Opel Electric Cup: one for the rest

With Lucas Thiel, Christian Lemke, Joe Bauer, Max Reiter and Alexander Kattenbach as well as veteran Dutchman Timo van der Marel, six “repeated offenders” enter their second year in the e-Cup. Timo Schulz makes his Corsa-e Rally debut with support from ADAC Saarland.

They meet ambitious newcomers like Swede Kali Karlberg and Finn Kali Markanen, both started for the experienced Schmack Motorsport team. With 22-year-old Luca Pröglhöf from Sittendorf, a young Austrian senior is hoping to compete in the Opel Austria Corsa-e Rally which features Stohl Racing.

Dutchman Jari van Hove was so used to it during his guest debut at the Sachssen Rally last year that he will run a full Cup season in 2022 on the racing team of his mentor Timo van der Marel. And last year’s champion team, Saintéloc Racing of France, fielded the only female driver on the field, 30-year-old Romanian Christiana Opera.

Two more newcomers come from the UK. British sister company Vauxhall uses the Corsa-e Rally, which will be fitted with variable guest drivers. The second British car, which is subsidized by the British government, is exciting. Behind the project is Simon Moss, who teaches motorsports management at Myerscoff College in Bellsboro, Lancashire, and uses the ADAC Opel Rally Cup concept as a showcase for his studies.