Jesús Puras Vidal de la Peña (born March 16 1963), also known as 'Chus Puras', is a Spanish rally driver active in the World Rally Championship from 1991 to 2002. Puras was well known for his blistering performances on tarmac rallies.
Career
Puras debuted in rallying in 1982 and captured the Spanish Rally Championship title eight times; in 1990 and 1992 with a Lancia Delta Integrale 16V, in 1995 and 1997 with a Citroën ZX 16S, from 1998 to 2000 with a Citroën Xsara Kit Car and in 2002 with a Citroën Xsara WRC. Driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth, he also won the 1994 FIA Group N Cup (now as World Rally Championship-3).
Along with teammate Philippe Bugalski, Puras was chosen by the Citroën Total World Rally Team to be part of their driver line-up for the first bit-part campaign with the Citroën Xsara Kit Car in 1999. He secured his only WRC win at the 2001 Tour de Corse with co-driver Marc Martí (who then went on to pilot former double world champion Carlos Sainz and in recent years, Dani Sordo) with the Citroën Xsara WRC.
However, with performances overshadowed by the upcoming Sébastien Loeb, Puras retired from the Citroën factory team and the WRC in 2002, ending with a sixth place in his last rally – the 2002 Rallye Sanremo.
WRC victories # Event Season Co-driver Car 1 45ème Tour de Corse – Rallye de France 2001 Marc Martí Citroën Xsara WRC
WRC results
Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts 1991 Mazda Rally Team Europe Mazda 323 GTX MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV 40th 4 Jesús Puras Lancia Delta Integrale 16V ESP GBR 1992 Mauro Rallye Team Lancia Delta HF Integrale MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR 34th 6 1994 Jesús Puras Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON POR KEN FRA GRE ARG NZL FIN ITA GBR 30th 5 1995 Citroën Hispania Citroën ZX 16S MON SWE POR FRA NZL AUS ESP GBR NC 0 1996 Seat Sport Seat Ibiza Kit Car SWE KEN INA GRE ARG FIN AUS ITA ESP NC 0 1997 Citroën Hispania Citroën ZX Kit Car MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN INA ITA AUS GBR NC 0 1998 Automobiles Citroën Citroën Xsara Kit Car MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR NC 0 1999 Automobiles Citroën Citroën Xsara Kit Car MON SWE KEN POR FRA ARG GRE NZL 11th 6 Citroën Hispania ESP Jesús Puras Subaru Impreza WRX FIN Toyota Corolla WRC CHN GBR Citroën Sport Citroën Xsara Kit Car ITA AUS 2000 Jesús Puras Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI MON SWE KEN POR FIN CYP NC 0 Citroën Sport Citroën Xsara Kit Car ESP ARG GRE NZL Jesús Puras Citroën Saxo Kit Car FRA ITA AUS GBR 2001 Jesús Puras Citroën Saxo Kit Car MON SWE POR 11th 10 Automobiles Citroën Citroën Xsara WRC ESP ARG CYP GRE KEN FIN NZL ITA FRA AUS GBR 2002 BBF Citroën Sport Citroën Xsara WRC MON SWE FRA ESP CYP ARG GRE KEN FIN 19th 1 Automobiles Citroën GER Piedrafita Sport ITA NZL AUS GBR
References
External links
Puras at the World Rally Archive