CER supporting programme links the past and future of rally sport

• Tempting attractions for fans at World Rally Championship race in German, Austria and Czech Republic
• “Slowly Sideways” presents legendary cars from motor racing history
• ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup takes a look into the future with the all-electric rally car

Munich. The Central European Rally does not just deliver the top stars from the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), but also offers a comprehensive sporting programme to tempt fans from 16th to 19th October. Historic and rare original World Rally Championship cars from “Slowly Sideways” will be on show at the German and Austrian stages in the CER. The event will also be taking a look at the future of motorsport: The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, the world’s first all-electric one-make rally cup, has been highlighting the organisers’ sustainability concept since the first edition of the CER in 2023 and its exciting sporting action perfectly complements the WRC cars. Fans hoping to see the past, present and future of rally sport are advised to reserve their accommodation in the three-country border area at the earliest opportunity. Details of the supporting programme will be finalised in the coming weeks and months and will be available on the event homepage, alongside other news and the ticket shop: centraleuropeanrally.eu.

Focus on Bavarian rally region
A trip to this year’s Central European Rally is doubly worthwhile – at numerous stages, the WRC cars will be followed by appearances from participants in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup and the Slowly Sideways cars. The attractive programme should encourage spectators to enjoy all the on-track events and remain at the stage between the two WRC runs. Increasing action at the individual stages also means reducing the flows of spectators, which also minimizes the CO2 footprint for the World Championship race. Bad Griesbach is not just the location for the start of the CER. The Slowly Sideways cars will be pitching their tents there on Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile, Hauzenberg will host Opel cars once again, with a parade through the town centre at 11:00 on Sunday, when shops will be open for business. The district of Freyung-Grafenau is the title partner for Saturday’s “Made in FRG” stage near Röhrnbach. The WRC cars will also be subject to a passage control at the main square in Freyung, where participants from the Opel and Slowly Sideways fields will form a guard of honour. The rally party and the supporting programme start at 16:00. Last but by no means least: Passau! That is where the central service park for the rally is located, the start and end point for each day’s stages. It is in the midst of a superb show programme, featuring car and driver presentations and plenty of chances for fans to get some autographs.

Original World Championship cars in action with “Slowly Sideways”
Boasting historic original vehicles from the World Rally Championships of the 70s, 80s and 90s, “Slowly Sideways” will be putting real crowd favourites on show from this year: organisers are scheduling appearances for around 30 cars from all eras of top-class rally sport. “We could probably show around 100 cars, but of course the constraints of the WRC schedule take priority,” explains organiser Reinhard Klein. “At the Central European Rally, we are aiming to display a representative cross-section of our unique range of cars. That is why participation is by invitation only, ensuring that a hand-picked selection of rally icons will be there.” The “Slowly Sideways” name speaks for itself: rather than chasing best times and maximum performance, the owners want to show visitors the original models that were once driven by the stars of the trade. The field will include the Lancia Stratos, Porsche 911, Audi quattro and more, displayed in their own environment, with no competitive pressures. The participating vehicles will also include seldom-seen cars and unique models. These include the rare MG Metro 6R4 in Group B trim, driven by Slowly Sideways founder Reinhard Klein. A further highlight: Wolf-Dieter Ihle will be behind the wheel of the Opel Ascona A Group 2 that Opel works driver Walter Röhrl raced to the first World Championship win of his career at Rally Acropolis 1975.

New competition model for ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup
The season finale of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup is expected to feature more than a dozen Opel Corsa Rally Electric cars, which have proven to be ideal for young drivers and amateur use since debuting in the 2021 season. The world’s first and only electric one-make rally cup plays a pioneering role, both in technical and sporting terms, continuously driving development. For example, cars boasting 100 kW / 136 HP (260 Nm) of power will make use of new infrastructure to “refuel”. The mobile charging stations are equipped with integrated 160 kWh storage units, powered by a standard low-voltage power supply, and do not require access to the medium-voltage grid. The Corsa Rally Electric’s 216 lithium-ion battery cells are charged and ready for the next special stage in around 25 minutes. The organisers prefer to procure the electricity they require from regional providers and regenerative sources. All fans hoping to find out more about the current competition cars with their drivers and teams should head to Hauzenberg, where they can find the cup’s service park adjacent to the Staffelberg football stadium during the event. The cup field will also be on show in Freyung – the cars will form a guard of honour there for the WRC passage control on Saturday afternoon. A passage control is also scheduled to coincide with Sunday opening in Hauzenberg, before the drivers start their second set of stage runs for the day. And what's more, rally fans will also get a glimpse of the new Mokka GSE Rally as the advance car. This is due to replace the Corsa in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup from 2026, heralding the next step into the future of electric rallying. The first car developed to meet the new FIA eRally5 regulations boasts some impressive numbers: engine performance of 280 HP and 345 Nm of torque should deliver Rally4-level stage times.

Packed schedule in Austria and Czech Republic too
The Central European Rally is a multinational event that is not just restricted to stages in Bavaria, but also takes place in Austria and the Czech Republic. It kicks off in front of the thermal baths in Bad Griesbach on Thursday, followed by two runs on the “Golf und Therme” stage. Friday’s events feature the Granit und Wald (Germany), Böhmerwald (Austria) and Col de Jan (Czech Republic) stages, but focus primarily on the town of Český Krumlov. This will be the location for passage and regrouping, with the cars displayed in front of the fantastic backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The Czech rally stronghold of Klatovy forms the epicentre of the event on Saturday. The “Made in FRG” (Germany) and Keply (Czech Republic) stages will be followed by one close to the picturesque town, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful locations in the Bohemia-Bavaria border region. On Saturday afternoon, there will be plenty going on with interviews and a cultural programme in Klatovy town centre. This will be the perfect location for the regrouping, after which participants will then race on the same stages, in reverse order. The supporting programme also starts on Friday, including an LED screen with a live broadcast of rally events, a vehicle exhibition and a WRC simulator. Sunday will then feature more highlights in Austria on the final “Beyond Borders” and Mühltal stages. The former crosses the border from Bavaria into the neighbouring country, while the latter runs entirely on Austrian territory to Peilstein. The Mühlviertel market town will therefore be the location of the final showdown in the Central European Rally, making it a key point of interest for many spectators.