17-year-old Estonian driver Martin Juga confirmed his status as a rising star in the CrossCar category by claiming his first career success in the RallyX championship during the final round of the 2023 season at Holjes.
Ninth in the overall standings in 2022 for his first campaign at this level of racing, Martin Juga ended the 2023 championship in sixth place.
As if that wasn’t enough, the young Estonian also claimed his first two podiums in Tierp and Kouvola, before claiming his first RallyX victory in Holjes in early September.
“I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better than ending the season with a win. However, I have to admit that I didn’t go into this last race in the best of spirits,” recalls Martin.
Indeed, while the Estonian driver had qualified for three finals in his last four RallyX appearances, his visit to the Grenland circuit at the end of August did not end in the best of ways, with an elimination in the semi-finals.
It was a disappointment that Martin Juga found hard to swallow.
“I arrived with a lot of desire and motivation for these last two races of the 2023 season, but I have to admit that my performance in Grenland was hard to take. Morally, I was a bit down after that race, and to follow it up with the Holjes event was not such an easy exercise. To tell the truth, I really had to work hard to get over this bad feeling, and I have to admit that things worked out pretty well in Holjes”.
Indeed, in addition to setting the fastest time in Free Practice 1, Juga confirmed his form in FP2, setting the second fastest time before grabbing his second scratch of the 2023 season in Q1. This was enough for the Estonian driver to finish the first day of racing in first place in the CrossCar class.
“Holjes was anything but an easy race. It was the last race of the season and everyone wanted to win to end the year on a high note. For my part, I have to admit that my first day of racing went perfectly well, with me finishing first in the intermediate classification. I made a few mistakes in Q3, but managed to take it easy in Q4 and avoid taking too many risks. On the other hand, even though I managed to win my semi-final, my level of nervousness seriously increased when I took to the starting grid. I knew I had the potential to win, but I also knew that luck would have to be with me”.
Indeed, in addition to starting from the front row of the final alongside Alexander Heum, Martin Juga managed to escape the scuffles at turn two
“When I saw Riku [Huuhka – ed. note] coming back like a bullet in my rear-view mirrors, I quickly realized that this was going to be an intense final,” Martin laughs.
“I used my joker lap on the first lap, and it was a good decision, because the collision at the second corner quickly allowed me to regain second place in the race. Up front, Alexander Heum still had to complete his joker lap, so I knew that victory could be mine. I was able to maintain a good pace by taking care of my lines, and my strategy worked perfectly. Nevertheless, I have to admit that it took me a little while to realize the scope of my performance after crossing the finish line”.
All the more reason for the 17-year-old Estonian to be delighted.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs this year, and even though I’ve often lacked success throughout this 2023 season, I was finally able to enjoy a weekend without the slightest problem in Holjes. We’ll see what we can do next year. Of course, everything will depend on the budget, but if I’m given the chance to come back in 2024 and compete in this championship, it’s with the clear ambition of fighting for the title that I’ll focus all my energy”.
