After a strong start at the Rally Sierra Morena, where Calle Carlberg (24, Sweden) and Luca Pröglhöf (25, Austria) finished second and eighth, the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team is looking forward to the second round of the Junior European Rally Championship (JERC) in Hungary, the first of two gravel competitions this season. Last year, the Rally Hungary around Veszprém, not far from Lake Balaton, proved to be particularly demanding for both man and machine. Carlberg was in second place when he was forced to retire after hitting a rock. This time, the two champions of the 2023 and 2024 ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” want to maintain their speed to the finish line in the Opel Corsa Rally4 fielded by Stohl Racing.
Carlberg is correspondingly ambitious and will, as always, be listening to the instructions of his Norwegian co-driver Jørgen Eriksen (31). “Hungary is the only event of the season where we have experience from last year. We will try to use this experience to our advantage. Nevertheless, I think it will be the most difficult rally of the year. Last but not least, we need to avoid punctures and other damage to the car. If we can do that, we want to aim for the podium again,” says last year's JERC runner-up.
While Carlberg is familiar with Rally Hungary from last year, his teammate Luca Pröglhöf is set to make another debut – his first gravel outing in the Junior European Championship. However, the Sittendorf native and co-driver Christina Ettel are well prepared for the spectacle at Lake Balaton. Pröglhöf: “I'm really looking forward to Hungary, even though I don't have much experience on gravel. We had a great test in Pachfurth, where we worked out a very good gravel setup. After more than 100 kilometers, I already feel quite comfortable on loose surfaces. With the Corsa Rally4's great suspension, driving on gravel is really fun. The goal for the demanding rally in Hungary will be to find a healthy balance between safety and attack. Gravel, dust, dirt – that's real rallying for me. I'm looking forward to it.”
Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott also urges his protégés to be cautious: “We saw last year how quickly a small mistake can end this demanding rally. It's important to drive with your head here. Being fast and staying on the track – that's the fine art of rally driving. Calle and Luca know they can rely on their Corsa Rally4 and the Stohl team. That will give them confidence and self-assurance.”
With 22 vehicles in the JERC category, Rally Hungary once again boasts an outstanding line-up. Thirteen special stages covering a total of 193 kilometers are on the program. The event begins on Friday evening (May 9) at 6:05 p.m. with the 2.05-kilometer “Királyszentistván” show stage. The action really gets underway the following day at 9:18 a.m. with six special stages, including the 25.8 km “Kislötér.” The decision will be made on Sunday at 9:27 a.m. with six more special stages, and the final “Power Stage” will start at 5:05 p.m.
Rally fans can follow all the action on the paid channel wrc+ and find live timing at www.adac.de/motorsport and www.opel-motorsport.com.
