Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — Tuesday 16 June 2015; Albatec Racing returns to Euro RX action this weekend (20&21June) hoping for victory to cement its lead in the 2015 FIA European Rallycross Championship. Round two of the five-round series takes place at Estering, near Buxtehude, Germany, with series leader Jérôme Grosset-Janin and rallycross newcomer James Grint looking to negotiate their way round the challenging 1km track unscathed.
Last time out in Belgium, Jérôme scored a momentous first International victory for himself and the Dumfries-based team, while James, on only his second Supercar race acquitted himself well, just missing out on a semi-final position. With the team’s pair of two-litre, 16v Peugeot 208 RX Supercars re-built and ready for action, hopes are high of a strong result on a track, which traditionally offers its fair share of action.
Estering is renowned for its challenging tight first corner, which has caught out many drivers in its history including Andy Scott last year, who suffered suspension damage, costing him a place in the finals. Jérôme too had his own problems there last year, but the former French rallycross champion is looking to put all that behind him as he bids for a second successive Euro RX victory.
The venue is new territory for James, the former rally man acclimatising well to rallycross in his debut season, who is targeting a semi final position this weekend. With a successful test conducted at Faleyras on Monday, the Hertfordshire racer heads to his third outing with the team full of optimism.
Track action kicks off with open practice at 11.00am on Saturday 20 June, with the opening two heats starting from 12.30. Warm-up at 08.30 on Sunday morning starts track proceedings with the final two heats from 10.30. The Euro RX semi-finals, in which the fastest 12 from all the heats, get underway at 14.00, with the fastest three from both semi finals progressing to the Finals from 15.00. Live timing, live streaming in certain territories, and additional information can be found on the official website at www.rallycrossrx.com.
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal:
“We’re looking forward to going to Estering, it’s a track we all like, even its famed, challenging first corner and joker, which make racing there incredibly exciting. I’m certain it will suit both our drivers with their rally experience, as the fast, flowing gravel section is very similar to a rally stage.
“We’ve had a successful start to the season so far, across British, European and French RX, and we need to continue to work hard and take that knowledge and experience into this weekend. Jérôme should be a strong contender again, he has experience of the track, while James had a great test at Faleyras yesterday, and I’m sure that he too will be challenging for a place in the finals.
Jérôme Grosset-Janin, Albatec Racing driver #74:
“I’ve raced at Estering before and remember having good feelings driving the track. It is one of the “real” RX tracks of the season and I am really happy to go back there. The first corner is difficult, even if you’re on pole, you can lose everything through the first corner. It is like ‘everything is possible’! It is really strange and is one of the most difficult I know, I had a lot of trouble there last year!
“The strategy is really important because, like in Belgium, the joker is in the last corner. So it is really important to look at who are in the heats with us to joker at the right time. It’s also very tight, with a pretty high entrance speed. It can be difficult to find a good balance between speed and safety!”
James Grint, Albatec Racing driver #27:
“It’s been a while since Belgium, so I’ve had some time to prepare. I’ve been practicing my German for a start, but that’s not going too well! I have been watching a lot of videos though, trying to get a feel for the track. I tested yesterday so feel pretty car fit. The whole circuit looks pretty challenging, especially the first corner. The videos from previous races have helped, however I’m looking forward to the first track walk, then I will really get a feeling of how the track looks and feels. The biggest challenge for me is having no experience there but I’m sure I will manage.
“Mettet was a great experience, I loved every minute of it! I feel like I need to keep the same approach I had in Germany and just drive as fast and as clean as I can! I want to at least make the semi finals this time, I think I’m fast enough so we shall see what happens!”
