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Gryazin challenging Griebel after first loop of ERC Junior 2016

Nikolay Gryazin is taking the fight to the pre-season favourite Marijan Griebel after the opening loop of the ERC Junior 2016 campaign.

The ERC Junior pack was very evenly-matched during the first three stages, with Łukasz Pieniążek leading the trio of factory Opel drivers before Griebel - third in ERC Junior in 2015 - claimed the initiative on SS2.

The German remains ahead after SS3 The Glens, but was slowed in there by a technical problem, reporting a lack of power.

Peugeot driver Gryazin stuck with the fast four Opel drivers through the first two stages and then went quickest on the "incredible" 31.21-kilometre test of SS3 to move up to second in the category, 6.3s down on Griebel.

Julius Tannert is third, 15.2s behind his ADAC Opel Rallye Junior team-mate Griebel, with Chris Ingram only a further 3.3s back in the third factory-supported Adam R2. Pieniążek is another 4.1s behind in fifth.

After being quickest in yesterday's Qualifying Stage, Steve Røkland had a difficult morning, suffering clutch issues on SS2 before a crash on SS3. Domink Brož also got into difficulty on SS3, damaging the front of his Ford Fiesta R2 and leaving him seventh behind Marco Cid.

The top five in ERC Junior is also the top five in ERC3, with Renato Pita and Szabolcs Várkonyi next up. László Német is ninth behind Cid after having to stop "three or four times" in SS3 with an electrical problem.

Német's Oktan Sport team-mate Aleks Humar was unable to start the rally. The multiple Slovenian champion rolled his Peugeot into a field on the Qualifying Stage and although the Oktan team worked hard to repair the car, a technical failure forced Humar out prior to SS1 this morning.

Zdroj: fiaerc.com