Valentin Porcișteanu

Valentin Porcișteanu (born November 25, 1982, in Bucharest, Romania) is a driver in the Romanian Rally Championship, who won the National Champion title in 2011, four National Runner-Up titles in 2010, 2012, 2018, 2019 and Colin McRae Flat Out Trophy in 2013 (ERC Sibiu Rally).

Early career Before running in the Romanian National Rallying Championship, Valentin Porcisteanul competed in the Romanian Hill Climb Championship, obtaining two podiums in Abrud Hill Climb 2003 (3rd place, young drivers' classification) and Brasov Hill Climb 2003 (3rd place, Class N1.6).

Romanian National Rally Championship

2003 – 2007

Valentin Porcisteanu – Harghita Rally 2003. Photo: Romeo Tudorache – rallyROM Valentin Porcisteanu – Cluj Rally 2003. Photo: Romeo Tudorache – rallyROM Valentin Porcisteanu made his debut in the Romanian National Rallying Championship in 2003, his first appearance taking place at Arges Rally, as zero car. In his very first year he scored two class podiums in N1.6 Trophy, at the Harghita Rally and Cluj Rally, announcing himself as a strong candidate for the future seasons. Following the 2004 season in which he competed with a Dacia Nova GTI, within Class N1.6, finishing 4th at Brasov Rally, 3rd at Romania Rally and 4th at Harghita Rally, in 2005 he drove a Citroen Saxo VTS, his best event results being Class N1.6 victories at the Maramures Rally and Bucharest Rally. His positive development continued in 2006, when he scored two more Class N1.6 victories at the Sibiu Rally and Tara Barsei Rally. One year later, in 2007, he scored 7 wins in the row, at end of the season being 1st in N2 class standings.

2008 – 2012 Valentin Porcisteanu – IRC Sibiu Rally 2012. Photo: Romeo Tudorache – rallyROM In 2008 Valentin Porcisteanu stepped into the top class of the Romanian National Rallying Championship, competing with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII and finishing 7th in the Overall ranking and 4th in the Mitsubishi Lancer Cup. Porcisteanu started the 2009 season in the best possible way, with a win in Brasov Rally, followed by other outstanding results: two 2nd places in the Tara Barsei Rally and Banat Rally and two 3rd places in Cluj Rally and Arges Rally, securing a 4th place overall in the drivers' national championship. In 2010 he scored a win in Tara Barsei Rally and three second places at Brasov, Sibiu, Arad, finishing second in the Romanian National Rally Championship Ranking. 2011 is the year of the greatest success of his career – he scored wins in Brasov Rally, Cluj Rally, Arad Rally and Tara Barsei Rally, and ended up the season as the youngest (28 years) Champion ever in the Romanian National Rally Championship history. In the 2012 season he won a second National Runner-up Title, after two victories in TESS Rally and Timis Rally and two podium finishes – 3rd in Transylvania Rally and again 3rd in Sibiu Rally (Intercontinental Rally Challenge).

European Rally Championship In 2009 Valentin Porcisteanu participated in two European Rally Championship events, finishing 17th in the Rally Mille Miglia and on the 6th position in Croatia Delta Rally. In the same year he qualified and represented Romania at the final Pirelli Star Driver, a competition initiate to support young rally drivers, organised by Pirelli and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). That year, Ott Tanak was the winner.

The inclusion of Sibiu Rally in the 2013 European Rally Championship offered Valentin Porcisteanu the chance to participate in another international event along with some prominent personalities of European and World motorsport: Jan Kopecky, Bryan Bouffier, François Delecour, Toshihiro Arai. At the end of the competition he secured the 6th place in the FIA overall ranking, his evolution being also rewarded with the Colin McRae Flat Out Trophy Award.

Personal life Valentin Porcisteanu lives in Pitesti, Arges County, Romania. He is married and has two kids, a girl – Sophia (born 2017) and a boy – Damian (born 2023). In that town, he owns his Rally & Defensive Driving School (Vali Porcisteanu Driving School) plus his own Rally Team (Vali Porcisteanu Racing) with 9 rally cars (3x Dacia Logan, 2x Dacia Sandero, 1 Suzuki Swift sport, 1 Citroen C2 VTS, 1 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, 1 Skoda Fabia R5. Starting in 2021, he launched his personal campaign of finding new future talented rally drivers, to support them every year throughout Pilot de curse program.

Romanian Rally Championship Podiums

Romanian Rally Championship results

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2017

2018

2019

2020

2022

2023

2024

2025 Rally Codriver Car Result1Winter RallyDan DobreSkoda Fabia R51st Overall / 1st RC2

European Rally Championship Results

2009

2013

Intercontinental Rally Challenge Results

2012 Rally Codriver Car Result1Sibiu RallyDan DobreMitsubishi Lancer EVO X R47th FIA Overall ranking