Janis Baumanis couldn’t have asked for a better return to competition. On home soil in Riga, the Latvian took victory in Friday’s Open 4WD final.

Facing stiff competition from Joni Turpeinen and Maiko Tamm, Baumanis had to dig deep to secure the win after qualifying second in the standings behind the talented Estonian. But it was on the technical Latvian circuit that his experience really made the difference.

After winning Q1 and suffering a puncture in Q2, the local favourite bounced back in Q3 to post the second fastest time, just behind Viktor Vranckx.

From there, the path was clear for the former European Super1600 champion. After almost two years away from racing, Baumanis couldn’t help but reflect on the day with a smile on his face.

“Crossing the line in first place meant that the main goal was achieved and I’m really happy with that,” said Baumanis after the final.

“Looking at how the day went, the car definitely took a beating – you could say it picked up some battle scars along the way. It was hit several times, which is exactly what I was hoping to avoid… but hey, that’s rallycross. When you haven’t raced for 16 or 17 months, you tend to forget the less glamorous things – especially how much damage these cars can take. But that’s the nature of rallycross. Nothing is ever easy,” he adds with a grin, clearly pleased that his pace is still there.

“Nailing the start is everything. We’ve had some engine upgrades from our partner Oreca, but Maiko Tamm’s Ford is also getting off the line really well – and that’s true for a lot of drivers this weekend.”

“I tried to enjoy it as much as possible, especially in the semi-final when I was leading. I managed the gap and even in the final I could have pushed more, but there was no need. We’ve got another race tomorrow and it’s important to preserve the car – the goal will be to fight for the podium again.”

Driven by an enthusiastic home crowd, Baumanis is expecting an even more electric atmosphere for Saturday’s second race.

“Obviously it’s hard to feel the energy of the crowd from inside the 208, but I’ve seen some videos from the fans in the grandstands and I can’t thank them enough for coming out today. It was a Friday, people were at work – but I imagine many have made plans to be here tomorrow. I’m expecting an even bigger crowd to cheer on the Latvian drivers.”