Sun 25 Aug 2024

Marczyk steps into the unknown as an ERC title contender

Miko Marczyk will join several rival FIA European Rally Championship stars making their JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion debut from 30 August - 1 September – but he’ll do so as a contender for the coveted title.

Marczyk heads to Wales third in the standings, 24 points behind leader and defending champion Hayden Paddon, the Rali Ceredigion winner in 2022, following his run to seventh place on Barum Czech Rally Zlín earlier this month.  


The Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver said: “Hayden is the leader with the big gap but there are two races to go and, this season in the ERC, a lot has happened. I see this race with some hopes because it’s new for most of the ERC guys and maybe this is a chance for us before the final round, our home event in Poland.”

Asked what knowledge he has of the Tarmac event, the first ERC round in Wales since 1996, Marczyk said: “I know it’s Tarmac and I know from watching onboards there are quite a lot of crests. But I don’t know how slippery is this Tarmac so probably there are some magic solutions for the car set-up which we will discover just before the race and on the race.  


“We have done some a small Wales on Barum because it was mixed weather in several moments and this could also be the situation in Wales. I would say this is a small advantage for the Michelin tyres because they are working well when it’s damp, wet, muddy and then dry.”  


The 28-year-old double Polish champion added: “I’m feeling good, it’s been quite an intense time waiting to see if we would get the points for Gran Canaria and [in Zlín] we performed good, not very good but we scored another 13 points plus one for the Power Stage. It was not a lucky race for our competitors but we will fight to the end.”

Japan
Starts: Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 12:00:00 AM
Poland
Starts: Friday, October 11, 2024 at 9:30:00 AM
Turkey
Starts: Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 8:30:00 AM