Strong rookies in the 2016 ADAC Opel Rally Cup
29.02.2016
- 2016 ADAC Opel Rally Cup shines with competitive international field
- 16 top-class teams represented by young drivers from seven countries
- 10 rookies to challenge the well-established drivers in the fourth Cup season
Rüsselsheim / Munich – On 04th/05th March, a competitive international field is going to contest the kick off of the fourth ADAC Opel Rally Cup season, held within the framework of the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rally. The most powerful European rally makes cup, featuring the 140bhp quicksilver Opel Adam and unique chances of advancing, is as attractive as ever and the successes Emil Bergkvist and Marijan Griebel celebrated last year most definitely added to the attraction of the joint young-driver platform of ADAC and Opel. The Cup drivers who advanced to the lightning fast works Opel ADAM R2 in 2013 and 2014 respectively prevailed against highly competitive opponents to finish first and third in the FIA European Rally Championship Junior. And it goes without saying that the 2016 Cup drivers would love to follow their footsteps.
The 16-team field that is going to contest the eight rounds of the 2016 ADAC Opel Rally Cup features 10 rookies and drivers from seven countries. Four countries (Ireland, Slovenia the Czech Republic and Italy), represented by Calvin Beattie, Tim Novak, Stefan David and Nicola Sartor, will make their ADAC Opel Rally Cup debut. In addition, Jari Huttunen will represent the Finnish and Tom Kristensson as well as Pontus Ahman the Swedish colours.
They all will have to battle it out with nine German rivals, among them Johannes Dambach, the division 6 winner and third in the ADAC Rally Masters in 2015, who now wants to make his next steps on the rallying ladder in the ADAC Opel Rally Cup. Philipp Hetz, Nino Weiland and Lukas Hein also are going to contest their rookie season, this year, while Niklas Stötefalke, Kevin Müller, Tim Wacker and Sebastian von Gartzen want to hark back to the experiences they gathered in the previous Cup seasons. And there even is a driver who can’t score points for and win money in the junior ranking for drivers who aren’t older than 27 (year of birth 1989 or later): 56-year old Thomas Knapp who contested the 2015 season in the Cup Adam as co-driver of his son Michael but now wants to get behind the wheel himself to give the young guns a hard time.