European Championship title for the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team!

  • Emil Bergkvist takes the FIA ERC Junior crown in his Opel ADAM R2
  • Second place at the Rallye Estland secures the title early on in the season
  • Team colleague Marijan Griebel has good prospects of taking second in the Championship

Otepää/Rüsselsheim/Munich. In its first full season, the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior team stormed to the Junior European Championship (FIA ERC Junior) title in the Opel ADAM R2. With their second place at the "auto24 Rally Estonia", Emil Bergkvist (Torsåker) and his passenger Joakim Sjöberg (Ösmo) secured their overall victory one race before the end of the season in the hardest fought junior rally category on the continent. "I'm speechless", beamed Bergkvist. "I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this success - especially Opel Motorsport and the entire team that always made sure that we had a fantastic car. And of course to my passenger Jocke, without whose perfect work in the right seat none of this would have been possible. The ERC Junior is such a hard-fought competition that one requires a perfect team performance to get anywhere near the podium. I can't really believe this is happening!"
 
Beside his high basic speed, Bergkvist also displayed impressive cleverness on the extremely fast gravel surface in Estonia. During all of the special stages, both Swedes kept themselves in and around the top 3 without exposing themselves and their ADAM R2 to incalculable risks. And they weren't put off by a 10 second penalty right at the beginning of the rally. Bergkvist: "We quickly found a good rhythm and were able to attack without resorting to dangerous tactics. The car once again ran like clockwork. I've said this before and I'll say it again: the Opel ADAM R2 is currently the best rally car in this category."
 
Discounting both of their weakest results, Bergkvist/Sjöberg were able to add their four best scores over the season for a score of 128 points, a lead which is now unassailable. The season finale within the scope of the Barum rally in the Czech Republic on the last weekend in August will take on the form of an exhibition race for the new champions.
 
Opel Motorsport manager Jörg Schrott was full of praise: "The wonderful achievement of Emil and Joakim throughout the whole season cannot be praised highly enough. They were up with the leaders in every rally, and drove intelligent races every time to secure this title. Much praise is also due to the entire ADAC Opel Rallye Junior team. Their irrepressible operational readiness and fantastic team spirit were the key to our success. And of course we are extremely proud of our ADAM R2 which has proved that it can win in all conditions. To win this tough championship ahead of schedule in our first full year is far more than we expected. It is simply fantastic!"

Lars Soutschka, head of motor sport at the ADAC, followed the triumphal journey of the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior team from a secret location: "That was thrilling and it had me on the edge of my seat at times. My sincere congratulations go out to Emil, Joakim and the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior team. If anyone was still in doubt with regard to the consistency of the overall development concept of ADAC and Opel their fears must surely have been laid to rest with this result. Both of our newcomers in the ADAC Opel Rallye Cup, Marijan Griebel and Emil Bergkvist, have proved that they can keep pace at the highest level together with the best juniors in Europe. This makes me proud and happy."
 
Marijan Griebel (Hahnweiler) and his copilot Stefan Clemens (Thailen) finished the demanding rally in the Baltic States in a strong sixth position which leaves them the chance to end the season in second at the finale in the Czech Republic. "This was one of the most difficult rallies I've ever driven", confessed Griebel. "I am very content with this result. How difficult it was to go fast, and how easy it was to make a mistake was proved here by several teams. We've got steadily better over the course of the rally and have gathered an enormous amount of experience on gravel. And of course I am very happy for Emil and Jocke: They and the whole ADAC Opel Rallye team have really earned this wonderful success."

Image: ADAC Motorsport

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