ERC
Young stars vie for ERC3 Pole position
Tymek Abramowski and Hubert Kowalczyk will face-off for FIA ERC3 Championship glory when Croatia Rally hosts the season finale this week.
After seven rounds, the Polish youngsters are separated by 25 points. And with Abramowski needing five points from the 30 on offer in Zagreb to be crowned champion, the advantage is with the 19-year-old Ford Fiesta Rally3 driver.
“We have 25 points advantage, it is a lot of points, but we still have to compete to get the ERC3 title,” Pirelli-shod Abramowski said. “But everything is in our hands and now we’re fully focused on Croatia Rally.
Abramowski is five points away from becoming ERC3 champion
© ERC
Kowalczyk, who competes in a Renault Clio Rally3 run by Chmielewski Motorsport, took his first victory of the season on Barum Czech Rally Zlín in August. He’s been receiving driving tips from overall ERC title contender Jon Armstrong.
“Jon has a lot of talent, not only for driving – he explains things in a clear, very direct way, and you can feel both his passion and his vast experience,” said 21-year-old Kowalczyk. “Thanks to his advice, I gained a lot of confidence and understood what to pay attention to. He’s an inspiration to us, a true rallying role model.”
While the ERC3 Drivers’ title is Abramowski’s for the taking, the Co-Drivers’ award is less clear. By missing ERC Staff House Rally Hungary, Abramowski’s wingman Jakub Wróbel heads Kowalczyk’s navigator Jarosław Hryniuk by a reduced margin of 14 points.
Third-placed Błażej Gazda, meanwhile, joins Kowalczyk at Chmielewski Motorsport, which also includes Sebastian Butyński in its Pirelli-equipped line-up.
Ravenščak will be aiming to impress on his home ERC3 counter
© ERC
Martin Ravenščak will be one to watch on his home event alongside co-driving sister Dora, as will compatriot Jan Pokos, who is preparing to make his FIA European Rally Championship debut having tackled Croatia Rally three times so far.
Polish teenager Adrian Rzeżnik has shown plenty of pace throughout the season, while Australian Taylor Gill led ERC3 on his debut on Rally di Roma Capitale in July before a mechanical failure forced his retirement.
Japanese ERC newcomers Shotaro Goto and Takumi Matsushita, members of the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG development programme, complete the 10-strong ERC3 entry.
How to watch?
Fans across the globe can experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally broadcast Rally.TV platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.
Croatia Rally: the key numbers
Stages: 10
Stage distance: 172.36 kilometres
Total distance: 589.89 kilometres
