Blair Stopnik @stopnik22m
Good article on our team for this weekend.
http://www.global-rallycross.com/news/features/solberg-brings-world-class-talent-to-global-rallycross/ … @GlobalRallyX @TravisPastrana @PastranaRacing
Henning Solberg @HSolberg73
1h
Thanks for the proper article
@GlobalRallyX http://www.global-rallycross.com/news/features/solberg-brings-world-class-talent-to-global-rallycross/ … #grcatlanta @TeamDodge
Or simply read below! We always have you covered here on Allpar.com!
SOLBERG BRINGS WORLD-CLASS TALENT TO GLOBAL RALLYCROSS
Global Rallycross fans may not yet be familiar with Henning Solberg, who will make his series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway as a substitute driver for Bryce Menzies at Pastrana Racing. But one thing is clear about the Norwegian veteran: he’s got the talent to run up front on race day.
Solberg, who won the national rally championship five times in Norway, began to focus on the World Rally Championship full-time in 2004 after debuting in 1998. In 108 career starts, he has six podium finishes and 230 career points, as well as two sixth place finishes in the overall standings. His seat time this season was split between a single World Rally drive in Sweden, where he finished eighth overall, and a handful of European rallycross events in Per Eklund’s ex-GRC Saab 9-3, until he got the call to drive in Atlanta this weekend.
“It was one man on the team I knew from before (crew chief Ian Davies),” explains Solberg. “He called me last week and asked if I wanted to come and drive. He is my old engineer from World Rally.”
“I worked with him from 2005 till 2008. and then again in 2011,” notes Davies. “We podiumed in Norway (2007), Japan (2007), and Great Britain (2011) in that time. He was a customer driver raising his own finance in an era when Sebastian Loeb, Marcus Gronholm, Petter Solberg, et cetera, were rallying. A podium then wasn’t easy to come by.”
Since switching from rally back to rallycross, a sport in which he competed in the early 1990s, Solberg has noted that one of the most important things is to take care of his tires. “These tires we are driving, I think are the same tires we have in the European championship. If you drive on these tires, you have to be careful and smooth always to get the best times. So that is the key to go fast.”
That ability to adjust, plus some strong help behind the scenes, has already paid off this year. At the July 6-7 rallycross event in Sweden, where Solberg finished fourth, fellow Norewgian GRC driver Sverre Isachsen acted as Solberg’s boss.
“He was taking care of my radio and all the team stuff for us,” Solberg says. “Because of him, the car was perfect, the setup was perfect. We were number four overall of 35 or 36 cars.”
Solberg will pair with Timur Timerzyanov, who he beat in the semifinal in Sweden for that event’s final transfer spot.
“The season is not yet finished for the Dodge team, and I think we’re trying to develop something special,” notes Timerzyanov, who will make his fourth start in the Dodge on Saturday and fifth overall. “Henning is a very good driver with a good knowledge of driving, because he was in the World Rally Championship. I think for him it will be easy to understand this car and how to drive it.”
Though Saturday will be a one-race deal, Solberg has set respectable expectations for himself—and hopes to be back sooner than later.
“I will try to come to the final, that’s my target, and I will see from there,” he says. “(Toomas) Heikkinen has been very fast for four or five rounds. But it’s not easy to beat anyone, so we will see.
“(After Atlanta), I will come back. If I have a car and some team, or this team, want me back, I will come and drive. No problem!”
Photo credit: Matthew Kalish - Global RallyCross
Tweets from Henning Solberg
Henning Solberg @HSolberg731h
I'm in atlanta this week to drive for
@teamdodge in the globalrallyx series. Let's battle!
#grcatlanta http://instagram.com/p/czQ2tvAN4Y/
Henning Solberg @HSolberg738 Aug
My first day of "official" social media. Might as well share.
http://instagram.com/p/cwYTm_ANyl/
Henning Solberg @HSolberg738 Aug
@TravisPastrana @TeamDodge @GlobalRallyX Thanks Travis. I'm on my way from
#Oslo.
#USA bound. I can't wait to get in to battle!
Henning Solgberg's comments on racing this weekend in Atlanta!
I've had the honor of being flown out to Atlanta this week by @dodge, @travispastrana and @redbull to fill @brycemenzies7 seat for this weekends@globalrallyx battle. Hoping to get a bit of time in the car today. If not, it's a bit of practice tomorrow, and straight to the fight! Either way, I'm really looking forward to this. #grcatlanta
I have a feeling Timur and I are going to have some fun times this weekend... #grcatlanta#globalrallycross @redbull thanks again@travispastrana and @brycemenzies7.
