Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today enters the pinnacle of rally motorsport by sponsoring Codemasters’ developer Jon Armstrong’s quest for the 2022 Junior WRC title. The newly formed team, comprising Northern Ireland duo Jon Armstrong and co-driver Brian Hoy, will make their debut this weekend in Sweden, ahead of race weekends in Croatia*, Portugal, Estonia and Greece. Fans can follow the action and get exclusive behind the scenes content, including the car reveal, via the Rally Twitter channel.
The Junior WRC continues to be one of the premium series on the calendar, exclusive for drivers under the age of 30. Having been pipped of his maiden JWRC title last season, Jon hopes to go one better as drivers compete in identical Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars, all supplied by M-Sport Poland. Set across five European locations, the JWRC retains the WRC race weekend set-up with drivers tackling the same stages and routes.
Jon Armstrong, 27, turned professional in 2015. He finished second in last season’s JWRC, losing to Finland’s Sami Pajari on the final weekend. Alongside working full-time at Codemasters as both a game designer and rally consultant, Jon is known on the esports scene, winning the 2018 Esports WRC Championship. Co-driver, Brian Hoy, brings a wealth of experience, previously competing in the JWRC and the European Championship.
“This year, we’re all hoping that Jon can better last season’s incredible performance and take the title,” said Ross Gowing, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters. “The experience he gained will hold him in good stead for the season ahead, and everyone at Codemasters and EA SPORTS are firmly behind him.”
“I was so close to victory last season, and I’m confident I can go one better,” said Jon Armstrong. “I’m eternally grateful to EA SPORTS for giving me their full support, and I can’t wait to get to Sweden and for the 2022 Junior WRC season to start.”
You can keep updated on Jon’s progress alongside updates from the rally studio on Twitter.