The only driver in the CrossCar category to have scored four podiums in as many races this season, Martin Juga has firmly established himself as the “Mr. Consistency” of the 2025 RallyX campaign.
While the Pace Motorsport driver from Estonia has yet to secure a victory, he has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back when things don’t go his way. A perfect example came just two weeks ago during Race 1 in Valkenswaard, where despite finishing only seventh in the intermediate standings, he clawed his way back to a spot on the final podium.
“That podium helped me wrap up the first day of racing on a positive note, even though the qualifying sessions had been tough,” Juga explained.
“In Q1, we had everything lined up for a strong start, but I misjudged the engine revs and ended up with too much wheelspin. That dropped me behind slower drivers and cost us time. Then in Q2, I had to start on the outside lane — which is far from ideal at a place like Valkenswaard.”
“I tried to salvage what I could, but Q3 turned out to be even more complicated, even though I started from pole position. Nothing went to plan, and I had to settle for 12th fastest. All those small setbacks added up, and we definitely lost valuable points.”
Still, it wasn’t enough to stop the LifeLive driver’s upward trajectory.
“We were clearly aiming for a better result in qualifying, but the semi-final gave me a new boost. I managed to climb back into second place despite starting from the second row. The pace was strong, the confidence came back — it was the perfect setup for the final. Right from the start, I was able to slot in behind the front-runners in the first corner, and finishing third after starting fifth is definitely a strong result.”
He would go on to deliver another standout performance the following day. Topping the intermediate classification, only a gearbox issue kept Martin Juga from clinching his first win of the season.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better scenario. Not only did we win qualifying, but we also set a new absolute lap record at the Valkenswaard circuit. Sure, the gearbox gave us trouble during the final stages, and that naturally kept me from doing better than second, but that’s motorsport. And honestly, it could have ended a lot worse in terms of results.”
Now fully confident at the wheel of the TN11 chassis, Juga will be aiming to keep the momentum going this weekend in Latvia.
“We had great support from the factory in Valkenswaard. We were able to test several different setups with the engineers, and that really helped us. The TN11 has clear potential — it’s very promising for the rest of the season. To me, Valkenswaard feels like the real turning point of our year.”
“Now our focus shifts to Riga. We know the Estonian fans will be there in large numbers, and the atmosphere should be electric. One thing’s for sure: that extra support will only push us harder to finally go for that first win.”