The Solberg siblings Henning and Petter are due to participate in the same Rallycross event for the first time ever. After ERC24 spread the news already last night this morning it was officially announced through Norwegian press agency NTB.
By the end of last November Norwegian Rally ace Henning Solberg, the two years older brother of Petter and certainly aware of his brother’s plans by then, was quoted in his native press: “In 2013 there will be Rallying or nothing! I’m not going to compete in Rallycross. In a Rally there is more action than just racing three times a day, and then, for the rest of the whole weekend you stay in the paddock.” However, three and a half months later it seems that the 40-years-old has changed his mind.
Today it was confirmed by the older Solberg Bro that he is set to take part in the ‘RallycrossRX’ season opener, to be held at Lydden Hill in England over the Easter weekend. His machinery will be one of the two Saab 9-3 SuperCars of Swede Per Eklund that were seen in last year’s Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) in America, here driven by Briton Andy Scott and US-based Swede Samuel Hübinette. Henning Solberg: “It will be the first time that Petter and I compete together in the same Rallycross event, but it will not be easy to fight against an iron horse.” Petter Solberg: “I’ve told Henning already for years that he should give up Rallying and concentrate on Rallycross instead, and now I look forward to compete against him.”
Update of March 19 at 15:00: In a later interview with radiomotor.no Henning Solberg expressed that he has not given up Rallying for good yet and is still looking out for to continue with his Rally plans, if seats become available. However, the WRC would not be his main target now. He also told that he has got an interesting offer from the old “car-racing king” in Arvika [Per Eklund] and that he is looking forward to do, after Lydden, at least the Norwegian ERX round in Hell and the Swedish Höljes ERX event too.
Photo: In 1995 Henning Solberg took part in 9 of the 12 ERC rounds to finish 12th overall of the Division 1 (Group N 4WD). © EL/ERC24