ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup Season Second Half Start Set
The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” will ring in the second half of the season at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg in North Rhine-Westphalia on August 9 and 10. The fifth race of the current campaign will once again see Luca Pröglhöf trying to hold off the pack. With his third win of the season at his home rally in Weiz, the 24-year-old Austrian extended his lead in the rankings to 31 points. This sounds like a lot, but it is put into perspective by the fact that a total of 35 points are up for grabs in a run of the world's first electric rally one-make cup. A single mistake can turn everything upside down again. “We are on course to achieve our big goal of winning the Cup in 2024, but there is still a long way to go,” said Pröglhöf, who, as always, will be partnered by his co-driver Christina Ettel.
And so the chasing pack remains highly motivated – especially Anthony Rott. The Alsatian, who will once again be in the “hot seat” of the Opel Corsa Rally Electric with his brother Adrien at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg, is eager for more after three podium finishes in a row. “The upward trend is pleasing, but now we want to make sure that we put a little more pressure on our friend Luca,” said Rott. The same applies to Spaniard Alex Español and German Christian Lemke. The 24-year-old won the opening race of the season in Sulingen in May and, together with co-driver Jan Bemmann, wants to finally end his streak of bad luck, which recently led him to drawing two blanks.
Three guest drivers enrich the field of fast Opel electric cars on the asphalt course around Lübbecke. 22-year-old Arwed Jungnickel from Dresden will be starting alongside his brother Aaron, who is three years older, for the team of rally veteran Horst Rotter, as will Kilian Rinderz (26, Naila), who will be in the cockpit of the Corsa Rally Electric alongside his partner Milena Raithel.
Elsewhere, Claire Schönborn is eager to open a new chapter in her racing career. The 25-year-old has made a name for herself in the German hillclimb scene and won the slalom competition held in the Corsa Rally Electric at the FIA Motorsport Games in Le Castellet in the south of France together with Marcel Hellberg for Team Germany in 2022. At the ADAC Rally Stemweder Berg, Schönborn will now compete in her first rally alongside experienced co-driver Lisa Kiefer. “I’m really happy and very excited,” said Schönborn. “Being able to make my rally debut as part of the DRM in such a professional environment like the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup is a real highlight. I have worked very intensively on the topic of writing things down in the last few weeks, because that is likely to be the biggest challenge. I have already gotten to know the Corsa Rally Electric as a pleasant rally car that is a lot of fun to drive. It will be exciting to sit in the car with Lisa and listen to her calls. The main goal is to have a lot of fun and learn. But I definitely do not just want to make up the numbers.”
In addition to Claire Schönborn female Cup regulars Lyssia Baudet (Belgium), Alizée Pottier and Emma Chalvin (both France) will also be joined by Esmee Den Hartigh in Stemwede. The 21-year-old is hoping to stake her case for a regular cockpit in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup 2025 as part of a screening by the Dutch motorsport association KNAF.
Actress Gesine Cukrowski and Lina Helfrich as guests
The electric troupe is expecting prominent visitors in Lübbecke. German actress Gesine Cukrowski has been an ambassador for Opel for years. Her daughter Lina Helfrich, also an actress, will also be a guest in Lübbecke and, like her mother, will can look forward to an electrifying rally experience alongside Opel racing legend Volker Strycek in the VIP Corsa Rally Electric.
Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe“ after 4 of 8 rounds:
1. Pröglhöf 130 pts
2. Rott 99 pts
3. Español 74 pts
4. Chalvin 68 pts
5. Hangodi 64 pts
6. Baudet 48 pts
7. Lemke 42 pts
8. Pottier 38 pts
9. Melse und Wittenbeck both 37 pts
11. Kamermans 16 pts