Opel looks like a gem

When Ole Håbjørg sold his BMW 1 in the winter and it became clear that the replacement car would be an Opel there was a certain trepidation among rival TouringCar racers, most of whom regard the Opel engine as the best for the two-litre class. The trepidation is perhaps also a mark of the respect in which they hold Håbjørg,ultra competitive whenever he shows up for an ERC event. The Norwegian round of the European Rallycross Championship is the first event for his new Opel Corsa and also his home event, adding to the pressure there are more than 100 business guests here to see the progress of the local hero as he takes on the best in Europe. “I drove in the press day here but the car was not really ready and we had lots of small problems; water leaks and that kind of thing,” said Håbjørg, “This week we did a test at Bolandsmoen, a smaller track south of Trondheim, and that was much better we got a good feel for the car there and today so far it’s better each time I drive it. I think the Opel engine is the best and I have the same gearbox and rear axle that I used in the BMW. The Front suspension is new for this car, it’s similar to what I had on the BMW but includes some new ideas to improve it and help with some things that I felt could be better. So far everything is going well.”

A long way from Europe, but Håbjørg is a respected opponents. © Tim Whittington/RallycrossWorld.com

Based in Trondheim, Håbjørg is among those drivers who face a long journey even before he leaves his own country and that has always been a factor in limiting his ERC appearances. With the promise of a car that looks as though it has achieved the aim of improving on the event winning BMW, however, the team is beginning to think big. “These guys,” says Håbjørg gesturing to his team, “Want to do the ERC, they are really pushing me to think about that for next year. I can’t do it without them because it is such a big effort and so much time and money. I don’t know yet, first I want to finish this event and if the car is still in one piece on Sunday night we will go to Höljes next weekend. I have in my mind to try Germany at the end of the year and then we will have to think about things.”

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