The ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team celebrated its first win of the season in the Junior European Rally Championship (JERC) in impressive style. Making his debut at the tradition-steeped Barum Czech Rally Zlín, Timo Schulz (24, Siersburg) and his co-driver Michael Wenzel (47, Mehlingen) dominated the assembled competitors throughout the event in the Opel Corsa Rally4 prepared by Stohl Racing. The young driver from the Saarland set the fastest time in no less than nine of the 13 extremely demanding asphalt special stages and in the end had a lead of 1:15 minutes over the Austrians Fabian Zeiringer/Angelika Letz in another Corsa Rally4.

"That was a real storybook rally for us," beamed Schulz at the finish in Zlín on Sunday evening. "From the very first special stage, I had a very good feeling in the car. Michael once again did a first-class job, as did Manfred Stohl and his great squad. The Corsa Rally4 proved once again what a great rally car it is. I'm really happy about this victory, I would be fine if it continued like this." Schulz moved up to fifth place in the overall standings of the 2023 European Junior Championship.

"Timo, Michael and the whole team delivered a flawless performance. This victory is highly deserved," praised Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott. "After a difficult first half of the season, Timo has fought his way back to success. I'm happy for him and Michael, and I'm happy for the entire team, which fully supported him at all times. Timo already showed at the last round, the Rally di Roma Capitale, that he is a force to be reckoned with on asphalt. On these difficult special stages here in the Czech Republic, he didn't give the competition the slightest chance. The Corsa Rally4 worked perfectly, also in the hands of our customer teams. I am satisfied all around!"

The finale of the 2023 Junior European Rally Championship will take place on October 7-8 at the Rally Hungary around Nyíregyháza, about 230 kilometers east of the Hungarian capital Budapest.