions EKS this season presents Nitiss with one of his best opportunities yet to fight for improving his number by 14, to 1.