New Dutch team makes J-WRC debut in Jordan

The Jordan Rally will be the first world championship event for a new two car team from the Netherlands which is competing in the J-WRC series.

The team ‘KNAF Talent First’ is run by the Dutch National Motorsports Federation (KNAF) and is backed by the Dutch National Olympic Committee and National Sports Federation.

The team will run cars in the 2008 J-WRC for Hans Weijs Jr. and Kevin Abbring, two young rally drivers from the Netherlands who were selected after a talent scouting programme initiated by the KNAF.

Weijs Jr, who is 21, won the national ‘KNAF Talent First’ contest in 2005, while 19-year-old Abbring was the winner in 2006. In their respective following years they both won a Mitsubishi Colt rally competition within the Dutch National Rally Championship.

In the 2008 J-WRC contest Hans Weijs Jr. and co-driver Hans Van Goor will drive a Citroen C2 R2 MAX in a black, white and orange livery featuring the roaring lion logo of the Talent First scheme. Weijs, who ran a Mitsubishi Lancer Group N in five WRC events in 2007 said: “My aim is to further integrate into the Citroen Sports family, developing my skills and trying to score as many points as possible in order to make the Dutch lion roar!” In addition to the main J-WRC competition Weijs Jr is also competing in the Citroen MAX cup and the nations’ cup.

Abbring and his co-driver for Jordan Erwin Mombaerts are in a different car, a Renault Clio RS R3, but with the same striking livery as his team-mate’s Citroen. For Abbring 2008 will be his first true season in the world championship environment. “It’s bound to be an eye opener - one big’ recce,” he said. “This year will be about learning and getting to know the characteristics of the different rallies in the series. Hopefully we’ll score some points in the process.”

Both drivers skipped the first J-WRC round in Mexico - according to regulations participants are to drop one event out of the seven designated rallies - in order to have their cars fully prepared in time for shipment to Jordan. After the rally the team will move straight to Sardinia for its second round.