Jurgenson and co-driver Oja Siim once again starred in the FIA Rally Star World Rally Championship talent spotting initiative after taking a class win on gravel at RallyRACC last weekend.
Organised and funded by the FIA, six driver and co-driver pairings have been selected from regional finals held across the world to tackle six European rallies this year behind the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3 car.
The best four crews at the end of the six rallies will receive a fully funded two-year programme in the Junior WRC beginning in 2024. If one of the finalists wins the JWRC title, they will earn a coveted WRC2 campaign for 2026.
European finalists Jurgenson and Siim set the Rally3 pace on eight of the nine Spanish stages and set the joint third fastest outright time on the asphalt-based street stage in Salou, where FIA World Rally Championship drivers have been tested in the past.
The duo took the category win by 1m26.9s from the Renault Clio Rally3 driven by Matteo Chatillon and Maxence Cornuau.
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“The rally went really well, no issues with the car, no issues with myself and Siim, and we delivered, we’re really happy,” said Jurgenson, who took Rally3 class wins in Austria and Slovenia earlier this year.
“We won our class and it’s a nice story at the end because we didn’t have a result yet on gravel so it’s good to get a result on this surface as well as on tarmac.
“We showed pace throughout the event, it was not only one stage but a consistent pace throughout the rally and that’s what I’m most happy about.
“I was spectating here in 2019 and was one day dreaming to be driving these great roads. They were really fast, rocky and abrasive so a lot of new stuff to learn, but learning pays dividends in the end.
“When you are given such an amazing opportunity like FIA Rally Star, for sure you have to cope with pressure, it’s inevitable. We dealt with the pressure quite well.”
South African Max Smart scored his best result of the Rally Star programme to come home fifth in class, ahead of fellow Rally Star rivals Abdullah Al Tawqi, Taylor Gill and Annia Cilioniz.
Jose Caparo crashed out on the penultimate stage while sitting second among the Rally Star field.
The FIA Rally Star training season concludes at Germany’s Lausitz Rally from 9-11 November.