The timing of the accident was particularly cruel,
leaving a bitter taste at the end of a superb season – Linnemann’s finest in
some years – during which he had tallied a pair of podium finishes in Euro RX1
and frequently rivalled the very best in the field. He was solidly in the mix
again at Buxtehude, occupying fifth position in the intermediate ranking prior
to his premature exit.
The 35-year-old cast a sad figure indeed that
evening in Germany, but typical of his glass half-full attitude towards life,
he did not let it defeat him for long. Inspired by his stellar form in 2023 – a
decade-and-a-half on from his debut on the European stage – Linnemann and his close-knit
family team set about rebuilding the Volkswagen Polo in anticipation of a
renewed assault this year.
He will duly join the grid for the 2024 Euro
RX1 curtain-raiser at Essay in France next month (8-9 June) and round two at Höljes
in Sweden – rallycross’ legendary ‘Magic Weekend’ – on 6-7 July. Should those
events go well, he has not ruled out additional outings later in the season.
“It was a tough winter,” he acknowledged. “It
was such a sudden and sad way for last season to end, but we have to look
forward. I really felt good in the Volkswagen last year – we had great pace and
some fantastic performances and results, and to be able to take the fight to
the top guys was a big confidence boost – so we quite quickly resolved that we
wanted to continue racing this season.
“It made the most financial sense to buy the
car from Hedströms Motorsport and rebuild it ourselves. That was a big decision
and commitment to make, and we used up almost all of this year’s budget in the
process! We’re a little bit late finishing the rebuild, which means we haven’t
had time to test the Polo yet, but we are here and that’s the most important
thing.
“There has been a lot of hard work involved,
especially for my closest friends who have helped out in the workshop. Most of
the chassis I took care of myself, and we have tried to use the money wisely
and focus on developing the engine, gearbox and suspension to ensure the car is
in the best shape possible. Hopefully it will be as competitive as it was last
year if not a little more so.”
Linnemann will be one of the few drivers in the
field at Essay to have raced at the Circuit des Ducs before – on his way to the
runner-up laurels in the Super1600 title battle in 2011 – but a black flag for
Turn One contact meant it was the only event all season in which he did not
score points.
“Hopefully it will go better this year!” the
Skivum native quipped. “It’s clearly going to be tough in such a large and high-calibre
field, but the target is always to get into the final. From there, anything is
possible...”
Finland
Italy
Hungary