German junior driver Marijan Griebel to give his WRC2 debut at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland

• The Junior European Champion will start in a Skoda Fabia R5 in the top-seeded WRC2
• For the ADAC sport foundation grantee the Rally Germany is a "home game"

Munich. After Armin Kremer's announcement of his start in a WRC car at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland (17 to 20 August), German rally fans are in for more good news: At this year's Rally Germany, incumbent Junior European Champion Marijan Griebel will go up against the international elite of rally-racing for the first time. The 28 year old grantee of the ADAC sport foundation and his co-driver Stefan Kopczyk will start in a Skoda Fabia R5 from Austrian record national champion Raimund Baumschlager's BRR team.

For Griebel, the ADAC Rallye Deutschland is a true home game. A police officer by profession, he hails from nearby Hahnweiler and lives less than 15 kilometres away from the new Service Park at lake Bostalsee. The local boy uses the running tracks around the lake for a significant part of his fitness programme.

2017 will be Griebel's 7th participation in an ADAC Rallye Deutschland Between 2014 and 2016, the ADAC junior driver won his class three consecutive times in an Opel Adam R2. The young German driver's best result in his career was winning the juniors classification in the European Rally Championship (ERC) with the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team last year, which catapulted him into the top tier of the ERC.

In the current ERC season Griebel/Kopczyk lead in the hard-fought U28 classification in their Skoda Fabia R5. Its winner will drive a WRC car in a WRC rally in 2018. Before attacking the 21 Special Stages of this year's ADAC Rallye Deutschland, Griebel will drive the asphalt-Rallye Rzeszow/Poland (4 and 5 August) as part of the ERC schedule.

Marijan Griebel: "Starting in the WRC2 at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland is a dream come true for me. I still remember how I stood at the track with my father at the first WRC Rally Germany in 2002 watching none other than Armin Kremer, who has become my mentor, flying by. Now I am burning to compete against the entire WRC2 elite. I know it is a huge challenge. The Rally Germany and its distinctive Special Stages in the Saarland, the Mosel vineyards and the Baumholder military range is one of the toughest challenges on the WRC schedule. It is also an obligatory WRC2 rally, which means that all top drivers and contenders for the title will be there. I do not mean to hide my face. I want to show everybody that I am competitive in my R5 even if I do not have as much experience by far. The ERC rally I am going to be driving two weeks earlier will certainly help me get up to speed. Also, we are planning a little test in the Saarland for Monday before the rally to cross all the t's for the season highlight."

Get your rally and day passes in pre-sale now
In addition to the four-day rally passes, the fans can now also buy day passes for Friday, Saturday or Sunday in pre-sale. On the day printed on the pass, pass holders get access to all spectator areas along each Special Stage and the ADAC Rallye Deutschland Service Park. In 2017, fans can also buy self-print passes. They serve as proof of purchase to be redeemed for rally passes or day passes at the rally venue. Visit the official ticket shop on the web at www.adac.de/rallye-deutschland (go to the Tickets tab).

Pre-sale buyers will enjoy discounts and an attractive package offer that includes the official ADAC Rallye Deutschland magazine. The same as last year, the pre-sale price of a rally pass package is EUR 70 (EUR 65 for ADAC members). Day passes are available for EUR 35 exclusively in pre-sale.

The rally passes cover:

• Access to all Special Stages on all days
• Access to the Service Park on all days
• Access to the Shakedown on Thursday
• A spectator map providing all the essential information about the rally
• ADAC Rallye Deutschland lanyard
• ADAC Rallye Deutschland sticker
• ADAC Rallye Deutschland magazine (in German with essential information in English and French)

ADAC Rallye Deutschland information:

The ADAC Rallye Deutschland has a unique worldwide reputation. Its mix of hairpin stages in the vineyards, tough tracks on the Baumholder tank range and fast asphalt roads presents extreme challenges for both the teams and the drivers. Excellent driving skills and versatility are of the essence here. Diversity, high-class action and closeness to the fans are the ingredients that make the ADAC Rallye Deutschland such an attractive package for spectators as well. Year after year, this major event draws enthusiastic crowds from all over Europe, giving it a special, international atmosphere.