Holzer Motorsport and Michelin New Partners for ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup

• Holzer Motorsport is service provider for new brand cup
• Michelin supplies tyres for world’s first brand cup for electric rally cars
• Opel Corsa-e Rally test programme enters second phase

New Opel Corsa-e Rally 

Opel Motorsport has extended the long-standing cooperation with Holzer Motorsport. The race and rally specialists from Augsburg will provide the technical support and the on-event parts service for all teams competing in the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup. Tyres for the first electric rally brand cup in the world will be supplied by Michelin.

Development of the Opel Corsa-e Rally for the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup continues at a fast pace. Two development vehicles of the 100 kW (136 hp) electric car have been undergoing durability testing since the end of last year at the Dudenhofen Test Center. The next step will be performance tests on rally stages.

“This is good news for our teams”, says Opel Motorsport Director, Jörg Schrott. “The continuation of our 20-year-long cooperation with Holzer Motorsport further enhances the status of the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup. Günther Holzer and his crew have been skilled and reliable partners for all teams in the ADAC Opel Rally Cup since 2013. The same goes for Michelin. After the successful cooperation in the ADAC Opel Rally Cup, Michelin will now equip all the Opel Corsa-e Rally cars.”

New all-electric brand cup featuring Opel Corsa-e Rally will begin on August 21-22 with the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rally.

!NEW! ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team Ready to Rumble

Second season of ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team with ADAM R2

Six EC races and ADAC Rallye Deutschland world championship race

Winning formula: The ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team wants to repeat last season’s success with the ADAM R2. 

From Latvia’s snow over Northern Ireland’s asphalt to the Azore’s gravel roads – the junior European Rallye Championship (FIA ERC Junior) 2015 calendar covers the entire spectrum of challenging racing surfaces. The best rallye drivers born in 1988 or later are set to prove themselves in Europe’s toughest young talent league in vehicles from the RC4 category, also known as R2. The ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team with two Opel ADAM R2 cars driven by Marijan Griebel and Emil Bergkvist are ready for the action to start.

Junior team: Marijan Griebel (right) and co-pilot Stefan Clemens (left) hope to get off to a successful start to the 2015 European Rallye championship in their Opel ADAM R2.

The competition is fully aware of the enormous potential of the 190 hp ADAM R2, and not just since Griebel’s outstanding second-place finish at the Barum Rallye in the Czech Republic last year. Griebel is accordingly optimistic before the season starts in Latvia: “In spite of the early start, we are going into the second season of the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team well prepared. Last year’s results show that we can hold our own against the competition in the ERC Junior. In the last months, we further developed not only the ADAM R2, but also ourselves as a team.”

Swedish duo: Emil Bergkvist (right) and his co-pilot Joakim Sjöberg (left) after looking forward to the start of the 2015 FIA Junior European Rallye Championship.

Emil Bergkvist, who advanced to the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team following his title win in the ADAC Opel Rallye Cup 2014, is also raring to go: “I learned so much in the ADAC Opel Rallye Cup. I’ll benefit from that in the ERC Junior. And as a Swede, I’m of course especially looking forward to the hopefully snowy races in Latvia.”

Open in Latvia: The pilots can look forward to some snowy stages at the Rallye Liepāja.

A special season highlight next to the six FIA ERC Junior races is participation in the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, where Marijan Griebel celebrated an overwhelming class victory last August. His new co-driver is Stefan Clemens. Bergkvist’s co-driver this season is again the Swede Joakim Sjöberg. The Opel works drivers will encounter two other ADAM R2 cars in the EC. German Julius Tannert and his Luxembourgish co-driver Jennifer Thielen will be in four of six races, including the Rallye Liepāja. Pole Aleks Zawada and his French co-driver Cathy Derousseaux are taking part the whole season. However, their car is being run privately, while the works ADAM R2 is, as usual, in the capable hands of Holzer Motorsport.

Calendar ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team 2015

February 6 - 8            Rallye Liepāja, Liepāja/Latvia (gravel/ice/snow) *

April 2 - 4                  Circuit of Ireland Rally, Belfast/Northern Ireland (asphalt) *

June 4 - 6                  SATA Rallye Açores, Ponta Delgada/Azores/Portugal (gravel) *

June 25 - 27              Geko Ypres Rally, Ypern/Belgium (asphalt) *

July 17 -19                auto24 Rally Estonia, Otepää/Estonia (gravel) *

August 20 - 23           ADAC Rallye Deutschland, Trier (asphalt)

August 28 - 30           Barum Czech Rally, Zlín/Czech Republic (asphalt) *

* Race in FIA ERC Junior

!NEW! ADAC Opel Rallye Cup starts

• Transfer of 24 ADAM rally cars in the Opel plant in Eisenach
•  Joint promotion of young Rally talents by Opel and ADAC
• ADAM 'Cup' as entry into the Internationally oriented Rally program

Of the 2013 season for the first time focused ADAC Opel Rallye CUP stands before the start: In a few weeks the new junior rally series from Opel and ADAC, which is aligned with specially designed "Cup" cars of the lifestyle streaker ADAM. Today, 24 teams took their ADAM "Cup" at Opel Eisenach in reception - where the ADAM is running in one of the most advanced car plants in Europe by the band. The rally version of Opel's newcomer is bustling heart of the Opel and ADAC jointly launched motorsport promotion concept. ADAM "Cup" was developed by Opel engineers in close cooperation with the engineering partner Holzer Motorsport Bobingen and has a 1.6 liter naturally aspirated engine with 140 horsepower and a five-speed sequential Sadev. With a price of less than € 25,000 Opel graphically illustrates how affordable rallying can be implemented at a high level.

In few weeks the new junior rally series from Opel and ADAC, which is aligned with specially designed "Cup" cars of the lifestyle streaker ADAM. Today, 24 teams took their ADAM "Cup" at Opel Eisenach.

"With their ADAM rally cars the teams start in a few days at ADAC Opel Rallye Cup. This brand trophy is a pillar of our new motorsport strategy. It is the basis for entry and advancement opportunities in the German and European rallying, "says Opel motorsport director Michael Meyer. And Lars Soutschka, ADAC Head of Motorsport, said: "The idea to break new ground in the promotion of young talent in the sport, has convinced us. Help we received with ADAC Opel Rallye Cup have created the right platform, shows the tremendous interest in our new series. "Barely 22 days after the official presentation of the new rally series already all 24 starting positions were awarded from over 70 applicants. This enthusiasm also host Stefan Fesser, Opel plant in Eisenach director tells, "We Eisenach Opel workers since the official launch of ADAM from the great attention for our new family member almost overwhelmed".

ADAM "Cup" teams also at the German Rally Championship in 2013 while running

The new rallying CSF, the partners and ADAC Opel perfectly complement: The ADAC provides the organizational framework and the motorsport infrastructure, Opel the right vehicles, the technology and racing expertise. As part of the 24 ADAM ADAC Rallye Masters' Cup "teams take each other out of the ADAC Rallye Opel CUP. The kick off on 5 and 6 April at the ADMV Rallye Erzgebirge. A highlight for the participants is the 22nd to 25 August: Then they compete in the ADAC Rally Germany, the German round of the FIA ​​World Rally Championship, with the world's best rally professionals. In addition to regular Opel ADAC Rallye Cup there is a separate classification for junior riders under 27 years old, whose winner will be promoted in the following season of ADAC and Opel continue.

As of the 2014 season takes stage two of the modular rally program, in which the ADAM R2 comes with FIA Regulations for use. In the basic technical configuration is the vehicle with the "Cup" version are broadly similar, the 1.6 liter engine in this version, some 185 hp. For intermediates can be upgraded to ADAM 'Cup' version on R2 standard.

The new Opel ADAC Rallye Cup Opel secures the conditions to build on the successful rally history of the company in the 70s and 80s. Rally legend Walter Röhrl in 1974 on the Ascona A and 1979 in the Ascona B European Rally Champion. The highlight of this era, also with Röhrl at the wheel, was the world title in 1982 at the legendary Ascona 400.

Walter Röhrl and Jochen Berger in an Opel Ascona A during the Moldow Rally, 1974.

Opel Ascona B 400, piloted to victory in the Rally World Championship by Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer, 1982