Beating the Solbergs… how difficult can it be? If you fancy a shot at succeeding where Sébastien Loeb failed in 2003, now’s your chance. Led by Oliver Solberg, one of world rallying’s most famous families is running a race.
Actually, it’s a rally. Sort of. Sort of virtually…
This week, you can dive into DiRT Rally 2.0 and join The Solberg RACE. There, you will find yourself tasked with finishing Argentina ahead of everybody else. Do that, and you’ll be faster than Solberg. Do that, and you’ll win a prize.
Oliver, who has help set the challenge up in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, told DirtFish: “Nobody expected what was coming. We all thought we would come from México and go to Argentina.
“But this world has stopped a little bit for the moment. So I wanted to make a new world for my sponsors, partners and all my friends and fans.
“The Solberg RACE is a cool way to bring everybody together and get everybody competing.
“Full details on how to take part are on my social media [@oliversolberg01] and also my father’s [@PetterSolbergWRX, @Petter_Solberg, @petterwrc03]. After joining you have one week to have one go at the event and the fastest time will win.”
DirtFish enquired if Petter Solberg had anything to say, but Oliver reported his parents were both busy on their Argentina recce.
“I think they are trying to make it like the old times,” said Oliver. “It’s no problem, but like everybody – when you log-in then you have only one chance to make everything perfect. This is like the real rally, testing is testing, but then comes the competition.
“This is not such an easy time for any of us right now. I hope The Solberg RACE can be nice and cool to make us think of something else for a while.
“Come on, join us.”
Argentina is one of 12 rally locations on DiRT Rally 2.0 and is modeled on the infamous El Condor stage in the Argentinian mountains.
Featuring numerous tight, slow corners, it is a real challenge with rock faces lining the road. Akin to the real thing, the road surface can get very rutted and a mistake on one of the bridges can be even more costly than Elfyn Evans’ now famous brush with one on the powerstage in 2017.
DirtFish will offer regular updates on The Solberg RACE through the week.
