The ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team is starting the new season of the Junior European Rally Championship with a great deal of ambition and anticipation. The season kicks off this weekend with the Rally Sierra Morena in Spain. With last year's JERC runner-up Calle Carlberg from Sweden and Austrian Luca Pröglhöf, the last two champions of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” form a strong driver duo that wants to fight for podium places with their Opel Corsa Rally4 entered by Stohl Racing. The competition is impressive: 22 of the 29 registered Rally4 cars from four different manufacturers are entered in the European Junior Rally Championship.
“I am really looking forward to competing in the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team for a second season in the JERC,” says Calle Carlberg, who will again be following the instructions of his Norwegian co-driver Jørgen Eriksen (31). ”We feel well prepared for the Spanish tracks. We gained valuable experience on asphalt last season, which will stand us in good stead this year. The field at the Rally Sierra Morena looks impressive, with some really fast people. We have a difficult task ahead of us, but Luca and I have a fantastic team behind us, so it's up to us to do our job and see where we end up. In any case, our goal is clear.”
Luca Pröglhöf, who once again is starting with experienced Christina Ettel (38) in the 'hot seat', is eagerly awaiting his JERC debut. “I think we are perfectly prepared,” says the 25-year-old from Sittendorf near Vienna. “The test drives in the Corsa Rally4 were very positive, even though it rained a lot. But we felt comfortable in the car straight away and we enjoy the best possible support from Manfred Stohl and his team. The challenge in this strong field of participants is enormous, but Dina and I will do our best and can't wait for things to finally get down to business in Spain.”
Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott has high expectations of his teams: “After five Junior European titles in the past and the 2024 vice championship, our own expectations are naturally high. I believe that Calle in particular has what it takes to be at the front of the pack right from the start. For Luca, it will be important in his first year to gain experience and push himself to the limit. I think we are well positioned as a team and I'm looking forward to the start of the season.”
The JERC opener takes place around the city of Córdoba at the foot of the Sierra Morena, a low mountain range that marks the northern border of the province of Andalusia. The rally program includes 13 demanding special stages covering almost 210 kilometers. The action starts on Friday evening (4.4.) at 8 p.m. with a short “Super Special Stage” in Córdoba, before the first six “real” stages are on the agenda from 10 a.m. the next day. The decision will then be made on Sunday from 8:20 am, with the finish in Córdoba scheduled for around 5:30 pm. Rally fans can follow the exciting action in Andalusia via live stream at www.rally.tv and find live timing at www.opel-motorsport.com and www.adac.de/motorsport.
