High expectations in the ADAC Opel Rally / ERC Youth Team

A great gravel event awaits the best youth of the European conference. The Junior European Championship (JERC) starts the new season next weekend with the ERC V. Rally Hungary. 17 teams from 12 nations compete for points and trophies in the demanding rally on gravel – and right in the middle is the ADAC Opel Rally Youth Team, which is well-prepared for the first competition with the best talent in Europe.

With Swede Calle Carlberg (23) and German Timo Schulz (24), the 2023 and 2022 ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup champions are behind the wheel of the Corsa Rally4 powered by Stohl Racing and Waldherr Motorsport. Rally Hungary was already on the JERC calendar last year, but it was moved from Nyíregyháza to Veszprém not far from Lake Balaton for 2024.

JERC newcomer Calle Carlberg, who believes the announcements of fellow Norwegian driver Jørgen Eriksen (30) in the cockpit of Corsa Rally4, can’t wait for the start of the season in Hungary: “I’m looking forward to my European. The first match of the championship. The test drives over the last few weeks have gone really well and I’m really excited to get started. We hope to be able to match the high speed in JERC without taking too many risks. Special measures in Hungary look bad, so it will also be important to use strategy and intelligence.

Timo Schulz from Siersburg and co-pilot Michael Wenzel (47, Mehlingen), on the other hand, are about to start their second season in the European Junior Championship. After a strong performance on gravel, which was unusual for him, but especially on asphalt, the Saarlander has a lot planned for the 2024 season: “It’s good that it starts again soon! Our goal now is to implement what we learned from last season to good results. Not only with our victory at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, we saw that we can be at the front even in this competitive environment. We plan to do this in all the rallies in 2024. The fact that five of the six events are new to the JERC calendar is good . I’m always happy to know new ways and new events. And in Calle I found a very strong partner, I’m sure we’ll push each other. I’m looking forward to it!”

“We are competing with two very strong drivers, an experienced operations team and a fast rally car – our goals are high,” emphasizes Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott. “As always, the competition is strong and the work is challenging. But that is our main goal: we want to compete with the best and, if possible, beat them. We have already achieved this five times in JERC, and it would be great if, after Emil Bergkvist, Marijan Griebel , Chris Ingram, Martins Sesks and Laurent Pellier, the Opel driver would again be on the list of junior European champions. The end of the 2024 season can. I think Calle and Timo have what it takes.

The Rally Hungary program includes 13 special stages requiring a total of 212.4 kilometers. The event starts on Friday evening (April 12th) from 6:05 pm with the “Királyszentistván” show trial, which is only 2.05 kilometers short. Things get going the next day at 9:48am with six special stages, including the 27.4km long “Kislötér”. The decision will be made on Sunday from 9:27 am with six more best time hunts, the final Power Stage will start at 5:05 am.

Rally fans can follow all the action on the wrc+ pay channel adac.de/motorsport too opel-motorsport.com ein Live Timing.