Want to know how popular this year’s Junior ERC is? Ask Victor Hansen. After towing his Peugeot 208 Rally4 400 miles across Sweden to Royal Rally of Scandinavia earlier this month, this week he’s hauling the same car 1,200 miles to Rome for round four.
The 23-year-old Swede will be looking for a return to the podium form he managed on the first two rounds as the series moves onto asphalt for the first time.
Talking of the top three, Norbert Maior is the only driver to have stood on the podium at every event so far this year. He and his sister Francesca are also running a Peugeot 208 Rally4, but the Romanians are reliant on crowdfunding to get to Rally di Roma Capitale.
And talking of Peugeot 208 Rally4s, this will be the first Junior ERC round of the season where Max McRae competes at the wheel of one of the French machines. The Scot has switched from an Opel Corsa Rally4 due to car availability within The Racing Factory squad that runs him.
Roberto Daprà and Mattia Zannin are the local favorites on the roads around a baking Italian capital this week. Those temperatures will provide a fascinating test for the Hankook covers being used on asphalt for the first time.
Talking of ones to watch, keep an eye for Timo Schulz, running a prize drive car earned by winning last year’s Opel e-Rally Cup (he was an impressive fifth overall on the recent Rallye Weiz). Slovenian newcomer Mark Škulj makes the moves from karts and circuit racing to rallying for the Fiuggi-based rally.
