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Meet Lithuanian Irina Jankovskaja, rally co-driver and occasional top model who uses several social networks to promote her rally success and capture people's attention on the world of rallying.
Irina was born on November 6th, 1985 and lives in Vilnius, Lithuania - a relatively small country squeezed between Poland and Latvia. Road racing is not very popular in these former Soviet countries; however, rally is.
“It all began very unexpectedly for me. I've always loved cars and I attended my first rally to help out friends who were competing. I then helped them on a regular basis. I became infected by a disease called adrenalin!” Irina told Auto123.com.
The young lady took her new interest very seriously. “I then became the team manager of a rally team. After that, I got my first experience as a co-driver in 2009. It was alongside a very good and safe driver, but I loved it. The rush of adrenaline was just fantastic. I needed more,” she added.
In 2012, Irina Jankovskaja started to post news about her new career on her Facebook page. At the time, she was a member of an all-girl rally team - Solisun Girls Rally Team -, running alongside Ukrainian Inessa Tushkanova. The two women impressed the onlookers with promising performances, placing as high as 14th overall in the Rally Master Show in Russia aboard their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.
Jankovskaja then stepped up to bigger events, held in Russia, Poland and her home country.
The 27-year-old never took the wheel of a rally car, as she prefers the job of pacing the notes.
“I only sit in the right hand seat. I try to do the best job I can. I really enjoy riding with professional drivers. I highly respect them for their talent. I love being inside the car and experience the thrills of pushing the car to the absolute limits. Did you ever fell in love? Rally brings me similar sensations! I love hearing the sound of the engine and feeling the need for speed.
“My goal is to not make mistakes, get everything right and score the best result possible,” Irina told us before revealing she would one day like to become a full-time co-driver.
“My life revolves around rallying. It's a wonderful life. But sometimes I have work as a model, but that's not what I want to do in life! Would I like to get a ride in a World Championship car one day? Yes! Yes!! It would be insane!” she insists.
This year, she competes in the Lithuanian Rally Championship alongside Remigijus Dermantas in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. The pair claimed 9th, 11th and 20th places overall in the three events they competed in so far this season.
“Sometimes there's a lot of frustration, and other times, it's really fantastic. I currently lie second in the point standings in my class. It's good, but the season is far from being over”, she told Auto123.com.
“A few months ago, we finished first in our class. The best moment was to take the well-deserved winners' cup in our hands, to see the champagne being sprayed around. It really was a thrilling moment,” Irina declared.
“Being a girl in a men sport is not a problem at all. I get along well with (the guys) and I even feel their respect for what I do. I love it. However, I don't think girls make better co-drivers. It depends on their temper, character and desire to be the best. You need to be calm and focused in the car despite the speed,” he added.
Irina, who admits a soft spot for BMW road cars, but also prefers Mitsubishis, says she enjoys getting in touch with her fan base through the social networks.
“Facebook is a good tool to relay information to my fans. It's like a blog. I also post news and videos of myself that are featured in the press. It provides the fans with a small glimpse of my life. I really like it. Sometimes, it's a lot of work, but it's always enjoyable!” she smiled.
Here are the Facebook pages to follow Irina:
https://www.facebook.com/SolisunGirlsRacingTeam
https://www.facebook.com/irina.jankovskaja.71
Irina was born on November 6th, 1985 and lives in Vilnius, Lithuania - a relatively small country squeezed between Poland and Latvia. Road racing is not very popular in these former Soviet countries; however, rally is.
 |
| Photo: Giedrius Bubliauskas |
“It all began very unexpectedly for me. I've always loved cars and I attended my first rally to help out friends who were competing. I then helped them on a regular basis. I became infected by a disease called adrenalin!” Irina told Auto123.com.
The young lady took her new interest very seriously. “I then became the team manager of a rally team. After that, I got my first experience as a co-driver in 2009. It was alongside a very good and safe driver, but I loved it. The rush of adrenaline was just fantastic. I needed more,” she added.
In 2012, Irina Jankovskaja started to post news about her new career on her Facebook page. At the time, she was a member of an all-girl rally team - Solisun Girls Rally Team -, running alongside Ukrainian Inessa Tushkanova. The two women impressed the onlookers with promising performances, placing as high as 14th overall in the Rally Master Show in Russia aboard their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.
Jankovskaja then stepped up to bigger events, held in Russia, Poland and her home country.
The 27-year-old never took the wheel of a rally car, as she prefers the job of pacing the notes.
 |
| 300 Lakes Rally 2013. (Photo: Vytautas Pilkauskas) |
“I only sit in the right hand seat. I try to do the best job I can. I really enjoy riding with professional drivers. I highly respect them for their talent. I love being inside the car and experience the thrills of pushing the car to the absolute limits. Did you ever fell in love? Rally brings me similar sensations! I love hearing the sound of the engine and feeling the need for speed.
“My goal is to not make mistakes, get everything right and score the best result possible,” Irina told us before revealing she would one day like to become a full-time co-driver.
“My life revolves around rallying. It's a wonderful life. But sometimes I have work as a model, but that's not what I want to do in life! Would I like to get a ride in a World Championship car one day? Yes! Yes!! It would be insane!” she insists.
This year, she competes in the Lithuanian Rally Championship alongside Remigijus Dermantas in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. The pair claimed 9th, 11th and 20th places overall in the three events they competed in so far this season.
 |
| Photo: Giedrius Bubliauskas |
“Sometimes there's a lot of frustration, and other times, it's really fantastic. I currently lie second in the point standings in my class. It's good, but the season is far from being over”, she told Auto123.com.
“A few months ago, we finished first in our class. The best moment was to take the well-deserved winners' cup in our hands, to see the champagne being sprayed around. It really was a thrilling moment,” Irina declared.
“Being a girl in a men sport is not a problem at all. I get along well with (the guys) and I even feel their respect for what I do. I love it. However, I don't think girls make better co-drivers. It depends on their temper, character and desire to be the best. You need to be calm and focused in the car despite the speed,” he added.
Irina, who admits a soft spot for BMW road cars, but also prefers Mitsubishis, says she enjoys getting in touch with her fan base through the social networks.
“Facebook is a good tool to relay information to my fans. It's like a blog. I also post news and videos of myself that are featured in the press. It provides the fans with a small glimpse of my life. I really like it. Sometimes, it's a lot of work, but it's always enjoyable!” she smiled.
Here are the Facebook pages to follow Irina:
https://www.facebook.com/SolisunGirlsRacingTeam
https://www.facebook.com/irina.jankovskaja.71