The Opel Corsa Rally Electric Electrifies Styria

• Rallye Weiz: Round four of ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”
• Goal-oriented: Austrian Luca Pröglhöf wants to extend lead of standings on home soil
• Guest appearance: Offroad star Matthias Walkner, journalist Reiner Kuhn and top co-driver Ilka Minor also at the start

The Rallye Weiz in Austria will be the venue for a qualifying round of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” for the third time on July 12/13. The event, which is popular with fans and competitors alike, not far from Graz in Eastern Styria, offers challenging special stages, a fantastic natural setting and a very atmospheric and impressive crowd of spectators. A total of 13 special stages over 152 kilometres await the participants in their Opel Corsa Rally Electric cars.

With his second win of the season, most recently at the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est in France, the Austrian Luca Pröglhöf has moved 23 points clear of his closest rival, the Frenchman Anthony Rott, in the overall standings of the world’s first electric one-make rally cup. The fast Hungarian Bendegúz Hangodi follows in third place, ahead of the best woman in the electric squad so far, the Frenchwoman Emma Chalvin from the FFSA Academy team.

But Pröglhöf is aware that a lead in the table is anything but certain: “There are still five rallies to go, each with a maximum of 35 points to be achieved, and the competitive pressure at the top of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup is high. To be able to drive at the top, you must be fully concentrated and at the limit the whole time. Any mistake can end your rally and give you a zero result. And then everything looks completely different. My co-driver Christina Ettel and I are really looking forward to our home rally, where we are expecting lots of guests and friends. But we will approach it in the cockpit just like any other rally.”

In addition to Rott and Hangodi, the pressure mentioned by the leader of the table is being exerted in particular by the Spaniard Alex Español, who had to miss the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est due to scheduling problems but will be back at the start in Weiz, and the German Christian Lemke, who wants to make up for his misfortune in the rally in France with a good result in Styria. With her consistency and low error rate, Emma Chalvin is also always a factor when it comes to the top placings in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup.

Two guest drivers will join the regulars in Weiz. Matthias Walkner (37) is one of the most successful motocross and off-road motorcycle riders in the world. In 2018, the Austrian won the motorcycle classification of the Dakar Rally. In addition to his two-wheeled activities, Walkner has also developed a passion for rallying and is looking forward to his guest appearance in the Corsa Rally Electric. His co-driver is Thomas Haider.

Reiner Kuhn sits in the second VIP car. The well-known motorsport journalist and rally expert also has his own competition experience in the cockpit and already knows the 100 kW (136 hp) Opel Corsa Rally Electric from test drives. Ilka Minor, one of Austria’s most successful rally co-drivers with World Championship experience, will be in the hot seat of the VIP car. Among other things, she has already co-driven top drivers Manfred Stohl and Henning Solberg and was voted Austria’s motorsports woman of the year in 2005. Reiner Kuhn’s goal for the coming weekend: “To listen carefully and concentrate on Ilka’s instructions in order to hopefully drive decent times, to improve over the course of the rally and to bring the car to the finish line safely. And to have a lot of fun despite the challenging task!”

The first stage on Friday includes five special stages from 1:45 p.m. before the parc fermé begins at 8:40 p.m. The restart takes place on Saturday morning at 7:50 a.m. with the first of a further eight stages. The finish in Weiz will be reached around 7 p.m.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” after 3 of 8 rounds:

1. Pröglhöf – 95 points.
2. Rott – 72.
3. Hangodi – 64.
4. Chalvin – 49.
5. Español – 48.
6. Lemke – 42.
7. Pottier and Baudet – 28 each.
8. Melse – 25.
9. Wittenbeck – 23.