Rallycross 2020

» Rallycross januari - juni

20-12-22 Provisional 2021 calendar published as RallyX Nordic adds new class and enhances broadcast package
Four race weekends scheduled in 2021, two alongside Swedish Championship
New, NEZ-approved Open 2WD category to join RallyX Nordic for full season
Even more cutting-edge technology to be incorporated into global livestream
All 2020 broadcast material to be released free-of-charge on Christmas Eve
Season to finish in time to allow participants to similarly contest Nitro Rallycross

RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires is forging full speed ahead with its plans for 2021, as the series bids to build upon a successful 2020 campaign in COVID-interrupted times by strengthening its ties with the Swedish Championship / SM, adding a new Open 2WD category as a fifth class on the RallyX Nordic package and further enhancing its state-of-the-art broadcast offering.

Even as the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of motorsport events all around the globe in 2020, RallyX Nordic organisers refused to be defeated and in July, the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend at Höljes not only kick-started the international rallycross season but went one better by attracting competitors of the calibre of FIA World Rallycross Champions Johan Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen, fellow World RX front-runners Niclas Grönholm and Robin Larsson and five-time FIA World Rally Championship runner-up Thierry Neuville.

The event was a unanimous triumph and was followed by similarly exciting outings at Arvika and Nysum and four pulsating title fights, with the high-octane, send-it-sideways action broadcast all around the world via a global livestream, voiced by the first-class commentary team of Andrew Coley, Hal Ridge, Molly Pettit and Neil Cole. More than 55,000 streams were started over the course of the three race weekends, with in excess of 600,000 video views on RallyX Nordic’s Facebook page.

And you know what? 2021 is shaping up to be even better still...

A Compelling Calendar
By way of a winter warm-up, a testing camp is being planned in northern Sweden in February, to enable drivers and teams to blow away the cobwebs in icy low-grip conditions following the traditional off-season lull. A low-key race weekend ‘simulation’ with media activation is then on the agenda at Strängnäs Motorstadion close to Stockholm in Sweden in April – before the serious business gets underway the following month.

While dates remain provisional for the time being, four events are on the calendar, beginning at Nysum in Denmark, which looks set to stage the first major international rallycross action of the year on 1-2 May. Rounds three and four will take place at legendary Swedish circuit Höljes on 13-16 May, with the double-header weekend simultaneously representing the opening two rounds of the Swedish Championship / SM season. As part of a new initiative for 2021, Supercar Lites entrants will be able to score points towards both competitions at Höljes – guaranteeing a bumper schedule of sensational doorhandle-to-doorhandle duels.

Rounds five and six will be held at an as-yet-undisclosed venue on 5-6 June, before Arvika plays host to the eagerly-anticipated single-header ‘super finale’ of RallyX Nordic and the Swedish Championship / SM on 13-15 August, at which Supercars will be eligible to enter both series.

New Class Adds to the Appeal
What’s more, alongside the pre-existing Supercar Lites, Supercar, CrossCar/Crosskart and CrossCar Junior classes – the latter returning for a second season following its well-received introduction in 2020 – there will be a new Open 2WD category in RallyX Nordic for Supernational contenders from all NEZ regions, cementing the series’ expansion to five classes.

Ensuring maximum visibility for competitors and unrivalled return on investment for sponsors, the racing will again be streamed around the world via a comprehensive live broadcast package, with the team hard at work behind-the-scenes to incorporate even more cutting-edge technology into a first-class product that attracted widespread acclaim this year. Similar broadcast expertise will be brought to the standalone Swedish Championship / SM events at Piteå on 12-13 June and Västerås on 24-25 July.

To whet the appetite, all 2020 RallyX Nordic broadcast material will be released to fans for free on Christmas Eve this year at tv.rallyx.se.

“We are delighted to reveal more about our plans for 2021,” acknowledged Jan-Erik Steen, CEO of RallyX Nordic promoter, RX Promotion. “This year has clearly been a challenging one for everybody, but we believe we made the very most of it with three excellent events. To go racing at all in the prevailing circumstances was a victory in itself, but to deliver such outstanding on-track action and such a phenomenal broadcast product was hugely satisfying and immense credit to the entire RallyX Nordic team.

“We are far from willing to rest on our laurels, however, and the bar must be raised even further for 2021. Not only are we adding a new class to RallyX Nordic’s growing portfolio for Open 2WD competitors, but our strong working relationship with the Swedish Championship / SM organisers has allowed us to reach an agreement whereby we will join this series at both Swedish events on our calendar, adding to the appeal for rallycross fans.

“Nysum, Höljes and Arvika are three of the premier rallycross tracks in the world and will provide drivers and teams with an exciting all-round challenge, whilst we expect to be in a position to confirm the remaining venue soon, with discussions ongoing with several first-rate circuits.

“We have also taken the very deliberate decision to wrap the RallyX Nordic season up in August, which will allow all those that wish to do so the opportunity to ship their cars to America in time to participate in Nitro Circus’ first full rallycross campaign. Nitro Rallycross, Travis Pastrana and his crew certainly have some extremely exciting ideas for that series, which we are all looking forward to seeing come to fruition.

“Knowing that many of our Supercar and Supercar Lites entrants are similarly interested in racing stateside, we are collaborating closely with Nitro Circus to allow them to contest as many events as possible in 2021 on both sides of the Atlantic. After the truncated season we have all just had, it seemed like the very least we could do.”

Provisional 2021 RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Calendar
May 1-2 Nysum, Denmark (RallyX Nordic only)
May 13-16 Höljes, Sweden (RallyX Nordic and Swedish Championship / SM)
June 5-6 TBA (RallyX Nordic only)
August 13-15 Arvika, Sweden (RallyX Nordic and Swedish Championship / SM)

20-12-17 Provisional 2021 FIA RX2e Championship calendar unveiled
Provisional schedule for inaugural RX2e season announced during WMSC reunion
Competitors will showcase their skills at six iconic European venues
Entries for first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship open on 7 January

The provisional calendar for the 2021 FIA RX2e Championship has been officially revealed, with six rounds on the agenda for the inaugural campaign of the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship – and at some of the most iconic circuits in Europe.

Interest in RX2e has been growing rapidly since it was launched four-and-a-half months ago, with the championship set to spearhead rallycross’ evolution towards an electric future, in-line with current automotive trends.

Now, more pieces of the puzzle have slotted into place following the announcement of the series’ provisional 2021 schedule during yesterday’s FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting, with all six rounds featuring alongside the high-profile FIA World Rallycross Championship.

The season will get underway on 22/23 May at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium – the legendary Ardennes track that popularly staged its first rallycross event last year – before RX2e competitors travel to Hell in Norway for round two on 12/13 June.

Three weeks later, Höljes in Sweden will play host to rallycross’ famous ‘Magic Weekend’ on 3/4 July, with round four taking place around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – close to the headquarters of Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies, one of the key driving forces behind the pioneering new championship – on 24/25 July.

Round five follows in swift succession at Germany’s fabled Nürburgring, which will be a new addition to World RX after its planned introduction this year was delayed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. That will be held over the weekend of 31 July / 1 August, before the campaign concludes at Lohéac in France – an event that traditionally attracts the biggest crowds in international rallycross – on 4/5 September.

Pere Gonzalez, Championship Director, FIA RX2e Championship, said:
“We are proud to release the provisional calendar for season one of RX2e. We have worked closely with the FIA to put together what we believe is a blend of some of the very best rallycross tracks in the world – the classic venues of Hell, Höljes and Lohéac complemented by the more contemporary challenge of Spa-Francorchamps, Catalunya-Barcelona and the Nürburgring.

“Spa was celebrated as an immediate success when it joined the World RX schedule in 2019, while Hell and Höljes need little introduction. They are both staples of the rallycross scene in the discipline’s Scandinavian heartland and – the prevailing COVID situation permitting – are sure to attract huge crowds of passionate and knowledgeable fans next summer.

“Barcelona is clearly home soil for us and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has staged a series of excellent rallycross events since initially welcoming World RX in 2015, and there is a great deal of excitement about going to the Nürburgring for the first time, particularly after the inaugural edition had to be postponed. And as for Lohéac, we can think of few better places to host what is sure to be a tight, tense and thrilling RX2e season finale next September.”

Entries for the 2021 FIA RX2e Championship will open on 7 January, with further information about the entry procedure to follow in due course.

Provisional 2021 FIA RX2e Championship Calendar*
May 22/23 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
June 12/13 Hell, Norway
July 3/4 Höljes, Sweden
July 24/25 Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain
July 31 / August 1 Nürburgring, Germany**
September 4/5 Lohéac, France

* All dates subject to final agreement with the new World Championship promoter
** Subject to track homologation

20-11-26 'Confidence-inspiring' RX2e car will generate great racing, says World RX winner
Last year’s ‘Magic Weekend’ winner waxes lyrical following RX2e try-out
Swede describes new championship as ‘a win-win’ for drivers and fans
RX2e ‘the perfect stepping-stone’ to World Championship, says 27-year-old

FIA World Rallycross Championship race-winner Sebastian Eriksson is confident that the new FIA RX2e Championship car will generate ‘great racing and a spectacular show for the fans’, describing the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship as ‘a win-win for everybody’.

A hugely experienced rallycross racer, Eriksson has been a front-runner in the discipline for many years. A race-winner in both RX Lites – the predecessor to RX2e’s forerunner, RX2 – and GRC in the United States, the 27-year-old clinched the 2019 RallyX on Ice crown before achieving his finest success to-date at Höljes later the same year, when he beat the world’s very best at the iconic Swedish circuit to win the legendary ‘Magic Weekend’.

Earlier this month, Eriksson spent several days testing the RX2e car at full power at Spain’s Circuit Calafat, building upon the work already completed by namesake and compatriot Oliver Eriksson, the championship’s official test-driver and ambassador. The Swede revealed that significant progress has been made in every area ahead of the inaugural campaign in 2021, describing RX2e as ‘the perfect stepping-stone towards the World Championship’.

Sebastian Eriksson, FIA World RX race-winner, said:
“It was the first time I had driven an electric car and I thought it would feel quite different, but the truth is that it doesn’t feel that different at all. It’s still a rallycross car at the end of the day – and a faster and more powerful rallycross car at that!

“I must say, QEV Technologies and Olsbergs MSE have done a great job in developing this car and are continuing to make progress – it’s all about fine-tuning now. QEV have a lot of experience from Formula E, but rallycross adds gravel, jumps and four wheel-drive into the equation, which is where OMSE’s expertise comes in.

“The chassis is quite similar to the existing Supercar Lites car, and while there’s obviously no gearbox, what you do have is a lot of torque and instant power, which represents a big step forward in terms of driveability. There are also a lot of things to play with that weren’t possible before, such as changing the torque bias and ‘regen’ engine braking between the front and rear axles.

“With a motor at the front and another one at the rear, there’s also better weight distribution, which improves the handling and produces greater stability, particularly through high-speed corners. That makes the car very easy to trust, which is really confidence-inspiring as a driver and will encourage competitors to push right to the limit. That in turn will generate great racing and a spectacular show for the fans – it’s a win-win for everybody.

“There was definitely more noise than I was expecting, too – the reducers generate a lot of transmission sound, and clearly you’ve got the gravel spray as well. The noise is different to that of a combustion car, of course it is, but it’s still noise and the racing will have fans right on the edge of their seats. I can guarantee they won’t be disappointed!

“There will obviously be new things for drivers to learn, but if they are serious about forging a career in this discipline, they have to learn, because the whole sport will be electric soon – it’s the way the entire automotive industry is going. With the World Championship similarly transitioning to electric power in 2022, RX2e is the perfect stepping-stone.”

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager for the FIA RX2e Championship, said:
“For us, it was hugely beneficial to have Sebastian try out the RX2e car and to collate his feedback alongside that of Oliver, which corroborated the superb development job that Oliver has done so far.

“Sebastian has achieved success in a broad range of cars – front wheel-drive, rear wheel-drive and four wheel-drive – on a broad range of circuits from Europe to the US, and he has worked with a variety of manufacturers in the sport. He additionally has a lot of recent loose-surface experience from his rally outings, and to win a World Championship event as a ‘wild card’ against the very best drivers around is testament to his talent.

“Like Oliver, Sebastian also has plenty of mileage under his belt in Supercar Lites machinery, which made him perfectly-placed to offer his advice on ways to further hone and refine the RX2e car.

“As a result of our test at Calafat, we have taken further significant steps forward and – depending upon the prevailing COVID situation – we are hopeful of soon being able to organise test sessions for prospective drivers, which marks the next major stage of our exciting journey.

20-11-25 Stolt stallchef efter VM-titeln
Johan Kristofferssons tredje VM-guld är samtidigt det första för pappa Tommy i rollen som stallchef.
- Jag känner en stor stolthet att vinna VM med vårt eget team, inte bara för prestationen på banan utan för hela vägen hit. Vi började på gräsrotsnivå en gång i tiden, säger Kristoffersson senior.

I trettio år har Kristoffersson Motorsport levererat resultat på hög nivå, de senaste åren under namnet Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS. Den här säsongen har Johan Kristoffersson varit ensam förare. På grund av corona-restriktionerna har det också inneburit en ytterst begränsad personalstyrka.
- Vi är nog det minsta team som någonsin har vunnit ett mästerskap av den här kalibern, säger Tommy.
Det har medfört en stor påfrestning under tävlingshelgerna.
- Jag har aldrig varit med om en liknande belastning. Vissa helger åt grabbarna frukost och kom sedan inte till matbordet igen förrän efter finalen.

För att gå i land med uppgiften krävdes stor flexibilitet och brett kunnande, samt god vilja förstås.
- Vi har byggt ett team med bred kompetens för att klara av många arbetsområden. Alla har agerat helt prestigelöst. Våra ingenjörer har stundtals fått rycka in och röra i grytorna i köket medan någon annan har tvättat däck. Det har varit familjärt!

Kollektivet till trots vill Tommy ändå lyfta fram Johans roll i det hela.
- Man kan egentligen inte nog poängtera hans enorma arbete. Han har inte haft någon teamkompis att jämföra grafer med och däckreglementet kräver många rätta beslut.

Även om säsongen har sett problemfri ut så har det inte riktigt varit fallet.
- Vi har haft tekniska utmaningar längs vägen. Det har varit väldigt tufft, medger Tommy.

Kristoffersson tittar tillbaka och hittar såväl avgörande moment som minnesvärda höjdpunkter.
- Eftersom sex tävlingar var ett minimum för att mästerskapet skulle räknas så var Riga en extra viktig helg. Där satsade vi allt, tog hem segern på lördagen och säkrade viktiga poäng. Men eftersom det var tävling igen på söndagen så hann man inte glädjas. Därför var det först i Barcelona som den riktigt sköna känslan infann sig. Vi hade inte fått ut det bästa av materialet under tidigare söndagar och hade det tungt till en början, men vi gjorde en supervändning i semifinalen.

Det visade sig bli den sista tävlingen och stallchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS kan därmed rapportera ett VM-guld till teamets samarbetspartner.
- Utan vårt långvariga samarbete med Volkswagen och BAUHAUS hade det aldrig varit möjligt. Vi är oerhört tacksamma för deras trogna stöd och vi har bemödat oss om att leverera resultat.

Sten Forsberg, chef för Volkswagen Sverige, är imponerad efter ännu en VM-titel:
- Det Johan Kristoffersson har gjort är helt unikt. Att som svensk bli världsmästare för tredje gången inom motorsport är hur stort som helst. Ett stort grattis till denna enastående prestation från oss och våra återförsäljare.

Även Johan Saxne, marknadschef på BAUHAUS Sverige, stämmer in i hyllningskören:
- BAUHAUS är väldigt stolta över vårt mångåriga samarbete med Johan Kristoffersson, som inte bara lett till tre världsmästartitlar tillsammans utan också ett långt och givande ambassadörskap inom Team BAUHAUS, där Johan är en fantastisk ambassadör för kommande motorstjärnor.

20-11-25 Tredje VM-titeln för Kristoffersson
Johan Kristoffersson kan titulera sig trefaldig världsmästare i rallycross.
- En stor glädje, och jag gläds extra med mina teamkamrater som fick vara med på den här resan, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren efter beskedet att säsongsavslutningen i Tyskland ställs in.

Tävlingsmänniskan Kristoffersson skulle gärna ha kört såväl tävlingen på Spa-banan i Belgien som den på Nürburgring, men pandemin sätter stopp för fortsatt tävlande under 2020. Dubbeltävlingen i Barcelona blev säsongens sista, vilket gör att mästerskapet summeras med totalt åtta deltävlingar. Kristoffersson tar hem titeln med sina 219 poäng, 27 fler än tvåan Mattias Ekström.
- Jag hade gärna dragit på mig föraroverallen och tävlat i Tyskland, men nu är läget som det är, säger Johan, som istället fick bli ”mästare i kavaj”.

Efter de två VM-titlarna med PSRX Volkswagen Team Sweden 2017 och 2018 var värmlänningen borta från mästerskapet 2019. Comebacken skedde i Höljes i augusti, nu med Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, i regi av Kristoffersson Motorsport. Tre månader senare, denna rekordkorta säsong, står 31-åringen från Arvika åter som mästare.
- Första titeln är förstås något extra och andra gången var det minnesvärt med tanke på att jag vann nästan alla deltävlingar. Nu känns det speciellt eftersom vi gjorde det med vårt eget team, gänget som var med när resan startade en gång i tiden. Det känns lite som att sluta cirkeln.
Säsongens första stora bedrift var att överhuvudtaget göra satsningen möjlig och - inte minst - få loss en Polo R Supercar från Volkswagen Motorsport.
- Det var nästan så vi inte trodde på det själva, men till sist lyckades vi formulera frågan så att det inte gick att svara nej, säger Johan som slutligen fick se sin ”Nicole” hemma i verkstaden.

Fler prövningar väntade under året, till följd av corona-pandemin.
- Det var mycket information i början om hur vi skulle göra för att följa alla regler. Största stressen har handlat om att man inte ska drabbas av viruset själv. På slutet har det nästan varit värre med tanke på alla fall man har hört om, där den smittade inte känner något alls.

Tävlingsprogrammet gjordes också om och säsongspremiären sköts upp från april till augusti. Väntetiden utnyttjade Johan och teamet till att köra två tävlingshelger i RallyX Nordic med teamets egenhändigt byggda Polo GTI RX.
- Vi gjorde det bästa av situationen med den försenade säsongsstarten och kanske hade jag nytta av att få ett par tävlingar före VM-premiären. Jag gjorde några misstag i första tävlingen i Nordic.
Kristoffersson var redo när VM rullade igång i Höljes. Seger direkt.
- Vi vann första tävlingen och har varit i topp genom hela säsongen.

Totalt vann Johan fyra av åtta rundor, de tre första på tävlingshelgernas lördagar.
- Genom åren har jag avsevärt förbättrat min förmåga att vara snabb direkt jag kommer till en bana. Det handlar mycket om förberedelser på hemmaplan, att få en bild av banan gällande greppnivå och körstil. Sedan gäller det också att övriga i teamet har gjort hemläxan på samma sätt.

Förberedelserna lyckades perfekt till Höljes, Kouvola och Riga. Sämre gick det på söndagarna inledningsvis, men där kom vändningen i Barcelona, kanske det mest minnesvärda momentet under året, enligt Kristoffersson.
- Semifinalen i Barcelona! Vi hade varit på hälarna hela helgen och såg så himla slagna ut.

Då hittade teamet de rätta inställningarna och Johan gjorde en perfekt start.
- För första gången den helgen fick jag köra fritt och känna av banan. Att få göra det i ledning före Mattias Ekström var en härlig känsla.
Finalen blev sedan en symbolisk bild av VM-säsongen 2020, med Kristoffersson först över mållinjen och - visade det sig - världsmästare för tredje gången.

Blir det då en jakt på fjärde titeln under 2021?
- Det vore förstås kul om det gick att få till, men det är för tidigt att säga än.

20-11-25 FIA World RX of Germany Cancelled - Johan Kristoffersson and KYB TEAM JC crowned 2020 FIA World Rallycross Champions
In light of continued health concerns regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the organiser of the World Rallycross of Germany, scheduled to take place 12-13 December, has decided to cancel the final event of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross season. As the World RX of Germany event was the last scheduled event of the season, championship points leader Johan Kristoffersson has been named the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Champion, and KYB Team JC win the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship for Teams.

A number of options were explored in the hopes of moving forward with this event, but unfortunately it was not possible in the end.

"We were all very much looking forward to this premiere at our race track," says Nürburgring Managing Director Mirco Markfort. "The FIA World Rallycross Championship is an entertaining and action-packed format that further enriches our portfolio. Nevertheless, this decision is essential for the benefit of all involved and their health". Although the Nürburgring has successfully proved over the months that events with spectators also work in the context of infection protection, the situation is now a different one due to the sharp rise in the number of infections. We are now looking forward to the World RX at the Nürburgring 2021.“

“We offer our warmest congratulations to Johan and the KYB Team JC for their well-deserved titles,” stated Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG. “We are disappointed we were not able to hold our final event in Germany, but are very proud of the season we were able to produce throughout these unprecedented times, and our deepest gratitude goes to all our event organisers, partners and fans for their patience and continued support through it all.”

20-11-25 KYB Team JC världsmästare i rallycross – Mattias Ekström tvåa i förar-VM
Svenska JC Raceteknik, som driver KYB Team JC, fick en lyckad första säsong i rallycross-VM. Med 16 poängs marginal segrar de i teammästerskapet. Samtidigt slutar Mattias Ekström tvåa i förar-VM, följt av teamkollegan Robin Larsson på sjätteplats.

Rallycross-VM är avgjort. Åtta deltävlingar i fyra olika länder kunde genomföras trots den rådande Coronasituationen. Idag blev det officiellt att den nionde och avslutande deltävlingen, som skulle köras på tyska Nurburgring 12-13 december, ställs in. Därmed är det klart att JC Racetekniks VM-team KYB Team JC, som har lett mästerskapet från första deltävlingen, står som segrare i team-VM och även kniper andraplatsen i förar-VM.

JC Raceteknik har tidigare haft stora framgångar i rallycross, med bland annat EM-guld, fyra mästerskapsguld i RallyX Nordic samt flertalet medaljer. Under 2020 debuterade Värmlandsbaserade JC Raceteknik i rallycross-VM (FIA World Rallycross Championship) med KYB Team JC – och debuten blev minst sagt lyckad.

KYB Team JC representerades av två förare: Tidigare världsmästaren Mattias Ekström samt regerande Europamästaren och RallyX Nordic-vinnaren Robin Larsson. Teamets höjdpunkter under 2020 har dels varit vinsten under deltävlingen i Höljes, samt de dubbla pallplatserna i Riga med en seger och en andraplats. För Ekströms del resulterade säsongen i två vinster och tre andraplatser – och han slutade tvåa i förar-VM, efter Johan Kristoffersson. Teamkollegan Larsson fick en tuffare säsong. Han låg inledningsvis trea i förar-VM och tog bland annat en andraplats och fyra finalplatser under året. Men några kostsamma tekniska problem, raceincidenter och mindre misstag gjorde att han istället slutade på en hedersvärd sjätteplats i VM. Förarnas sammanlagda poäng gör att KYB Team JC blir världsmästare i teammästerskapet med 16 poängs marginal.

I FIA European Rallycross Championship (rallycross-EM) hade JC Raceteknik en permanent förare: Ben-Philip Gundersen. Gundersen, som 2019 segrade i RallyX Nordic i klassen Supercar Lites, gjorde under året sin debutsäsong i Supercar. Norrmannen imponerade stort och låg inför den tredje och sista deltävlingen i Tyskland på fjärde plats, med en poäng upp till pallen. Även Enzo Ide och Mats Öhman har kört några deltävlingar tillsammans med teamet – Ide kom till start under EM i Höljes samt VM i Barcelona, medan Öhman körde EM-deltävlingen i Höljes. I och med att den avslutande deltävlingen ställs in tvingas arrangörerna stryka hela Europamästerskapet 2020 och inga medaljer delas ut.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef:
”Jag startade JC Raceteknik 2014 med en dröm att någon gång köra VM, så att redan första året ta teamguldet med KYB Team JC är svårt att toppa. Världsmästare, det är en fantastisk känsla. Inför säsongen hade jag guldet som mål, och att lyckas hålla ledningen från start till mål gör bara saken ännu bättre. På grund av Covid-19 kom säsongen igång sent, och även om det såklart är synd att inte få avsluta och fira på plats i Nurburgring känns det skönt att kunna knyta ihop säcken.

Mattias och Robin har gjort ett fantastiskt jobb. Jag tycker vi gett Johan och KMS en bra fight i år, och vi är det team som utmanat dem mest. Mattias har gjort det han kan genom hela säsongen och vi är verkligen nöjda med hans andraplats. Det här är första, och troligen enda, gången han kommer köra en full säsong med oss och det har varit en ära att ha honom i teamet. Robin har under säsongen steppat upp och visat att farten från EM håller i sig. Tyvärr hade han både otur och gjorde ett par egna misstag, annars tror jag att han hade haft stor chans att komma topp tre i mästerskapet.

Jag är väldigt tacksam för jobbet hela KYB Team JC och JC Raceteknik lagt ner den här säsongen. Det har inte varit ett enkelt år för någon, och alla har kämpat riktigt hårt. Också ett stort tack till alla våra samarbetspartners den här säsongen som ställt upp trots dessa tuffa tider, utan dem hade vi inte kunnat ta VM-guldet. Nu kommer hela teamet ladda om och jobba med att försöka hitta en plan för 2021. Tills dess: vara rädda om varandra.”

Mattias Ekström, World RX:
”Jag kom in i det här utan att ha en tanke på att köra rallycross igen, till att sitta här med både guld i team-VM och silver i förar-VM. Det enda övriga målet var såklart att även vinna förar-VM, men vi var inte tillräckligt snabba helt enkelt. Alla vet Johans [Kristofferssons] kapacitet samtidigt som hans bil är väldigt bra, men jag tycker vi gav både honom och teamet en bra match. Sen har Robin i mina ögon tagit det största steget och det har varit kul att se hans maxnivå höjas.

Det har betytt mycket för mig att tävla och ha kul igen tillsammans med JC Raceteknik, att köra som hobby istället för som fabriksförare är en gigantiskt skillnad. I Höljes hade jag till exempel det coolaste rallycrossracet i min karriär på söndagen, och sen ytterligare en fantastisk söndag i Riga. Joel är i början av sin karriär som teamchef och har visat vad han går för. Teamet tog ett EM-guld på första försöket med Audi i fjol, och nu ett team-guld och silver i förar-VM under första året i VM – de pokalerna kan Joel och teamet vara nöjda med.

Jag tycker att det gått bättre än väntat att genomföra säsongen trots Corona. Vi hade lite småstrul med vissa saker, men det tillhör också spelets regler. Det är kul att det finns sponsorer och företag som är beredda att satsa även under tuffare tider, framförallt eftersom det varit mycket i sista minuten. Jag är också jättestolt över att se hur KYB utvecklat stötdämpare som kan vinna VM. För ett år sedan sa jag att chansen var noll att jag skulle återvända till rallycrossen, men nu fick jag hoppa in och det blev full rulle igen. Så om jag sa nej för ett år sen så får jag väl säga nej igen. 2021 kommer min prio ett vara Extreme E.”

Robin Larsson, World RX:
”Jag är väldigt glad för Joels skull att vi kunde ta det här teamguldet. Han lägger ner otroligt mycket tid och energi på teamet, och det här var hans stora mål den här säsongen. Jag ser det också som ett kvitto på att det vi alla gör fungerar. Även Mattias har varit väldigt viktig för teamet och mig. Att få köra en full VM-säsong tillsammans med honom har gjort att jag lärt mig saker hela tiden – både med inställningar, körning på banan och för att ladda om mellan tävlingarna.

Min säsong har gått lite upp och ner. I Riga hade jag väldigt bra fart och kom på pallen tillsammans med Mattias. Annars har jag har kämpat med småfel och en del stolpe ut som kostat mycket i det stora hela, samtidigt som jag också gjort några misstag. Även de här dubbeltävlingarna har varit svåra och kostsamma om någonting krånglar, men det är samma förutsättningar för alla. Jag hade gärna velat avgöra säsongen på plats i Tyskland istället ur ett teamperspektiv, det var jämnt och hade blivit en kamp in i slutet mellan oss och bröderna Hansen i teammästerskapet.”

Ben-Philip Gundersen, Euro RX:
”Att gå upp till Supercar var lika tufft som jag hade räknat med. Det är en otroligt häftig bil och konkurrensen är väldigt hög. Jag tycker att körningen har fungerat bra, men det har varit en läroprocess. Starterna blev en utmaning och det har varit svårt för mig att förklara hur jag vill ha bilens inställningar – med tanke på hästkrafterna har jag nästan haft tillräckligt med att bara försöka kontrollera bilen på banan. Men det känns som att jag har kommit in i det under säsongen och blivit mer van bakom ratten.

Det är väldigt synd att EM-finalen inte blir av, för då hade jag haft chans att ta en mästerskapsmedalj. Men jag hoppas att det kommer fler möjligheter. Att JC Raceteknik och KYB Team JC kunde ta teamguld i VM är väl förtjänt. Det är ett supergäng som stöttar varandra och som ger allt ända in i slutet. Att vara en del av ett sånt team är väldigt roligt, och ger mig alla möjligheter att lära och förbättra mig som förare. All heder till teamet!”

Mästerskapstabeller 2020
Rallycross-VM: Förare
1. Johan Kristoffersson 219
2. Mattias Ekström 192
3. Timmy Hansen 163
4. Niclas Grönholm 147
5. Kevin Hansen 135
6. Robin Larsson 122
7. Andreas Bakkerud 121
8. Timo Scheider 92
9. Anton Marklund 90
10. Timur Timerzyanow 81

Rallycross-VM: Team
1. KYB Team JC 314
2. Team Hansen 298
3. GRX Taneco 228
4. RX Cartel 150
5. ALL INKL 115
6. UNKORRUPTED 30

Rallycross-EM
Inställt på grund av Covid-19

20-10-27 Tre dubbeltävlingar och Superfinal för Rallycross-SM 2021
Det lyckade konceptet med en Superfinal är kvar när rallycrossen nu sätter planerna för kommande års SM-serie. Serien får även värdefullt tillskott av Supercar Lites, som blir en del av hela säsongens SM-tävlingar 2021.

Tre dubbelhelger och en Superfinal. Det är vad som väntar kommande säsong.
- Finalhelgen vi körde förr året var verkligen en succé med kanonhäftiga fighter i direktsänd TV, det vill vi upprepa även nästa säsong, säger Magnus Krokström, Svensk Bilsports rallycrossutskott och fortsätter.
- Vi är i väldigt speciella tider just nu, men vi planerar att vi ska köra tävlingar i norradelen av landet och i Mellansverige, men exakt var och när vet vi inte nu, säger Krokström.

Den kommande säsongen fortsätter även samarbetet med RX Promotion som driver RallyX
- Vi har världens bästa förare i Rallycross och vi har en bredd från Folkrace, via nationella klasser till de värsta bilarna och det är viktigt att vi fortsätter att bygga vidare på det arvet och utveckla oss ännu mer, både i bra arrangemang, men även med jämna och bra klasser, säger Jan-Erik Steen RX Promotion.

Nytt för 2021 är att klassen med den fyrhjulsdrivna enhetsbilen Supercar Lites kommer köra i SM-seriens samtliga tävlingar. Något som är efterlängtat bland förarna.
- Jag har pratat med många förare i klassen som är sugna på att köra mer och med Supercar Lites i SM kan vi tillmötesgå det och det känns bra. De får mer bilkörning och arrangörerna och SM-serien får ett större startfält, säger Jan-Erik Steen RX Promotion.

SM-året i Rallycross kommer avgöras med tre dubbeltävlingar och en Superfinal och just nu pågår arbetet med de sista detaljerna exakt när och var tävlingarna ska köras något som kommer presenteras när allt är klart.

https://www.sbf.se/Nyheter/SvenskBilsport/tredubbeltavlingarochsuperfinalforrallycross-sm2021/

20-10-21 World Champ amongst interested visitors as FIA RX2e car laps up attention on international debut
FIA RX2e Championship car draws admiring glances in Barcelona
Kevin Hansen ‘super excited’ about new FIA World RX support series
Johan Kristoffersson reports ‘impressive’ feeling from testing try-out

Two-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson was amongst those keen to take a closer look at the new FIA RX2e Championship car in Barcelona last weekend, as the FIA World Rallycross Championship community took the opportunity to find out more about the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

Following several months of testing and development, the RX2e car went on international display for the first time at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, attracting many intrigued observers.

Key personnel from QEV Technologies – the electro-mobility specialists behind the project – were on-hand to talk through the core features of the car, which offers a significant step forward in both power (+24%) and torque (+14%) compared to the existing Supercar Lites machine.

Team Hansen race-winner Kevin Hansen and XITE Energy driver Oliver Bennett dropped into the garage for a detailed guided tour of the RX2e car, as did GRX Taneco Team Manager Jussi Pinomäki. They each left impressed by the quality and on-board technology, which will be incorporated into all 20 cars ahead of the championship’s inaugural season in 2021.

Over the race weekend, RX2e test-driver and ambassador Oliver Eriksson drove a handful of demo laps, broadcast to more than 120,000 viewers during the official FIA World RX livestream. He then returned to the track in earnest on Monday at the nearby Circuit Calafat, where he was joined by countryman – and fellow Red Bull athlete – Kristoffersson and home hero Albert Llovera.

The Swede – currently leading the World Championship standings – climbed into the cockpit himself and enjoyed several minutes behind the wheel, offering invaluable feedback that will be analysed and utilised in the RX2e car’s ongoing development.

The final car is set to be officially presented towards the end of this year, and six European events are planned for the first season of the FIA RX2e Championship, with the full calendar to be released in due course.

Joan Orús, COO, QEV Technologies, said:
“It was a big moment for us to officially ‘launch’ the RX2e car on the World Championship stage, even if it was not the final version. Our headquarters are based not far from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and it was very rewarding to see such high interest from drivers and teams, fully validating all of the hard work put in during recent months by our first-class crew just down the road.

“I must admit, I was particularly proud to see Oliver take to the track on Saturday and Sunday. Although we are not yet operating at full power, he was still able to offer a glimpse of what the RX2e car will be capable of and how much of a step forward in performance it represents over the existing internal combustion-engined car.

“To then have Johan Kristoffersson try it out on Monday as well was simply the icing on the cake. Johan is the best and most complete driver of the current era, so there is nobody better than him at understanding just what makes a rallycross car tick. His comments confirmed that we are moving in the right direction, and give us even more motivation going forward. The future looks very exciting indeed!”

Oliver Eriksson, Test-Driver and Ambassador, FIA RX2e Championship, said:
“It’s been a busy, but very productive and enjoyable week. It started out with a few days’ testing, which resulted in some good progress, and then we got to show this beauty off to the watching world in Barcelona. I have to say, I was a little taken aback by just how much interest there was. I don’t think I ever stopped talking to people and showing them round the car on Friday afternoon!

“Of course, the highlight for me was getting to drive the demo laps, and I hope everybody watching at home enjoyed seeing the car run in ‘public’ for the first time. It was a major moment for us as we prepare to join the World Championship package for real next year. Now, though, we’re back on the test track and back in the workshop to ensure we provide the future RX2e drivers with the very best product possible – and we won’t stop working until that job is done!”

Kevin Hansen, Driver, Team Hansen, FIA World Rallycross Championship, said:
“The RX2e car has been beautifully built, and it’s exactly what the next generation of drivers need to prepare themselves for stepping up to the RX1e class. I’m a big believer in the electric future of our sport, and the technology that has been incorporated by QEV is truly cutting-edge. I’m super excited to have our #YellowSquad drivers in a category like this.”

Johan Kristoffersson, Driver, Kristoffersson Motorsport, FIA World Rallycross Championship, said:
“It was my first experience of driving an electric race car. The first time is always fun, and it was definitely exciting. The initial feeling I got was quite impressive, and it would be great to do some more testing and try out some more new things. From everything I’ve seen so far, RX2e promises to be a real step in the right direction and a great springboard to World Championship level.”

20-10-18 KYB Team JC continues to lead World RX Teams’ Championship despite difficult weekend in Barcelona
KYB Team JC continues to lead the FIA World Rallycross Championship Teams’ points despite a difficult double-header weekend in Barcelona, Spain.
Swedish drivers Mattias Ekstrom and Robin Larsson delivered some strong race performances in round seven on Saturday, despite battling a number of dramas, including clutch problems for 2016 World RX Champion Ekstrom and a bad jump landing causing an accident in Q2 for double European Rallycross Champion Larsson.

With both drivers stuck in traffic in the final stages of the day, Larsson finished fifth in his semi-final, and Ekstrom was fifth in the final.

Hard overnight work by the EKS-supported team on Saturday improved the pace of the Audi S1s for round eight on Sunday. Ekstrom won two qualifying sessions to take 16 championship points for being top of the Intermediate Classification and start on pole position for the semi-finals. He finished second in semi-final one, and was running in a podium position in the final until a technical problem slowed the Swede. He finished fourth, and remains second in the Drivers’ championship.

Larsson finished just behind Ekstrom in the semi-finals to make the final, then made a brilliant start, but his race ended when he hit another competitor who had been spun at the first corner. Larsson is sixth in the Drivers’ standings.

With two rounds of the season to go in Belgium and Germany, KYB Team JC leads the World RX Teams’ Championship by 16 points.

Also racing in Barcelona was Enzo Ide, for Team JC Raceteknik. In only his second ever World RX weekend, Ide impressed with his pace in the Audi S1 by qualifying for the semi-finals on both days against some of the best rallycross drivers on the planet. Unfortunately, on Saturday he was unable to start the semi due to a technical problem, but on Sunday he finished sixth in semi-final two.

The next round of World RX takes place at Spa Belgium, November 21-22, which will also be the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship.

Joel Christoffersson, KYB Team JC and JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“It’s been a really, really difficult weekend. Saturday was bad for us, we didn’t have the pace at all and it felt like we almost didn’t earn the speed we had. We really had to work hard on Saturday night and did a good job. As we have done every weekend it seems we find something on the night after the first race in these double-headers sadly. We did some good things and found the speed. Mattias was top qualifier and Robin was P7 in the Intermediate on Sunday, but in the semi-finals we lost the pace a bit against Johan Kristoffersson. I feel sad for Robin for what happened in the first corner of the final, and that we had a problem so Mattias didn’t finish on the podium. Team Hansen has done a good job this weekend and caught us a lot in the Teams’ championship, so we really need to re-focus and go to Spa aiming to do some good.

For Enzo, he has been very, very good this weekend, I’m so happy for him. He’s been fighting with the top 12 best drivers in the world in rallycross and to be in the semi-finals in only his second World RX weekend, it’s impressive. Some more practice for him and I think he’ll be even more impressive.”

World RX: Mattias Ekstrom (SWE):
“We came here with the hope of having a good weekend as I like the track and so on, but we struggled quite a lot with starts, with the clutches specially, so that was the main topic of the weekend for Robin and myself. That was for sure not nice and when you’re focusing on a problem, you also reduce the effort to try and work on the setup. I think we came a bit on the back foot on fine-turning the car, and never really got the momentum going. You can only say congratulations to Johan Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen for winning this weekend, they did a better job and we just need to get our heads down, sort out our issues and come back stronger.”

World RX: Robin Larsson (SWE):
“On Saturday we were all struggling a bit, we didn’t find the pace, especially for Mattias who was at the top all day but he couldn’t find the last little bit. That’s the bad thing about a double-header weekend, sometimes it takes a whole race in one day to find the answers. We started Sunday really good but I jumped into a hole in qualifying and got a puncture. In Q3 the clutch was overheating, I think we found every bit of bad luck we could this weekend. The car felt really good, I had a good start in the semi-finals and I was able to be careful for the last three laps, then in the final I had a really good start but I had nowhere to go when the cars came together in front of me. Hopefully we have our bad luck out of the way now.”

World RX: Enzo Ide (BEL):
“I’m really happy to have made the semis this weekend in Barcelona. I’ve learned a lot and the car has been a lot of fun to drive. I need to work more and get more experience in the Supercar, but I’m really looking forward to the next opportunity to drive. Thanks to the team for a lot of hard work, and especially thanks to Joel, Mattias and Robin for all their efforts and support.”

20-10-18 A sudden stop to Barcelona battle for Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel
Hoping for a repetition of yesterday’s good start to the day, Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel Liam Doran and Andreas Bakkerud took to the start line together for their first qualifier of round 8 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Following some contact into turn 1, Doran dropped into p4 and jokered straight away while Bakkerud followed Ekstrom in p2. Doran chased down August and overtook her in the last lap to finish in p3, putting him in p13 overall following Q1. Meanwhile, Bakkerud maintained position and finished in p2, with a promising 5th fastest time overall.

Taking on Bennett, August and Guillerme in his second qualifier, Doran’s race finished unexpectedly. Having led the pack for all 4 laps despite some engine issues from lap 1, Doran struggled to keep control into the last corner ahead of the chequered flag due to repeated misfires, resulting in him ending up in the wall and spinning around before crossing the line in p2. While the British Bomb was p12 following the last qualifier, the engine issues were too significant to get fixed ahead of Q3 leading Doran to retire from his race weekend in Barcelona.

Following a great start for Bakkerud in his 2nd qualifier, he kept the inside line to take p2 ahead of Kristofferson. Jokering straight away, Bakkerud chased down the pack, managing to overtake Kristofferson and Gronholm when both jokered. Taking on Timerzyanov when the Russian jokered, Andreas took the win of his 2nd qualifier, moving up to p4 overall.

Bakkerud lined up for Q3 for the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel framed by Ekstrom, Kristofferson and both Kevin and Timmy Hansen. He shot ahead into the lead and jokered in lap 3, overtook Ekstrom upon return to the track to successfully take the chequered flag and bag a front row pole position in semi-final 2.

Taking on the semi-final battle against Timmy Hansen, Anton Marklund, Niclas Gronholm, Timur Timerzyanov and Enzo Ide, Bakkerud put down a good start jumping into the lead followed by Hansen and Marklund.
He jokered in lap 3 and joined the pack in 2nd, overtaking Gronholm when the Finn jokered to finish the race in 1st.

Having beat Johan Kristofferson to pole position for the final race of the day, Bakkerud had another good start and raced toward turn 1 but was squeezed into the tire barrier, spun around into the air and crashed into by follow-up traffic behind, ending the race very suddenly for the Norwegian.

ANDREAS BAKKERUD
P5 IN FINAL
P5 in Q1 / P3 in Q2 / P1 in Q3 / P1 in SF2
“Generally, I’m really really happy about the result this weekend. Who would’ve thought after the difficulties we faced at the start of the season that we would be here today, on pole position in the final ahead of Johan Kristofferson. We even had Johan on reaction time at the start of the final! The squeeze came really suddenly and Robin had nowhere to go but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I wanted this win really badly and I’m not giving up now. We did everything we could this weekend and I’m really proud of the entire team and everyone involved both here and back at home. Thank you!”, Bakkerud commented.

LIAM DORAN
P16 OVERALL
P13 in Q1 / P12 in Q2 / P16 in Q3
“It’s been a frustrating day for me in Barcelona. The car felt good and I felt in control until the engine issues reared their head and unfortunately there was no way to continue. Having made some mistakes yesterday that cost us to now have an early finish today is frustrating but there’s nothing to do about it really, it’s motorsport.” Liam added.

20-10-18 Kristoffersson claims dramatic Cataluynia win
Johan Kristoffersson claims victory at Logitech G FIA World RX of Catalunya
Timmy Hansen and Anton Marklund take round eight podiums
Andreas Bakkerud and Mattias Ekstrom star but miss out on top results

Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson claimed a dramatic victory at the Logitech G FIA World RX of Catalunya, round eight of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy (18 October).

The Kristoffersson Motorsport Volkswagen Polo driver’s 24th career victory ensured Kristoffersson maintained his advantage at the top of the Drivers’ standings, as he targets a record-breaking third crown.

Kristoffersson initially lost ground to KYB Team JC’s Mattias Ekstrom, from Sweden, in the race for Drivers’ Championship points at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as he qualified fifth in the Intermediate Classification, with Ekstrom the top qualifier.

Double World RX Champion (2017 and 2018) Kristoffersson got the upper hand over 2016 Champion Ekstrom in the semi-final stages, and used superior pace to beat 2019 Drivers’ Champion Timmy Hansen, from Sweden, in the final.

Kristoffersson started second in the final and survived contact with Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud at the first corner to take the lead of the race. The turn one incident – in which Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Bakkerud was forced into the wall on the inside of the track – ended the Norwegian’s race, his Renault Megane getting hit by the Audi S1 of KYB Team JC’s Robin Larsson from Sweden, who also retired.

Kristoffersson led the final for the first three laps before taking his joker lap – an alternative route that every driver must take at least once in every race – which gave Team Hansen’s Timmy Hansen, from Sweden, the lead. Hansen took his joker on lap six and Kristoffersson moved back into the lead to take victory. Hansen (Peugeot 208) added a second place to his victory from round seven in the Logitech G FIA World RX of Pirineus-Barcelona 2030. Sweden’s Anton Marklund, the GCK Bilsten driver, claimed his first podium of the season with third in a Renault Megane RS RX.

Ekstrom was classified fourth after a problem in the final with his Audi S1. He did however claim victory in round eight of the Champion Fast Start Award and KYB Team JC continues to lead the World RX Teams’ Championship standings.

“I had a great start in the final, I saw Andreas drop back, I didn’t expect him to be there – I thought he was further back than he was. I couldn’t do anything different be honest, but from there on we jokered before Timmy today, I saw Timmy had four new tyres but I had two new tyres and I gave it absolutely everything to manage to beat him. I’m just so happy, we had pace all day but couldn’t really show it, I had traffic in every session. The semi-final was very nice and then in the final we had good pace. It’s a big relief,” said winner Kristoffersson.

Hansen holds third in the World RX Drivers’ standings. “For the weekend as a whole, it’s a fantastic result, we’ve been putting in a lot of work and it’s really paid off. The win yesterday will definitely be the highlight, I will carry that with me. Today it didn’t quite go our way, I think our pace was maybe better at points, but the race didn’t go our way. I was lucky in the final with the carnage, I came out quite well and after that I tried to take the battle to Johan but today it went to him, so congratulations to him. I’m very happy, it’s been a fantastic weekend for us,” he said.

Marklund was delighted to score his first podium of 2020. “It’s a big relief because we had a podium in round one at Holjes where we finished third, but unfortunately got a punishment and got moved down. After that we haven’t really had the pace and the team has been working so hard. Bilstein has been working so hard too and now it starts to pay off. The car is behaving very well and we have the pace. It was a bit of a struggle in the final because I was on four used tyres, and already on lap one I thought the others were too quick for me, but we managed to hold it together and climbed up to third place. I’m really pleased,” said Marklund.

GRX Taneco’s Niclas Gronholm, from Finland, and Timur Timerzyanov, from Russia were fourth and fifth in the team’s Hyundai i20s in semi-final two. Belgium’s Enzo Ide made his first ever World RX semi-final for Team JC Raceteknik and finished sixth in semi-final two with an Audi S1. Team Hansen’s Kevin Hansen (Peugeot 208), from Sweden, qualified for the front row of semi-final one with third in the Intermediate Classification but lost time in traffic and ended up fourth. Germany’s Timo Scheider was fifth in semi-final one with ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Seat Ibiza and Hungary’s Tamas Karai (Audi S1) finished sixth.

ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Mandie August (Seat Ibiza), from Germany, qualified 13th in the Intermediate Classification in her second ever World RX start. Xite Racing’s Oliver Bennett (BMW Mini), from Great Britain was 14th, France’s Patrick Guillerme (Hyundai i20) was 15th and Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Liam Doran (Renault Megane), from Great Britain scored the final Championship point in 16th.

Switzerland’s Yuri Belevskiy (Audi A1) claimed his second victory of the weekend in round two of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Super1600. The Volland Racing driver took maximum points from the Intermediate Classification, semi-final and final victory to extend his Championship lead. Russia’s Marat Kniazev (Audi A1) finished second and Hungary’s Gergely Marton (Audi A1) completed the podium. Russia’s Artur Egorov (Audi A1), Portugal’s Joao Ribeiro (Skoda Fabia) and Czech Republic’s Josef Susta (Skoda Fabia) completed the final finishers.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “Congratulations to Johan for another victory in his quest to win the 2020 World RX Drivers’ Championship. It was brilliant to see our 2019 title protagonists, Timmy Hansen and Andreas Bakkerud battling back at the front where they belong this weekend and it’s a huge shame that Andreas was unable to challenge for a podium finish today. Well done to Timmy and Anton for finishing on the podium and to Yuri for his double victory in Euro RX Super1600 this weekend. I’m sure all of the teams and drivers will be working hard now ahead of the next round at Spa-Francorchamps.”

The ninth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship takes place at the Spa World RX of Benelux (21-22 November).

20-10-18 Second World RX podium for Timmy Hansen in Barcelona
FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen scored his second piece of silverware in Barcelona this weekend, finishing second in round eight of the World RX season by steering clear of the chaos unfolding around him.

Timmy was on fine form after winning the first of two Barcelona rounds on Saturday, qualifying on the front row for the second semi-final and duly converting that into a place in the all-important final.

A fast start meant Timmy immediately passed Mattias Ekström for third place on the run to turn one, where contact between the two leaders sent Andreas Bakkerud around and allowed Timmy to dive past into second place.

Staying out until the final lap to take his joker lap, Timmy hoped to use clean air in the second half of the race to take the lead, though ultimately couldn't quite match the pace of eventual winner Johan Kristoffersson.

Kevin Hansen's weekend had got off to a brilliant start after finishing third on Saturday, and like elder brother Timmy, he secured a front-row start for his semi-final on Sunday.

A very crowded turn one meant Kevin was shuffled back to fifth place at the start, though he quickly recovered to fourth at turn three, sneaking past Timo Scheider on the inside of the long right-hander.

An early joker to find clear air didn't quite pan out as he caught Tamás Kárai a lap later and, while a brilliant overtake exiting turn six put him into fourth place, too much time was lost to catch up to Robin Larsson who held the last transfer spot for the final.

With a win and two podium finishes in two days, Team Hansen's quest to retain the teams' championship is well and truly back on track. Heading to Barcelona with a 43-point deficit to JC Raceteknik, Timmy and Kevin's efforts have narrowed that gap to only 16 points, with two rounds in Belgium and Germany still to go.

Timmy has also strengthened his position in the race for third in the drivers' title, extending his advantage over Niclas Grönholm to 16 points. Kevin meanwhile is 12 points behind Grönholm after Barcelona, sitting fifth in the championship.

1
Timmy Hansen
“Yesterday we got it, today not quite, but it's still been a great weekend.”

“It's been a fantastic weekend with a massive step-up in performance for both me and Kevin. We are fighting for wins now which feels great. Yesterday we got it, today not quite, but it's still been a great weekend and I'm happy that the work that we've done in the lead-up to this weekend has paid off.

“We had great pace today but the race didn't quite go in our favour. I wasn't lucky enough to have any pole position starts today which wasn't ideal so qualified fourth, though I was hoping to beat Bakkerud in the semi-final, even with older tyres, to get myself that all-important front row grid slot.

“The final was carnage. I came up behind Johan and it was the same battle again from Saturday but this time around I couldn't quite manage it. The only way to win was to put in a perfect run and I didn't quite put together a string of perfect laps in the final; I wasn't quite able to find that perfect rhythm from the day before.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“I was within sight of a victory, and I don't plan to let it out of my sight again.”

“Today was a very promising day. The car performance was amazing in all three qualifying sessions and I was feeling really comfortable with the adjustments the team had made overnight. My speed was much better today so I was very happy with everything in that respect.

“We had a bit of a bad start in the semi-final but I felt we were in a good position by jokering first. That's a good place to be, first into the joker, so it was looking promising. Unfortunately, Karai had gone for the complete opposite strategy to us so getting past him lost us the time we needed to make the final.

“Overall this was a very strong weekend, a great return to form, and I feel like I'm getting better every weekend. For the first time this year, I was within sight of a victory, and I don't plan to let it out of my sight again for the rest of the year. I'm even more excited to be heading to Spa now with the momentum we've built here, with the team back to winning ways.”

The
Boss Kenneth Hansen
“What was most impressive today was Kevin's level of performance increasing further.”

“What was most impressive today was Kevin's level of performance increasing further. In past years he was slightly behind Timmy's pace but now he's at exactly the same level; sometimes even quicker. So we have two really quick drivers and cars. Today he found the level he's normally capable of delivering.

“Our win yesterday seems to have made Johan even hungrier to make sure he didn't get beaten to victory! He was clearly very determined to make sure Timmy didn't win in the final again today. But having one race like yesterday's final, where Timmy put in an absolutely perfect drive, is still a fantastic performance. My voice is almost gone from pushing Timmy so much on the radio!

“We're back in the game for the teams' world championship now and we'll be doing everything we can to catch the Audis in the title race. I believe with the direction we're going in and what we've learned this weekend will also help us in Spa. Now we've made a big step for this weekend, finding the next bit of pace will be even harder, as the rate of return on testing gets smaller and we're also quite late into the season now. Plus we need good weather! But we'll do some more testing and see what we find. We never stop pushing!”

Round Eight results
2nd
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 2nd
Qualifying 2 5th
Qualifying 3 5th
Semi-Final 2 2nd
Final 2nd

7th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 3rd
Qualifying 2 2nd
Qualifying 3 2nd
Semi-Final 1 4th
Final

Next round:
World RX of Belgium
Iconic Formula 1 circuit Spa-Francorchamps hosts the Belgian leg of World RX, having taken over from Mettet last year.

Despite its status as one of the new breed of racing circuit-based rallycross events, the RX track has a distinct old-school feel. There's plenty of elevation change as the cars ascend from Eau Rouge to Raidillon, and the lap finishes with a blast through a long, sweeping left-hander that features deep gravel and a bowl-like profile.

Team Hansen now has a break of nearly a month to prepare for Belgium, which takes place between Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November.

20-10-18 GCK Bilstein celebrates podium success in Barcelona
The second day and Round 8 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Barcelona kicked off for GCK Bilstein with Swedish driver Anton Marklund starting his first qualifier on the outside alongside Scheider, Karai and Gronholm.

Marklund dropped into p4 off the start line and chased down the lead as both Scheider and Karai jokered. He jokered in the last lap, coming out alongside Scheider but was pushed wide to finish in p3, putting down the 10th fastest time overall following the first qualifier.

GCK Bilstein’s 2nd qualifier saw Marklund drop into P2 behind Scheider having been squeezed into turn 1. Marklund gained position into 2nd in lap 3 before overtaking Scheider in the last lap to take the chequered flag, moving up by 3 positions to a strong p7 overall.

On pole for his third qualifier and the final chance to fight for semi-final position, Marklund took on Gronholm, Scheider, Timerzyanov and Karai.
Managing to find traction through the first turn, Marklund took the lead and charged ahead into the clear, taking the chequered flag with a strong time putting him into p6 overall heading into the semi-final.

Starting from the 2nd row of semi-final 2, Marklund put down a clean start and took the inside line into p3 following turn 1. He maintained position and pushed ahead to create enough distance to join the pack in p4 following his joker in lap 3. He pushed into p3 on the final lap to cross the finish line for a 3rd row spot in the final.

The final race of the day saw Marklund avoid heavy contact through turn 1 to push into p3. He jokered straight away coming out in p4 and worked his way back to chase down the pack. Overtaking Ekstrom in lap 4, he finished in p3, successfully bagging GCK Bilstein’s first podium in 2020 and Marklund’s 3rd podium with the GCK team.

ANTON MARKLUND - P3 IN FINAL
P10 in Q1 / P6 in Q2 / P3 in Q3 / P3 in SF2
“I’m really really happy for all of GCK and Bilstein. While I was at home trying to relax and doing analysis in between races, they’ve worked super hard at the workshop and the factory to bring us a race-ready car with significant improvements since Finland RX. I’m just so happy that they’ve made it work and they now have a car that races extremely well and is fully back on pace. We just have to build on this now and we have a race win in us still.” Anton commented.

20-10-18 Fjärde segern för nöjd Kristoffersson
VM-tävlingen i Barcelona utvecklade sig till en äkta rallycrosskamp med hårda dueller i två dagar. Den stora vinnaren blev Johan Kristoffersson som slutade tvåa och etta med en poängskörd på totalt 53.
- Jag är så fruktansvärt nöjd, kan inte bli gladare än så här, summerar Kristofersson.

Johan startade från innerspår hela lördagen, men det betydde sannerligen ingen enkel resa. Konkurrenternas omilda behandling av VM-ledaren rensade lagret av framskärmar till Johans Volkswagen Polo R Supercar.
- Så mycket plast som vi har förbrukat den här helgen har vi inte gjort på hela säsongen tidigare.

Tvåhjulskörningen i andra kvalomgången var det svettigaste ögonblicket, men värmlänningen kom ner på alla fyra och stod i pole position när det var dags för final. Det blev en ny rejäl närkamp, nu mot Timmy Hansen. Kristoffersson fick klara sig utan främre stötfångaren under större delen av finalen.
- När jag tappade fronten blev det ganska understyrt. Det märks tydligt på en sån här bana där det går riktigt snabbt ibland.

Andraplatsen innebar ändå en totalt sett bra utdelning från lördagens race.
- Jag tar 27 poäng. Man förlorar inte mästerskapet på en sån tävling, säger Johan.

Lördagskvällens lottning signalerade att det skulle bli en ännu svettigare kamp för poängen under söndagen. Kristoffersson fick välja allra sist och hamnade på ytterspår. Visserligen fick han en bra start men det blev ändå bara en tredjeplats i heatet.

Inte heller i andra eller tredje kvalomgången lyckades Kristoffersson komma loss och få visa den fart han ändå hade i bilen.
- Det var mycket uppförsbacke och tungarbetat. Det blir svårt att analysera när man inte kan köra så fort som man önskar.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren radade upp placeringarna 6-4-6 i de tre kvalomgångarna vilket innebar femteplats i kvalet totalt, säsongens sämsta.
- Det spelade ingen roll vad vi gjorde så hamnade vi i kofferten på någon konkurrent, konstaterar teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson, som var frustrerad så långt.

Men som så många gånger förut visade sig Johan vara bäst när det gäller. Han gjorde en riktigt bra start från andra startledet i semifinalen och smet på innern upp bakom Mattias Ekström. Efter att ha klarat av jokern på tredje varvet laddade Kristoffersson rejält och tog sig upp i ledning.
- Äntligen fick jag släppa loss och bara köra. Jokertaktiken var helt suverän där, berömmer Johan.
Läktarsamarbetet mellan Tommy och ingenjören Richard Browne firade triumfer. Semifinalsegern innebar en plats i främsta ledet i finalen, utvändigt om Andreas Bakkerud.

Teamet hade dessutom spelat högt och sparat två nya däck till finalen.
- Vi ville ändå ladda för en final och ha bra förutsättningar där, förklarar Tommy.

Johan använde däcken till en riktigt bra start. Han var förbi norrmannen fram till första kurvan, men det blev ändå en sammanstötning som avslutade finalracet för Bakkerud. Kristoffersson körde vidare till en klar seger, men med ett efterspel i domarrummet, där den dubble världsmästaren friades och fick behålla sin seger, den fjärde för säsongen.
- Det var förstås oroligt, men jag hade blivit väldigt besviken med ett annat domslut. Johan var förbi med en hel längd, säger Tommy.
- När jag släppte kopplingen försvann han i sidorutan för mig. Jag försökte lämna plats på insidan, men han måste ha bromsat sent, kommenterar Johan.

För fjärde gången den här säsongen fick Johan kliva högst upp på prispallen och han ökade dessutom sin ledning i VM-tabellen till 27 poäng. Johan har 219 poäng mot 192 för tvåan Mattias Ekström med två deltävlingar kvar att köra.
- Vi har attackerats från alla håll under säsongen. Nya hugade spekulanter dyker upp för att göra livet svårt för oss, men vi är med där uppe hela tiden, sammanfattar Tommy Kristoffersson.

20-10-17 Timmy Hansen scores first 2020 World RX victory in Barcelona
Reigning FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen scored his first win of the 2020 campaign in emphatic style in the first of two rounds at Barcelona, with Kevin Hansen finishing third to give Team Hansen a double podium.

Timmy repeated his brilliant form from last year's World RX of Catalunya, where he led a one-two finish for the team, by winning again on his return in a nailbiting finish against current championship leader Johan Kristoffersson.

After finishing qualifying second overall, Timmy went on to win his semi-final, battling with Kevin after the 2019 bronze medallist got the better start. An earlier joker lap for Timmy meant he retook the lead from Kevin on the last lap, so lined up alongside Kristoffersson on the front row of the final ahead of Kevin in third.

From there, Timmy went toe-to-toe with Kristoffersson at turn one but just lost the battle for the first corner, instead opting to joker just before the halfway point of the final. A series of quick laps meant that come his rival's final-lap joker, Timmy took the lead, fending off his compatriot in the final few corners after some minor contact.

Kevin's second podium of the 2020 season, after his second place at the team's home round in Sweden, was assured through a penultimate lap joker from second place. He fell behind Timmy but came out well clear of Niclas Grönholm, who is a key rival to both Hansens in the four-way battle for third in the drivers' championship, securing third at the finish line.

With fine performances from both drivers, important progress has been made in the championship standings. The gap in the teams' title race has narrowed to only Timmy is now third in the drivers' championship, five points ahead of Grönholm, while Kevin has moved up to fifth overall.

A second round at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit takes place tomorrow, the eighth round of what is currently set to be a 10-round championship.

1
Timmy Hansen
“It's something I've been trying to achieve for a long time, to beat that car and driver combination in a World RX final.”

“There has so many times I've been chasing Johan since 2017 when they entered with that Polo. We have been chasing it as Team Peugeot-Hansen, Peugeot as a factory team, and now as Team Hansen the privateer, so it feels like we've beaten the unbeatable today. This result is a big box tick for me; It's something I've been trying to achieve for a long time, to beat that car and driver combination in a World RX final.

“I believe we can go even faster tomorrow. There are still things we can fine-tune for this track and I know the more work there is, the faster we'll go. So I'm feeling very hopeful for tomorrow. If we can achieve the same again tomorrow as what we managed today that would be fantastic. Right now I'm happy and grateful for today's result but tomorrow it's about refocusing, doing another three qualifiers and two finals. Who knows, maybe we'll come home with two first-place trophies?”

9
Kevin Hansen
“It's great to get some pay-off for all the hard work we've been putting in since Finland.”

“It's been an amazing day. It's great to get some pay-off for all the hard work we've been putting in since Finland and finally we're back on the top step with a 'brodium'! This is an amazing place to do it, the site of our one-two finish last year, to come back to the top and win again.

“It was a good day. Our speed has definitely improved since the last round, so we definitely deserve this result. We need to keep our head down now; we've got a good car and we can improve it further. There are still some small things on my side that can be improved to unlock more speed. I'm in a good place for tomorrow regarding tyres, so generally, I'm really happy with how the weekend is going.”

The
Boss Kenneth
“We really needed this one-three result today, to really demonstrate our performance and potential again with meaningful results.”

1st
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 2nd
Qualifying 2 3rd
Qualifying 3 2nd
Semi-Final 1 1st
Final

3rd
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 8th
Qualifying 2 5th
Qualifying 3 6th
Semi-Final 1 2nd
Final

20-10-17 Hansen victorius in Catalan thriller
Timmy Hansen takes victory in Catalunya to become fourth 2020 World RX winner
Johan Kristoffersson takes second and extends Drivers’ standings lead
Kevin Hansen makes it double-podium for Team Hansen

Sweden’s Timmy Hansen raced to victory at the Logitech G FIA World RX of Pirineus-Barcelona 2030, round seven of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy (17 October), his first victory since winning the 2019 Drivers’ title.

The reigning champion qualified for the front row of the final with a full set of new tyres at his disposal on Team Hansen’s Peugeot 208 Supercar. Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson, the 2020 Drivers’ Championship leader with three victories to his name, started from pole position and led the final race in the opening phase, but when he took his joker lap – an alternative route that every driver much take once in each race – on lap six, Hansen moved into the lead following a series of near-perfect laps, and Kristoffersson had to settle for second at the finish line.

Hansen’s victory – by less than half a second – makes him the fourth different 2020 winner from seven rounds, and lifted him to third in the Drivers’ standings. Kristoffersson Motorsport’s Kristoffersson, driving a Volkswagen Polo, had taken the TQ (top qualifier) position in the Intermediate Classification, and the win in semi-final one and second in the final helped the 2017 and 2018 World RX Champion extend his 2020 standings lead to 25 points.

Sweden’s Kevin Hansen was second to team mate and older brother Timmy Hansen in semi-final two and finished third in the final to repeat the double-podium for Team Hansen from the Catalan round in 2019.

Finland’s Niclas Gronholm, the GRX Taneco driver, battled his way to fourth in the final. He overtook 2020 title challenger and 2016 Drivers’ Champion Mattias Ekstrom, from Sweden, during the final. KYB Team JC’s Ekstrom overcame technical challenges with his Audi S1 during the seventh round of the season to finish fifth and remains in title contention with three rounds of the season remaining. KYB Team JC maintained its position in the lead of the Teams’ Championship standings.

Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud, from Norway, delivered his strongest performance of the season so far. He set the quickest time in Q2 and finished sixth in the final.

“It feels like I’ve just beaten the unbeatable one. For so many years we have chased that Volkswagen, as a private team, as a factory team with Peugeot and now as a private team again. The guys have done some magic back home, we’ve been testing really hard but we’re onto something and we came here feeling we had the pace. But, I needed to get everything out of myself in that final, it was hard just to keep up with Johan in the beginning, then from the moment I took the joker I needed to get every single corner 100% right. I must say I was even a bit lucky a couple of times on those laps, but that was everything I’ve got. Johan has again done a fantastic weekend but finally I managed to beat him in a final and it feels fantastic to be the winner,” said Timmy Hansen.

Kristoffersson was pleased with another strong points haul. The Swede also won the round seven Champion Fast Start Award. “It’s been details here and there today. Q2 was not optimal, the start in the final was also not perfect, but still I managed to get out first after the start. But all those things are small details, for the overall picture I have to be very happy, to take 27 points and extend the lead in the Championship. The pace was fantastic from free practice one, we have to be happy and respect our competitors as well, Timmy and the whole Hansen team have done a fantastic job between the races, I’ve seen they’ve been testing and pushing on and that’s what keeps us on our toes as well,” said Kristoffersson.

Kevin Hansen’s podium was his second of the season. “What a day. Timmy has done absolutely incredibly, Barcelona and him is a magic combination. I saw in his eyes before the final that he wanted the win today. For me it was a good turn one in the final, I came out third but just missed a bit of speed to Timmy and Johan ahead. Today they were in a class of their own. I’m super-pumped to be on the podium again, and for the team to get another double podium in Barcelona. Finally it’s some payback for all the work we are doing and putting our life, sole and passion into it,” he said.

Russia’s Timur Timerzyanov, the GRX Taneco driver, was fourth in semi-final one in a Hyundai i20 after he lost time at the start. Xite Racing’s Oliver Bennett, from Great Britain, made a return to World RX and was fifth. Germany’s Timo Scheider, racing for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport, retired on the second lap of the first semi-final with a technical problem. GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund, from Sweden, set top three times in qualifying and finished fourth in semi-final two, ahead of KYB Team JC’s Robin Larsson, from Sweden. Larsson made it into the semi-finals as the first reserve. He initially qualified 13th in the Intermediate Classification following a retirement from his Q2 race and a penalty for first corner contact, he then battled with Marklund on the first lap of the semi-final but ended up fifth. Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Liam Doran, from Great Britain, was classified sixth in semi-final two.

Belgium’s Enzo Ide was 13th in the final classification. On his first start of the season the Audi S1 driver, racing with Team JC Raceteknik qualified in 12th but withdrew ahead of the semi-finals with a technical issue. That lifted KYB Team JC’s Robin Larsson into the top 12. Hungary’s Tamas Karai was 14th, France’s Patrick Guillerme was 15th with in a Hyundai i20 and on her debut in World RX, ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Mandie August, from Germany scored a Championship point in 16th.

The first round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Super1600 also took place at the Logitech G FIA World RX of Pirineus-Barcelona 2030. Switzerland’s Yuri Belevskiy, the Volland Racing Audi A1 driver, started on the front row of the grid for the final and overtook teammate Gergely Marton, from Hungary, on lap one of the race to take victory. Finland’s Rasmus Tuominen drove to third place on his European Championship debut with a SET Promotion Renault Twingo. Norway’s Marius Bermingrud (Audi A1), Russia’s Arthur Egorov (Audi A1) and Portugal’s Joao Ribeiro (Skoda Fabia) completed the final finishers.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “What a brilliant day of action we’ve had at the Logitech G FIA World RX of Pirineus-Barcelona 2030. The local organisers have done a great job to deliver his double-header weekend in challenging global circumstances, and the drivers did the business on track. Congratulations to Timmy, Johan and Kevin for finishing on the podium, it shows just how competitive the Championship is this year that we’ve had four winners in seven rounds and we can’t wait to do it all again in round eight tomorrow in the Logitech G FIA World RX of Catalunya before the fourth edition of the new RX After Track fuelled by Monster Energy on our Facebook and YouTube channels.”

The eighth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship takes place tomorrow (18 October), also at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Logitech G FIA World RX of Catalunya.

20-10-17 Kristoffersson ökar sin VM-ledning
Det blev en andraplats för Johan Kristoffersson i den sjunde VM-deltävlingen i rallycross. Därmed utökade han ledningen i mästerskapet till hela 25 poäng.
- Jag tar 27 poäng idag. Det är bra. Man förlorar inte mästerskapet på en sån tävling, konstaterar Kristoffersson nöjt efter lördagens race i Barcelona.
Kristoffersson kom till Spanien med taktiken att försvara sin VM-ledning utan att ta alltför stora risker. Konkurrenterna hade förstås andra tankar och gav Johan en tuff lördag. I första kvalomgången var det Niclas Grönholm som utmanade genom första svängen. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren svarade upp mot uppvaktningen och vann heatet med omgångens snabbaste tid. Det var Kristofferssons sjätte Q1-seger av sju möjliga den här säsongen!
- Det fungerade bra direkt. Jag hade bra pace redan på första träningen, säger den dubble världsmästaren.

I andra omgången blev utmaningen ännu tuffare. Robin Larsson attackerade från ytterspår. Kristoffersson hamnade i däckbarriären och kastades upp på två hjul, men kom lyckligtvis ner på alla fyra igen. Värmlänningen tog upp jakten och lyckades ta sig ända fram till täten i heatet. Kristoffersson visade att både han och Volkswagen Motorsports Polo R Supercar är stryktåliga.
- Den är verkligen byggd på ett bra sätt. Det kunde ha slutat mycket värre. Man hinner inte tänka så mycket, utan vill bara få ner bilen på alla fyra och fokusera om på körningen framåt.

Tredje kvalheatet blev relativt sett lugnare för Johan. Han tog sig problemfritt genom första kurvan och kunde kontrollerat köra hem segern i kvalomgången. Därmed tog han också hand om förstaplatsen i kvalet totalt och plockade hem sexton poäng. Det var den femte kvalsegern av sju möjliga för Johan i år.

Det blev mer närkontakt i semifinalen, där Kristoffersson studsade genom första kurvan, men stod emot, kom ut som ledare och kunde defilera fram till pole position i finalen.
- Ena däcket blev lite överhettat, men i övrigt flöt det på bra.

I finalen hade Kristoffersson fyra använda däck, medan Timmy Hansen på rutan bredvid hade fyra nya. Johan fick en ganska bra start, men blev hårt uppvaktad av Timmy in i första kurvan. Framskärm och stötfångare lossnade.
- När jag tappade fronten blev det ganska understyrt. Det märks tydligt på en sån här bana där det går riktigt snabbt ibland.

Kristoffersson utmanade ändå Hansen hela vägen och de båda bjöd på riktigt tuff rallycrossracing. Såväl Johan som Timmy fick en reprimand från domarna.
Från Kristofferssons sida var det ändå inga hårda känslor.
- Hansen-teamet var starka idag. Timmy hade en bra däckstrategi och utnyttjade fördelen med en tidig joker.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-chefen Tommy Kristoffersson kommenterade också dagens taktiska val.
- Vi kunde ha varit mer aggressiva på jokerstrategi och däckval, men vi ville försäkra oss om många kvalpoäng och att stå långt fram i semi och final. Idag handlade det mer om att jaga poäng än att säkra vinsten.

En taktik som lyckades om man ser till VM-sammandraget. Eftersom totaltvåan Mattias Ekström hade en sämre dag utökade Kristoffersson ledningen från 17 poäng till 25.
- Det var viktigast idag, konstaterar Tommy Kristoffersson.

Trots många inkörda poäng var det första gången den här säsongen som Johan förlorade en lördagstävling. Kanske dags att istället vinna den första söndagstävlingen för året?
- Det hade ju varit trevligt, säger Johan Kristoffersson, som dock fick en sämre lottning inför helgens andra tävling.

Efter att ha startat från innerspåret hela dagen blir det nu en plats i ytterspår i söndagens Q1.
- Det blir tufft, men vi ska göra vårt bästa!

20-10-15 Hansen pushing for first World RX win of 2020 in Barcelona
Team Hansen is taking on the last of four double-header rounds in the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, as Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen seek their first wins of the 2020 season.

Timmy and Kevin Hansen are currently in a close four-way fight for third place in the drivers' championship, with Timmy only six points behind Niclas Grönholm in fourth and Kevin a further 15 points behind in sixth overall.

Both drivers' strong performances have also kept Team Hansen in the running to defend its world teams' champion crown, as the team sits second overall with the top spot still in reach.

Barcelona represents a strong opportunity for the team to score its best result of the 2020 season to date, having been the site of a 1-2 finish for Timmy and Kevin last April. That finish meant they joined an exclusive club alongside the Schumacher and McRae families in having siblings score a 1-2 finish in an FIA championship event.

More than 12 months on since the team's last trip to Spain - World RX of Catalunya was pushed back from April to October due to Covid-related distruption - the team is back hoping to recapture that same form.

In the lead-up to World RX's return this week, both Team Hansen drivers have been busy. Timmy has been hard at work testing updates to the team's Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar, while Kevin made his rally raid debut with the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team on last week's Andalucía Rally, finishing fourth in the SSV class.

Timmy was also busy in another discipline durng the one-month World RX break, testing the Spark Odyssey 21 E-SUV for Andretti United Extreme E team. The reigning world chmapion will join the all-electric series next year, which will visit some of the most challenging environments in the world like the Arctic chill of Greenland, the Amazon rainforest in Pará, Brazil, and more.

1
Timmy Hansen
“The results we got out of our test last week were some of the best we've ever had.”

“We've been pushing really hard with our testing programme since Latvia. We want to be winning races this year so we're pushing the limits beyond what we'd normally do, running our equipment for much longer than usual to make sure we get it right. But I like this level of commitment we're taking, which of course carries some risk with it.

“I've conducted many rallycross tests over the years and the results we got out of our test last week were some of the best we've ever had. I'm very excited to be coming to Barcelona with this fresh approach we've got and the multiple updates we've brought with us.

“I'm feeling optimistic but the only way to know how much difference it's going to make is once we're up against the stopwatch at a race weekend. The car does feel drastically different, in a positive way, so my hope is that this is the step we've been looking for.

“There are so many good things going for us at this track, considering our history of results here and the updates we're bringing, so I hope that will close the gap enough for us to win some races this year.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“Last time we raced here I was leading the world championship, so it will be great to come back.”

“I'm really looking forward to coming back to Catalunya. It's been a long time now since we were last there! Last time we raced here I was leading the world championship, so it will be great to come back. I have lots of good memories there; not only last year but also the year before, which was my first time competing with a full factory team in rallycross.

“Barcelona a good track for us. We've been very fast here for the last two years so I'm looking forward to coming back now with all the recent testing that's been completed.

“While Timmy was testing I was taking on a great new adventure in Andalucía, racing a buggy with the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team. It's the most fun thing I've done all year and I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to try it out.

“But now I'm switching back to the complete opposite of rally raid, with short racing on a circuit. This is my job, my passion, my life. It's been a month now since we were last in the 208 Supercar, so I can't wait to get the rallycross feeling back.”

The Boss
Kenneth Hansen
“The plan is simple: to be battling for wins again. Let's see what happens this weekend.”

“We had a great result here last year but of course, we can't take anything for granted, considering how strong our competition is. But we haven't been servicing the cars and sleeping since Riga. We've been doing testing and we've now got some updates on the cars that have shown positive signs.

“If those signs are as good as our first impressions suggest, this could be a good weekend for us. There were limits on how much we could test due to factors like the weather but we've done several test days with different set-up options, tweaks to the chassis and engine, and further optimising the set-up of our Öhlins dampers. The plan is simple: to be battling for wins again. Let's see what happens this weekend.”
Track The track:
Circut de Barcelona-Catalunya

World RX of Catalunya joined the calendar in 2015 as one of the new generation of rallycross tracks based on permanent racing circuits

Utilising the final sector of the Formula 1 circuit, sections of fast, high-grip asphalt are punctuated by two dirt sections, the first of which features a spectacular jump.

The big numbers
100
Timmy Hansen won 100% of the sessions he raced in during last year's World RX of Catalunya, picking up a perfect score.

2
Kevin Hansen took an extremely important second place at Barcelona in 2016 in European RX, securing his first championship title in a Supercar during his debut season.

The track:
Circut de Barcelona-Catalunya
World RX of Catalunya joined the calendar in 2015 as one of the new generation of rallycross tracks based on permanent racing circuits

Utilising the final sector of the Formula 1 circuit, sections of fast, high-grip asphalt are punctuated by two dirt sections, the first of which features a spectacular jump.

The big numbers
100
Timmy Hansen won 100% of the sessions he raced in during last year's World RX of Catalunya, picking up a perfect score.

2
Kevin Hansen took an extremely important second place at Barcelona in 2016 in European RX, securing his first championship title in a Supercar during his debut season.

What to look out for
Joker exit. The fastest part of the circuit is the back straight, which runs between turns 12 and 13 of the F1 track in the reverse direction. While those on the regular lap have track position and the inside line, cars exiting the joker have a huge momentum advantage with higher corner exit speed. Look out for bold around-the-outside passes here!

Turn One. Like the previous round in Latvia, Barcelona's first turn on the rallycross circuit has a funnel-like effect. It's only used on the first lap before joining the main track but as a high-radius corner a few hundred metres after the start. Expect plenty of nudging between drivers trying to get the holeshot.

Rallycross Rewind
2019: A family 1-2 Finish
he perfect weekend. While the most important round of Team Hansen's title-winning season last year was the finale in South Africa, Spain was undoubtedly the best, taking a clean sweep of every session on the way to a 1-2 finish.

Timmy set the tone for the weekend with a clever move in turn one, cutting quickly to the inside when he looked set to be squeezed out to sneak into first place by turn two.

From then on he wouldn't be beaten all weekend, winning all four qualifying sessions, his semi-final and then the final. It was the perfect riposte to a terrible start to the year for Timmy, where his car had suffered extensive damage after being taken out in a serious accident in Abu Dhabi.

Kevin had come to Spain as championship leader, having taken his first World RX win a few weeks earlier in Abu Dhabi. Finishing second in qualifying, then winning his semi-final from pole and finishing behind Timmy in the final, ensured he left Spain in the lead of the championship once more that weekend.
Where to watch World RX
FIA World Rallycross has a variety of ways to keep up to date with live event coverage, thanks to comprehensive worldwide TV coverage on channels such as Sportkanalen (Sweden), L'Equipe (France) and TV3 Sport (Latvia). World RX’s full TV listing can be found here.

You can also watch live coverage of all the World RX qualifiers on Team Hansen's Facebook page and, in selected countries, watch the Finals on World RX's YouTube channel.

Event Timetable
All times CET
Saturday, October 17th
Free Practice 08:30
Qualifying 1 10:20
Qualifying 2 11:50
Qualifying 3 13:40
Semi-Final
Final 17:00

Sunday, October 18th
Warm-up 08:30
Qualifying 1 09:30
Qualifying 2 10:50
Qualifying 3 12:40
Semi-Final
Final

20-10-13 Taktisk Johan jagar nya poäng
Rallycross-VM går in i ett avgörande skede på Circuit de Barcelona där ännu en dubbeltävling ska köras under helgen.
- 60 poäng att kämpa om. Taktiken är som vanligt att försöka plocka de poäng man kan få utan att ta alltför stora risker, säger VM-ledaren Johan Kristoffersson.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren kommer till årets sjunde och åttonde deltävling med en ledning på sjutton poäng före Mattias Ekström och 49 ner till Niclas Grönholm.
- Mattias är närmast poängmässigt och blir förstås en tuff konkurrent, men både Timmy och Kevin (Hansen) var starka där förra året och Grönholm är förstås också med i toppen, liksom Robin (Larsson).

Kristoffersson vann sin senaste tävling i Barcelona, 2018, utan att vara först i mål. Ekström blev då av med sin seger i domarrummet efter en incident i starten med Petter Solberg. Just startmomentet kan spela en avgörande roll kommande helg.
- Sedan de flyttade fram starten har det blivit riktigt chansartat, lite av ett lotteri in i första sväng, säger Johan.

Efter senaste tävlingen i Riga pratades det mycket om däckstrategi, alltid en viktig faktor naturligtvis, men kanske inte lika avgörande den här gången, menar teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.
- Jag tror inte den här banan är lika däckkänslig, men har man otur i lottningen inför första omgången kan man komma på hälarna och kanske måste offra en uppsättning däck för att säkra sin position.

Med de förutsättningarna känns det förstås bra att ha en del poäng att gå på i mästerskapstabellen.
- Vi kan förhoppningsvis spela lite på vårt försprång och måste inte köra för att ta ikapp poäng. Efter Riga har vi sorterat isär en del saker på bilen och hittat bra lösningar, så vi åker ner med gott självförtroende.

I de tre dubbeltävlingar som har körts hittills har Johan vunnit lördagstävlingen med sin Volkswagen Polo R Supercar, men ännu inte kapat åt sig någon seger under söndagsdelen.
- Säkert tillfälligheter delvis, tror Tommy, men det kan också vara så att Johan har gjort ett bra förarbete inför tävlingarna medan de andra har snäppat upp mellan lördag och söndag.

Tävlingen i Spanien blir den fjärde på raken med dubbla finaldagar efter att Portugals deltävling försvann ur kalendern. För Johan Kristoffersson spelar det ingen större roll.
- Jag hade gärna kört i Portugal och fått två tävlingshelger med mer tid för utvärdering däremellan, men det är najs med dubbelhelg också. Det blir intensivt och mycket körning.

Den uteblivna resan till Portugal öppnade upp för ännu ett gästspel i Carrera Cup Scandinavia, där Johan nu har gjort två tävlingshelger på raken under rallycrossuppehållet.
- Det är alltid bra att få vara i tävlings-mode. All körning är bra körning, säger Johan, som fick kliva högst upp på pallen ett par gånger under sina gästspel.

Nu hoppas han förstås få göra det samma i Barcelona, som tidigare har varit en vårtävling, men nu alltså körs i oktober.
- Det var kallt i april 2018 också, så vi har en del inställningar från tidigare som kanske kommer till användning. Sedan får man göra en del fingertoppsinställningar när man är på plats också.

20-10-06 Q&A: FIA eRX2 Championship Test-Driver and Ambassador, Oliver Eriksson
Official championship test-driver reports on positive progress so far
Swede predicts ‘exciting’ times ahead for eRX2 competitors
21-year-old hails strong working relationship between QEV and OMSE

As the countdown continues to next year’s inaugural season of the new FIA eRX2 Championship – the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship – one man is better-placed than anybody else to provide an update on development and progress. So we spoke to him.

Confirmed as the official FIA eRX2 Championship ambassador and test-driver last month, Oliver Eriksson – currently setting the pace in the FIA European Rallycross Championship – has been busy in recent weeks getting to grips with the eRX2 car and working closely with QEV Technologies.

As a title-winner in RallyX Nordic, the RX2 International Series, RallyX on Ice and GRC Lites, the 21-year-old Swede knows better than most just what it takes to hone and refine a cutting-edge rallycross beast – and he is encouraged by what he has seen of the eRX2 car to-date...

How has testing been going so far?
It’s been going well. It’s been predominantly about gathering data so far – it’s not so much about performance at this stage. That will come later. We’re trying to do our homework and make sure we have all our ducks in a row. I’ve had four days in the car, split between Spain’s Circuit de Calafat and Nysumbanen in Denmark, and although we’re only at the beginning of the eRX2 car’s development, we’re already making good progress.

How different does the eRX2 car feel compared to the existing Supercar Lites car?
It actually feels pretty similar to what I’ve been used to in RX2. Of course the transition to electric power is a big step – that goes without saying – but it’s a step rather than a leap. At the end of the day, it’s still a car, it still has four wheels and a steering wheel. It’s the instant power that’s the main difference.

Tell us a bit more about what it’s like to drive – what are the main characteristics?
It’s not as different as you might think. The car handles quite similarly and the driveability is excellent, but like I say, the power is the biggest change. It’s like an electric rollercoaster – you step on the throttle, and it simply takes off and then keeps on accelerating. The Supercar Lites car has a lot of top-end power, but when you put your foot down in the eRX2 car, it just goes. That’s the advantage of electric, and it’s all about learning how to handle and harness that power. As a driver, that’s very exciting.

There are a couple of other features that I really like, too. I’ve been able to play around with calibrations in the ECU quite a bit, which make a big difference to the behaviour of the car, and the regen engine braking is a real step in the right direction. You can choose just how much you want the engine to help you brake and through which axle. This makes stopping super-effective, and will allow the driver to set the braking balance to their personal preference.

It’s also much noisier than people think, both inside and out of the cockpit. There’s a lot of noise from the transmission, and it will be good to witness drivers’ reactions when they try it out for the first time. It still sounds very much like a rallycross car, I promise you that.

How far into the development schedule are you now?
We’re still obviously at an early phase, development-wise. We’re focussing on reliability and the powertrain at the moment, and collecting all the necessary data to make sure the car is performing as it should. The next stage will be to hit the track at Calafat and truly put the chassis and dampers to the test. QEV have constructed a completely new rallycross circuit there, adding a gravel section with big jumps to the existing tight-and-twisty asphalt track. Basically, it now has everything a rallycross circuit needs, so we’ll really be able to put the eRX2 car through its paces.

What have you been learning from QEV’s expertise in electric technology, and what have you been able to teach them about rallycross so far?
We’ve been teaching each other a lot. It’s been really interesting, because although QEV and Olsbergs MSE are both hugely experienced in motorsport, that experience has been gained in completely different areas of the sport so we’ve each been able to bring a lot to the table. The relationship is working very well.

It’s been invaluable for the QEV guys to learn more about rallycross, and we’ve had a few discussions about left-foot braking and overlapping between the gas and brake pedals, which is something you need to do in rallycross to settle the car and keep it pointing in the right direction all the time with the constant twists and turns. I think that’s been a bit of an eye-opener, but they’re certainly learning fast!

How important is it from your perspective that rallycross goes electric?
For me, as a driver, it’s very important – it’s the only way I’m going to become a truly professional driver in the future, because electric technology is the only thing OEMs are interested in now. It’s the direction in which the whole world is going – we can’t close our eyes to that fact. We need to get on-board and enjoy the ride, and I want to make sure I’m on the train before it leaves the station. Admittedly, I miss the gear changes in-between turns a little bit, but I’m sure that will soon get forgotten – it’s a small price to pay for the extra power and sensation of speed.

What can drivers and fans look forward to in eRX2 in 2021?
Very close, competitive, exciting racing. The great thing about eRX2 is that it will be entirely new for everybody – nobody will go into it with a prior advantage. It will be a level playing field, and money will not be a factor. That means that ultimately, it will be the driver that makes the difference, not the size of somebody’s wallet. It will be interesting to see who adapts the quickest, and that will come down to talent and hard work. I genuinely think it will be the hardest-working driver that wins the championship.

20-09-21 Eriksson overcomes adversity to extend championship lead with victory in Latvia
Swede wins the hard way in second round of Euro RX
OMSE ace digs deep in Riga after myriad issues
21-year-old takes 11-point advantage into title showdown

Oliver Eriksson had to battle back from a range of dramas in the second round of the 2020 FIA European Rallycross Championship in Latvia last weekend (19/20 September), but a determined performance saw the Swede claim his second victory from as many starts in the series and close in on the coveted crown.

Eriksson headed to Riga’s Bikernieku trase off the back of a sensational triumph on his Euro RX debut on home soil at Höljes three weeks earlier – but his second weekend in the championship would prove to be considerably less straightforward than his first.

Contact at the start of Q1 – for which his assailant subsequently received a five-second penalty – sent Eriksson’s Ford Fiesta into a spin and left him having to grapple with broken suspension, limiting him to seventh place in the 14-strong field. The same result in Q2 – this time as a consequence of traffic – restricted the recently-crowned RallyX Nordic Champion and two-time RX2 Series title-winner to fifth position overnight, with his main rival topping the table.

Embracing the opportunity offered to him by a new day on Sunday, Eriksson came out-of-the-blocks in fine form, setting the pace in Q3 despite his front-right wheel collapsing with three corners to go following a heavy landing over the jump. He maintained that momentum with another fastest time in Q4 to climb to second in the overall classification, although yet again, the race was not without its issues as a turbo blew on the last lap and left him down-on-power.

Following a loss of rear wheel-drive in his semi-final, the Olsbergs MSE ace grittily emerged on top from an epic, no-holds-barred duel with Ben-Philip Gundersen, as the pair traded places and paintwork on multiple occasions with absolutely no quarter given.

With the same problem persisting in the final, Eriksson resisted initial pressure from Sondre Evjen until a mistake by the Norwegian offered him some respite. Thereafter, he carefully managed the gap and held on to maintain his 100 per cent winning record in Euro RX, marking an impressive recovery from his Saturday woes and extending his championship lead from seven points to 11 ahead of the season finale at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 21/22 November.

“That was such a hard-fought weekend at a track where I have historically struggled,” the 21-year-old reflected. “We had a lot of bad luck on Saturday, and then I had big problems with the car in the semi-final and final too. We’ve had nothing go wrong with the Fiesta all year, and it all seemed to happen in Riga! Thankfully, we had the speed to fight back each time we ran into trouble and everything worked out in the end.

“I felt really frustrated on Saturday night, but OMSE is the best team in the business and we always keep the faith – and I knew I had a quick car underneath me. I owe a big thanks to the whole crew for pulling through on such a tough weekend.

“In the semi-final, I had no drive from the rear towards the end of the race, and I was so sure the suspension had broken again. I started playing it super-safe over the jump, but I ended up easing off too much which gave Ben-Philip the opportunity to overtake me and I had to fight my way back past him. It was an enjoyable battle, albeit right on-the-limit.

“The boys looked the car over afterwards and couldn’t find anything wrong, so I began to wonder if I was going mad, but it transpired that the rear drive disconnect unit had been slipping. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to do anything about it before the final so I just had to hope and pray it would hold out.

“I did my best to nurse the car given the circumstances, and Sondre’s mistake gave me a bit of breathing space. After that, I was able to control the pace, and my spotter Kevin was really on it. He kept me informed of the gap, and I backed off where I could – I didn’t push the car any harder than I needed to.

“It was a great result, especially after Saturday and all credit to the team for turning the situation around so successfully – they did an amazing job as always.

“Now, we need to finish the job off in Belgium. Eleven points might look relatively comfortable, but anything can happen in rallycross. I’m happier being the hunted rather than the hunter, and I’m looking forward to the fight. Spa is a great place to finish the season – and I’m going there to win!”

20-09-20 Speed on show by Team Hansen in the second World RX Latvia round
The second leg of the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s double-header event in Latvian capital Riga was very nearly a repeat of the first, with only the smallest of margins stopping Timmy Hansen from scoring another podium finish. His team-mate Kevin Hansen also set an unofficial lap record, showing the team's potential.

Reigning world drivers’ champion Timmy won two of his qualifying races, in Q1 and Q3, to qualify fourth overall and pick up a front row start for his semi-final. A straightforward lights-to-flag run in second place in the second semi-final meant a second-row grid slot for the final, though Timmy was beaten to the first turn by both Niclas Grönholm and Robin Larsson and fell to fifth.

The fightback began quickly, with Timmy taking the joker on lap one and turning in a sequence of fast laps to put himself back in contention for a podium finish. Sensing the danger, Larsson was called in for his joker on lap three, only just managing to get out ahead of Timmy as he covered the inside line on the exit of the last corner.

While Timmy missed out on a podium finish he proved a point by snatching fourth from Grönholm on the last lap, sweeping around the outside of the final corner as the Finn emerged from his joker lap.

Kevin Hansen made it two Team Hansen cars in the final for the second day in a row, despite finishing fourth in the first semi-final. He found himself being called up to the grid at the last second to take up what was originally Timo Scheider’s starting position in sixth.

With nothing to lose Kevin repeated his strategy from the day before, swinging the car out wide on the outside, which had given him second on the track a day earlier. It didn’t quite work this time, tucking in behind his brother Timmy into turn three.

There was still pace on display as he caught Grönholm towards the end of the race, though ultimately couldn’t find a way past and finished in sixth.

A series of outside grid slots in qualifying had left Kevin with little chance of competing at the sharp end despite his obvious speed. He set an unofficial lap record during morning warm-up, setting a 48.098s on his only lap of the session and showing what was possible with a clear track ahead.

Timmy’s third and fourth places this weekend means the close three-way battle for third in the drivers’ championship has become even tighter, with the reigning champion only six points behind Grönholm in fourth overall.

Kevin is also in the hunt, only 15 points behind Timmy and sixth in the championship heading to the next round in Barcelona, Spain. Team Hansen remains second in the teams’ championship post-Latvia, 43 points off the lead.

1
Timmy Hansen
“The team hasn't made a single mistake all weekend.”

“In general this weekend I'm extremely happy with what we delivered and the results we got. With the pace we had and the launches we had, this was the maximum we could achieve. The team hasn't made a single mistake all weekend, and I haven't made any mistakes on track, so we extracted everything we had.

“That said, we also want more, we want to be able to fight for the top step on the podium. To do that, we need to take one more step with the whole package that we have. There have been good signs but we need to put it together.

“Our launches were better today and the car was better this weekend in general, so we're taking steps. But it's not easy at this level to gain everything that you need to suddenly be at the front. It's about making little steps and this weekend we took several little steps. It's a hard game, we're a small team, but I believe in the crew we have and we'll keep on fighting.

“It was cool to see fans again in the grandstand but unfortunately, they can't enter the paddock due to the necessary Covid-19 protocols. I still miss the support that we get from the fans because we can't have them in the paddock in a safe manner right now that I wish was possible. It was good to hear them cheering when I was on the podium yesterday and I'm looking forward to when it's safe enough to have spectators with us fully again.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“We did the maximum possible and I still have a very good feeling with the car”

“I feel I have more and can do more, but the starts still aren't quite there. We're lacking a really small amount of pace, not much at all, but it's tough because it makes a big difference to the result.

“We did the maximum possible and I still have a very good feeling with the car, which is a great positive, having that full confidence and not making any mistakes. Being in scenario two for FIA Covid-19 protocols this weekend meant we were able to bring Eric Färén with us as an extra team member to help us even more, which has been useful as well.”

“It was very disappointing not to get through my semi-final on speed; I felt I had more speed than both Larsson and Grönholm. I went to the pre-grid for the final even though I was sure I wouldn't be the one called up if a grid slot opened, so I'm very surprised they called me in. But understanding the rules afterwards, going to pre-grid was a great choice!

“I was a bit more relaxed than I usually am before a race so it took me about a lap to get fully back into my rhythm again. I feel like I had a good run in the final, even if I was maybe a little too aggressive at the first corner. But when you are starting last, there's nothing to lose of course.”

The
Boss Kenneth Hansen
“Today was a better day than yesterday, even if we weren't on the podium this time.”

“The best thing about today was Kevin's warm-up time! In only one lap he put a new unofficial lap record on the board. That was very good. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep that speed and we're not completely sure why, so we need to do some more analysis into why that is. We're not able to get up to that exact pace every race yet.

“All things considered today was a better day than yesterday, even if we weren't on the podium this time. We had hope for more of course, so it feels a little odd not to be fighting for victory. Timmy was very close to managing a top three but close isn't enough. We need to look at what happened, what we learned, and find some further progression before heading to Spain in a few weeks time.”

“It's very close this year and we don't have quite the level of performance we would wish for, but we don't give up. We're definitely pushing to get to the front and fight for wins again.”

LVA World RX of Latvia:
Round Six results
Timmy Hansen, 2020 World RX of Finland

4th
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 3rd
Qualifying 2 6th
Qualifying 3 3rd
Semi-Final 1 2nd
Final 4th

Kevin Hansen, 2020 World RX of Finland
6th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 9th
Qualifying 2 8th
Qualifying 3 4th
Semi-Final 1 4th
Final 6th

ESP Next round:
World RX of Catalunya-Barcelona
Timmy Hansen at the 2019 World RX of Catalunya-Barcelona.

Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona hosts the seventh and eighth rounds of this year's FIA World RX season, adding an extra round after the recent cancellation of the Portuguese round at Montalegre.

Barcelona, which was moved from its season-opening date in April to October 17-18, is somewhat similar to Riga given it's based at a permanent circuit racing venue, offering high grip sections for much of the lap.

As the incumbent event winners from last year, where Team Hansen scored a 1-2 finish, the team is hoping for another strong result in 202

20-09-20 Victory and podiums for KYB Team JC at World RX in Riga
KYB Team JC and Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom finished second in round five of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Riga in Latvia, then followed up with a victory and third place finish for Ekstrom and Robin Larsson in round six on Sunday, the team’s first ever double World RX podium.

The Latvian round was the first to welcome fans on site in 2020, and they watched both JC Raceteknik-run Audi S1s make the final in round five, where Ekstrom finished second after winning his semi-final. Larsson was sixth.

The team was then top throughout the second day in Riga, round six. Ekstrom took the fastest time in Q1 and Q2 and Larsson was fastest in Q3. First and third in the Intermediate Classification, the team mates finished one-two in semi-final one. Ekstrom had saved new tyres for the final, took the lead at the first corner and went on to take his second win of the season, a week after announcing his 2021 programme with CUPRA in Extreme E. Ekstrom remains second in the World RX Drivers’ Championship, but closed the gap to Johan Kristoffersson to 17 points.

Reigning Euro RX and RallyX Nordic Champion Larsson used a good race strategy to finish in third place, his first World RX podium with JC Raceteknik, which moved him up to fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.

JC Raceteknik also finished fifth in the second round of Euro RX with Ben-Philip Gundersen. Following victory in the final round of RallyX Nordic at Nysum in Denmark, Gundersen came to the Latvian round of Euro RX with high hopes. He was second fastest in the first qualifying session but didn’t have the weekend he hoped for, battling in traffic and then had a spin while racing for a podium in the final. He holds fourth in the Euro RX points.

The next two rounds of World RX take place in Barcelona, Spain, October 17-18. The third and final round of Euro RX will be at Spa, Belgium, November 21-22.

Joel Christoffersson, KYB Team JC and JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“What a fantastic result. We had a good day on Saturday, but we struggled a bit with the tyres, so it was good to get a P2 and both cars in the final. We had a good debrief overnight and really put our heads together to try and find a setup to try to manage the tyres as well as possible. We worked late, and today it paid off. We had the pace in the morning and through the day, the semi-final went just as we planned, and then in the final I was a little curious about how Robin wold get on because we didn’t have as many new tyres for him as we did for Mattias, but it was such a nice feeling to get both cars on the podium. I’m almost happier for Robin than Mattias because we have worked so hard with Robin and he’s driven so well but we’ve never had the last luck to be on the podium. Now finally he could step up there and it’s a huge relief for him. It’s so nice to have two top drivers in the team and it’s fun to be looking at the points in both championships. There’re many races left still and I guess I need to call Mattias on Monday and try to discuss what we can do in the future. Hopefully CUPRA and ABT can let us have him back again.”

World RX: Mattias Ekstrom (SWE):
“For me Sunday in Riga turned out very special, after being dead last in the Q1 grid draw really means having no draw at all, just to take the place that’s left over. It was feeling like a big challenge, but after a good start and a clean Q1, that was the base for our weekend. Then to win again in Q2 was another key. For Q3 we were just doing tyre management to save the best for the semi-final and final. That was a big strategic thing. I can’t say about enough about our starts because that was a key to the success too. Robin finished P2 in the semi-final which was very good and important points for the team, and then the final battle with Johan, such a close race from the start into the first corner and all the laps he was on my bumper. I did no mistakes and in the end finished in front. It felt amazing and probably one of the best victories. I can’t wait to go home and digest this one and to call the guys at CUPRA and ABT to say thanks for the permission to come here and do this race, and I will also ask for permission to go to the next races. I hope I will be able to give an update on this soon because that’s what the team want and what I want also.”

World RX: Robin Larsson (SWE):
“I didn’t expect to be as high in the Intermediate Classification on Sunday after the tiny mistake in Q2. We had to use four new tyres in Q3 to go for it to get the fastest time. It went well, and made up a bit for the really disappointing Q2. I knew then we couldn’t fight for the win when we used those tyres because you need them so much at the end, so I just tried to be behind Mattias in the semi, and it ended up really well in the final with Niclas Gronholm behind and I could really push on the lap that we took the joker. I’m more relieved than happy, that we could show pace, especially for me on this track, I’ve never been fast here and struggled before a lot. I’ve tried to look at Mattias and the v-box and everything to get as much data as I could. I’m really happy for Mattias and the team for the double podium. Finally!”

Euro RX: Ben-Philip Gundersen (NOR):
“I’ve been struggling a bit with the starts all weekend I didn’t have the pace I wanted on the track either. The pace has been okay, but not what I wanted, so I’m not so happy with the weekend. It’s very difficult to pass here when you have bad starts and you get stuck in traffic. I was more comfortable in the car in Denmark for RallyX Nordic than here. I thought it would be a better track for me and the car, but it wasn’t like that. In the final I did a jump too long, went off the line and into the dust and just spun. I just need to work more with the car and do more driving in a Supercar for me to learn more.”

20-09-20 Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel leave Riga with a bang
Day 2 of this season’s 3rd double header and Round 6 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Riga, Latvia, had the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel ready to put down a fight to build on yesterday’s results but came to a sudden end in a tumultuous semi-final that put Bakkerud into the track barrier at 120km/h.

Day 2 of this season’s 3rd double header and Round 6 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Riga, Latvia, had the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel ready to put down a fight to build on yesterday’s results but came to a sudden end in a tumultuous semi-final that put Bakkerud into the track barrier at 120km/h.

Following a quick, 2-lap morning warm up, Andreas Bakkerud took pole position for his first qualifier and despite a good start, was pushed into P3 following turn 1. He jokered straight away, chasing down the pack to outrace Scheider and overtake the German to cross the finish line in 2nd, putting down a solid 6th fastest time of the qualifier.

The 2nd qualifier saw Andreas build on this further as he managed to race ahead into the lead, from where he pushed the GCK Megane R.S. RX around the track to take the checkered flag, putting him in P3 overall going into final qualifier of the day. Q3 wasn’t to be quite so smooth for the Norwegian as significant contact into the first turn pushed him into P4, dropping him into P6 overall going into the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Liam Doran faced a battle in his first qualifier that saw him pushed out wide into the first turn, from where he raced his way back, only to be stuck behind Timerzyanov to finish in P3 and P12 overall.
The 2nd qualifier saw Doran put down some good lap times as he took the joker in the first lap to chase his way back up from there. A broken boost pipe in the last lap cost him some time and he retained his P12 overall going into Q3.
While struggling with some technical issues, a big send around the outside throwing the car around at the last minute saw Doran take the lead of Q3, outracing the pack and jokering in the last lap to take the checkered flag and retaining his semi-final spot in P12 overall.

Both Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel drivers faced one another in semi-final with Bakkerud on row 2, and Doran on row 3.
A bold move by Doran saw him push into P3, however, contact into turn 1 had the Cartel drivers in P4 and 5. While Doran followed Marklund to finish closely behind in P5, Bakkerud managed to chase down Scheider twice and seeing a gap in the last lap, he went to overtake the German on the inside but was pushed into the grass bank with significant impact, tearing the front side of the GCK Megane R.S. RX apart and resulting in medical support required for Bakkerud. The Norwegian has since been released from hospital following a full check up. Round 6 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship finished with Bakkerud in P7 and Doran in P12 overall.

ANDREAS BAKKERUD
P3 IN SEMI-FINAL 2
P6 in Q1 / P3 in Q2 / P10 in Q3
“Today was really a day about consistency for us in Riga and the target was the podium for sure. I felt we were strong in Q1 and Q2 especially, then we struggled a bit in Q3, got safely to the semi-finals and saw a lot of action there. First following the start which had us pushed out but then I caught up to Scheider twice and knew I had the opportunity to overtake him. I saw him break a little late to defend and I took a wider line, cut back to then take the inside line. Then I just felt one big punch into the front side of my car that changed its direction entirely and hit the barrier on the left doing 120km/h at the time. There were parts everywhere and I literally just closed my eyes hoping that Marklund and Doran would avoid me. At that speed, you never know what can happen. The track medical team did a great job and the Riga hospital did a lot of tests on me, which I really appreciate. It’s moments like this that you so appreciate the work we’ve done on our safety equipment in the Megane, the seatbelts, our hybrid device, the helmet and so on - you sometimes take it for granted but now I’m just happy that we use safety equipment that is well proven and of great quality.”, Bakkerud commented.

LIAM DORAN
P5 IN SEMI-FINAL 2
P12 in Q1 / P13 in Q2 / P9 in Q3
“I’ve had another up and down day here in Riga, it seems like it’s a constant rollercoaster ride for me. The car had issues throughout the day and I didn’t get a real opportunity to show the pace of the car nor me really I don’t feel. Nonetheless, we got to the semi-final and had a good start, which was going to plan and got through to P3 but then got binned out of the track and dropped back to last. To be honest, it’s so hard to come back from last in the semi-final. You can come out of a fight in the first corner but throughout the race it’s hard because everyone has got great pace. I’m a bit frustrated with myself for giving up a little too soon then - I didn’t really fight with Marklund for P5 and then realised in the last lap there was still reason to fight and sped up again. We got in the semi-final so it’s a step forward but overall of course, not how we wanted to end the day.”, Liam added.

20-09-20 Ekström to Riga World RX Win
Mattias Ekstrom wins in Latvia
Championship leader Johan Kristoffersson takes second in Riga
Robin Larsson joins Ekstrom in double KYB Team JC podium

Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom secured his second win of the 2020 season at the Neste World RX of Riga-Latvia, round six of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy (20 September).

Together with the 12th victory of his career, achieved by leading all 12 laps of the semi-final and final on Sunday afternoon at the Bikerneiki Sport Complex, Ekstrom took a maximum points haul in Riga to close the gap to World RX Drivers’ Championship leader Johan Kristoffersson, from Sweden.

The KYB Team JC team made setup changes overnight to the Audi S1 Supercars of Ekstrom and Swedish team mate Robin Larsson and Ekstrom controlled the sixth round of the season in qualifying, the semi-finals and the final.

For the first time in 2020 Kristoffersson didn’t win a qualifying a session. The only time Ekstrom was headed throughout the day was by team mate Larsson in Q3. Like Ekstrom and Larsson, the Kristoffersson Motorsport team worked hard on the tyre strategy to have the best Cooper Tires available for the semi-finals and final, and the Drivers’ Championship leader finished second in the final. Larsson was third, his first podium of the season, to help KYB Team JC extend its lead in the World RX Teams’ Championship standings.

Team Hansen’s Timmy Hansen (Peugeot 208) from Sweden, GRX Taneco’s Niclas Gronholm (Hyundai i20), from Finland and Team Hansen’s Kevin Hansen (Peugeot 208), from Sweden completed the classified finishers in the Riga-Latvia final.

“I can’t say enough about our starts [today] because that was a key to the success. Robin finished second in the semi-final which was very good and important points for the team and then the final battle with Johan, such a close race from the start into the first corner and all the laps he was on my bumper, but I did no mistakes and in the end finished in front. It felt amazing and probably one of the best victories. The win in Holjes was really nice, but somehow at Holjes it felt like everyone was saying the final was great, but this time the whole day was great. I would rate this one higher,” said winner Ekstrom.

Kristoffersson was pleased with his points score from round six. “The fight was all the way to the end, but really the biggest chance for victory today was in Q1. When I didn’t manage to take the start there, in Q2 I didn’t manage to beat Mattias again and then I knew he already had a good tyre strategy then for Q3. I was on the back foot from there on. We were very aggressive on the tyres in the semi-final so I had four new tyres for the final the same as Mattias, but I was on the outside for turn one and thereafter I just had to follow him, saving as much tyres as I could for five laps before the joker, but there was a little too much argy-bargy with Gronholm at the joker merge and during the lap, so I couldn’t really challenge Mattias at the last corner. But, it’s still very good points,” said Kristoffersson.

Larsson was delighted to turn fast pace into a podium finish. “I was really disappointed with a tiny mistake I made in Q2 and we had to fight back in Q3. I knew that we couldn’t fight for the win when we used the new tyres in Q3, because you need the new tyres so much here for the final. I’m more relieved than happy, especially for me at this track. I’ve never been fast here, I’ve struggled a lot. We’ve been in the mix, Johan has been a tiny bit better than us overall. I’m really happy for the double podium for the team,” said Larsson.

GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund (Renault Megane) finished fourth in semi-final two and was classified seventh overall when ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Timo Scheider (Seat Ibiza), from Germany, was disqualified after the race for contact on lap six with Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud (Renault Megane), from Norway, which eliminated Bakkerud from the race. Bakkerud visited hospital in Riga as a precaution but was released a few hours later. Bakkerud’s teammate, Great Britain’s Liam Doran, finished the semi-final side-by-side side with Marklund.

As first reserve for the final, Kevin Hansen benefitted from Scheider’s disqualification. Hansen finished fourth in semi-final one, in front of GRX Taneco’s Timur Timerzyanov and GRX SET’s Krisztian Szabo, from Hungary, both racing Hyundai i20s. Latvia’s Reinis Nitiss, was classified 13th at his home circuit driving Esmotorsport’s Skoda Fabia. Germany’s Rene Muennich (Seat Ibiza) was 14th, ahead of Unkorrupted team mates Guerlain Chicherit (Renault Clio) and Rokas Baciuska (Renault Clio), from France and Lithuania respectively in 15th and 16th. Ferratum Team’s Jani Paasonen (Ford Fiesta), from Finland, was 17th.

France’s Cyril Raymond won the second round of the Projekt E championship – the first ever international electric rallycross series – in a brand new Citroen C3 ERX. He beat Latvia’s Janis Baumanis (Ford Fiesta ERX) to victory in the final after trading times with the former World RX podium-finisher throughout the weekend. In the series for cars fitted with the three motor, 450kW electric powertrains developed by Projekt E technical partner STARD, Norway’s Svein-Bjarte Holten (Ford Fiesta) completed the podium. Great Britain’s Natalie Barratt (Ford Fiesta) was fourth and moved into the series points lead.

Sweden’s Oliver Eriksson (Ford Fiesta) claimed a hard-fought victory in round two of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar. He took pole position for the final when he won semi-final two and top qualifier, France’s Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Peugeot 208), finished second in semi-final one to Norway’s Sondre Evjen (Volkswagen Polo). In the final, Eriksson led for all six laps, Evjen was second and Dubourg third. Dubourg’s brother and DA Racing team mate Andrea Dubourg (Peugeot 208) was fourth. Norway’s Ben-Philip Gundersen (Audi S1) and Hungary’s Tamas Karai (Audi S1) completed the final classification.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “Congratulations to Mattias, Robin and the whole KYB Team JC team for a brilliant performance today, and the win and double podium. Also to Johan for finishing second. We had another brilliant day of action for those watching around the world and the fans at the venue today. It’s been an intense first month of World RX 2020 with six rounds, and now everyone has a few weeks off ahead of our next double header at Catalunya-Barcelona in October.”

The seventh and eighth rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship take place at the World RX of Catalunya-Barcelona (17-18 October).

20-09-20 GCK Bilstein finish P4 in semi-finals in Riga
Day 2 of the double header event in Riga, Latvia, kicked off with clear blue skies and crisp, fresh air as Marklund lined up for the first day’s qualifier to fight back following yesterday’s P14 finish.

Day 2 of the double header event in Riga, Latvia, kicked off with clear blue skies and crisp, fresh air as Marklund lined up for the first day’s qualifier to fight back following yesterday’s P14 finish.

Facing the Hansen brothers, Baciuska and Kristoffersson in Q1, Marklund took a strategic early joker to get out of traffic following the first corner and finished in P4, putting down the 10th fastest qualifier time despite the initial hold up.

Having initially dropped into p3 in the first turn of Q2, Marklund chased down the pack and jokered in the last lap to cross the finish line in P2 behind Timerzyanov, retaining his 10th position overall. Q3 saw no change in overall standings but plenty of race action into the first turn, which Marklund held his own throughout to maintain p10 overall, securing his semi-final spot.

On row 3 in semi-final 2 following plenty of race action into turn 1 pushing through from the back, Marklund took the joker straight away and raced his way into P4 before taking the joker. He fought his way back to the pack into 5th. In lap 6, the race was red flagged and Scheider (at the time in P3) disqualified for contact with Bakkerud, resulting in a final P4 for Marklund in Riga.

ANTON MARKLUND - P4 IN SEMI-FINAL 2
P10 in Q1 / P9 in Q2 / P11 in Q3
“We’ve been working very hard on the car this weekend and everyone on the team had to absolutely put their everything in to try and mitigate some of the niggles that already reared their heads yesterday. We started to pick up some pace in the end but it wasn’t quite strong enough. The semi-final had us finish in 4th due to Scheider’s disqualification, however, as a result of the race having been red-flagged, the previous lap’s standings stood and Andreas would’ve got the grid spot and of course was unable to so Kevin Hansen took the spot in the final ahead of me. A close call to the final but it wasn’t to be today and the priority is that Andreas is ok.” Anton commented.

20-09-20 Evjens första pallplats i EM
Sondre Evjen gjorde karriärens bästa insats i Supercar när han körde hem andraplatsen i Euro RX-deltävlingen i Riga.
- Jag var snabbast ute på banan. Det är starterna som inte har funkat, sammanfattar Evjen.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren kom till Bikernieki-banan med en sjätteplats i mästerskapet sedan premiären i Höljes. Redan under lördagen visade den 22-årige norrmannen att det skulle bli andra takter i Riga. Han var snabbast i första kvalomgången och snubblande nära en seger även i den andra, där han fick nöja sig med en andraplats. Efter första dagens två kvalomgångar toppade Evjen listan.
- Jag har haft en god känsla i bilen, inte behövt ligga på max och kunnat spara på däcken, säger Sondre.

Lite tuffare blev det i söndagens två kvalomgångar och mycket berodde på startmomentet.
- Får vi till starterna kommer vi att vara med helt där uppe.

Evjen klarade ändå av närkamperna i den trånga första svängen på Bikernieki och visade imponerande fart, inte minst i semifinalen, där han manövrerade ut J B Dubourg i en tuff kamp ända in på mållinjen.
- Jag såg honom på utsidan och tog chansen när han gjorde en dålig sista sväng.

Starten i finalen var inte heller av högsta klass, men från främsta ledet lyckades ändå Sondre brotta sig fram till en bra position med slagläge för att utmana Oliver Eriksson om segern.
- Men jag gjorde ett litet fel och slog i en däcktrave. Den missen gjorde att jag inte kunde kämpa om segern.

Det kunde dock ha slutat mycket värre. Evjen var uppe på två hjul med sin Volkswagen Polo GTI RX KMS och en hårsmån från att rulla.
- Det var ju tur att den inte gick runt på taket, men jag hann tänka och svänga emot.

Evjen klarade även attackerna från jagande Ben Philip Gundersen och var till slut nära att rå på segrande Eriksson. Knappt en halv sekund saknades upp till prispallens högsta nivå.
- Man är inte helt nöjd förrän man står överst, men det blev en pokal med hem. Det är den bästa helgen jag har haft i en rallycrossbil.

Med 25 inkörda poäng under helgen avancerade Evjen ända upp till tredje plats i EM-tabellen.
- Väldigt bra! Det är jämnt, men vi ska försöka klara en pallplats totalt.

Känslan att ta med hem från Riga är den allra bästa.
- Bilen har fungerat bra. Mekanikerna har gjort ett jättejobb och chauffören har skött sig.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-chefen Tommy Kristoffersson kunde bara hålla med:
- Sondre bevisar att tempot finns där och att allt jobb på bilen har gett resultat, men det finns lite att putsa på fortfarande för att bli allra bäst.

Rallycross-EM avslutas med den tredje deltävlingen i Belgien 21-22 november.

20-09-20 Kristoffersson håller avståndet
Johan Kristoffersson kom till Riga med sjutton poängs ledning i rallycross-VM och han åker hem med samma försprång. En seger och en andraplats gör att avståndet är oförändrat.
- Det känns bra. Nu har vi bockat av ytterligare två tävlingar och det är färre poäng kvar att köra om.

Dubbeltävlingen på Bikernieki National Sports Base blev till stor del ett taktiskt spel om däck. Kristoffersson spelade högt redan under lördagen när han kämpade sig genom kvalet på mestadels begagnade däck. Trots det var det bara Niclas Grönholm som rådde på värmlänningen. Med femton kvalpoäng i bagaget kom Kristoffersson till semifinalen med fräscha däck och fick en fin resa fram till seger.
- Det var belöningen för att vi hade kämpat hårt i Q2 och Q3.

Även i finalen var det en Volkswagen Polo R Supercar som hade täten från start till mål - Johans tredje seger för säsongen.

Söndagens kval blev också en kamp med fokus på däckstrategi för Kristoffersson, som fick nöja sig med fjärde plats i Q1.
- Vi hamnade lite på bakfoten där, men lyckades ändå reparera det skapligt, tycker stallchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson.

I andra och tredje kvalomgången slutade Johan tvåa, vilket också blev placeringen totalt i kvalet, efter Mattias Ekström.

I semifinalen kom Kristoffersson med ett nytt däck, fick en bra start och var helt överlägsen fram till segern.
- En bra start och därefter bra pace, sammanfattar Johan.

Finalen blev ännu en uppgörelse med huvudkonkurrenten Ekström. Kristoffersson hade sparat fyra nya däck för bästa möjliga förutsättningar i slutuppgörelsen, men även konkurrenten hade nya däck och dessutom fördelen av innerspår.
- Jag kom iväg bra, men det gjorde Mattias också. Då fanns det inte mycket att göra.

Johan fick istället försvara sig mot Robin Larsson genom första sväng. Det blev en del närkamp, men den dubble världsmästaren höll undan fram till en slutlig andraplats.
- Idag tog jag så många poäng jag kunde utan att vinna, så det går inte att vara besviken på något sätt.

26 poäng att lägga till lördagens 29 innebar 55, lika många som Ekström samlade ihop och därmed 166-149 i totalställningen.
- 14 poäng från full pott efter sex tävlingar, summerar Kristoffersson nöjt.

Tommy Kristoffersson sammanfattade också helgen med en positiv känsla, även om vinnarskallen alltid vill säga sitt.
- Jag är aldrig helt nöjd när vi inte vinner, men vi måste också acceptera att Mattias och hans team gjorde ett bra jobb idag. Det går aldrig att räkna bort honom.

Duellen rullar vidare i Spanien om fyra veckor, en tävling planerad på samma intensiva sätt som de tre tidigare, med separata tävlingar lördag och söndag. Tävlingsupplägget ställer höga krav på alla inblandade.
- Det går ändå rätt bra för mig som förare. När jag kör mindre analyserar jag mer, så hjärnan är uppe i varv lika länge. Däremot är det tufft våra mekaniker, långa dagar och stenhårt jobb, säger Johan.

Men räkna med att teamets energi är på topp igen lagom till Barcelona-resan.

20-09-20 It’s data, data, data for UNKORRUPTED in Latvia
Round 6 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Latvia saw the UNKORRUPTED team test run additional diff changes and tweaks to the set up to gather comparable data for post event analysis.

IT’S DATA, DATA, DATA FOR UNKORRUPTED IN LATVIA
Round 6 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Latvia saw the UNKORRUPTED team test run additional diff changes and tweaks to the set up to gather comparable data for post event analysis.

Following a quick morning warm up on day 2 of this double header event in Riga in the early morning sunshine, Guerlain Chicherit finished a clean first qualifier in 4th and P15 overall on a track that proved quicker than yesterday in the dry conditions.

Teammate Rokas Baciuska’s Q1 time saw him in P14 overall, however, a broken front left steering arm following contact at the start of Q2 forced the Lithuanian to retire and pushed him into P16.
Meanwhile, Chicherit raced his way into P2 in Q2 and maintained his P15 overall going into the last qualifier of the day. Holding the line against the pack into turn 1, Q3 saw no change to overall standings for Chicherit and he finished his day in P15.

Meanwhile, Baciuska chased down Paasonen in his last qualifier of the day and overtook the Finnish driver to finish the day just behind his UNKORRUPTED team mate in P16.

Now, ahead of round 7 & 8, another double header of the 2020 season in Barcelona, Spain, the hard work continues as the UNKORRUPTED team analyses all the data collected from this weekend’s test changes and tweaks to integrate into the test programme planned for the next few weeks.

GUERLAIN CHICHERIT
P15 OVERALL
P15 in Q1 / P12 in Q2 / P16 in Q3
“As an athlete, for sure it’s tough to turn up when you’re not fighting for the top but motorsport is not easy, and it was important to get this weekend’s runs to gather enough information and test the changes made ahead of our pre-Barcelona testing. I’m really grateful to the mechanics and the rest of the team, they just keep pushing on despite frustrations as we try to learn as much as possible in what is an incredibly short, hectic season this year. I’m really happy to see the work I’ve put in over the off-season on my own driving style come through as we can see it’s got much cleaner. Now I hope we make some progress ahead of Barcelona to see it come together.”, Chicherit commented.

ROKAS BACIUSKA
P16 OVERALL
P14 in Q1 / P17 in Q2 / P15 in Q3
“A weekend like this is hard because I want to race to win but we knew it was going to be a data-finding exercise and need to focus on the changes we can make and the improvements we can find.”, Baciuska added.

20-09-19 Timmy Hansen scores another World RX podium in Latvia
Reigning FIA World Rallycross champion Timmy Hansen scored his second podium finish of the 2020 season at the first of two rounds in Latvia, narrowly beating his brother Kevin Hansen to the finish line for third place in the final.

Both drivers had shown great one-lap pace around the Riga rallycross track, with Timmy setting several fastest lap times throughout the day. That speed came in handy as his third place was earned the hard way, having lost time avoiding a spinning Robin Larsson at the first chicane.

Knowing his one-lap pace was strong Timmy waited until the final lap of the race to joker, passing Niclas Grönholm as he took an early joker lap and then his brother Kevin on the final lap of the race, the two exiting the last turn almost side-by-side with Timmy prevailing.

It was an incredible effort for both cars to be in the final, as Timmy had gone off at turn two during the opening exchanges of his semi-final after contact with Krisztián Szabó. Undeterred, he foreshadowed his strategy in the final by waiting until the end of the race to take his joker, using free air to race ahead of Szabó and Reinis Nitišs for the crucial third and final spot in the final.
Kevin Hansen leads Mattias Ekstrom and Rokas Baciuska at the 2020 World RX of Latvia. Riga, September 19, 2020.

Kevin also showed great pace throughout the day, starting Saturday with victory in his Q1 race. Slower starts off the line in Q2 and Q3 meant he qualified sixth, one place behind Timmy, though he comfortably made it through to the final with an assured third place in his semi.

The most spectacular overtake of the day came courtesy of Kevin, who started from sixth in the final. Taking a wide line into the first corner, he dived around the outside of the chaos and went straight up to second place.

A joker lap before the half-way mark was necessary to cover off Grönholm behind, with the two then getting into an intense battle for position. Kevin picked up damage to his left-rear corner after a failed overtaking attempt and was then lucky not to be collected by Grönholm when the Finn spun off under braking while right behind Kevin, but the time lost in battle meant Kevin fell behind both Mattias Ekström and Timmy by the finish line.

Team Hansen is back on track again tomorrow for the second half of World RX’s Latvian double-header, with full points on the table once more as the field starts from scratch all over again on Sunday morning.

1
Timmy Hansen
“I want that victory, I don't want to end the season without one, so tomorrow may be the day for it.”

“This was a day where we had to fight hard to get this podium finish, but I'm very happy to have got there in the end. There were plenty of good things which came from our testing and development and the team's hard work before this event. The car feels better on the track, it's a bit easier for me to drive and therefore a bit faster, with better exits. That's been a good step forward on the track today.

“We managed to set the fastest lap time several times today, so there were big positives. The main difficulty remains launches off the start; to have better success tomorrow, we need to try and not end up at the back after turn one but be at the front to dictate the pace, instead of chasing. That's what we'll be focusing on this evening.

“We have some really good signs regarding our launches, so I do believe that tomorrow will be a very different day and that we can be even closer to the front. I want that victory, I don't want to end the season without one, so tomorrow may be the day for it.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“It's also really nice to have the fans back today. It feels like we're back to a proper sporting atmosphere.”

“We got the best run in Q1 with the race win, so the pace was there. We struggled a bit in Q2 and Q3 but we've understood what we need to improve.

“I was really happy with my start in the final of course. I wasn't in the mix off the line, so I went early on the brakes for an undercut at the first chicane, which worked out well to be in second place after starting sixth! But I had to make a big save on the chicane exit which meant the tyres got a little bit hot, and that made the rest of the race a bit harder.”

“I was also fighting a lot with Timmy today! I just missed out on beating him in the final as I was a bit preoccupied fighting off Grönholm, but it's good that it was Timmy that managed to beat me to the podium and not someone else. It's great for the team to get another podium today and I hope we can replicate that tomorrow.

“It's also really nice to have the fans back today. It feels like we're back to a proper sporting atmosphere when they're at the track, so it's great to see them here again.”

The
Boss Kenneth
“We hope to be in charge during some of the races and benefit from being in that position.”

“We learned a lot from our test last week and the improvements we added in certain areas. We have a better idea of how well those things worked today. By the end of the day, our starts were working well - perhaps not so much in the morning - and around the track, we had quite good performance. We set fastest laps on a few occasions, so we've made good progress in that area.

“Tomorrow will be tight but we should be starting from a different baseline, as we've learned quite a lot today. My hope is that we can make some good starts from the beginning of the day, which will put us in a much better position than if we are third, fourth or even fifth off the line.”

“It doesn't matter if you put in the fastest lap time in that scenario, you can't win that race when you lose the run to the first corner. We hope to be in charge during some of the races and benefit from being in that position. If we can be on the front row for the final on Sunday, that changes everything.”

LVA World RX of Latvia:
Round Five results
3rd
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 2nd
Qualifying 2 6th
Qualifying 3 4th
Semi-Final 1 3rd
Final 3rd

4th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 3rd
Qualifying 2 8th
Qualifying 3 7th
Semi-Final 2 3rd
Final

20-09-19 Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel battle into semi-finals at Riga RX
Round 5 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship saw crowds gather for the first time of the 2020 season as bright, dry conditions greeted the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel today to kick off another doubleheader weekend.

Both Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel drivers finished their first qualifiers in P2, with Doran in P7 and Bakkerud in P9 overall going into Q2.

Having lined up together for their 2nd qualifier, luck turned for both drivers. Doran pushed into p2 off the start with Bakkerud in P3, from where the Norwegian jokered straight away to then overtake Timerzyanov when the Russian jokered. However, a broken damper saw Andreas being overtaken by Timur to finish in P3, pushing him into P11 overall. Meanwhile, the British Bomb had a good, clean run in P2 until disaster struck in the last lap when a broken suspension arm following contact resulted in him dropping into P4 of the race and P12 overall.

Q3 presented the last chance to fight back ahead of the semi-finals with the Cartel facing one another on the grid for a second time. While Liam shot into P1 and had a clean run despite some small rear drive issues, taking the checkered flag and putting down the 5th fastest qualifier time to lift him up to P8, Bakkerud followed his team mate into P2, a position he held onto over the finish line, putting him in P9 overall.

Significant contact in the 1st corner of semi-final 1 pushed Bakkerud out into the dirt and into P6, from where he fought his way back into P4, retaining position through the joker to finish the semi-final in 4th, missing out on a spot in the final by one position.

Meanwhile, Doran lost his rear drive off the start putting him on the back foot, resulting in him being pushed up into the barrier into turn one in semi-final 2, dropping him into P5 from where he jokered straight away but got stuck behind Timerzyanov. In lap 4, transmission problems saw him spin out, requiring him to retire from the race.

ANDREAS BAKKERUD
P4 IN SEMI-FINAL 1
P9 in Q1 / P14 in Q2 / P8 in Q3
“Day 1 here in Riga is done and we came here with high expectations due to the good pre-event preparations we did but we lacked the consistent speed to be the ones spraying champagne at the end of the day. We are more regularly P7/P8, so that’s why we end up just outside the finals. We really need to dig deeper to find a bit more consistently high speed and hopefully we can make some overnight adjustments to help with that and some of the inconsistencies we have at the starts. The team is hard at work already, so all in for tomorrow.”, Andreas commented.

LIAM DORAN
P6 IN SEMI-FINAL 2
P7 in Q1 / P16 in Q2 / P5 in Q3
“For the first time this season, I feel like we showed some true potential with 2 top 10 times, which would’ve been 3 top 10 times if it wasn’t for the mechanical failure, one of which was a P5 and the fastest times across all GCK cars, which was nice. A bit of a rollercoaster of ups and downs as the problems in the semi-final were disappointing of course. There is obviously potential there, there has been at every event, and yet again we’ve shown it but we’re just lacking the required consistency at the moment, so this needs to improve tomorrow.”, Liam added.

20-09-19´Kristoffersson takes Riga victory
Johan Kristoffersson wins in Latvia to extend Championship lead
Mattias Ekstrom and Timmy Hansen finish on Riga podium
KYB Team JC continues to lead Teams’ standings

Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson claimed his 23rd career victory at the Neste World RX of Riga-Latvia, round five of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy (September 19), to extend his Drivers’ Championship lead.

Kristoffersson took his third win of the 2020 World RX season with Kristoffersson Motorsport, leading the final in Riga for all six laps in a Volkswagen Polo. The Swedish driver qualified second in the Intermediate Classification, took victory in semi-final two, and won the final to extend his Championship lead to 21 points.

Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom battled his way to victory in semi-final one to start on row one of the final, then used a superior joker lap strategy by KYB Team JC team to take second, his fourth podium of the 2020 season. Team Hansen’s Timmy Hansen completed the podium to not only make it an all-Swedish top three but to ensure the podium was filled by World RX Drivers’ Champions (Kristoffersson 2017-18, Ekstrom 2016, Hansen 2019).

The TQ (top qualifier) position in the Intermediate Classification was taken by Finland’s Niclas Gronholm, the winner of World RX round four in Finland. The GRX Taneco driver finished second in semi-final one, then had a battle with Sweden’s Kevin Hansen in the final but spun out of podium contention.

Kevin Hansen climbed to second at the start of the final from row three and took his joker on lap two. He defended from Gronholm for over two laps, then challenged brother Timmy Hansen for the final podium place at the last corner of the race. He finished fourth. Gronholm was classified fifth and Sweden’s Robin Larsson, Ekstrom’s KYB Team JC teammate was sixth, following contact and a spin at the second corner. KYB Team JC maintained its position in the lead of the Teams’ Championship standings.

“This feels very good. We were really pushing hard in Q2 and Q3, I was not really able to pull off the best times, but instead we had some good tyres for the semi-final and final so I think we had a big jump on our competitors or terms of tyres, then we had two good starts, and everything is much easier when you have fresh tyres. Big thanks to the team, we made some changes between Q3 and the semi-final and it actually made the car better so that feels good to gamble and go in the right direction,” said winner Kristoffersson.

Ekstrom’s podium was the 25th of his career. “The first corner of the final was a little bit too exciting, I don’t know exactly what happened to Robin, we’ll have to watch the television, but it was a bit messy and after I drove as fast as I could behind Kevin. After he jokered I had a clear track and ended up P2. For sure that was not our wish when we came here, we wanted to win but during qualifying we were not good enough so we couldn’t do good enough starts so we couldn’t be at the front in Q1 and Q2. When you’re on the back foot then you have to try and recover and I think P2 is a good recovery, but you need to be spot on to win these races especially when the other guys are in top shape as well,” said Ekstrom.

Hansen was pleased with a podium finish after a hard-fought day in Riga. “We had a tough day. We see glimpses of really good performance, some good launches and I’ve been fastest on lap time many times today, but you know when you’re not up front then it’s not easy. We need to improve those launches so we can be at the front of the races from the beginning. I must say coming in third is really good and I’m super happy about that. The team has worked so hard and it is paying off, but at this level, it’s a slow process to gain speed, but I’m quite confident tomorrow will be even better,” said Hansen.

Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud, racing a Renault Megane RS RX for the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel team was fourth in semi-final one after he lost time in turn two of the race. ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Timo Scheider, from Germany, was fourth in semi-final two. He qualified 13th in the Intermediate Classification but started the semi-finals when his teammate Rene Muennich withdrew. Scheider used the joker lap strategy to beat GRX Taneco’s Timur Timerzyanov, from Russia. Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Liam Doran, from Great Britain was classified sixth in the same race. Latvia’s Reinis Nitiss, on his debut in the Esmotorsport Skoda Fabia, beat GRX SET’s Krisztian Szabo, from Hungary, for fifth in semi-final one.

Germany’s Rene Muennich was classified 13th in the final results following his withdrawal from the semi-finals that lifted his ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport team mate Scheider into the top 12. GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund, from Sweden, was 14th Unkorrupted team mates Guerlain Chicherit, from France, and Rokas Baciuska, from Lithuania were 15th and 16th in their Renault Clios. Ferratum Team’s Jani Paasonen, from Finland, retired from Q2 with a technical problem and didn’t take part in Q3.

Norway’s Sondre Evjen (Volkswagen Polo) is top qualifier after Q2 in the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar. France’s Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Peugeot 208) is second and Norway’s Ben-Philip Gundersen (Audi S1) is third. Championship leader winner OIiver Eriksson (Ford Fiesta) had a difficult day but recovered to be fifth.

In the second round of the Projekt E category – the first ever international electric rallycross series – at the halfway stage France’s Cyril Raymond is top qualifier on day one, racing a new Citroen C3 ERX. Latvia’s Janis Baumanis was quickest in Q1 and is second in a Ford Fiesta ERX. Great Britain’s Natalie Barratt and Norway’s Svein-Bjarte Holten, also driving Fiesta ERXs fitted with three motor, 450kW electric powertrains developed by Projekt E technical partner STARD, hold third and fourth in the Intermediate Classification.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “Johan once again proved today why he is such a highly-rated racing driver, as he claimed another victory at the track where he was crowned as a World Champion for the first time in 2017. Well done to him, Mattias and Timmy for finishing on the podium. It was fantastic to have fans on site for the first time this season, and I must say a big well done to the Latvian event promoter for managing to welcome a limited number of public in these challenging 2020 circumstances. The paddock is now preparing to do this all again tomorrow for World RX round six, before the third edition of the new RX After Track fuelled by Monster Energy on our Facebook and YouTube channels.

20-09-19 Johan ökar VM-ledning igen
Johan ökar VM-ledningen igen
En lyckad däckstrategi tog Johan Kristoffersson till säsongens tredje seger i rallycross-VM. Volkwagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren var helt ohotad på Bikernieki-banan i Riga och ökar sin mästerskapsledning.
- Vi fick jobba för det i kvalet, men belönades i semi och final för att vi hade sparat däck.

Den första av helgens två deltävlingar avgjordes i soligt och torrt väder, ett historiskt sett ovanligt scenario för Lettlands deltävling i World RX. Det betydde också extra bra grepp och ett taktiskt spel om däcken.
- På andra banor spelar det inte lika stor roll, men här är det en stor fördel att ha bra däck, säger Johan.

Kristoffersson valde att spara däck under kvalkörningarna vilket innebar en tuffare resa än tidigare. Johan förlorade för första gången den här säsongen förstaplatsen i kvalificeringen. Han vann visserligen Q1 för femte gången av fem möjliga, men noterade därefter en tredje- och en sjätteplats. Tredje kvalomgången var extra besvärlig, där Johan gjorde sin sämsta start för säsongen.
- Absolut, men då var det andra förare som hade nya däck och jag startade från det statistiskt sett sämsta tredje startspåret.

Däckstrategin var förstås föremål för internt taktiksnack i teamet inför tävlingen. Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson tyckte inte Johans val var helt självklart.
- Det finns förstås en risk med att vara så konservativ med däcken i kvalet, säger Tommy, som ändå lät Johan göra det avgörandet valet.
- Pappa har inte suttit och tittat på grafer lika mycket som jag har gjort. Om du inte är först ut här har du ingen större nytta av nya däck.

Den strategin tog Johan med sig till semifinalen där han kom med tre nya däck och satte starten perfekt. 31-åringen från Arvika flög fram till en säker seger med en och en halv sekunds marginal till tvåan Robin Larsson.
- Kanske årets viktigaste start, tycker stallchef Kristoffersson. Om Robin hade tagit den hade vi förmodligen fått starta från ruta fyra i finalen. Men Johan är som vanligt bäst när det gäller.

Lika säker var han i finalen, utrustad med två nya däck. Kristoffersson hade där värste VM-konkurrenten Mattias Ekström bredvid sig i främsta ledet. Ekström kunde dock inte göra något åt den tvåfaldige världsmästaren som var helt överlägsen från start till mål med sin Volkswagen Polo R Supercar och vann med 3,5 sekunder till godo på VM-tvåan i sin 23:e seger i karriären.
- Det var belöningen efter hårt kämpande i Q2 och Q3, menar Johan, som för första gången i år fick motta publikens ovationer.

3 000 åskådare släpps in på Bikernieki under helgens tävlingar.
- Det är kul att det är lite folk som jublar när man kommer ur bilen efter finalen.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-chefen var förstås mycket nöjd med utfallet av den femte VM-deltävlingen, men påpekade också att det var välförtjänt lön för mödan.
- Det såg banksäkert ut i semi och final men man ska komma ihåg att även om det kanske ser enkelt ut i tv-rutan så ligger det otroligt mycket jobb bakom, mekanikernas arbete och Johans analyserande inte minst, säger Tommy.

Kristofferssons dagsskörd blev 29 poäng och därmed ökade han försprånget till Ekström, nu 140 mot 119 med Niclas Grönholm på tredjeplats med 99.
- Det har varit en fantastiskt bra dag för oss, säger Tommy Kristoffersson och tänker då också på Sondre Evjens ledning i Euro RX-kvalet efter första dagen.

Efter någon timmes firande och glädje över framgångarna blev det dags att fokusera på söndagens tävling under den tredje av dubbeltävlingarna den här säsongen.

20-09-19 GCK Bilstein’s battle at Riga RX
Round 5 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship kicked off with bright, blue skies and dry conditions for GCK Bilstein, as crowds gathered for the first time this season for some long awaited rallycross action.

GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund started his race day in the first race of Q1 sandwiched between Liam Doran, Latvian Reinis Nittis and Niclas Gronholm. While dropping into P3 into the first corner and matching the race pace easily, technical issues following the first jump saw the left front drive shaft break, resulting in Marklund having to nurse the Megane around the circuit to cross the finish line in P4, putting him in P16 overall.

Anton managed to climb up the standings in the 2nd and 3rd qualifier of the day; while Q2 saw Marklund finish in P2, first corner contact between other cars held him up, losing valuable time and putting him in P15 overall.
The third qualifier of the day had Anton chase down the pack, overtaking local favourite Nitiss before taking the checkered flag. Despite this race win, some traffic through the first lap resulted in the 9th fastest qualifier time, having Marklund miss out on the semi-finals by 2 points and finishing his race day in P14.

ANTON MARKLUND - P14 OVERALL
P16 in Q1 / P11 in Q2 / P9 in Q3
“A tough day here in Riga for round 5 of the Championship. We didn’t have the start we wanted with some technical stories early on and then we just tried to fight back from there. The following qualifiers were always alongside cars with less pace and being in traffic is never easy. We managed to climb some positions in Q2 and then climbed more again in Q3, however did lose some time there as we were stuck behind Timur who had technical issues. Missing out on a spot in the semis by 2 points is really disappointing of course but we lost this one in Q1. We just need to make sure we have a better start tomorrow to fight for the final."

20-09-17 Intresseförfrågan för SM-arrangemang i rallycross
Vi planerar nu för fullt inför säsongen 2021 och ställer därför frågan om ni är intresserade av att arrangera SM-deltävling i Rallycross 2021?
Mot alla odds fick vi till en mycket bra säsong 2020 och vi vill gärna fortsätta på den linjen med att utveckla svensk Rallycross ytterligare. Bra kvalitet, bra uppslutning och bra mediatäckning.

Ingen vet vad som händer med Covid-19, men vi jobbar som om det i alla fall går att köra som i år. Dubbeltävlingar, eller tävlingar tätt, är att föredra men inte ristat i sten.

Egentligen har vi två frågor:
1) Vill och kan ni arrangera SM-deltävling i Rallycross?
2) Är det kopplat till någon speciell månad, eller går det när som helst? (Maj-sept.)

Mer information ges efter intresseanmälan, men vill ni återkoppla något är det självklart bara att göra det.

Kan vi ha ert svar på email till christer.ekevad@sbf.se senast den sista september (30/9) är det toppen!

På förhand tack för ert engagemang!

/Rallycrossutskottet – Christer E, Sune R, Magnus K

https://www.sbf.se/Nyheter/nyttfranbilsporten/intresseforfraganforsm-arrangemangirallycross

20-09-16 Ekstrom to continue World RX fight with KYB Team JC in Latvia
Swedish star Mattias Ekstrom will continue to race for KYB Team JC in the third double-header weekend of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship this weekend in Latvia (September 19-20).

2016 World RX Drivers’ Champion Ekstrom was drafted into the team just before the first rounds of the season at Holjes in Sweden, where driving the Audi S1 built by his EKS team, Ekstrom took a win and a second-place finish.

The very next weekend in Finland, Ekstrom didn’t make the final in round three, but bounced back by finishing second in round four at the Kouvola circuit. He lies second in the Drivers’ Championship, 17 points off the lead, and together with team mate Robin Larsson, who is sixth in the Drivers’ points, KYB Team JC also leads the World RX Teams’ standings by 19 points.

Ekstrom was announced as the driver for CUPRA’s entry into Extreme E next year on Monday, and he will continue to stay race sharp by racing with KYB Team JC in Riga this weekend.

In his three previous starts at the Latvian round in Riga, Ekstrom has finished second in the final every time (2016,17,18) and will continue to race for points for the Teams’ and Drivers’ Championship together with Larsson on Saturday and Sunday.

Joel Christoffersson, KYB Team JC, Team Principal:
“We are very happy to have Mattias back in the team. I didn’t know if it would be possible for him to come to Latvia, but I’m thankful to CUPRA for letting us have him in the team for the event. It’s great that we can continue with the same team setup that we have had so far this year, because we were very successful in the first two weekends of the season. I’m looking forward to continuing the fight for the Teams’ Championship but obviously we are second in the Drivers’ Championship too and we are not giving up that fight in trying to do our best to close the gap up to Johan [Kristoffersson].”

World RX: Mattias Ekstrom (SWE):
“It’s been a pretty cool week for me, with the launch of the Extreme E programme with CUPRA for 2021. That’s really exciting, and big thanks to ABT and CUPRA for allowing me to go to Riga for the next World RX races. The first four races turned out pretty fine with three podiums, so being second in the championship and to be leading the Teams’ Championship, I’m in a situation I didn’t expect. I felt a bit obliged to do my very best to go to Riga, I want to continue supporting the JC team as much as I can.

20-09-16 Neste World Rallycross of Riga-Latvia - preview
Neste World Rallycross of Riga-Latvia 19-20 September 2020
The Latvian capital, Riga is the venue for rounds five and six of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy this weekend, 19-20 September.
Neste World Rallycross of Riga-Latvia takes place at the Bikernieki circuit 10km east of Riga city centre and will be the fifth time the World Championship has taken place in Latvia.

Approximately 350 personnel of competing teams and event organisers will be present, all of them required to provide negative PCR test results before being admitted to the venue.

Neste World Rallycross of Riga-Latvia features two separate FIA World Rallycross Championship events, one full event – comprising three rounds of qualifying races, semi-finals and the final – taking place each day. The second round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar also takes place over the weekend, as does round two of the Projekt E series for all-electric rallycross cars.

WORLD RX
The season start was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and so far four championship rounds have been completed across two weekends; Sweden 22-23 August and Finland 29-30 August. Three different drivers have taken event victories, Johan Kristoffersson the championship leader having won rounds one and three. Kristoffersson, the FIA World Rallycross Champion in 2017 and 2018, has established a 17 point lead at the head of the championship, his closest rival being Swedish compatriot Mattias Ekstrom. The World Champion in 2016, Ekstrom has returned to the championship this year with KYB Team JC and took victory in round two of the championship at Holjes in Sweden. His teammate, Robin Larsson, is currently sixth in the championship.

Finnish racer Niclas Gronholm won round four on home ground in Finland and holds third place in the championship. His teammate at GRX Taneco, Russian Timur Timerzyanov is tenth in the championship standings.

Current World Champion Timmy Hansen holds fourth place in the championship, younger brother and teammate Kevin Hansen fifth and the Swedish pair buoyed after a successful test ahead of the events in Riga.

ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Timo Scheider has enjoyed his best ever results in the start to the season and is placed seventh after being in the final at three of the first four events. His teammate and compatriot in the German team, Rene Muennich has had a more difficult start to the year and is 16th after four rounds.

Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel racer, Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud made it to the final in rounds two and four and is eighth but here also the teammate has had a rough start to the year, a series of technical issues restricting Briton Liam Doran to 21st place.
GCK Bilstein racer Anton Marklund is currently placed ninth, the Swede ahead of the Unkorrupted pairing of Lithuanian Rokas Baciuska and Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit who are 15th and 17th respectively.

In Riga the 14 Permanent Competitors are joined by Latvian star Reinis Nitiss who will make his first appearance of the year driving a Skoda Fabia for ESmotorsport Eigesa WRX Team.
Finnish racer Jani Paasonen is back for more in Ferratum Team’s Ford Fiesta as is Hungarian Krisztian Szabo who raced in Sweden and holds 12th place in the series with GRX SET’s Hyundai i20.

WHERE
The Bikernieki circuit 10km east of Riga city centre. For the first time in the 2020 season the event will have a limited number of spectators (maximum 3000) with strict COVID-19 control measures in place.

TRACK STATS
The World RX track is constructed within the historic race circuit that threads its way through the forest at Bikernieki. Created for the 2016 World RX in Riga – the first time the championship visited Latvia – the rallycross track is 1295m in length and consists of 60% unsealed and 40% asphalt surfaces. It includes three jumps, two of them where the joker lap and standard lap run parallel to each other.

WHEN
Racing from 1030 Saturday and 0950 Sunday, see schedule below for more details.

LIVESTREAM
The livestream for the events will be carried on the World RX Facebook and YouTube channels:
facebook.com/fiaworldrallycross
youtube.com/RallycrossRXTV
Watch social media channels (below) for more details on livestream and broadcast.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fiaworldrallycross
Instagram: fiaworldrx
Twitter: @fiaworldrx

RESULTS
fiaworldrallycross.com/results
All event results appear on the above page of the website, just select the event you are interested in.
For PDF files, scroll down and look to the right side of the page.
This page is ‘live’ so documents will appear here immediately they are produced.

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
fiaworldrallycross.com/standings
Up to date points for all championships.

LIVE TIMING
fiaworldrallycross.com/results
As above, select the event you are interested in and then click the link to the live timing feed.

ENTRY LIST
https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/event/144/bikernieki-national-sports-base

20-09-16 Sparking the revolution: 20 cars set for eRX2's inaugural season
Full field of 20 cars expected for season one as interest in FIA eRX2 Championship amps up
Unprecedented power and speed to inject the excitement into electric rallycross
More driver variables will place the emphasis firmly on skill behind the wheel

The inaugural season of the FIA eRX2 Championship – the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship – will see up to 20 of rallycross’ brightest sparks racing wheel-to-wheel for the honour of being crowned the discipline’s first electric champion.

Preparations are continuing apace ahead of eRX2’s eagerly-anticipated debut next year, with the championship primed to light up the international rallycross scene. Testing is well underway, and a full grid of 20 cars is scheduled to be built between now and the first race – setting the scene for an electrifying maiden campaign of competition.

Joining the FIA World Rallycross Championship undercard for six events – with the calendar to be released in due course – the eRX2 car will mark a significant step forward in both power (+24%) and torque (+14%) compared to the existing Supercar Lites car, further bridging the gap to the headlining Supercar class.

What’s more, the emphasis will be placed firmly on ability behind the wheel as – in a first for rallycross – drivers will have three key parameters to play with before and between races, injecting an extra element of skill into the equation.

From inside the cockpit, competitors will be able to manually adjust the amount of torque produced by the front and rear motors, the total torque deployed by all four wheels during the launch and the degree of regenerative braking on the front and rear axles.

On the outside, noise will be generated by the howl of the drivetrain running at more 12,000rpm as well as the gravel spray and tyre squeals so synonymous with rallycross, promising fans a mouth-watering feast of fast-paced entertainment.

The total cost to enter a full season of eRX2 is between €150.000 and €160.000, which includes the provision of one mechanic per car – trained in electro-mobility by sector specialist QEV Technologies – and a comprehensive engineering service, composed of one chassis engineer and one electric engineer for every four cars.

Charging, tyres and other consumables such as brake pads are included in the full-season cost. Hospitality will also form part of the package, as will regular educational workshops on electric technology. The cost to enter a single event is €30.000.

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager for the FIA eRX2 Championship, said:
“We are delighted to be able to reveal more details about the new FIA eRX2 Championship, which has already attracted a high degree of interest. Our testing programme is yielding very positive results, and the car is showing its potential to be even quicker and more exhilarating both to drive and to watch than the existing internal combustion vehicle.

“We understand that there are some misgivings – and misapprehensions – about electric rallycross, but our extensive experience and success in electro-mobility leaves us very confident that this is absolutely the way forward for the sport and that the final product will be the most dynamic, advanced and future-thinking car ever to grace a rallycross track.

“Not only that, but with drivers able to play a greater role than before in setting up and calibrating the car, even a few seconds before starting the races, the action is sure to be fast, exciting and thrillingly unpredictable – a true level playing field in which the cream will inevitably rise to the top.”

20-09-16 Evjen jagar mot toppen
Euro RX Supercar-mästerskapet avverkar sin andra deltävling av tre på Bikernieki-banan i Riga. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren Sondre Evjen jagar en plats i toppskiktet.
- Vi har tempo för att vinna, säger Sondre.

Den 22-årige norrmannen ligger sexa efter den inledande tävlingen i Höljes. Evjen imponerade i kvalet, där han slutade trea, men i semifinalen tog det stopp efter en liten touch i barriären.
- Det var lite oturligt, en trasig styrväxel som ödelade en annars bra helg. Kan vi hålla oss borta från sånt ska vi kunna vara med högt upp i finalen. Kvalet var det bästa jag har gjort hittills.

Till Lettland åker Evjen med goda minnen i bagaget. Förra året tog han sin bästa placering vid säsongsavslutningen i Riga, där han slutade femma. Även tidigare utflykter till Baltikum har slutat positivt.
- Jag har aldrig tyckt om banan, men det brukar ändå gå bra där, konstaterar Evjen och fortsätter:
- Det är en kul bana om man får köra fritt, men inte lika bra om man hamnar bakom.

Det innebär att starterna med den KMS-byggda Volkswagen Polon blir extra viktiga. Just den avgörande detaljen har det fokuserats mycket på under veckorna efter EM-premiären.
- I Höljes gjorde jag två bra starter. Nu hoppas jag kunna göra sex stycken, säger Evjen som har gjort ett träningspass i Arvika med starter i fokus.

Teamet har använt sig av erfarenheter från dubble världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson och stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson var nöjd med det han såg.
- Vi har jobbat på att närma oss ett system som Johan använder. Det är svårt att använda, men när de sitter så blir det bra. Sondre gjorde riktigt bra starter på vårt test, säger Tommy.

Kanske är det detaljen som lyfter Evjen till absoluta toppen i en tuff EM-serie.
- Det är hård konkurrens i EM. Många förare har bra material och är duktiga på att köra. Sondre är i en utvecklingsfas och det är synd att det blir så långt mellan tävlingarna, men han fick en bra boost för självförtroendet i Höljes, tycker Kristoffersson.

För Sondre Evjen blir det tillbaka till hetluften efter fyra veckor utan tävling. Sysselsatt har han däremot varit i grävmaskinen.
- Veckorna hemma går fort ändå och det är ju lika för alla att det är långt mellan tävlingarna.

20-09-15 Viktig helg i Riga för Johan Kristoffersson
Inför rond fem och sex av World RX Supercar i Riga har Johan Kristoffersson sjutton poängs ledning i mästerskapstabellen.
- Det är många poäng att köra om under helgen och jag hoppas avståndet inte minskar i alla fall, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren.

Tvåfaldige världsmästaren Kristoffersson har inlett comebacksäsongen 2020 på ett imponerande sätt. En seger i Höljes och en i Kouvola samt en tredje- och en fjärdeplats gör totalt 111 poäng efter två intensiva och krävande tävlingshelger, sjutton mer än tvåan Mattias Ekström och 35 fler än trean Niclas Grönholm.
- Jag var rejält sliten efter Finland, racingbakis som vi brukar säga, men under en cykeltur några dagar senare kände jag att suget hade återvänt.

Då vidtog förberedelser av ett exceptionellt slag. Johan har de senaste två veckorna lagt ner ett febrilt arbete för att hitta nycklarna till en felfri körning i Riga med sin Volkswagen Polo R Supercar.
- Jag är ju en riktig analysnörd och den här banan ger hög avkastning om man lyckas med sitt jobb. Kontoret har sett ut som en övervakningscentral, med skärmar, servrar och hårddiskar, konstaterar Kristoffersson med ett skratt.

Han utvecklar sitt resonemang:
- Det är en väldigt detaljrik bana, med banracingkaraktär och högt grepp, men mer teknisk än till exempel Lohéac. Jag jämför med mig själv och gör en djupare analys av mina konkurrenter. I rallycross har många chaufförer olika bakgrund - rally, racing och renodlade rallycrossförare. Alla har sin ryggmärgskänsla och prioriterar olika. Det gäller att välja det som ger bäst utdelning.

Johan har några fina egna insatser att välja bland i rallycrosshistorien. Bikernieki-banan utanför Riga har en speciell plats i Kristofferssons hjärta. Redan 2016 utmärkte han sig genom att vinna en kvalomgång med rekordstor marginal, hela fem sekunder. Men naturligtvis sticker minnet från 2017 ut, då han säkrade sin första VM-titel efter femte raka segern för säsongen och den sjätte för året. Det var en rekordnotering då, men när Johan vann i Riga 2018 var det hans åttonde seger för säsongen.
- 17 september 2017, dagen då jag säkrade min första VM-titel. Den glömmer man aldrig! Och det var en speciell känsla att komma tillbaka och vinna även 2018.

Teamchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson, är väl medveten om att dubbelhelgen i Riga är mycket viktig för mästerskapet. Ett bra resultat kan ge Johan ett oerhört fint slagläge inför de fyra sista deltävlingarna.
- Vi har förstärkt med ännu mer kompetens från Volkswagen Motorsport och åker ner med absolut bästa manskapet som går att få. Där ingår förstås också våra egna gubbar som har gjort ett otroligt jobb så här långt. Det har varit tuffa tävlingshelger hittills, med enormt långa dagar och mycket hårt slit, men vi är redo att gå matchen igen.

20-09-13 Öberg ersätter Tidemand - Peter Hedström är laddad inför nästa EM-deltävling i Riga
Nästa deltävling i Rallycross-EM står för dörren. Lettiska huvudstaden Riga står som värd för den andra deltävlingen för säsongen som körs den 19-20 September. Hedströms Motorsport bjuder på lite omkastning på förarsidan till följd av datumkrock mellan rally-VM och Rallycross-EM.

Det rådande världsläget har gjort att allt för få tävlingshelger står till förfogande till de mästerskapstävlingar som planeras under hösten. Som en följd av detta körs nästa helg både Rallycross-EM i Lettland och Rally-VM i Turkiet. Pontus Tidemand som dubblerar i år med både rallycross och rally, blir på så vis drabbad av detta och tvingas välja var han ska tävla.
- Tråkigt att det blivit så här, men jag har full förståelse över Pontus val, då han är tvåa i VM för WRC2, medan han bara är på sjunde plats efter Höljes i Rallycross-EM, säger Peter Hedström.

In i VW Polon ämnad för Pontus kommer i stället Dan Öberg, MK Team Westom, att ta plats. Den trettiotre år unge entreprenören i maskinbranschen har under året kört RallyX Nordic med bland annat finalkörning i sista deltävlingen på Danska Nysum-banan. Dan testade även av hetluften i Höljes EM-deltävling med den VW Scirocco Supercar som han drivit med hjälp av Eklund. Öberg väljer att till Riga steppa upp till en fullblodsracer från Hedströms Motorsport.
- Lite komiskt egentligen, jag fick Dans permanenta plats till Riga av honom och nu får han ta Pontus plats i samma tävling, vi gjorde upp det snabbt över köksbordet här hemma i fredags, det ska verkligen bli kul att få med Dan i teamet till Riga, berättar Peter Hedström.

För Peters egen del är det full fokus på att sätta ytterligare en topp-placering och därmed vara med i slutstriden av EM. Förra året slutade på pallen i Riga och siktet är inställt på det samma i år.
- Klart man vill vara med där uppe i toppen och vi visade i Höljes att vi har materialet för att vara med där, speciellt nu när vi fått till riktigt bra inställningar på våra VW Polos, avslutar Hedström.

Till start i Riga på Bikernieki National Sports Base är 18 bilar i EM-klassen och 17 bilar i VM. Tävlingen körs med publik som är maximerad till 3000 personer per dag med Covid-restriktioner som bland annat innebär obligatorisk skyddsmask och avståndskontroll. Tävlingen direktsänds via bland annat sociala medier och kan streamas via Cmore.

Aktuell EM-ställning:
1. Oliver Eriksson, SWE, Ford Fiesta
2. Jean-Baptiste Dubourg, FRA, Peugeot 208
3. Peter Hedström, SWE, VW Polo
4. Ben-Philip Gunderson, NOR, Audi S1
5. Andrea Dubourg, FRA, Peugeot 208
6. Sondre Evjen, NOR, VW Polo
7. Pontus Tidemand, SWE, VW Polo
8. Thomas Bryntesson, SWE, VW Polo
…
14. Dan Öberg, SWE, VW Scirocco

20-09-09 Eriksson crowned champion as team-mates race to rostrum in season finale
Swede finally adds RallyX Nordic Supercar title to his burgeoning CV
Team-mate McConnell reaches rostrum on breakthrough weekend
OMSE pair secure top two spots in championship standings
De Ridder and Kallio double up on podiums in Supercar Lites class
Östlund pays tribute to team spirit and repair effort after monster smash

Oliver Eriksson banished the memories of the past two RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires title-deciders last weekend (4-6 September), as the Swede sped to championship glory in the Supercar class at Nysum and his team-mates swelled Olsbergs MSE’s trophy haul.

Eriksson has been a front-runner at Supercar level in RallyX Nordic for the last three years, but the season finales have not been kind to him. In 2018, contact curtailed his challenge, while he was less than a lap from being crowned champion in 2019 when suspension failure sent him into the Tierp Arena barriers and shattered his dreams. This time around, he would not be denied.

Arriving at Nysum buoyed by a Johan Kristoffersson-challenging performance at Arvika a month earlier and a stellar victory on his FIA European Rallycross Championship debut at Höljes, the two-time RX2 International Series title-winner mastered Saturday’s mixed conditions to take a maximum points score. After topping the timesheets in Q1 and Q2, he then simply drove away from his pursuers in both the semi-final and final.

Already confirmed as champion by the end of Sunday’s qualifying rounds, Eriksson was on-course to sign off the season with a second consecutive triumph until he picked up a puncture that dropped him to third place at the chequered flag. In the grand scheme of things, however, it mattered little, as by that stage, the job was done.

“It’s about time, isn’t it!” the 21-year-old joked. “Heading to Nysum, the aim was clearly to bring the trophy home this year. We came so close last year and the year before only to suffer a lot of misfortune on the final weekend, but I tried to analyse what I could do better from those situations and everything just worked out this time.

“Saturday was probably the strangest day I’ve ever had in racing – it seemed like every time we left the paddock to head down to the pre-grid, it started to rain! Still, we came out of it pretty well all-in-all. Q2 and Q3 weren’t perfect, but we did enough to secure the TQ spot and then the semi-final and final went relatively smoothly.

“It feels great to be champion, but I think I’m jinxed – the last round never goes my way! With the puncture, the car was quite hard to handle but we still managed to bring it home for another podium finish. I’ve really got to hand it to the OMSE boys and girls – they’ve worked so hard all year and totally deserve this success. I really can’t thank them enough. This title is for each and every one of them.”

Eriksson’s misfortune in Sunday’s final was Fraser McConnell’s gain. Piloting a similar OMSE Ford Fiesta, the Jamaican looked to be his team-mate’s closest challenger on Saturday until contact pitched him off the track and out of contention, but he bounced back the following day by racing to second place and his maiden Supercar podium, in so doing grabbing the runner-up spot in the championship standings.

“We originally went into the first event at Höljes treating it as a one-off in preparation for the RX2 season, but reaching the final made us reassess,” the 21-year-old revealed. “We then went to Arvika with the mindset that if we did well again, we would continue on to Denmark and we obviously scored really good points there as well. To wind up second in the championship as part of a one-two for OMSE, I can’t really ask for much more.

“Oliver deserved to win because he’s driven incredibly all year – it was about time he got to add this title to his CV – and I was very happy to finish on the podium. We had the pace to achieve that at Arvika and on Saturday in Denmark too, so it was good to finally get the result for myself and my sponsors. It’s been a great season, and the whole OMSE team has been amazing and super-helpful in every respect. Big up to them all.”

Anders Michalak ended his first campaign in the Supercar category a commendable fifth in the points table. The Swede showed strong speed once again at Nysum, but as in the final at Arvika, Lady Luck was not on his side.

In the Supercar Lites class, Guillaume De Ridder and Jesse Kallio were on fine form for OMSE in Denmark. Returning to action for the first time in nine months, the Belgian – who achieved a top three championship finish in RX2 in both 2017 and 2018 – came within a single point of clinching the series’ 2020 crown in a sensational comeback.

Belying his recent lack of seat time, De Ridder dominated the wet/dry opening day to establish a five-point advantage in the classification, but traffic in Sunday’s final saw the title slip agonisingly from his grasp.

Still racing with a fractured wrist sustained during contact at Arvika, Kallio was similarly well in the hunt, and third place for the Finn saw him join De Ridder in earning a test outing in the new FIA eRX2 Championship car. A double podium finish also secured the 21-year-old the runner-up spoils in the RallyX Nordic end-of-season standings.

“Coming here, I honestly didn’t expect to be so fast straightaway,” reflected De Ridder. “I hoped we would be in the mix, but to lead the way on Saturday was definitely a surprise. I knew it would be trickier in the dry, because the gaps are narrower and being on the outside of the grid for Q1 didn’t do us any favours. When you lose time early on in such a competitive field, it’s difficult to get it back again, however quick you are.

“I threw everything at it in the final, but starting from pole is such an advantage and Henrik [Krogstad] didn’t put a foot wrong – so congratulations to him. Ultimately, I just lost too much ground behind [Jimmie] Walfridson and that was that.

“It wasn’t quite enough in the end, but I have to be happy with the weekend overall. I was able to remind everybody that I’m still here and still fast, so it was mission accomplished in that respect, and it will be exciting to try out the eRX2 car. I’m a big believer that the future of the sport will be electric, so now I just need to find the money to race one, too...”

“It was my first time at Nysum, and it wasn’t easy trying to learn a new track with a fractured wrist – particularly with the weather changing so frequently,” mused Kallio. “I probably drove a bit too cautiously on Saturday, but we seemed to turn a corner in the final, which was a good confidence boost.

“Sunday was much better, and we had good speed all day. I had nothing to lose in the final so I just sent it round the outside at the start, and although it didn’t pay off, I had to try as my only chance to win the championship was to win the race. We managed to fight back to the podium again, though, and it’ll be cool to drive the eRX2 car – I’m looking forward to that.”

Linus Östlund was a fellow title contender heading into the weekend, sitting just two points shy of the top of the table. The Swede kept his challenge on-track with fourth place on Saturday before his world turned upside-down – quite literally – in Q2 on Sunday when a clash with stablemate Martin Enlund sent him into a spectacular barrel-roll upon exiting the joker.
In an inspirational display, the entire OMSE crew immediately set to work to fix the considerable damage, assisted by members of other teams. Their outstanding effort allowed Östlund to return to the circuit for Q3, in which he astonishingly posted the fifth-fastest time on his way to fourth in the overall RallyX Nordic rankings and sixth in RX2.

“What a weekend!” the 20-year-old acknowledged. “I’ve rolled a rallycross car before, but never as hard as that – it was certainly a bumpy ride! We have the best mechanics in the world at OMSE, though, and they did an incredible job on Sunday. I owe both them and everybody else that pitched in to help a huge ‘thank you’. This just goes to show that RallyX Nordic is one big family and the love and support I received following the accident means so much.”

Martin Enlund concluded his maiden season of Supercar Lites competition an excellent seventh in the RallyX Nordic standings, surviving the inadvertent contact with Östlund to post the second-quickest time in Q3 on Sunday and reaching the semi-final stage on both days.

Niklas Aneklev progressed through to the final for the second time as he continues to take giant strides forward after switching from two wheels to four last year, while Frenchman Grégory Fosse impressed on his RallyX Nordic and Supercar Lites debut, going seventh-fastest in tricky mixed conditions in Q1 on Saturday en route to the semi-finals.

20-09-07 Krogstad's long road back leads to RX2 redemption
#YellowSquad star earns FIA eRX2 Championship prize drive in Denmark
Norwegian delivers commanding performance in single-make series
Comeback king De Ridder pushes Krogstad all the way in tooth-and-nail duel
Kallio battles back from difficult opening day to seal top three spot in standings

At the end of 2018, Henrik Krogstad was one of the hottest properties on the rallycross scene, but a lack of budget threatened to halt his burgeoning career permanently in its tracks. At Nysum today (6 September), the Norwegian reignited a dream that he once feared was dead, as he raced to the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires crown.

As a rookie in the fiercely-contested single-make series, Krogstad was a revelation two years ago, tallying a hat-trick of podium finishes en route to third position in the final championship standings and coming within two corners of winning in France.

His results marked Krogstad out as one of the clear title favourites for the following year, but come the end of the campaign, the money had run out and when the 2019 season began, he found himself sat disconsolately on the sidelines.

After a lot of hard work – and considerable soul-searching – the Norwegian announced his return to the grid in 2020 with the Hansen brothers’ #YellowSquad outfit, and it is scant surprise that he has been a front-runner from the outset.

In Denmark this weekend, Krogstad was on commanding form. Second at the end of the opening day, the 22-year-old turned up the wick today, pacing two of the three qualifiers in the high-calibre, 14-strong field to seal TQ honours. From there, he proceeded to win his semi-final and lead the final from lights-to-flag – despite a stricken car parked awkwardly at the entrance to the joker giving him a late scare.

Krogstad dealt with the inconvenience in typically unflappable style, and his reward for a superb showing was not only the 2020 RX2 title, but also the prestigious, fully-funded single-round FIA eRX2 Championship prize drive that accompanied it.

“This means everything to me,” he confessed. “It’s what we’ve been working for, not only this year but last year as well. The end of 2018 was really tough for me, and for a long time it really looked like I would never race again. Just to be on the grid this year was an achievement in itself.

“The level of competition at Nysum was so high, but we were quick all weekend and to take the RX2 title is just incredible – I’m a bit lost for words. In the final, there was a car right in my way on the entry to the joker and I really thought that was going to cost me the win – I didn’t know which side I should go. Fortunately, I didn’t lose any time, and there were so many emotions that poured out when I crossed the finish line.

“This is such a great result for the team – it’s the first year of the #YellowSquad Supercar Lites programme, and they really deserve this success for all the hard work that has gone into it. Now, I can’t wait to drive the eRX2 car. I’m super excited for the sport’s new era, and to be one of the first guys to compete in a fully electric rallycross race is hugely motivating – but first, we have some celebrating to do...”

The driver that pushed Krogstad hardest – indeed, set the pace on the opening day – also had a ‘comeback’ story to tell. Guillaume De Ridder similarly finished third overall in his maiden RX2 campaign in 2017, before going one better in 2018 as he harried team-mate Oliver Eriksson all the way in the championship fight.

Last year saw the Belgian move up to Supercar level on the World Championship stage, but a lack of funding left him without a drive in 2020. Seizing the opportunity to return to the cockpit – for the first time in nine months – De Ridder looked like he had never been away as he mastered Saturday’s mixed conditions at Nysum to establish a five-point lead in the RX2 standings.

Ultimately, the Olsbergs MSE star couldn’t quite withstand Krogstad’s irresistible charge, but a determined effort saw him stay in contention until the very last lap. Traffic would scupper his hopes of taking the title, but De Ridder was nonetheless satisfied with the balance of his weekend, which earned him a test in the eRX2 car.

“Coming here, I honestly didn’t expect to be so quick straightaway,” reflected the 27-year-old, who fell just a single point short in the final reckoning. “I hoped we would be in the mix, but to lead the way on Saturday was definitely a surprise. I knew it would be trickier today in the dry, because the gaps are narrower and being on the outside of the grid for Q1 didn’t do us any favours. When you lose time early on in such a competitive field, it’s difficult to get it back again, however quick you are.

“I threw everything at it in the final, but starting from pole is such an advantage and Henrik didn’t put a foot wrong – so congratulations to him. When I saw the car beached in the joker entry, I thought maybe that was my chance, but I just lost too much ground behind [Jimmie] Walfridson and that was that.

“It wasn’t quite enough in the end, but I have to be happy with the weekend overall. I was able to remind everybody that I’m still here and still fast, so it was mission accomplished in that respect, and it will be exciting to try out the eRX2 car. I’m a big believer that the future of the sport will be electric, so now I just need to find the money to race one, too...”

Jesse Kallio completed the podium-finishers after a weekend that started slowly but picked up pace. Struggling on Saturday with the wrist injury he was carrying from Arvika four weeks earlier, the Finn pulled a result out of the bag in the final as he reached the rostrum and today, he came out-of-the-blocks firing on all cylinders.

The fastest time in Q2 – and by some margin – secured Kallio second in the intermediate standings, and a win in his semi-final earned him a front row starting spot for the final. An ambitious move around the outside of the first corner cost him time, but the Olsbergs MSE ace recovered to claim third position and – like De Ridder – an eRX2 prize test.

“I can’t help but feel a little bit disappointed,” Kallio mused. “In truth, the damage was done yesterday. It was my first time at Nysum, and it wasn’t easy trying to learn a new track with a fractured wrist – particularly with the weather changing so frequently. I probably drove a bit too cautiously, but we seemed to turn a corner in the final, which was a good confidence boost.

“Today was much better, and we had good speed all day. I had nothing to lose in the final so I just sent it round the outside at the start, and although it didn’t pay off, I had to try as my only chance to win the championship was to win the race. We managed to fight back to the podium again, though, and it’ll be cool to drive the eRX2 car – I’m looking forward to that.”

Simon Olofsson had the hardest-luck story to tell. The Swede was on feisty form through Saturday’s qualifiers on the way to TQ honours. From there, the STS RX ace produced another faultless drive to win his semi-final, and he was leading the final until a clash with Krogstad put him out of contention. His Sunday challenge ended in semi-final disqualification following contact with Kallio.

JC Raceteknik’s Jimmie Walfridson produced a strong turn-of-speed throughout the weekend, while Linus Östlund’s world turned upside-down – quite literally – in Q2 today. Fourth overnight, the Swede struggled in Q1 before a clash with OMSE stablemate Martin Enlund sent him into a spectacular barrel-roll upon exiting the joker.

His mechanics – and members of other teams – worked miracles to repair the car and get Östlund out again for Q3, and their driver rewarded them with the fifth-fastest time to salvage a semi-final spot. Sixth overall in the points, his was perhaps the most dramatic tale of a drama-fuelled weekend that delivered action and entertainment from the first lights-out to the final chequered flag.

Saturday Final
1. Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) Olsbergs MSE 5 laps
2. Henrik KROGSTAD (NOR) YellowSquad +0.293s
3. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) Olsbergs MSE +2.165s
4. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +2.789s
5. Jimmie WALFRIDSON (SWE) JC Raceteknik +4.445s
6. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) STS RX +2 laps

Sunday Final
1. Henrik KROGSTAD (NOR) #YellowSquad 5 laps
2. Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) Olsbergs MSE +1.359s
3. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) Olsbergs MSE +4.554s
4. Jimmie WALFRIDSON (SWE) JC Raceteknik +5.957s
5. Niklas ANEKLEV (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +8.265s
6. Gustav JOHANSSON (SWE) VGracing +3 laps

Championship Standings
1. Henrik KROGSTAD (NOR) 54 points
2. Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) 53 points
3. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) 43 points
4. Jimmie WALFRIDSON (SWE) 36 points
5. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) 36 points
6. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 29 points
7. Niklas ANEKLEV (SWE) 25 points
8. Gustav JOHANSSON (SWE) 24 points
9. Martin ENLUND (SWE) 22 points
10. Mats OSKARSSON (SWE) 21 points
11. Martin JONSSON (SWE) 16 points
12. Dan SKOCDOPOLE (CZE) 12 points
13. Hans-Ola FRØSHAUG (NOR) 11 points
14. Grégory FOSSE (FRA) 10 points

20-09-06 ‘It’s about time, isn’t it!’ – Eriksson wraps up maiden Supercar title in Denmark
Olsbergs MSE driver claims Supercar championship at third time of asking
Krogstad fends off resurgent Kallio to clinch Supercar Lites crown
CrossCar/Crosskart title decided as Rundberg gets the job done
CrossCar Junior goes down to the wire with Gustafsson picking up 2020 honours

RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires’ 2020 campaign came to a dramatic conclusion at Denmark’s Nysumbanen circuit today (6 September). The Final Showdown lived up to its name, with all four championships decided on the last day of the season and livestream viewers treated to thrilling wheel-to-wheel duels.

The series has welcomed some of its most talented and decorated drivers this season, including two-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristofferson, reigning World Champion Timmy Hansen and race-winning brother Kevin, returning RallyX Nordic Champions Robin Larsson and Oliver Solberg, World RX race-winner Niclas Grönholm and five-time FIA World Rally Championship runner-up Thierry Neuville.

This weekend, however, it was finally time for Oliver Eriksson to lift the RallyX Nordic championship trophy, after two luckless finales in 2018 and 2019 denied him the sought-after accolade. Supercar Lites honours went the way of #YellowSquad’s Henrik Krogstad, who was hounded right to the end by the chasing pack.

Max Rundberg claimed the CrossCar/Crosskart title from a hard-charging Jimmie Österberg. Meanwhile, in CrossCar Junior – RallyX Nordic’s youngest category – the battle raged until the final chequered flag fell, with Alex Gustafsson eventually being crowned champion.

Supercar
Oliver Eriksson put two previous final round disasters firmly to bed and finally seized the RallyX Nordic Supercar title for his own. His run to championship success wasn’t without its problems, however, as the 21-year-old picked up a front-left puncture during the final, dropping him out of race-winning contention and resulting in a third-place finish, although he had already done enough to secure his status as the series’ newest champion.

Eriksson bounced back from a troubled pair of Höljes outings at the beginning of the season, claiming two podiums and a victory en route to his maiden Supercar title. Not only that, but the Swede even found time today to assist in the rebuild of stablemate Linus Östlund’s Supercar Lites car after a dramatic smash in Q2.

Fellow Olsbergs MSE driver Fraser McConnell enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at Nysum as he finished second in the overall standings and claimed his first Supercar podium – second place as a direct result of Eriksson’s puncture.

Ben-Philip Gundersen was on characteristically fast and feisty form all weekend, sealing his first podium in the category yesterday and following it up with victory in today’s final. The JC Raceteknik ace utilised his raw pace and aggressive racecraft to vault to fourth in the overall standings.

Yesterday’s third-place man, local favourite Ulrik Linnemann, was in the running for another rostrum result on home soil but was cruelly denied by driveshaft gremlins. Stene Johansen recorded a strong fourth position, while Dan Öberg revelled in his first final appearance.

Oliver Eriksson said: “It’s about time, isn’t it! Arriving here, the aim was to bring the trophy home this year. We came so close last year and the year before only to suffer a lot of misfortune on the final weekend, but I tried to analyse what I could do better from those situations and everything just worked out this time. I’m so grateful.

“It feels great to be champion, but I think I’m jinxed – the last round never goes my way! I just tried to send it into the first corner and hope for the best; I went really wide, and that paid off. Lap two in the braking zone under the bridge, there’s a bit of a hole that I didn’t know of and I went in and got the puncture – those last three laps weren’t easy!

“Ben-Philip [Gundersen] is a deserving winner – he drove really well all weekend, so big kudos to him. My spotter told me to try to keep up with Fraser [McConnell], but with the puncture, the car was quite hard to handle and then we touched a bit going over the jump and I tried to slow down to not cause him any trouble. He had a great race as well, coming back from an unlucky result yesterday and to do what he did was a great job.

“I never saw Linus [Östlund]’s incident myself; I just saw the car come in and everyone looked really bummed. I understand that – it’s never fun to roll a rallycross car. There wasn’t a lot of hope, but some of the guys said, ‘let’s do it’ and everyone just grabbed their spanners and a couple of rivet guns and we got it done. I think once he saw the commitment of everyone in the paddock, he got the fire back and wanted to race.”

Supercar Lites
Henrik Krogstad and #YellowSquad were the dominant force during today’s running, as the Norwegian fended off challenges from all of his title rivals to seal his second win of the season and, ultimately, the Supercar Lites title.

Jesse Kallio ended the season as runner-up. The Finn was walking wounded this weekend, but still managed to notch an impressive two podiums in as many days. Simon Olofsson’s pace promised so much at Nysumbanen but yielded few results for his efforts, after a clumsy collision with Kallio in the semi-finals earned him a disqualification and put paid to his title tilt.

The aforementioned high-speed roll for Linus Östlund was almost certainly one of the most pivotal points of the day. The championship protagonist was fighting for a Q3 race victory with stablemate Martin Enlund when the pair collided at the joker merge. Four full rolls of the car later, and the Swede emerged unscathed but understandably devastated that his challenge was effectively over. At this point, it was all hands on deck as the team stepped in, along with Oliver Eriksson and Joel Christofferson lending their assistance to get the car ready for Q3.

Despite Östlund eventually falling out of title contention, it was still an incredible effort by the Olsbergs MSE squad to get the car ready in time and a true representation of the powerful rallycross paddock spirit.

Henrik Krogstad said: “The win at Arvika gave me a lot of confidence coming here – we were on the pace all weekend there, and we carried that momentum into this meeting.

“Going into the final, I knew we had great speed and that if I kept a good rhythm, there should be no problems. Of course, we then did have a problem – the car in the entry to the joker – but I didn’t really think about the joker until the lap I went for it. It was as close as it can get, and the rest of the joker was great with a little Scandinavian flick.

“I was extremely relieved to come out ahead of Guillaume [De Ridder], but to be honest, I feel like I won the race at the start. It’s so important to get the start just right, get into the rhythm and keep putting in consistent laps – and that paid off.”

CrossCar/Crosskart and CrossCar Junior
Max Rundberg powered his way to third place in today’s CrossCar/Crosskart final, securing the championship in superb style. Jimmie Österberg was the standout performer on the final day of the season, with a dominant victory enabling him to leapfrog up the table to second place overall.

TiKRX’s Julle Ljungdahl put in an inspired performance to bring home his first podium of the season, while Isak Reiersen watched the title slip from his grasp as the Swede failed to qualify for both of this weekend’s finals.

In CrossCar Junior, Alex Gustafsson emerged as eventual champion after a close-fought title battle that went right down to the wire. The JC Raceteknik Juniorteam driver put a forceful move on rival Erik Andersson on the last lap to seal the deal.

Max Rundberg said: “Becoming champion means everything to me. We have worked so hard this season just to go racing because of Coronavirus, so it really means so much.
“We struggled a bit with the weather conditions on Saturday, but I managed to keep it at a high level and it’s been amazing this weekend.”

20-09-06 Krogstad wins RX2 Series and RX Nordic Lites titles with #YellowSquad
#YellowSquad celebrates winning the 2020 RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites and 2020 RX2 Series championship titles at Nysumbanen, Denmark. Sunday, September 6 2020.
#YellowSquad secured a sensational double championship success at Nysumbanen in Denmark, winning both the RX2 Series and RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites titles on Sunday with Henrik Krogstad's second win of the year.

RallyX Nordic's season finale was composed of two back-to-back rounds over this Saturday and Sunday, with Krogstad coming into the weekend tied on points in the RX Nordic Lites title race.

Krogstad strengthened his Lites title bid with second place in the final on Saturday after qualifying in third, putting him five points ahead of his Nordic rivals but five points behind Guillaume De Ridder in the RX2 Series standings, which was taking place entirely across Nysum's two Lites rounds.

On Sunday Krogstad came into a class of his own, winning the first and third qualifying races to bag the Top Qualifier position, narrowing the gap to De Ridder in RX2 and extending his RX Nordic Lites advantage further.

Qualifying 2 was the only session during the whole of Sunday where Krogstad was bested, as the #YellowSquad driver flew to a dominant win in his semi-final that all but secured the Lites title and put him within striking distance of De Ridder for the RX2 crown.

A fast start ensured Krogstad reached the first turn of the final in the lead, though late drama threatened to derail his push for the RX2 title. Gustav Johansson crashed on the entry to the joker lap and partially blocked the entrance, with Krogstad the only driver left to take the joker lap.

But a masterful Scandinavian flick on the way into the joker ensured Krogstad threaded his car between Johansson's stricken car and the tyre barrier, losing no time and coming out ahead of De Ridder to clinch both titles in style.

Dan Skocdopole was in the second #YellowSquad car for his first race weekend at Nysum. Changeable conditions made it tricky for the 16-year-old to adapt to the mixture of track and car in only his second weekend in a Supercar Lites machine, finishing 14th.

When conditions improved Dan was able to unlock extra speed, showing some quick one-lap pace with third in the morning warm-up and fifth in Q1, finishing only behind Krogstad's RX2 rival De Ridder in the first race.

Skocdopole still made it to the semi-finals despite a DNF in Q2, which was caused by a stuck throttle spinning him off the road. But the points lost hurt his grid position, starting from the back row in semi-final two and finishing in fifth.

#YellowSquad's 2020 racing programme has now drawn to a close with the finale of both RallyX Nordic and RX2 Series, the latter of which has concluded several months earlier than originally planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its RX2 title with Krogstad ensures that Hansen Motorsport, which runs the team alongside Team Färén, remains the only team to have beaten Olsbergs MSE, having done so with #YellowSquad team principal Kevin Hansen at the wheel back in 2015.

Henrik Krogstad
#YellowSquad Driver
“Being behind De Ridder on points going into Sunday was a big motivation. I wanted to win both titles, so knowing I had to push to score as many points as possible for RX2 helped me in winning Lites. The only thing in my mind in the semi-final and the final was winning, because I was behind in the RX2 points and felt I had nothing to lose. That helped me keep a good rhythm all day and I knew with the speed I had and getting my starts right, I could get the result I needed.

“On the penultimate lap of the final, I hadn’t realised Johansson was parked in the way at the entry of the joker before I was supposed to take it! I had to do a proper Scandinavian flick around it on the last lap and it was about as close as you can get to squeezing past, but the rest of the joker was great.

“I’m extremely excited about the future. Because I won the RX2 trophy, I get be one of the first drivers to compete in the new eRX2 series next year, which should be a cool experience.”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“To win championships was always the target for #YellowSquad, but to win both RX2 and RX Nordic Lites in our first season working together as Hansen Motorsport and Team Färén is amazing. Before today Hansen was the only team to beat Olsbergs to the RX2 title - when I was the one driving the car! - and now we have managed it again, which is a really special feeling.

“Eric and his crew have done a great job all season, Henrik has made big steps as a rallycross driver this year, and we were able to combine our experience and our strengths to make a championship-winning team.

“What makes this success really satisfying is that we didn’t have any luck to help us. In Arvika and Nysum we had the fastest combination, and Henrik was the only driver to win multiple Lites rounds this year. We earned it with hard work and dedication!

“It’s a shame the season is so short as Dan did not have any Lites experience to lean on like Henrik did this year. Today was only his second weekend racing in the Lites, car so in the changeable conditions on Saturday it was tricky for him. But we saw more of his real speed on Sunday and without his problem in Q2, he would probably have qualified with a good grid position and maybe joined Henrik in the final.”

20-09-06 Mästerskapsguld och brons för JC Raceteknik Juniorteam – första Supercar-segern för Gundersen i Nysum
Två pallplatser i Nysum samt två mästerskapsmedaljer – det blev resultatet för JC Raceteknik under rallycrossen i Nysum. Samtidigt som Ben-Philip Gundersen vann sin första tävling någonsin i Supercar kunde teamets juniorer fira i mästerskapet när Alex Gustafsson tog ett mästerskapsguld och Isak Reiersen en bronsmedalj.

Det blev en framgångssaga för JC Raceteknik när fjärde och femte deltävlingen i rallycrossmästerskapet RallyX Nordic kördes under helgen i danska Nysum.

JC Raceteknik Juniorteam-föraren Alex Gustafsson, från Arvika/Gunnarskog, imponerade stort genom hela säsongen. För första gången körs klassen CrossCar Junior i mästerskapet RallyX Nordic och det var efter en rafflande final, med omkörning i sista kurvan, som 13-åringen kammade hem mästerskapstiteln. Han slutar även tvåa i den avslutande deltävlingen, och kom i gårdagens tävling femma efter ett stopp i jokern. 16-årige teamkompisen Isak Reiersen, Torsby, ledde mästerskapet inför helgen. Men stolpe ut och två missade finaler kostade honom mästerskapsguldet. En stark inledning på säsongen gör däremot att han tar bronsmedaljen i klassen Crosscar.

För Ben-Philip Gundersen, som gör sin första säsong i Supercar, blev det en lyckad helg med dubbla pallplatser. Efter stabil körning kunde han igår ta en andraplats i tävlingen, och toppade därefter helgen under söndagen med sin första seger någonsin i klassen. Teamets Supercar Lites-förare Jimmie Walfridson visade högt tempo genom hela helgen och nådde till final båda tävlingarna – där han tog en fjärdeplats och en femteplats. I RallyX Nordic-mästerskapet räckte det till en femteplats, medan värmlänningen slutade fyra i RX2 International Series.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef JC Raceteknik:
”Alex har verkligen imponerat. Han hade en motig tävling på lördagen, men lyckades vända det genom att hålla huvudet kallt och inte ge upp. Det är hans första mästerskapsguld, så det är kul. Jag är stolt över hans prestation i år. Isak har verkligen potentialen och visade det i början av säsongen. Men i helgen ville det sig inte för varken honom eller crosskarten. Tråkigt för hans del, men det kommer fler säsonger där han kan få revansch.

Med Ben-Philip kom vi mest hit som ett test för att köra in oss inför EM och bli varm i kläderna i Supercar. Det lyckades han minst sagt med, genom en vinst och en andraplats. Han har visat bra fart och det blir spännande att se vad han kan lyckas med i Riga. För Jimmies del kan jag framförallt säga: äntligen. Han har kämpat lite med farten den här säsongen. Så det blev skönt att få avsluta säsongen med två finalplatser i rad och visa att tempot inte var någon engångsföreteelse.

Det blev en annorlunda RallyX Nordic-säsong för alla i år. Så stort tack till RallyX Nordic som fick ihop en serie trots de rådande omständigheter. Såklart också tack till hela teamet som alltid kämpar hårt genom alla tävlingarna.”

Supercar: Ben-Philip Gundersen [NOR]:
”Två fantastiska tävlingar med både pallplats och en första seger i Supercar. Stort tack teamet för ett fantastiskt jobb. Det har varit en väldigt krävande och lärorik helg. Vi hade inte mycket att kämpa om i mästerskapet eftersom jag kört en färre tävling, utan såg det som en träning inför Riga.

På lördagen var det väldigt mycket skiftande väder som gjorde det svårt att hitta rätt set-up. Men mekaniker och teamet gjorde ett superjobb och levererade en bil som passade underlaget varje gång. Det blev lite kaos i starten av finalen som gjorde att Oliver [Eriksson] fick ett försprång och vi fick istället kämpa tillbaka andraplatsen. Idag har det varit mycket mer stabilt och tiderna har hela tiden förbättrats. I finalen hade jag lite otur i starten och tappade placeringar. Sedan fick vi lite stolpe in och kunde kämpa oss upp till en förstaplats.”

Supercar Lites: Jimmie Walfridson [SWE]:
”Det var verkligen skönt att få avsluta säsongen med lite fart i kroppen. Arvika var en skittävling för min del som drog ner det hela lite. Men både idag och igår blev det final igen. Tävlingarna har fungerat riktigt bra, tycker jag. Det är helt okej resultat, även om jag självklart siktat in mig på pallen. Med tanke på situationen med Covid-19 är jag glad att vi faktiskt kunnat tävla över huvud taget. Så jag vill passa på att tacka JC Raceteknik, mina sponsorer, vänner och familj.”

JC Raceteknik Juniorteam: Alex Gustafsson, Crosscar Junior [SWE]:
”Det här känns obeskrivligt, jag har nog inte förstått det än. När jag insåg att jag vunnit… Det var så många känslor samtidigt med skrik, glädjetårar och kramar! Att bli den första mästerskapsvinnaren någonsin i RallyX Nordics CrossCar Junior känns helt magiskt. Så jättetack till alla som på olika sätt hjälpt mig den här säsongen. Teamet som alltid ställt upp, JC Raceteknik för allt, RallyX Nordic som tog in klassen och såklart alla mina sponsorer. Vi är glada att kunnat leverera ännu ett guld till JC Raceteknik.

Helgen har gått lite upp och ner för mig. Det började med att jag bröt på båda träningarna, så jag fick gå in direkt i Q1 utan att testat banan. Sedan var det lite blandade resultat och i finalen brommade jag stopp i jokern så det blev en sista plats i tävlingen. Efter det låg jag tvåa i mästerskapet, så det var bara att tänka positivt och ladda om till idag. Den här dagen gick i det stora hela bättre. I finalen avgjordes allt, och det var många bra fighter. På sista varvet låg jag trea, men såg en lucka i sista kurvan och tog den. Det var det som behövdes, och jag är så glad över mästerskapssegern. Såklart är det tråkigt att Isak [Reiersen] inte kunde ta förstaplatsen han också, men en medalj är alltid bra.”

JC Raceteknik Juniorteam: Isak Reiersen, Crosscar [SWE]:
”Självklart blev det lite av en besvikelse. Jag skulle ljuga om jag sa att jag är nöjd med en tredjeplats när jag körde för guld. Säsongen började väldigt bra för mig, med jämn körning där jag hela tiden plockade med mig bra poäng. Men det höll inte till slutet. En kombo av otur och att rätta farten helt enkelt inte funnits i helgen. Även om mina varvtider varit i toppen så räcker det ju inte med några bra strövarv här och där om inget heat är genomgående felfritt. Idag klaffade allt i det stora hela bättre, men semifinalen var svår med mycket damm och ett problem med växellådan. Men det jag tar med mig vidare är den positiva inledningen av RallyX Nordic.

För Alex del gick det mycket bättre. Han gjorde den bästa finalen jag någonsin sett honom köra. Riktigt kul, det här var han värd. Jag vill såklart passa på att tacka teamet för den här säsongen. Även om det blev en kort och lite annorlunda säsong så var det skönt att vi ändå fick ihop det. Sen är ju säsongen inte helt över för mig, utan jag har lite annan körning kvar framöver. Men det är nyheter för ett senare tillfälle...”

20-09-06 Jimmie Walfridson fyra i både finaltävlingen i RallyX Nordic samt i RX2 International series
Torsbysonen Jimmie Walfridson slutar fyra i årets RX2 International series och blir femma i det nordiska rallycrossmästerskapet RallyX Nordic.
– Det var verkligen skönt att få avsluta säsongen med lite fart i kroppen, säger Jimmie.
I helgen avslutades rallycrossäsongen med en dubbeltävling på Danska Nysumbanen Då kördes deltävling 4 och 5 av RallyX Nordic och deltävling 1 och 2 i RX2 International series. Jimmie slutade femma i gårdagens tävling och toppade resultatet med en placering genom att bli fyra idag.

Sammanfattningsvis blev den här säsongen inte riktigt som Jimmie hade hoppats på resultatmässigt. Han var i final i första tävlingen i Höljes och även i den andra, men ett sent tidstillägg gjorde att han missade sin finalstart. Även i Arvika blev det missad final.
– Arvika var en skittävling för min del som drog ner det hela lite. Men både idag och igår blev det final igen. Dagen har fungerat riktigt bra, tycker jag. Det var verkligen skönt att få avsluta säsongen med lite fart i kroppen, säger han.

I det nordiska mästerskapet slutar han femma och i RX2 International series blir det en fjärdeplats.
– Det är helt okej resultat, även om jag självklart siktat in mig på pallen. Med tanke på situationen med Covid-19 är jag glad att vi faktiskt kunnat tävla över huvud taget. Så jag vill passa på att tacka JC Raceteknik, mina sponsorer, vänner och familj, säger han.

Mer info hittar du på www.walfridson.com där vi följt tävlingen heat för heat.

20-09-05 Eriksson closes in on Supercar crown on dramatic day in Denmark
Olsbergs MSE ace dominates proceedings to move to within touching distance of title
De Ridder reigns supreme in Supercar Lites; Krogstad builds points lead ahead of decider
Danish wildcard Jelsbak victorious in CrossCar as Andersson ignites CrossCar Junior battle
All of Sunday’s action to be broadcast via global livestream – sign up here: https://tv.rallyx.se/streams

Racing got underway at the super-fast Danish dustbowl of Nysumbanen today (5 September) with the penultimate round of the 2020 RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires campaign, as title battles hotted up and local heroes tasted the podium champagne.

Changeable conditions throughout the qualifying heats yielded some surprise results, while several local wildcard appearances across the four categories disrupted the established order. At the same time, anticipation was building for the title protagonists ahead of tomorrow’s Final Showdown, as thrilling battles played out up and down the field.

Olsbergs MSE’s Oliver Eriksson took a huge step towards his first RallyX Nordic title as championship rival and stablemate Fraser McConnell faltered. Meanwhile, in Supercar Lites, Guillame De Ridder put in an outstanding performance to take victory after nearly two years out of Lites machinery, but arguably the biggest winner was Henrik Krogstad, whose second place finish allowed him to increase his margin at the top of the points table ahead of the final day of competition on Sunday.

Supercar
Oliver Eriksson dominated proceedings on day one, leapfrogging Johan Kristofferson to vault to the top of the table and place one hand on the RallyX Nordic championship trophy. A third-fastest time in Q3 was the only blemish on a near-perfect scorecard for the Swede, but he didn’t have it all his own way, with several of the class’ top contenders in fine fettle, chasing him all the way to the flag.

OMSE team-mate Fraser McConnell looked to be Eriksson’s closest competitor, until the Jamaican hit trouble on lap one of the final, ending his challenge in the gravel trap. JC Raceteknik’s Ben-Philip Gundersen was also in hot pursuit of the new championship leader, eventually claiming the runner-up spot after another impressive and characteristically spectacular outing in his rookie Supercar season.

Local hero Ulrik Linnemann also enjoyed a rapid run to the rostrum. After a disappointing event on home soil last season, the Dane had a point to prove and did just that as he raced to a popular podium.

Stene Johansen and Linus Westman also enjoyed strong outings, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Notably, Anders Michalak slipped out of championship contention after narrowly missing out on a place in today’s final.

Oliver Eriksson said: “That was probably the strangest day I’ve ever had in racing – it seemed like every time we left the paddock to head down to the pre-grid, it started to rain! Still, we came out of it pretty well all-in-all. Q2 and Q3 weren’t perfect, but we did enough to secure the TQ spot and then the semi-final and final went relatively smoothly.

“It’s obviously great to take away maximum points and move into the championship lead, but I never like to see one of my team-mates in trouble and it would have been fun to fight Fraser [McConnell] properly to the end. I’m sure he will bounce back tomorrow, and we can continue our battle.”

Supercar Lites
An ultra-competitive grid of Supercar Lites drivers lined up on the grid in Denmark, with the leading four title protagonists separated by just six points heading into the weekend. Ultimately though, they were all upstaged today by one-off entry Guillame De Ridder, returning to the category after more than 20 months away. After winning Q1 by 2.5 seconds, the Belgian went on to take a well-deserved victory ahead of a field of top-tier competitors.

The runner-up laurels went to #YellowSquad’s Henrik Krogstad. Following his dominant win at Arvika last month, the Norwegian was on the money from the outset and duly increased his championship lead ahead of the final day of the campaign tomorrow.

Round one winner Simon Olofsson also looked like a man on a mission for much of the day, never finishing outside of the top three. His charge, however, was halted following contact with Krogstad in the final, but the STS RX ace remains firmly in contention for the crown at just seven points adrift of the summit of the standings.

Jesse Kallio was never quite able to challenge the front-runners in the qualifying races, owing to a wrist injury that he picked up at Arvika. Despite this, RallyX Nordic’s own flying Finn battled through the pain to put in an inspired performance and take third in the final. Linus Östlund similarly kept his championship ambitions alive in fourth.

Guillaume De Ridder said: “I didn’t quite get the clean sweep, but still, what a fantastic way to come back after nine months out of a race car! I really didn’t expect to come here and win. There are still some details to work on, like the start which wasn’t my strongest suit today and is an area in which I’m still lacking a little bit of consistency, but we’ll analyse it all overnight.

“Honestly, if somebody had offered me this result ahead of the weekend, I would have signed up for it straightaway. We can celebrate a little bit now, but we need to stay focussed for tomorrow and I can promise you it will be maximum attack again!”

CrossCar/Crosskart and CrossCar Junior
Wildcard entry Søren Jelsbak flew under the radar for much of the day, before setting the timesheets alight, winning his semi-final and following it up with victory in the final. The Dane was chased home by a resurgent Jimmie Österberg and CarControl’s Isac Egonsson.

The two leading championship protagonists had mixed fortunes, with Max Rundberg coming across the line in fourth, while Isak Reiersen was excluded from his semi-final after contact with Nicklas Jensen on the last lap.

Erik Andersson was in imperious form in CrossCar Junior, winning all but one of his races and throwing down the gauntlet for tomorrow’s proceedings as he soared to the top of the points table. Rasmus Persson followed him home, with Lukas Andersson in third.

Søren Jelsbak said: “To win this is crazy. I’ve never tried it before. Now onto tomorrow!”

Erik Andersson said: “I’m very happy. My car felt great, and it was almost the perfect day. The conditions were really tricky – in two of the qualifiers races, it began raining midway through, which was challenging but also a lot of fun. It’s sure to be another close battle tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to it! Nobody will give an inch, and it will be a case of fighting tooth-and-nail for every single position in every single race.”

The title race in all four classes will reach a crescendo tomorrow, as the championships are set to be decided on day two of The Final Showdown in Denmark. To watch all of Sunday’s action via the global, non-geoblocked livestream – starring the ‘Voice of Rallycross’ Andrew Coley, studio host Neil Cole and esteemed British journalist Hal Ridge – click here: https://tv.rallyx.se/streams

20-09-02 De Ridder back to ‘finish the job’ as he eyes electric future
Former RX2 championship runner-up returns with his eyes on the prize
Belgian anticipating fierce fight around demanding Danish circuit
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Former RX2 Series presented by Cooper Tires runner-up Guillaume De Ridder is race-ready ahead of this weekend’s ‘winner-takes-all’ shoot-out at Nysum in Denmark (4-6 September) – and excited about competing for a prize that he describes as a springboard to success in the sport’s electric era.

De Ridder competed in the first two campaigns of RX2 and was a front-runner from the outset. A hat-trick of podium finishes with JC Raceteknik in 2017 paved the way for a championship challenge with Olsbergs MSE the following year, as the Belgian impressively claimed a brace of victories on Scandinavian soil at Hell and Höljes. He dovetailed that title bid with a rookie season in RallyX Nordic – belying his lack of prior experience in the series to clinch the coveted crown at the first time of asking.

In 2019, De Ridder stepped up to Supercar level with the GCK Academy in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, twice reaching the semi-final stage. Budget shortfall – exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic – prevented the 27-year-old from returning for a second consecutive campaign at the highest level this year, but World RX’s loss is very much RX2’s gain.

What’s more, the 2020 RX2 Champion will be rewarded with a fully-funded, single-round drive in next year’s FIA eRX2 Championship – one of the biggest prizes in the sport. As De Ridder rejoins the single-make series with OMSE, he does so with a steely determination – and ‘unfinished business’ on his mind.

“I’m thrilled to be going racing again after so long out of the cockpit,” he revealed. “I genuinely didn’t think I would get the opportunity this year, particularly in light of the current situation – but then RX2 announced this single-weekend, double-header shoot-out, which offered a lifeline to drivers like myself who otherwise may not have competed at all in 2020. With such an incredible champion’s prize on offer, I immediately set to work to make something happen.

“I’ve never made any secret of my interest in electric motorsport and my desire to get to grips with this kind of technology as quickly as possible. Our sport is changing, and we are in the midst of an energy revolution. Personally, I am convinced it’s the right way for rallycross to go to re-attract manufacturers, which is key to its future growth, and with such short, sharp races, this is the perfect discipline for electrification.

“To win this weekend would provide a great springboard towards the future, and having finished third in RX2 in 2017 and second in 2018, I definitely have a little unfinished business in the championship, so I will be doing my utmost to put that right and finish the job!”

De Ridder dominated proceedings at Nysum in RallyX Nordic in 2018, taking Top Qualifier honours and comfortably winning his semi-final only to subsequently be excluded after a communication error prompted him to miss the joker. Two years on, he is back for revenge – although under no illusions about the size of the task that awaits.

“I’m well aware of the calibre of my rivals, having competed against some of them in the past and having witnessed some of the others in action,” he acknowledged. “It will be very difficult to beat the likes of [Henrik] Krogstad, [Jesse] Kallio, [Linus] Östlund and [Simon] Olofsson, who have proven their pace all season. I know I’ll need to rapidly raise my game if I want to stand a chance of winning.

“It’s clearly going to be an extremely tough battle, and a tall order to fight for victory following almost nine months out of a race car – and even longer away from Supercar Lites machinery. Nonetheless, I hope to be able to exploit my past experience in the car on this track to quickly get back onto the pace.

“Fortunately, I had the opportunity to test at Strängnäs earlier this week, and I immediately felt at ease. I established a good feel for the Supercar Lites car again, which bodes well for the weekend ahead. I’m excited to get going!”

With the event sharing the stage with the RallyX Nordic season finale, fans will be able to enjoy more than ten hours of high-octane entertainment via the global, non-geoblocked livestream, starring the ‘Voice of Rallycross’ Andrew Coley, studio host Neil Cole and esteemed British journalist Hal Ridge. Subscriptions are available for just 199 SEK (c. €19,99), and the sign-up link can be found here: https://tv.rallyx.se/streams

20-09-02 Two titles on the line for #YellowSquad as Lites head to Denmark
#YellowSquad is heading to the season finale of RallyX Nordic in the running to win two titles at the Nysum circuit in Denmark: RX Nordic's Supercar Lites title, and a winner-takes-all RX2 Series shootout.

Both Henrik Krogstad and Dan Skocdopole will be racing for #YellowSquad on September 5-6 and go into the weekend with an equal chance of securing the RX2 crown. RX2's calendar was cut back significantly due to COVID-19 and now takes place over two back-to-back rounds at Nysum.

In the five-round RX Nordic Supercar Lites championship, Krogstad heads into the final weekend tied at the top of the standings with Jesse Kallio on 71 points, with fellow front-runners Linus Östlund and Simon Olofsson very close behind on 69 and 65 points respectively in a four-way title fight.

Of that quartet, #YellowSquad's Krogstad is the driver on form. He dominated the last round of the championship at Arvika by finishing as Top Qualifier, then scored dominant wins in his semi-final and then the final to achieve a maximum score of 30 points for that round.

16-year-old Skocdopole is back with the team for Nysum and after a promising start to his debut Supercar Lites campaign at Höljes in July. Skocdopole won his first-ever semi-final in a Lites car at the season-opening Magic Weekend round in a 1-2 finish for #YellowSquad, making the final on his debut.

A repeat performance could put Skocdopole in the frame for a top-five championship position in RX Nordic Supercar Lites. Only the four best results out of five are counted in the final standings, so missing the last round at Arvika won't be a disadvantage in the final standings as his rivals ahead will need to drop points.

That points rule effectively puts him only five points behind Mats Oskarsson heading to Nysum, who currently occupies fifth in the championship.

Live streaming of the event is available via RallyX Nordic TV, with two-day viewing passes available for 199 SEK (approx. €19.99).

Henrik Krogstad
#YellowSquad Driver
“I will go out and do the best I can in every situation. I haven't been watching what the other guys are doing and I don't care which one of them might be my fastest rival! I will be focusing on my own driving because there's no point concentrating on what's happening with them. I'll be trying to get the best out of everything as we did in Arvika, and then hopefully we will achieve the result we want by doing that.

“It will definitely be a close fight. Nysum's a bit easier to drive than Arvika, because it's not quite as technical. That should mean the gaps are smaller between everyone this time. Nysum is more like a racing circuit with its straights and paved corners, and I spent two years in circuit racing and won the Scandinavian Formula 7 championship, so my experience from that helps here.

“I feel quite a big difference now after the result we achieved in Arvika. It's a big confidence boost knowing we can win races the way we did that weekend, so I really believe we have a strong chance to perform well at the final round. We were testing at Nysum recently and I had the same great feeling in the car as I had at Arvika, so everything feels right.

“I'm feeling very motivated by this championship battle so I'm training harder and more often than ever before. I've never been in a situation like this, tied on points going into the last event of the season with a championship on the line. I think I might call Timmy [Hansen, reigning FIA World Rallycross champion and #YellowSquad's Head of Driver Development] before the weekend for some advice, as he went through this experience last year and won, of course!”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“This is a big weekend for the team. When we started this project we wanted to win, we wanted to succeed. Now we are at the final round of the season, with our more experienced driver Henrik leading the championship after winning the last round, and Dan as our rookie with a good chance to compete for fifth in the championship and show his pace.

“Everyone in the team has been working so hard for this new collaboration to succeed and now we have our first win from Arvika, we all know how to go and do the same again. We had a test at Nysum last week that went very well, so we feel very prepared and ready for the challenge ahead.”

About Henrik Krogstad
Henrik Krogstad (born 04/04/1998) began karting at seven year old, becoming Norwegian karting champion in 2013. After a brief stint in circuit racing, winning the Scandinavian and Norwegian Formula 7 titles, he turned his attention to rallycross, winning the Norwegian ‘Auto Sport Talent’ competition in 2015.

He has since raced Supercar Lites cars in both RX2 and RallyX Nordic, securing third place in the 2017 RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites championship and 2018 RX2 series.

About Dan Skocdopole
An experienced and successful go-karter, Skocdopole made a name for himself by winning the Czech championship in 2015, before going on to claim the WSK KRS World Series championship crown in 2016.

Skocdopole made his first steps in rallycross in 2018 when he contested the Italian Rallycross Championship, driving a Skoda Super 1600. He continued in the series last year while also making his debut in the German RX championship, winning on his first visit to the Oschersleben circuit that October.

He has tested a variety of GT and RX machinery during his young career to date, from RX2 and Super 1600 cars to Supercars and Electric RX. His aim is to become the youngest-ever World Rallycross Championship entrant and winner.
About #YellowSquad

#YellowSquad is a vibrant junior rallycross team formed by brothers Kevin and Timmy Hansen in February 2019. Its focus is on delivering a platform for aspiring rallycross drivers to learn the skills needed to progress up the ladder towards the World Rallycross Championship.

The team made its racing debut in the RallyX Nordic Cross Car (XC) category in 2019 with Julius Ljungdahl, winning one race. #YellowSquad has now expanded to RX2 - the feeder series to World RX - for the 2020 season, and will also compete in RallyX Nordic’s Supercar Lites category.

#YellowSquad provides its young drivers with development opportunities beyond the cockpit, including fitness, nutrition, self-development and media relations. Alongside team principal Kevin, World RX champion Timmy is responsible for driver coaching, while Eric Färén is team manager.

20-09-01 Spa World RX of Benelux moves to November
Spa World Rallycross of Benelux, the Belgian round of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship, scheduled to take place on 3-4 October, will be postponed to 21-22 November.

The move to November is being made in anticipation of being able welcome a larger number of fans to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Current restrictions on the size of public gatherings in Belgium mean that only 400 spectators would be admitted to the event in October.

This decision has been made after careful consideration and consultation with the FIA, the Belgian ASN and the local event organiser. Further information about the event is available here: https://www.sparxbenelux.com/en/

20-08-30 Fine margins make the difference in wet second Finland round
A wet and muddy Kouvola circuit hosted a second consecutive FIA World Rallycross Championship round in as many days, with reigning champions Team Hansen and its drivers Timmy and Kevin Hansen only just missing out on crucial positions by the smallest of margins.

Reigning World RX champion Timmy finished only 0.7s away from a podium position, taking fifth in the final. He had set the fastest lap of the final on lap two but had already been muscled out at the first corner, putting him last.

A calculated and opportunistic move on Andreas Bakkerud one corner later gave Timmy fifth place, but his tricky start left him with slightly too much time to make up on his rivals ahead before the finish.

Both Timmy and Kevin's days started well, with Timmy going second-quickest in Q1 and Kevin doing the same in Q2. That had put Kevin second in the intermediate qualifying standings after Q2, though weather conditions went against Kevin's position in the last Q3 race, which was slower than the earlier races due to track conditions.

Timmy would finish qualifying fourth while Kevin qualified sixth, putting both in the same semi-final. While Timmy progressed to the final with second place, Kevin was only just beaten to third by Timur Timerzaynov, who had jokered on the final lap and come out ahead of both Hansens.

A smart cutback move gave Timmy second place in a three-way drag race to the line, while Kevin crossed the line only 0.06 seconds behind Timerzyanov in fourth.

Though only one of two cars made it to the final, Team Hansen's position in the teams' championship remains exactly as it was coming into this Sunday, holding second place with only 19 points to catch to the leaders. Timmy meanwhile remains fourth in the drivers' championship, while Kevin drops to fifth.

While Hansen Motorsport's World RX team won't be back on track until September 19-20 in Latvia, its CrossCar squad LifeLive Nordic and its Supercar Lites team #YellowSquad are both on track next weekend (September 4-6).
1
Timmy Hansen
“I also want to get onto the top step of the podium this year and we'll keep fighting towards that.”

“The key today was consistency and being able to maximise our pace when the opportunity arose. We managed that in Q1 behind Kristoffersson and then again in Q3 behind Bakkerud, which is what allowed me to secure a front-row slot for the semi-finals.

“After the launch in my semi-final it was really difficult to see through the mud that came onto the windscreen, so I was quite happy to be second. We jokered on lap five in the hope of beating Gronholm to the semi-final victory but unfortunately, I came out behind Timerzyanov, which handed extra track position to him, and that led to Kevin missing the final once Timur rejoined. That was very unfortunate.

“The team is really strong together; we're very motivated and everyone is working very hard. The car's still very strong and it got to the finish line every time with no technical issues. They've had the most difficult World RX events ever, doing two weekends with two full championship rounds each back-to-back, so the team has done an incredible job of keeping the car in one piece. So I need to thank them for all their work, for being able to figure out the problem that slowed me down in Sweden, and we'll continue to work on finding more pace between now and Riga.

“I want to win a couple of races this year. Johan is incredibly strong and has been dominant so far this year but he is beatable, as others have shown twice now. I also want to get onto the top step of the podium this year and we'll keep fighting towards that.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“I felt like I was on course for first in the semi-final until getting stuck in traffic.”

“Today was a wet race so we had to set-up the car completely for those conditions, and we made some progress in that area. I had the best feeling during the semi-final; I was very fast and had never felt so confident in the wet, so I was very happy in that respect. In the end, the margins were not on my side today.

“In Q3 we lost a lot because it had started to rain more than the previous races. The grip was lower of course but more than that, going up the hill towards turn two I couldn't see anything on two laps, so my run wasn't fast. That cost me a lot in terms of grid position for the semis as the intermediate points were so close.”

“I felt like I was on course for first in the semi-final until getting stuck in traffic. The result was a bit tough to take when I was so fast but there's been worse days. We're fifth in the championship which isn't too bad considering some of the issues we've had with launches and not making it to the final twice this year.

“Next week will be my third race weekend in a row, driving the LifeLive TN5 at Nysum. It's been a long time since I raced a CrossCar and I've heard Nysum is a cool track, so I'm excited for that. We've tried to improve the TN5 so my hope is that we're on the pace there.”

Kenneth Hansen
“We made some big improvements today and I feel we learned a lot.”

“We made some big improvements today and I feel we learned a lot, even though the results were still a bit mixed. It was very tight between the drivers at the front and while our starts were improving, it wasn't by enough. But we're going in the right direction, both with the chassis and with the starts.

“We're already four rounds into the season now so perhaps that improvement hasn't come as quickly as we'd hoped, but that's motorsport, sometimes you need to work to catch up a little bit. The circumstances today were particularly difficult for us because of how little grip there was, especially on the start line. But we'll use this knowledge to continue improving the car and try to come back stronger in Latvia.”

World RX of Finland:
Round Four results
Timmy Hansen, 2020 World RX of Finland
5th
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 2nd
Qualifying 2 13th
Qualifying 3 3rd
Semi-Final 2 2nd
Final 5th

Kevin Hansen, 2020 World RX of Finland
7th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 7th
Qualifying 2 2nd
Qualifying 3 9th
Semi-Final 2 4th
Final

Talking points Talking
Points
Sunday was the opposite of Saturday; the bright sunshine and dry track surface was replaced by rain and mud. Grip levels changed rapidly from race to race, making consistency harder to achieve.
Kouvola had been added to the 2020 World RX calendar as a late replacement for other rounds lost to difficulties surrounding Covid-19. Though fans weren't allowed to attend this weekend, the event was still a successful one and proved the circuit is worthy of its newly rediscovered world championship

20-08-30 A round of comebacks for the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel
RD 4 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship saw the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel put down some epic comebacks as Liam Doran fought his way from a p17 to a p14 overall, having posted the 5th fastest time in Q3 with a fantastic race win following a Q2 DNF as a result of a broken wheel bearing.

RD 4 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship saw the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel put down some epic comebacks as Liam Doran fought his way back from a p17 to a p14 overall, having posted the 5th fastest time in Q3 with a fantastic race win following a Q2 DNF as a result of a broken wheel bearing. Meanwhile, Andreas Bakkerud bagged a spot in the final having fought through contact in the semis to finish the race event in 6th.

Following a P7 and P9 in the morning’s warm up on the Finnish track, which had transformed entirely from Saturday’s race conditions as a result of rain overnight, Doran and Bakkerud lined up together for Q1 of round 4 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship with Doran the only one on slicks while the rest of the grid raced on wet tires. Bakkerud raced through into p2 behind Ekstrom while Doran slotted into P4, positions both of them retained through to the finish line.

Despite some challenges with traction at the start, Q2 saw Bakkerud put down a great run boldly overtaking Hansen on the last lap to finish in 3rd.

Meanwhile, Doran put down an incredible performance fighting into the lead of his Q2 and overtaking two cars in the process before disaster struck in the form of a broken, front right wheel bearing, which resulted in a DNF. Never one to give up, Q3 saw Doran fighting back - a race that had him shoot into the lead to take the win. Despite the track evolving further in the following races, he posted the 5th fastest time of the qualifier and moved up into P14 overall.

Meanwhile, Q3 had more race battles in store for Andreas who pushed into 2nd into the first corner and continued to defend his position to cross the finish line ahead of Timmy Hansen with the 2nd fastest time of the qualifier bagging him a solid semi-final spot.

Following contact in the semi, Bakkerud finished in 4th, however, a 5-second penalty to Rytkonen pushed him up into P3 and secured the Norwegian the coveted spot in the final.

The final didn’t quite go Bakkerud’s way as his Megane’s windscreen wipers succumbed to the thick mud and Bakkerud raced the remaining laps blindly to finish the race event in 6th.

LIAM DORAN
P14
Q1 13 / Q2 P18 / Q3 P5
“Happy with that clean last run today. I think it showed that the car and I have the pace to perform, we just haven’t been able to put it fully together yet and perform as a pair. We changed the car’s set up throughout the day and you could definitely feel the difference in the last qualifier.", Doran commented.

ANDREAS BAKKERUD
P6 IN FINAL
Q1 P5 / Q2 P11 / Q3 P2
“Overall, we’ve made many, many steps in the right direction - we didn’t have any big technical issues but the super tricky conditions impacted our overall performance. We’re proud to have put the car into the final to fight against 5 top drivers and this is where I think we should play all the time. Considering the quickly changing conditions, I think we tactically played our cards right but had some small issues in the semi-finals and finals, which we need to analyse further and work on ahead of Riga. I have full confidence that we will be spraying champagne at the end of the day there.”, Bakkerud added.

20-08-30 Mattias Ekström tvåa i Finland med KYB Team JC
Fortsatt ledning för KYB Team JC i teammästerskapet efter rallycross-VM i Kouvola. Samtidigt fick Mattias Ekström kliva upp på pallen för tredje gången den här säsongen, medan Robin Larsson hade stolpe ut i semifinalerna.
– Hela teamet har jobbat hårt för att få upp farten, så det blev ett skönt avslut med pallen efter en dålig dag igår, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Det har varit ett tight schema för rallycross-VM (FIA World Rallycross Championship), med fyra deltävlingar på nio dagar. I helgen kördes den tredje och fjärde tävlingen i finska Kouvola och för det nya VM-teamet KYB Team JC, som drivs av svenska JC Raceteknik, bjöd helgen på mixade resultat. Teamet behåller efter helgen ledningen i teammästerskapet, med 19 poäng ner till andraplatsen. Mattias Ekström ligger kvar på andraplats i förar-VM, medan Robin Larsson tappar från tredje till sjätte plats.

Helgens andra deltävling kördes under svåra förhållanden, med kraftigt regn och en lerig bana. Mattias Ekström satte flera topptider och slutade trea i grundomgången. Efter en andraplats i semifinalen kvalificerade han sig till final. Väl där var det en kamp om pallen in i sista kurvan, där han kom på andra plats. Robin Larsson hade en tuffare tävling och slet på det blöta underlaget. Han slutade nia i grundomgången och kvalificerade sig till semifinal. I semifinalen var Larsson med i fighten om tredjeplatsen, men efter att vindrutetorkaren slutat fungera på näst sista varvet var kampen över och han tappade till femte plats.

Första deltävlingen i Kouvola blev en motigare historia för hela teamet. Under lördagen var Mattias Ekström med i toppen direkt och slutade på andraplats grundomgången. Han var tvåa iväg i starten av semifinalen, men ett elfel gjorde att han tvingades bryta på andra varvet. Robin Larsson kämpade inledningsvis på banan, men fick det att klaffa efter en kanonstart i Q3 och satte där grundomgångens näst snabbaste tid. Han kvalificerade sig till semifinal som sjätte förare, men tvingades där bryta efter en punktering.

Nästa VM-deltävling körs som en dubbeltävling, samtidigt som EM, i Riga 19-20 september. Redan till helgen är det tävlingsdags för JC Raceteknik då den avgörande deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic, samt RX2 International Series, körs i danska Nysum.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB Team JC och JC Raceteknik:
”Det blev en tuff helg, och hela teamet har jobbat hårt för att få upp farten. I finalen var Niclas Grönholms fart inte helt perfekt och vi kämpade för att komma om, utan att lyckas. Men så gjorde Mattias en bra joker, samtidigt som Johan Kristoffersson gjorde en miss i målkurvan. Vi blev faktiskt lite förvånade att det räckte till en andraplats, för på tiderna såg det för tight ut. Men ett skönt avslut med pallen efter en dålig dag igår. Vi hade en tredjeplats på gång i semin för Robin, men så slutade vindrutetorkarna fungera. Riktigt synd för han var verkligen värd en finalplats efter starter från yttern, trafik och problem i helgen.

Vi har rätt god ledning med oss i teammästerskapet, även om vi tappade lite där. Men vi jobbar vidare inför Riga och verkar ha ha en bil som passar oss där. Däremot tappade vi tyvärr mycket poäng på Johan i mästerskapet, vilket såklart inte var vår förhoppning. Men efter problemen och stolpe ut i semifinalen igår så är det som det är… Det är något vi måste ta med och förbättra vidare.

En fråga många har nu är såklart om framtiden för Mattias Ekström. Det hade varit jättekul om han fortsatte med KYB Team JC, samtidigt ser det tufft ut för honom både med budget och andra uppdrag. Så vi får helt enkelt se. Vi har någon vecka på oss att hitta en lösning, annars blir alternativet att ta in en bra ersättare.”

World RX, Mattias Ekström [SWE]:
”Att sluta tvåa känns helt okej. Det är ingen hemlighet att jag tävlar för att vinna, och att komma tvåa är väldigt nära. Igår såg det ljust ut under semifinalen, men så fick helgen ett plötsligt slut som inte var kul för någon av oss. Idag tyckte jag vi körde helt okej runt banan, men utan några fantastiska starter. Då blir det såklart kämpigt. Men jag ser ändå att vi haft bra fart i helgen, och det är alltid positivt. Självklart vill vi vara i toppen av mästerskapet, och att se Johan [Kristoffersson] dra iväg är såklart ingen fröjd för oss direkt. Men det är ingen mening att gråta över spilld mjölk.

Det finns ingen plan för vad som händer sen. Just nu är jag mest sugen på att få åka hem och smälta detta. Sen får vi helt enkelt kolla och se om det går fixa något. Jag vet att det finns fler som vill köra bilen i Riga, så det kan också vara ett alternativ. Men ja… Det lär dröja innan vi ger något klart besked.”

World RX, Robin Larsson [SWE]:
”Jag har haft det lite halvmotigt genom hela helgen, det har aldrig riktigt släppt. När det är dubbeltävlingar så blir det inte många chanser. En träning och sen går tåget, så det gäller att hänga med direkt. Igår hade vi hyfsad fart från Q3, men sen tog det stopp igen i semin. Idag har jag haft svårt med fästet i geggan och inte riktigt hittat rätt med farten. Det har varit bra att ha någon som Ekström att kunna jämföra sig med. Tack vare det har jag sett vad jag gjort fel och kunnat jobba på det – utan sånt är det lätt att bli tjurig och ännu mer frustrerad. Idag hade jag en finalplats på g i semin, men då la torkarna av... Så det var skönt att Ekström kunde sy ihop det i slutet. Både han och Johan [Kristoffersson] har gjort ett ryck i mästerskapet, men annars är det tight om tredjeplatsen. Jag tar nya tag i Riga och kommer ännu mer laddad. Det finns fortfarande många poäng att köra om.”

20-08-30 GCK Bilstein fight against the elements at Finland RX
The changed track conditions following rain overnight for round 4 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship certainly didn’t affect the pace of the GCK Megane R.S. RX as GCK Bilstein driver Anton Marklund comfortably put down the fastest time in the morning’s warm up.

GCK BILSTEIN FIGHT AGAINST THE ELEMENTS AT FINLAND RX
The changed track conditions following rain overnight for round 4 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, and the 2nd day of the doubleheader race weekend in Finland, certainly didn’t affect the pace of the GCK Megane R.S. RX as GCK Bilstein driver Anton Marklund comfortably put down the fastest time in the morning’s warm up. However, things changed as racing conditions saw the Megane lose traction off the start line, with Marklund fighting his way back into the semi-final to finish the race day in 12th.

Throughout the day and quickly changing conditions, oftentimes differing from race to race in each qualifier, Marklund struggled with grip, resulting in him finishing his first and 2nd qualifier in 5th and moving from 10th to 12th overall.

With more rainfall ahead of the last qualifier and despite a devolving track, Marklund pushed his way to finish his race in 4th following contact at the start, securing him a p11 overall and a spot in the semi-final.

The semi-final saw plenty of race action with a lot of contact through corner one, however, the weather conditions didn’t just result in slippery surfaces but also a lot of mud; Thick enough to break the Megane’s windscreen wipers following the jump with Marklund racing the remaining laps blindly with help of his spotter to finish in 6th and 12th overall.

ANTON MARKLUND - P6 IN SEMI-FINAL 1
Q1 P10 / Q2 P10 / Q3 P11
“The speed we showed throughout the warm-up today was really promising for the rest of the day - the car was working really well and we were the quickest on the track. Unfortunately, we lost some pace and definitely lost capacity off the start line due to lack of grip. We need to do a thorough analysis now to understand why the speed differed so much to this morning’s, so a lot of work ahead. We bring the great pace we’ve shown with us and just have to learn from the challenges to come back better in Riga. It’s disappointing for me to not be able to bring the best results back to the team as the mechanics have worked super hard over the last couple of weeks to get us out on the track every time no matter the challenges and tight turnaround time.”, Anton commented.

20-08-30 Grönholm takes home win in Finland
Niclas Gronholm claims home victory at Kouvola
Double-podium for GRX Taneco team with Timur Timerzyanov third
Runner-up position for Swede Mattias Ekstrom

Finland’s Niclas Gronholm scored an emotional home victory at the CapitalBox World RX of Finland, round four of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy today (30 August).

GRX Taneco’s Gronholm produced his best qualifying performance of the season in the Intermediate Classification to end up second and take 15 championship points at the Kouvola circuit, located 130km north east of Finland’s capital Helsinki. He then won semi-final two in treacherous conditions to earn a front row start for the final.

The TQ (top qualifier) position in the Intermediate Classification was taken by Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson, the World RX Drivers’ points leader, fresh from winning round three of the Championship at the same circuit on Saturday.

Kristoffersson started from pole position for the final, thanks to victory in semi-final one, but it was Gronholm who led on lap one after overtaking Kristoffersson at the first corner. From there on, Gronholm held the lead in difficult wet and slippery conditions at the picturesque venue, fending off the close attentions of first Kristoffersson, and then Mattias Ekstrom, when Kristoffersson took his joker on lap three.

Managing the race lead with maturity beyond his years, with the chasing pack just centimetres behind the GRX Taneco Hyundai i20 Supercar for the entire race, Gronholm took his joker on lap six and held on to score his third World RX career victory.

Ekstrom finished second, overtaking Kristoffersson in the last corner. For the first time in 2020 though, Kristoffersson didn’t finish on the podium, he was also overtaken by Gronholm’s GRX team mate, Russia’s Timur Timerzyanov, in a race to the finish line.

Sweden’s Timmy Hansen, racing a Peugeot 208 for Team Hansen, finished fifth after taking his joker on lap one and Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud completed the list of final finishers.

Kristoffersson continues to lead the Drivers’ Championship standings, KYB Team JC maintains its position in the lead of the Teams’ Championship standings.

“I knew that the guys behind would push me in the tight corners in the final, so I just kept to the inside lines and just accelerating on the straights was enough. I was keeping calm and trying not to do any mistakes at all. I did a few, but not so big mistakes. I felt the pressure but it was basically just to control the race when I got into the lead, and it’s really nice to get a win,” said Gronholm.

Ekstrom’s second place finish kept the Swede in title-contention. “I had good pace in the final, it was difficult to see with so much dirt on the windscreen, but somehow the wipers swept it away and I could see. I felt had good pace compared to Niclas so I had no problem at all to stick on his bumper, but he did no mistakes so big congratulations to him and the entire team – when you make no mistakes then you can win. I didn’t see much, I heard my guys on the radio, they said it would be tight in the last corner and I look forward to watching it on TV because everyone says it was a great race,” said Ekstrom.

Timerzyanov visited the podium for the first time this year. “That was good. That was a nice fight in both the semi-final and final, it was so close. I started to over drive a little bit on the last lap, and it was a really tight last corner, everyone wanted to be on the podium. Johan opened the door and I used that to pass him on the inside. I’m really happy,” said Timerzyanov.

Finland’s Juha Rytkonen, racing for the GRX SET team, almost made it three Hyundai i20s in the final, but was handed a five second track limits infringement penalty and the place he initially held for the final was taken by Bakkerud. Team Hansen’s Kevin Hansen, from Sweden, was also classified fourth in his semi-final, he lost out in a battle for position with his brother and teammate in the final lap of the semi-final. KYB Team JC’s Robin Larsson and GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund, both from Sweden, completed the list of finishers in semi-final one, and Germany’s Timo Scheider, racing for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport and Finland’s Jere Kalliokoski were fifth and sixth in semi-final two.

The first reserve for the semi-finals was Netherlands’ Kevin Abbring, making his debut for the Unkorrupted team in a Renault Clio. Great Britain’s Liam Doran, the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel driver was 14th and Abbring’s Unkorrupted team mate Guerlain Chicherit, from France, was 15th. The final championship point was claimed by Hungary’s Tamas Karai. Finland’s Jani Paasonen and Atro Maatta, and Germany’s Rene Muennich completed the list of qualifiers in the Intermediate Classification.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “What a brilliant performance today from a real rising star of motor sport. Congratulations to Niclas for a fantastic drive in the final, and to the whole GRX Taneco team for having two drivers on the podium. It’s been an intense week for everyone involved in the championship, with four rounds in eight days, and everybody has done a brilliant job. Now there’s a short break to the next double-header in Latvia, but first this weekend’s action will be dissected in the second edition of the new RX After Track fuelled by Monster Energy on our Facebook and YouTube channels.”

The fifth and sixth rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will take place on September 19-20 at the Neste World RX of Riga

20-08-30 Kristoffersson i klar ledning
Det blev en fjärdeplats för Johan Kristoffersson i söndagens VM-rallycross i Finland. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren ökade sin ledning i mästerskapstabellen.
- Nio poäng från full pott efter fyra deltävlingar. Det kan man inte vara missnöjd med, säger Kristoffersson.

Johan inledde tävlingshelgen med maximal utdelning. I lördagens race var han snabbast på träningen och tog sedan hem alla sina heat fram till en överlägsen seger i finalen. Andra segern i år och ytterligare 30 poäng in på kontot.
- Vi är mycket tryggare i vårt koncept nu än vi var i Höljes. Jag är starkare på tempot och helhetsintrycket är bättre.

Under natten till söndagen drog regnet in över sydöstra Finland, vilket gav mer chansartade förhållanden. Johan fortsatte ändå som vanligt i Q1 med en snabb start och klar seger i kvalomgången.

I andra kvalheatet blev det däremot problem när Kristoffersson tappade i starten på grund av tekniska problem.
- Motorn varvade inte ordentligt, berättar Johan.

Det blev en fjortondeplats i omgången och stressigt för mekanikerna. Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson kunde konstatera att han har anställt kompetent personal.
- De löste problemet snabbt. Det känns tryggt att ha så bra och kunnigt folk med sig.

Johan tackade för servicen och levererade en av karriärens vassaste starter i Q3 med sin Volkswagen Polo R Supercar. Den var så bra att det såg ut som en lyckad chansning.
- Nej, man kan inte chansa, men visst var den riktigt bra. Man gör såna när man måste, konstaterar den dubble världsmästaren.

Den flygande starten tog Kristoffersson hela vägen upp till den andra totala kvalsegern för helgen och därmed sexton säkrade poäng.

I semifinalen blev det sex ytterligare att lägga till. Johan levererade ännu en bra start och körde hem pole position till finalen.

En blöt och lerig final som inte blev en lika enkel historia. Johan var visserligen snabb på gröna ljuset, men…
- Jag kom inte genom första kurvan som jag hade hoppats på.
En tidig jokerrunda såg ändå ut att rädda situationen, när Johan kom ikapp Niclas Grönholm och Mattias Ekström som båda hade sin joker kvar till sista varvet.
- Men jokern är så kort här att det är svårt att göra något. Jag visste att jag var tvungen att göra två bra kurvor på utsidan, men det var så mycket skit på rutan att jag inte fick till svängarna.

In i målsvängen gick Johan på attack för att om möjligt nå en andraplats.
- Men jag tappade bakändan och fick en toksladd. Då kom de andra ikapp bakifrån.

Timur Timerzyanov smet förbi och Johan missade pallen för första gången den här säsongen.
- Det är sånt som ingår i rallycross, men jag får ändå med mig 55 poäng av 60 möjliga från den här helgen och utökar totalledningen för varje tävlingsdag.

I sammandraget har nu Johan 111 poäng och är sjutton poäng före tvåan Mattias Ekström, som inte har planerat att köra hela säsongen. Till trean Niclas Grönholm är det hela 35 poäng, kan även Tommy Kristoffersson konstatera, men nöjd var han ändå inte efter fjärdeplatsen.
- Det går inte att vara helt nöjd när man inte är först i mål, men vi har det som krävs för att vinna, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-chefen.

Efter två intensiva tävlingshelger på raken är det nu tre veckor till nästa dubbeltävling, i Lettland.
- Ska bli gott med lite lugn och ro, hem och ladda upp med nya krafter och fler reservdelar, avslutar Johan Kristoffersson.

20-08-30 Promising points at round 4 for Unkorrupted
A rainy morning greeted UNKORRUPTED for Rd 4 of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship and the 2nd race day of this weekend’s double-header, creating extremely slippery and quickly changing conditions throughout the day. For team UNKORRUPTED, it was another opportunity to test the newly changed setup of the GCK Clio R.S. RX to improve the cars’ traction.

In Q1, UNKORRUPTED driver Guerlain Chicherit managed to power through into p3 following a struggle at the start but came out behind Timerzyanov after jokering to finish in 4th.
Teammate Kevin Abbring, who today raced on an entirely different setup to Chicherit for the team to gather data and feedback quicker, was struggling with his car’s grip on the devolving track and finished in 5th.

Q2 saw both UNKORRUPTED cars on the grid together, with Abbring sending it around the outside to take the lead before a battle with Doran and subsequent contact with Timurzyanov saw him finish in 3rd while Chicherit’s setup had him finish in 4th. Having seen the considerable jump in performance in Kevin’s car which pushed him up by 3 positions in the Championship’s qualifier standing, Guerlain’s setup was aligned to be the same going into Q3.

The heavens opened again just ahead of Q3 resulting in an evolving but then devolving track in between Q3 races, as additional rain first cleared the track creating better grip on wet tires, followed by the dragged across mud creating an even slippier surface.

Abbring and Chicherit, now on the same setup, finished their races in 5th and 4th respectively putting down some promising pace through the different sections with the 12th and 13th fastest time of the qualifier, which dropped them just out of semi-final reach with Chicherit in 15th and Abbring ending the race day in 13th missing just 2 points to the semis.

GUERLAIN CHICHERIT
P14 OVERALL
Q1 P16 / Q2 P13 / Q3 P12
“We saw some progress today in lap times, both on dry and wet and while this is promising, we still have a long way to go.
The last few weekends have been an uphill climb for us and we’re just trying to find out as much as possible in the short time that we have to make changes. It’s been hard for the team, the mechanics, engineers and us drivers, especially as the car has not been reacting consistently and very differently to what we achieved in tests throughout the winter. We now have a few weeks ahead of the next round and we’ll definitely make use of those!”, Chicherit commented

KEVIN ABBRING
P18 OVERALL
Q1 P13 / Q2 P17 / Q3 P18
“We’ve done so many things since Sweden and sometimes it’s hard to know what works and what doesn’t but I think in the end, we’re a step closer to what it is that the car is lacking. If you look at Q2, the car gave me a lot of confidence, a really good start and a nice send into turn 1, so that’s positive. In Q3 in the rain, we didn’t quite hit the right pace on the tarmac but on the gravel, I was one of the strongest in the sector. The overall results may not seem like that yet but we’re getting there.”, Abbring commented

20-08-29 Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel impress with pace at Finland RX
As round 3 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship kicked off in Finland as part of a doubleheader weekend, both Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel drivers showed off their racing abilities and the potential of the GCK Mégane R.S.RX despite challenges: While a broken rim and broken rear upright following contact in Q3 meant the end of the race day for Doran, Bakkerud raced his way to a p4 in the semi-final but lacked the grip needed to make it into the final.

Having put down a promising 3rd fastest time in free practice, Andreas lined up alongside Liam for Q1 and both battled the grid successfully, crossing the finish line next to one another in p2 and p3, with Bakkerud less than 1/10th of a second faster than his team mate.

With a good p6 and p8 respectively following the first qualifier, the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel lined up together again for Q2 but the double act did not quite work out for both guys equally this time as a broken prop shaft in lap 3 saw Doran retire from the race and push him into p12 overall.

Bakkerud, however, managed to shoot ahead into P1 despite initially lacking some grip off the start and easily led the pack to cross the finish line in first. His final qualifier of the day was more of a battle for Andreas as a lack of traction off the start saw him stuck in traffic later through the race with him finishing in 5th, putting him in p7 going into the semi-finals.

Q3 saw Doran put down his signature send around the outside to take an impressive lead but contact following the first corner resulted in a broken rim and rear upright for him, resulting in him retiring and finishing the race day in p17 overall.

Fighting for that extra little bit of performance in the semi-finals, Bakkerud pushed into 3rd into the first corner, but came out in 4th following the joker. Having crossed the finish line in 4th, Bakkerud ended round 3 of the Championship in p7 overall.

ANDREAS BAKKERUD
SEMI-FINAL P4
Q1 P6 / Q2 P3 / Q3 P10
“We were super strong in the free practice but as the track evolved, we struggled to compensate with the car and lost grip as a result, which meant we couldn’t step it up in performance the way we wanted to for the semis and were lacking the pace to fight in the final. We’ll now get to work with the engineers and investigate where we can adjust to optimise the set up. The car definitely feels good, we just need to finetune the details to really be able to nail it.”, Bakkerud added.

LIAM DORAN
P17
Q1 P8 / Q2 P19 / Q3 P19
“We showed some promising pace this morning and can see the potential of the car. The broken prop shaft in Q2 put us on the back foot and meant I had to push massively in Q3, where contact resulted in us having to retire, which is frustrating of course but is what makes rallycross what it is. The track here is one of my favourites and it suits my driving style so much, so I’m just looking ahead to tomorrow, where we can hopefully build on this morning’s performance.”, Doran commented.

20-08-29 Unkorupted continue fight at Finland RX
Following the long-awaited start of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship season in Sweden with round 1 and 2 last week, the 3rd round of the Championship kicked off today in Kouvola, Finland.
Following a quick driver change with Dutch GCK driver Kevin Abbring taking Rokas Baciuska’s seat for the doubleheader weekend, UNKORRUPTED spent the days leading up to the race event busily changing the set-up of both GCK Clio R.S. RX to better suit the picturesque Finnish track. Famous for its technical difficulty especially when wet and having not been part of the Championship calendar since 2014, the track presented an unknown challenge to the UNKORRUPTED squad.

The GCK Clio R.S.RX showed promising signs throughout the day for both Abbring and Chicherit but still lacked some performance as the track developed with Guerlain missing out on the semi-finals by only 2 points, while a broken prop shaft in the last qualifier ended Abbring’s weekend early.

GUERLAIN CHICHERIT
P14 OVERALL
Q1 P16 / Q2 P13 / Q3 P12
Having struggled with grip throughout the first qualifier, the second race of the day saw Guerlain cross the finish line in 2nd, bringing him up from P16 to P13. He managed to gain another point in his 3rd qualifier, posting the 12th fastest time but overall points had him in P14, with 2 points out on a semi-final spot.
“We saw some encouraging signs of going in the right direction today but still have quite some way to go to get the pace up to where we need it to be. It’s a shame to be only 2 points away from making the semis but we’re taking every bit of data possible at the moment to turn these changes around as quickly as we can and will take on round 4 of the Championship tomorrow trialling two very different solutions on each Clio to be able to speed up development and troubleshoot more effectively.”, Chicherit added.

KEVIN ABBRING
P18 OVERALL
Q1 P13 / Q2 P17 / Q3 P18
Abbring put down a great start in his first qualifier but his car lacked grip still, putting him in P13 overall.
While Kevin’s Clio showed better performance in the 2nd qualifier, he was stuck in traffic impacting his overall time and dropping him in the standings to P17. Disaster struck in the third qualifier, which saw the car’s prop shaft break in lap 1 over the jump causing him to retire from the race and finish round 3 of the Championship in P18.

“I do feel we managed to improve the car since last week and again for Q2. We made a big step and a lot of changes and can see the changes come through positively although there’s still some way to go. The prop shaft breaking in the 3rd qualifier was upsetting for us as a team, as every lap at the moment is so important and required for us to go through in detail and make further changes to optimise the car. Of course it’s frustrating to not be fighting for the final yet but I do think we are making steps towards this and will not give up. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.”, Abbring commented.

20-08-29 Timmy Hansen back on track with Finland podium
Reigning FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen got his season back on track with third place at the first of two World RX of Finland rounds, with both Team Hansen cars in a final for the first time this year.

An epic Sweden vs Finland fight played out for the podium places as both Timmy and Kevin Hansen fought GRX duo Juha Rytkönen and Niclas Grönholm in the final. While Timmy couldn't quite stop Rytkönen from taking second, a brilliant final two laps from Timmy secured his first podium of the year.

Timmy was one of the fastest cars from start to finish on Saturday, beginning round three of the championship with a race win and third-fastest time in Q1, the same position he would go on to qualify in.

His run in the first semi-final was a preview of what was to come in the final. Timmy stayed out until the last lap to take his joker and used his defensive skills to fend off Grönholm at the final corner, securing second in his semi-final and then doing the same thing again in the final to grab third place.

Kevin's run to the final was less straightforward, as he was picked last in the grid draw on Friday and found himself in traffic throughout qualifying. Once he found some room in Q3 he banked the third-fastest time, and his luck continued to improve for the second semi-final, where he started fourth.

Kevin Hansen leads Timo Scheider and Robin Larsson in semi-final two of the 2020 World RX of Finland. Kouvola, August 29, 2020.

After being pushed out wide at the first turn of his semi-final, Kevin was down to fifth and was then tagged into a half-spin by Jere Kallokoski at the next corner. But that sideways moment turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Timo Scheider ahead ran slightly wide, which allowed Kevin to sneak past on the inside with his car already pointing in the right direction, and moved him from fifth to third in one move.

Third became second when Mattias Ekström pulled off with accident damage, ensuring that Kevin would start the final alongside his older brother on the second row.

Kevin's hopes of a podium finish disappeared after a sideways landing over a jump at the back of the circuit, sending him wide at the next corner and dropping him to sixth place, where he finished.

With both cars into the final for the first time this year, Team Hansen made vital progress in both the drivers' and teams' championship in the first of two rounds being held at Kouvola this weekend. Timmy and Kevin are now tied for third in the drivers' championship with 50 points each, while Team Hansen is now only 19 points off the top of the teams' championship.

Round four of the 2020 World RX season takes place tomorrow at the same circuit, Kouvola.

1
Timmy Hansen
It was a great result today but my podium finish didn't feel the same as it did the last time. It's cool but I was missing having the fans there. Usually we're celebrating together in front of thousands of people, so I'm missing our supporters more than ever this year.

“The whole team and our partners have done a great job. Despite having such a short amount of time between Sweden and Finland, we have figured out what was going on in Höljes and improved the car massively for this weekend. Now we are back on the pace and we put in some good lap times today.

“Johan was on another level today and it wasn't possible to beat him but I'm happy with third. I definitely gave it everything I had in the final; it was a hard race between me and Niclas. He was also really fast, but at the end I was able to come out just in front.”

“My target for tomorrow is to win the race: anything can happen in rallycross! We'll keep on pushing.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“Myself and Timmy definitely had the same speed today, there's no question about that.”

“My position in the grid draw made things harder for me today. But we did everything that we could in all of our races to make up for that. Our starts weren't great today, which doesn't help when you're starting from the outside either, so I definitely achieved about the best I could given the circumstances.

“In my semi-final, I got stuck on the outside and got a hit from behind coming up to turn two, which spun me a bit towards the inside. Then I saw there was a gap and I went into it. I really have to look at the replay because while from inside it felt quite nice, everyone else is saying it looked absolutely mega from the outside! But it was nice to get some good luck there after some bad luck before then.”

“Myself and Timmy definitely had the same speed today, there's no question about that. The target tomorrow is to continue our general improvement, keep collecting points, and be in a position to take advantage of every opportunity that arises. Tomorrow should be good as I'm starting P2 in my Q1 race and I'm hungry to fight back.”

Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Team Hansen
“If we're working with a tailwind and not a headwind, so to speak, we'll be right on Kristoffersson's tail.”

“We had a deep look into what happened in Höljes, learning what didn't quite work and solving those problems. This track suits our car a little bit better than Höljes did but our improved form today is more down to the improvements we've made with the car rather than the differences between the two circuits.

“We knew Kristoffersson would be very strong and difficult to beat, but we're not far away. We didn't have a perfect car and we didn't have a perfect run today, given we started from the outside in the beginning. But if we're working with a tailwind and not a headwind, so to speak, and we manage to get the set-up right, we'll be right on Kristoffersson's tail and we'll be able to push him to the limit. And when you are pressuring the driver ahead, mistakes can happen...

“We expect it to be wet for at least part of Sunday, which will make it a completely different race compared to today. We also struggled a bit with our starts, so we've worked on them all day. Towards the end we improved in that respect but we'll need to keep doing some brainstorming tonight and see if we can improve further.

FIN World RX of Finland:
Round Three results

3rd
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 3rd
Qualifying 2 4th
Qualifying 3 5th
Semi-Final 1 2nd
Final 3rd

6th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 10th
Qualifying 2 8th
Qualifying 3 3rd
Semi-Final 2 2nd
Final 6th

20-08-29 GCK Bilstein’s first Finnish round finishes following the semi-finals
Round 3 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship took place today on the picturesque and very technical Tykkimäki Circuit in Kouvola, Finland.

Having shown off his GCK Megane R.S. RX’ dangerously quick pace at round 1 and 2 of the Championship in Sweden last week, GCK Bilstein driver Anton Marklund put down competitive laps but struggled with engine issues throughout the day, which ended up seeing him finish his race day earlier than expected in the semi-finals.

Following free practice, which saw Marklund put down impressive pace posting the 2nd fastest time, Anton struggled with a slow start to the 1st qualifier due to a lack of power. He dropped into 3rd, jokered in lap 2 to come out ahead of Paasonen and crossed the finish line in 2nd, having put down the 2nd fastest lap overall of the qualifier, and shown off the pace of the GCK Megane R.S. RX when let loose.

Marklund’s fighting spirit and racing ability shone through in the 2nd qualifier as he battled his way through the pack to cross the finish line in first, despite traffic slowing him down initially.

While Marklund continued to put down some strong racing in his 3rd qualifier fighting his way back from P4 to catch up with the pack and race for a top 5 time, the last lap saw his engine troubles return causing him to lose all power and to idle across the finish line.

Despite the issues, Marklund made it to the semi-finals in P11. However, unable to fix the engine in the short time between races, Marklund retired from the semi-final in lap 2, finishing round 3 of the Championship in P12 overall.

ANTON MARKLUND - P6 SEMI-FINAL
Q1 P11 / Q2 P9 / Q3 P16
“It’s the end of round 3 here for us in Finland. We made it through to the semi-finals despite struggling with engine issues all day, with a problem around oil pressure resulting in low power for us throughout. There was no time to change the engine in between races, so we just tried to survive but unfortunately by Q3 the engine had had enough and we limped across the finish line but with a semi-final spot. The semi-final was just about getting over the line to collect some points and now the team is hard at work getting engine-ready for round 4 tomorrow, where we hope to be able to show off our pace on this super fun track with a bit more power and consistency.”, Marklund commented.

SOCIAL MEDIA
A weekend with... Anton!
Follow the ups, the downs and all the behind-the-scenes moments with Anton Marklund and the GCK Bilstein team as they prepare for and compete in round 1 of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship in Sweden in our first ever "Weekend with..." feature!

Bringing you right into the heart of the team, enjoy the rarely seen side of a World RX event from the perspective of Anton and the team - including a lot of sneak peek's and exclusive clips! https://4j4hh.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/2FeIFqpbc_b7RWhM19jCUftJDJq0THp_eFkw2ggqY7nIME5x1tfmJszIoahNxKmSBYSs3uNrO1LWJ_SUqobpdhEkuOkDyeSGyH3Zn5HSjzfG7v-HUluImR4bLj3h9_lh24UB7JPOJFCjmSMYn7EwPF9utI8Y677_uwLylxMOfgclya1MGThcztaJOHoSZQ

20-08-29 Kristoffersson clean sweeps Kouvola
•Johan Kristoffersson wins on World RX’s return to Finland
•Home hero Juha Rytkonen scores dream debut result
•Reigning Drivers’ champion Timmy Hansen makes it three teams on podium
Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson claimed a coveted clean sweep in round three of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, at the CapitalBox World RX of Finland, winning every session to extend his Drivers’ Championship lead today (29 August).

Kristoffersson Motorsport’s driver was TQ (top qualifier) in the Intermediate Classification, won semi-final one and the final to secure his second win of the season – following victory in round on at Holjes in Sweden last weekend.

Finland’s Juha Rytkonen was a star performer, racing a Hyundai i20 Supercar for the GRX SET team. He was fourth in qualifying, won semi-final two and finished second in the final, one place ahead of Sweden’s Timmy Hansen, the reigning World RX Drivers’ Champion fighting back from a difficult opening to the season a week ago.

Hansen didn’t have the pace to match Kristoffersson or Rytkonen at the front of the six-lap final on the Kouvola circuit, but claimed the final podium position in a race for the finish line with Finnish star Niclas Gronholm. Competing at home for GRX Taneco, Gronholm finished fourth. Germany’s Timo Scheider, the ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport driver, was fifth and Team Hansen’s Kevin Hansen, from Sweden, made the final following an opportunistic overtake on lap one of the semi-final two and finished the final sixth.

Kristoffersson’s 22nd career victory was accompanied by winning round three of the new-for-2020 Champion Fast Start Award. “The final was very, very good. I had a very good start, like I had all day and from there on, the track was similar to how it was in the semi-final, so we could adapt a bit and do some small changes for the final which worked out well. I have to thank the team today, we did a lot of work and put a lot of effort into this weekend, especially having only one car on a new track to learn. It’s been quite tricky but it feels very nice to win practice, Q1, Q2, Q3, my semi-final and final today,” said Kristofferson.

Rytkonen’s second place marked the first podium of the season for a Gronholm RX Hyundai i20. “I’m really happy. The team is very, very good. I did not expect this at all. I just kept pushing in the final, I had Topi [Toomas Heikkinen] on the radio giving me information and he is very good, that helps a lot,” said Rytkonen.

Despite not making it into the final in round three, Mattias Ekstrom remains second in the Drivers’ standings, with the Hansen brothers tied in third. Timmy Hansen was delighted to his first podium of the season at Kouvola. “It was a hard final, I came out in third and from there it was a race of pace. When Rytkonen took the joker I knew that we were racing for position. Dad was pushing me so hard on the radio, especially the two last laps was absolutely everything I could give. It wasn’t enough for more than third today but I’m happy for this. It’s a huge step from Holjes in Sweden last weekend when we didn’t really know what was going on and Kevin claimed a P2, but we were a bit off the pace. After all the work we’ve done this week to be rewarded with a podium feels incredible,” said Hansen.

First reserve for the final was Monster Energy RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud, from Norway, who was third in Q2 and just missed a place in the final with fourth in semi-final one in the Renault Megane. Finland’s Jere Kalliokoski returned to World RX in a Ford Fiesta and was fourth in semi-final two, in front of both KYB Team JC drivers. Sweden’s Robin Larsson was classified fifth but retired with a front puncture on his Audi S1. Ekstrom qualified on pole position but retired from the race on the second lap. GRX Taneco’s Timur Timerzyanov, from Russia, and GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund, from Sweden, were fourth and fifth in semi-final one.

Hungary’s Tamas Karai was 13th in the Intermediate Classification on his first World RX start of the season, after racing in the FIA European Rallycross Championship at Holjes-Sweden. France’s Guerlain Chicherit was highest placed of the Unkorrupted drivers in the team’s Renault Clios, with Netherland’s Kevin Abbring 18th on his debut with the team. Finland’s Jani Paasonen took 15th in his home event for Ferratum Team. ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Rene Muennich was 16th, Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Liam Doran again showed good pace but had a disappointing round and was 17th. Former Finnish Rallycross Champion Atro Maatta was 19th in the Intermediate Classification.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “Congratulations to Johan for claiming another win, and to Juha for producing such a strong drive. Also to Timmy, like all of teams in the paddock Team Hansen has worked hard in the week between Sweden and Finland to find every bit of performance they can. Thanks to the Finnish event organisers and partners for delivering this event from nothing in just eight weeks, and to the FIA and teams for their continuing efforts in difficult circumstances this year. 350 personnel took PCR tests, returned negative results and continue to follow new working practises to enable these events to take place.
“I’m looking forward to more great racing in round four tomorrow, after which we will have the second edition of the new RX After Track fuelled by Monster Energy on our Facebook and YouTube channels.

The fourth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship takes place tomorrow (30 August), also at the CapitalBox World RX of Finland in Kouvola.

20-08-29 Kristoffersson utökar VM-ledningen
Ledning från start till mål i samtliga heat. Johan Kristoffersson dominerade stort under den första dagen av FIA World Rallycross i finska Kouvola. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren tog sin 22:a VM-seger i karriären.
-Och den fjortonde 30-poängaren, summerar Johan.

Dubble världsmästaren Kristoffersson kom till Kouvola, i sydöstra Finland, med två poängs ledning i VM-tabellen. Efter första tävlingsdagen hade den utökats till hela sexton poäng före Mattias Ekström, 86 mot 70.
- Otroligt bra! Jag har hela tiden sagt att det gäller att vara jämn i årets serie och det hade jag i bakhuvudet i finalen också idag.

Johans signum under dagen var de vassa starterna. Han var helt överlägsen ut från startplattan i de tre kvalomgångarna och fortsatte på samma sätt i semifinalen och finalen.
- När det sitter så sitter det. Jag tränade mycket starter under åren -17 och -18 och jag skulle säga att de är lika bra nu som de var i slutet av 2018.

Efter tre kvalomgångar stod det klart att Kristoffersson hade kapat åt sig sin tredje kvalseger av tre möjliga den här säsongen.
- Trodde inte jag skulle vara snabbast i Q2 när de hade vattnat banan och jag fick köra i första heatet, men det gick även där vilket gav en rejäl självförtroendeboost, säger Kristoffersson.

I semifinalen stod Johan längst fram med sin Volkswagen Polo R Supercar och med regerande världsmästaren Timmy Hansen vid sidan. Kristoffersson tog starten än en gång och kunde sedan kontrollera racet.
- Vi provade lite nya grejer där och försökte hitta det bästa av det bästa. Stort tack till teamet för ett stenhårt jobb under dagen.

I finalen hade Kristoffersson dagens stora överraskning bredvid sig, hemmaåkaren Juha Rytkönen.
- Imponerande av honom att komma in som ny i teamet och leverera på det sättet. Extra bra gjort eftersom vi andra körde tävling för en vecka sedan och är inne i det. Samtidigt är det ett meddelande till oss andra att vi behöver vara skärpta hela tiden.

Den snabbe finländaren fick en bra start, men det hjälpte inte eftersom den 31-årige värmlänningen var ännu snabbare fram till första svängen.
- Där kom jag in i körningen riktigt bra och kunde ta mig lite tid att testa olika linjer.

I mål var Johan drygt tre sekunder före tvåan Rytkönen och tog sin 22:a VM-seger i karriären, den tredje den här säsongen.

Därmed var han snabbast alla gånger han var ute på banan: på träningen, i alla tre kvalheateten, i semi- och i finalen.
- Första gången det händer. Jag har aldrig varit här förr. Att vara snabbast redan från första träningen och att därefter, utan någon teamkompis att jämföra med, hitta vägar framåt för att kunna köra ännu snabbare känns väldigt bra.

Precis som förra helgen i Höljes blir det snabb omladdning inför morgondagens andra race i Kouvola. Där kommer Volkswagen-föraren att starta från pole position i andra heatet.
- Min första pole i Q1 för i år, säger Johan efter lottningen.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson var av förklarliga skäl mycket nöjd med teamets och Johans arbete när han summerade dagen.
- Vi trodde redan när vi kom hit att karaktären på banan skulle passa både Johan och bilen. Den är tekniskt svår med många förflyttningar höger till vänster, lite som gymkhana och där har han ju varit duktig. Johan har också knäckt koden på starterna. Bilen är svår att starta med, men han har bra självförtroende nu.

20-08-28 Eyes on the prize: Contenders revealed for high-stakes RX2 showdown
FIA eRX2 prize drive on offer to RX2 Champion at Nysum next weekend
Fierce battle in prospect around demanding Danish circuit
Subscriptions open for global livestream; ‘Early Bird’ offer available here: https://tv.rallyx.se/streams

At Nysum in Denmark next weekend (4-6 September), the winner of the 2020 RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires will be rewarded with a fully-funded, single-round drive in next year’s FIA eRX2 Championship – one of the biggest prizes in the sport, and one with the potential to transform that driver’s career. The contenders can now be revealed.

The entry list is a tantalising blend of seasoned Supercar Lites competitors, RallyX Nordic regulars, talented young guns, rookies – and, intriguingly, one former RX2 front-runner back for another shot at glory.

The battle, moreover, promises to be fierce, given the excitement surrounding the new electric FIA eRX2 Championship – which will replace RX2 on the FIA World Rallycross Championship undercard in 2021 – and the monetary value of the prize, equivalent to €30.000. It is, beyond doubt, a career-changing opportunity.

With the event sharing the stage with the RallyX Nordic season finale, fans will be able to enjoy more than ten hours of high-octane entertainment via the global, non-geoblocked livestream, starring the ‘Voice of Rallycross’ Andrew Coley, studio host Neil Cole and esteemed British journalist Hal Ridge. ‘Early Bird’ subscriptions are available for just 129 SEK (c. €12,99) until the end of August, after which the price increases to 199 SEK (c. €19,99). The subscription link is here.

The full RX2 entry list for Nysum can be found below, and here’s a quick rundown of each of the protagonists...

Gustav Johansson
Johansson only made his debut in rallycross four years ago and is a rookie in the Supercar Lites class – which forms the basis for RX2 – but the Swede has already demonstrated that he is a fast learner by reaching the final last time out in RallyX Nordic at Arvika with his VGracing squad. A dark horse.

Grégory Fosse
Following five seasons of Super1600 competition in his native France – achieving four top five finishes and reaching the final eight times from nine starts in 2018 – Fosse is preparing to make his maiden RX2 appearance at Nysum. The 38-year-old tested the Supercar Lites car at Lohéac last summer and is excited to pursue his learning curve in Denmark.

Martin Jonsson
Jonsson first sampled Supercar Lites machinery during a test day at Strängnäs Motorstadion in 2017, and since then, the Swede has made rapid progress. Now a RallyX Nordic regular, the 33-year-old is improving with every outing and will be eager to add to his experience next weekend.

Mats Oskarsson
The ‘elder statesman’ of the field, Oskarsson drives with the enthusiasm and panache of a man half his age – as his recent second-place finish in RallyX Nordic at Höljes went to prove. Particularly quick when the weather turns tricky, if conditions are changeable at Nysum, the 43-year-old Swede will be right in the mix.

Jesse Kallio
In 2019, Kallio made his RX2 Series debut and finished on the podium in each of his first five outings, en route to third position in the end-of-season standings. He also has two RallyX Nordic triumphs on his career CV, and will enter the event as a leading contender for championship glory in that series, too. Can the ‘Flying Finn’ double up by clinching two crowns on the same weekend?

Simon Olofsson
Something of a Supercar Lites veteran, Olofsson – like Kallio – is targeting two titles in Denmark. There has never been any question mark over the Swede’s speed, as a winner in both RallyX Nordic and RX2’s predecessor RX Lites, but he has often found himself on the receiving end of ill-fortune. Having turned a corner with victory in the 2020 RallyX Nordic curtain-raiser at Höljes last month, is this finally his time?

Martin Enlund
Enlund might only have one prior start in RX2 under his belt, but it was a notable one. At Höljes last summer, the Swede stunned his rivals with a brilliant performance beyond his years, going third-quickest in Q1 and posting the four fastest laps of his semi-final in a breathtaking recovery drive following a first corner spin. Arriving off the back of his breakthrough podium in the class at Arvika, with only an outside chance of lifting the RallyX Nordic laurels, the 19-year-old can focus fully on RX2 next weekend.

Henrik Krogstad
Arguably the field’s form man, Krogstad returns to RX2 with a point to prove. The Norwegian was set to score his maiden victory in the series at Lohéac in 2018, only to spin the win away with two corners to go. Following a year’s absence from the track, he is back in 2020 with the Hansen brothers’ #YellowSquad and fulfilling the outstanding potential he showed two seasons ago. Will Nysum be his redemption?

Jimmie Walfridson
A member of one of rallycross’ famous dynasties, Walfridson is a former Norwegian Crosskart Champion and has spent recent seasons proving his pace at Supercar Lites level. Competing for front-running outfit JC Raceteknik, the Swede is a consistent contender and sure to be there-or-thereabouts.

Niklas Aneklev
Aneklev followed a somewhat unconventional route into rallycross, having competed in motorcycle enduro racing from a young age. The Swede swapped two wheels for four in 2019 as he switched to Supercar Lites with Olsbergs MSE, and after a learning year, he is now increasingly climbing the leaderboard and challenging his more experienced rivals.

Guillaume De Ridder
From a background in karting and rallying, De Ridder turned his attentions to rallycross in 2017 when he joined RX2 for the series’ inaugural campaign. The Belgian was immediately successful, with a hat-trick of rostrum finishes paving the way for a title challenge the following season, dovetailing his bid with a championship-winning year in RallyX Nordic. After competing at World Championship Supercar level with the GCK Academy in 2019, De Ridder is revving up to give RX2 one more shot.

Hans-Ola Frøshaug
Frøshaug – the son of Supercar driver Ola Frøshaug – was active in the Scandinavian discipline of folkrace from the age of 16, prior to contesting the NEZ Cup in Latvia and Denmark and subsequently stepping up to RallyX Nordic in 2019. During his learning year, the Norwegian reached the semi-final five times from seven starts, and he returns to Supercar Lites competition at Nysum feeling better-prepared and ready for the fight.

Dan Skocdopole
Off the back of a successful karting career, Skocdopole cut his rallycross teeth in Italian and German competitions, before joining RallyX Nordic as a guest entry in the Supercar class for the 2019 season finale at Tierp. Embarking upon a full campaign at Supercar Lites level this year, the Czech teenager impressed with his raw speed on his debut with #YellowSquad at Höljes last month.

Entry List
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
8 Gustav Johansson SWE VGracing Supercar Lites
9 Grégory Fosse FRA Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
10 Martin Jonsson SWE Alfta Racing Team Supercar Lites
11 Mats Oskarsson SWE MORX Supercar Lites
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
52 Simon Olofsson SWE STS RX Supercar Lites
60 Martin Enlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
77 Henrik Krogstad NOR #YellowSquad Supercar Lites
90 Jimmie Walfridson SWE Helmia Motorsport Supercar Lites
91 Niklas Aneklev SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
99 Hans-Ola Frøshaug NOR JC Raceteknik Supercar Lites
999 Dan Skocdopole CZE #YellowSquad Supercar Lites

20-08-28 The Final Showdown: Titles on the line in Danish double-header
Champions to be crowned in all four classes at Nysum next weekend
Only six points separate leading quartet in fierce Supercar Lites battle
Rapid rookies take on newest Euro RX winner for Supercar honours
Nothing to choose between CrossCar and CrossCar Junior pace-setters
Subscriptions open for global livestream; ‘Early Bird’ offer available here: https://tv.rallyx.se/streams

Next weekend, champions will be crowned in all four classes of RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires at Nysum in Denmark (4-6 September), and as a dazzling double-header of livestreamed action awaits, the battles could scarcely be closer.

Following three drama-fuelled rounds to-date – at legendary Swedish circuits Höljes and Arvika – everything now comes down to this: two days of doorhandle-to-doorhandle competition around the classic, fast-and-flowing Nysumbanen track, which has played host to many a memorable duel in RallyX Nordic history.

Fans will be able to enjoy more than ten hours of high-octane entertainment via the global, non-geoblocked livestream, starring the ‘Voice of Rallycross’ Andrew Coley, studio host Neil Cole and esteemed British journalist Hal Ridge. ‘Early Bird’ subscriptions are available for just 129 SEK (c. €12,99) until the end of August, after which the price increases to 199 SEK (c. €19,99). The subscription link is here.

Supercar Lites
The closest title tussle is in the Supercar Lites class, in which Henrik Krogstad, Jesse Kallio, Linus Östlund and Simon Olofsson are blanketed by just six points at the top of the table.

Returning to the track following a year’s absence, Krogstad has been on the pace from the outset, and if he was out-of-luck in the Höljes curtain-raiser, the #YellowSquad star was on unbeatable form at Arvika, only being denied a clean sweep of fastest times by an inspired Östlund as the Swede pipped him to the chequered flag by less than a quarter-of-a-second in Q4.

Krogstad arrives at Nysum tied on points at the summit of the standings with Olsbergs MSE rival Kallio, who dominated at Höljes only for a gearshift issue on the opening day to scupper a likely double victory. The Finn struggled through the semi-final and final at Arvika with a wrist injury, but he will be fighting fit when battle resumes next weekend.

OMSE stablemate Östlund is the only one of the four contenders for the crown not to have won yet in 2020, but last year’s RallyX Nordic championship runner-up has been the model of consistency. On the podium in both contests at Höljes, the Swede was Krogstad’s nearest challenger at Arvika until a suspension breakage in the final dropped him to fifth place.

Olofsson celebrated a hugely popular success in the opening round of the campaign at Höljes, and the STS RX ace has remained a front-runner ever since – although he was left ruing an error at Arvika that saw him break a wheel at the semi-final stage. The Swede is still just six points adrift of the top of the classification, however, setting the scene for a sensational showdown in Denmark.

Entry List
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
8 Gustav Johansson SWE VGracing Supercar Lites
9 Grégory Fosse FRA Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
10 Martin Jonsson SWE Alfta Racing Team Supercar Lites
11 Mats Oskarsson SWE MORX Supercar Lites
14 Nils Andersson SWE TiKRX Supercar Lites
18 Linus Östlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
33 Lars Erik Haug NOR Haug Rallycross Team Supercar Lites
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
52 Simon Olofsson SWE STS RX Supercar Lites
60 Martin Enlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
77 Henrik Krogstad NOR #YellowSquad Supercar Lites
90 Jimmie Walfridson SWE Helmia Motorsport Supercar Lites
91 Niklas Aneklev SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
99 Hans-Ola Frøshaug NOR JC Raceteknik Supercar Lites
999 Dan Skocdopole CZE #YellowSquad Supercar Lites

Supercar
Two-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson leads RallyX Nordic’s Supercar standings following a brace of victories from the first three rounds, but with the Swede absent at Nysum, the door is open for one of his challengers to snatch the coveted crown.

Leading the chase is Oliver Eriksson, who engaged in a fierce duel with Kristoffersson at Arvika three weeks ago before a double puncture curtailed his charge. The Swede arrives with a spring in his step off the back of a dominant victory on his FIA European Rallycross Championship debut last weekend, and holding a nine-point advantage over Olsbergs MSE team-mate Fraser McConnell.

The Jamaican only stepped up to Supercar level this year, but he has made an instant impression, progressing through to the final at Höljes and going on to out-fox Kristoffersson at the start of Q1 at Arvika. He proceeded to push the Swede hard throughout the weekend, until a Turn One squeeze sent him spearing onto the grass – and out of the podium battle. With his characteristic swashbuckling style, McConnell is sure to put on a spectacular show at Nysum.

Fellow Supercar rookie Anders Michalak is similarly still in the reckoning, and another driver on the hunt for a big result after being denied a shot at the rostrum last time out through no fault of his own.

In the high-calibre field, there are a number of other entrants who – whilst not in outright championship contention – are primed to spring a surprise. Linus Westman is riding the crest of a wave after finishing a stellar second at Arvika, while Ben-Philip Gundersen – one of the standout performers from Höljes – rejoins the fray for JC Raceteknik and Per Eklund’s comeback continues at the age of 74.

Upholding home honours, finally, will be Ulrik Linnemann and Tobias Daarbak. Linnemann stunned the RallyX Nordic fraternity when he recovered from a disastrous run through the qualifying stages to triumph on his series debut at Nysum two years ago, and he returns behind the wheel of a new Ford Fiesta. Piloting a similar car, Daarbak reached the Euro RX semi-finals last weekend, and as a seven-time Danish CrossCar Champion, the 18-year-old’s potential is clear to see.

Entry List
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
3 Ben-Philip Gundersen NOR JC Raceteknik Audi S1
5 Lars Andersson SWE Hedströms Motorsport Volkswagen Polo
8 Per Eklund SWE #MKIVRX Volkswagen Beetle
12 Anders Michalak SWE Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
16 Oliver Eriksson SWE Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
33 Enzo Ide BEL JC Raceteknik Audi S1
35 Fraser McConnell JAM Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
44 Stene Johansen NOR Johansen Motorsport Ford Fiesta
72 Ulrik Linnemann DNK Linnemann Motorsport Ford Fiesta
87 Niklas Hagström SWE TiKRX Volkswagen Polo
88 Daniel Thorén SWE TiKRX Volkswagen Polo
93 Tobias Daarbak DNK Tobias Daarbak Ford Fiesta
99 Dan Öberg SWE #MKIVRX Volkswagen Scirocco
105 Linus Westman SWE LIWE RX Ford Fiesta

Support Series
Isak Reiersen’s peerless consistency over the opening three rounds of the 2020 RallyX Nordic campaign has carried the Swede to the top of the CrossCar/Crosskart classification arriving at Arvika – but only just, separated from countryman Max Rundberg by a single point at the head of the order.

Competing for JC Raceteknik Juniorteam, Reiersen has not been off the podium all season, whereas Json Motorsport rival Rundberg’s campaign has been characterised more by peaks and troughs, with victory at Höljes followed by an accident in the final at Arvika.

A little further adrift but still in with a shout are Carcontrol’s Isac Egonsson, Julle Ljungdahl (TiKRX), Thomas Eek Murstad (MURSTAD MOTORSPORT), last year’s championship runner-up Jimmie Österberg (Österberg Motorsport) and round one winner Oskar Andersson (Enlunds Motorsport).

In the new-for-2020 CrossCar Junior category, the five title protagonists – Alex Gustafsson, Raoul Dahlqvist, Erik Andersson, Lukas Andersson and Rasmus Persson – are covered by only ten points, meaning all bets are off, while the SuperNational contenders at Nysum will participate in a special Nations’ Challenge, injecting an extra element of excitement into an event that already has all the ingredients to be a blockbuster affair. Don’t miss it!

Entry Lists
CrossCar/Crosskart
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
9 Kevin Hansen SWE LifeLive Nordic TN5
11 Jimmie Österberg SWE Österberg Motorsport Speedcar
20 Julle Ljungdahl SWE TiKRX Speedcar
31 Jan Emil Wilsberg NOR Jan Emil Wilsberg Speedcar
62 Robin Nord SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
66 Max Rundberg SWE Json Motorsport Speedcar
67 Isac Egonsson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
110 Thomas Eek Murstad NOR Murstad Motorsport YMS
118 Fredrik Eriksson SWE Fredrik Eriksson EDGE
170 Isak Reiersen SWE JC Raceteknik Juniorteam YMS
175 Timmy Enlund SWE Enlunds Motorsport EDGE
183 Oskar Andersson SWE Enlunds Motorsport Casmat
190 André Bendixen NOR Bendixen Motorsport Kamikaz
921 Lasse Storgaard DNK Storgaard Motorsport Speedcar
924 Søren Jelsbak DNK Søren Jelsbak Motorsport Speedcar
990 Tobias Andersen DNK Andersen Motorsport Speedcar
996 Nicklas Jensen DNK Lucas Motorsport Speedcar

CrossCar Junior
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
10 Erik Andersson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
21 Rasmus Persson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
99 Lukas Andersson SWE Lukas Andersson Speedcar
199 Alex Gustafsson SWE JC Raceteknik Juniorteam Speedcar
200 Raoul Dahlqvist FIN Dahlqvist RX Speedcar

SuperNational
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
103 Micke Nilsson SWE Micke Nilsson Ford Escort Mk3
112 Mikael Persson SWE Team Mikael
Persson Motorsport Volkswagen Golf
313 Stefan Kristensson SWE Stefan Kristensson Rallycross Volvo 240
314 Johnny Hansen SWE Johnny Hansen Volvo 242
327 Morten Bertelsen DNK Morten Bertelsen Skoda Fabia
328 Filip Thoren SWE Filip Thoren BMW E36
329 Kenneth Konge DNK Konge Motorsport BMW M3
342 Peder Jensen DNK Peder T Rallycross Team Volvo 240
452 Fredrik Tinnsten SWE Fredrik Tinnsten BMW E36
2007 Simon Hedgren SWE Team Hedgren RX Volvo S40

20-08-27 Capitalbox World Rallycross of Finaland - preview
CapitalBox World Rallycross of Finland 29-30 August 2020
The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy returns to Finland for the first time since 2014 this weekend when rounds three and four of the championship take place at Kouvola.

World RX teams and drivers have moved from Holjes in the west of Sweden to the south east of Finland for this weekend’s events in a season that has been delayed and reshaped by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The revised schedule includes 10 events taking place over seven weekends. 180 event personnel undertook PCR tests before leaving Sweden to move to Finland, all of those returning negative results.

This weekend’s double-header event features two separate FIA World Rallycross Championship events, one full event – comprising three rounds of qualifying races, semi-finals and the final – taking place each day.

WORLD RX
Last weekend in Sweden Johan Kristoffersson and Mattias Ekstrom claimed one victory each, Kristoffersson placing second in Sunday’s event and moving to Finland with a two point lead in the championship. Kristoffersson, the champion in 2017 and 2018, is just ahead of 2016 champion Ekstrom whose KYB Team JC teammate Robin Larsson holds third in the championship having also produced a strong weekend in Sweden.

Kevin Hansen starts the weekend holding fourth place and clear of his older brother, current FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen who is placed eighth after a difficult opening weekend. Both Team Hansen drivers have prior experience of Kouvola and will be aiming to recover lost ground in Finland.

Timo Scheider had his best ever World RX weekend in Sweden placing third and fourth in the two events to hold fifth in the championship for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport.

GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund also featured strongly in the first weekend and is sixth entering Finland, ahead of Niclas Gronholm whose GRX Taneco teammate Timur Timerzyanov holds 11th place.

Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel had a mixed weekend with neither of its drivers in the finals in round one, but with Andreas Bakkerud hauling himself back into contention by placing sixth in round two and laying ninth in the championship. His teammate Liam Doran is 17th after two days of technical problems with his Renault Megane.
‘Wildcard’ racers Krisztian Szabo and Sebastian Eriksson are placed 10th and 12th after Sweden, ahead of Rokas Baciuska who is 13th and his Unkorrupted teammate Guerlain Chicherit in 15th place. Chicherit will be joined by Kevin Abbring this weekend, as the Dutchman stands in for Baciuska in Finland.

Rene Muennich (14th) and Jani Paasonen (16th) complete the field, the latter entering his home event this weekend.
CapitalBox World Rallycross of Finland has also drawn entries from top-class national racers with 2019 Finnish champion Juha Rytkonen joining the field in a Hyundai i20 from GRX SET. His compatriots Jere Kalliokoski, the 2016 champion, and multiple Finnish Champion Atro Maatta also appear in the events. Hungarian Tamas Karai steps up from the European Championship to join the World RX field which features 18 drivers this weekend.

Kristoffersson also leads the new Champion Fast Start award that was introduced at the first event, but with 20 more points up for grabs this weekend that could easily change.

WHERE
Kouvola, approximately 130km north east of the Finnish capital Helsinki. It’s the largest town in the Kymenlaakso region of south east Finland. Because of control measures around the COVID-19 pandemic the event is closed to spectators.

TRACK STATS
Tykkimaen Moottorirata, the Tykkimaki Circuit, at Kouvola is an undulating rallycross track that is 1060 metres long and consists of 55% asphalt and 45% gravel surfaces. It has hosted the FIA World Rallycross Championship once before, when American Tanner Foust won in a VW Polo Supercar in 2014. It has previously hosted the FIA European Rallycross Championship and is regularly used in Finland’s national championship.

WHEN
Racing from 1030 Saturday and 0940 Sunday, see schedule below for more details.

LIVESTREAM
The livestream for the events will be carried on the World RX Facebook and YouTube channels:
facebook.com/fiaworldrallycross
youtube.com/RallycrossRXTV
Watch social media channels (below) for more details on livestream and broadcast.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fiaworldrallycross
Instagram: fiaworldrx
Twitter: @fiaworldrx

RESULTS
fiaworldrallycross.com/results
All event results appear on the above page of the website, just select the event you are interested in.
For PDF files, scroll down and look to the right side of the page.
This page is ‘live’ so documents will appear here immediately they are produced.

LIVE TIMING
fiaworldrallycross.com/results
As above, select the event you are interested in and then click the link to the live timing feed.

ENTRY LIST: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/docs/2020%20WorldRX%20Entry%20list%20-%20Kouvola%20(FIN).pdf

20-08-26 Ny mark för Kristoffersson
VM-touren i rallycross fortsätter till Finland. Kommande helg väntar ännu en dubbeltävling, nu i Kouvola.
- Jag har aldrig kört banan, men har hört att den ska vara riktigt rolig, med lågt grepp, säger mästerskapsledaren Johan Kristoffersson.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS fick en riktig drömstart på VM-säsongen när Kristoffersson vann första deltävlingen i Höljes i lördags med maximal poängutdelning. En topplacering i kvalet även under söndagen och en slutlig tredjeplats var inte mycket sämre.
- Fyra poäng från full pott. Mer kan man inte begära, tycker Johan som medger att han inte har hunnit reflektera särskilt mycket över den intensiva premiärhelgen i Nordvärmland.
- Det blev ju fokus på nästa ställe direkt. Det har gått i ett med att bygga ner och transportera sig hit till Kouvola.

Efter färjetur mellan Kapellskär och Nådendal blev det 30 mil på landsväg rakt österut till Kymmenedalen, där deltävling tre och fyra ska köras. Finland gör därmed comeback i VM-kalendern efter att ha varit borta i sex år.
- Jag minns att jag såg finalen 2014 när Tanner Foust vann efter en rätt bra start i regnet, säger Johan.

Att det var en Volkswagen Polo som var snabbast den gången kan han ta som ett gott omen och blött ser det ut att kunna bli även kommande helg.
- Åtminstone på söndag enligt prognosen, men det där vet man aldrig. Det blir som det blir och vi gör oss bra på torrt också.

Banan har en kort jokerslinga i slutet på varvet.
- Cirka 1,6 sekunder. Det är ungefär lika kort som Lohéac i Frankrike, berättar Kristoffersson, som leder VM-serien på 56 poäng.

Tvåa i tabellen ligger Mattias Ekström, som gjorde ett gästspel i Höljes, men nu står det klart att 2016 års världsmästare kommer till Finland för att fortsätta ta upp kampen med 2017 och 2018 års mästare.
- Det är kul. Mattias har alltid en räv bakom örat och en hög lägstanivå som förare. Men startfältet står inte och faller med honom. Niclas Grönholm var stundtals snabbast i Höljes, Robin Larsson var först till första sväng i finalen och Timmy och Kevin Hansen hade lite oflyt under helgen, så det finns fler som kan vara med om det.

För egen del fokuserar han, som vanligt, inte mycket på motståndarna, utan på den egna insatsen.
- Vi försöker alltid göra så bra resultat vi kan oavsett vem som är med i tävlingen.

Att alla i teamet behöver prestera på topp och hjälpas åt råder inga tvivel om. Som enbilsteam är Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS begränsat i personal under Covid-restriktionerna, något som stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson påpekar:
- Vi blir lite straffade av att bara köra en bil. Många sysslor kan en person sköta på två bilar, till exempel el och transmission. Vi behöver en för vardera, vilket innebär att vi blir kort om mekaniker på bilen.

Det är en ny situation och utvärderingen efter Höljes visar att det finns saker att se över.
- Om vi hinner före helgen återstår att se. Hur som helst är vi oerhört inspirerade inför helgens tävling, lovar Tommy.

20-08-26 Team Hansen hoping to rebound at World RX of Finland
A whirlwind start to the 2020 FIA World Rallycross championship enters its second phase this weekend with the third and fourth rounds of the season in Finland, only days after the season opener in Sweden.

Defending world teams' champions Team Hansen and defending drivers' champion Timmy Hansen didn't get off to the smoothest of starts at their home round in Höljes, but did score second place in the second round thanks to Kevin Hansen's efforts.

Only a single day has passed since the conclusion of the first two rounds of the season but the team is already in full preparation mode for World RX of Finland, having serviced the cars and begun the journey to Kouvola across the Baltic Sea.

Kouvola's addition to the 2020 calendar was somewhat sudden but also highly welcomed, as other events dropped off the calendar due to complications from the ongoing Covid-19 situation. With past experience at the track for both Timmy and Kevin, it's a favourite circuit of both the team and drivers.

Kevin Hansen, who finished third in World RX last year, moved up to fourth in the standings after round two, while older brother Timmy is seventh. The two combined to put Team Hansen second in the teams' standings, as it tries to defend its teams' championship.

The team is aiming for more podium finishes this weekend, and banking more crucial points to climb up the championship standings.

1
Timmy Hansen
“I've had some good races there and I'm looking forward to going back.”

“Kouvola is a great track. It has strong character, good jumps, elevation changes, fast and slow corners, so it's nice to be driving there again. I think I have the lap record there but I'm not sure! I've had some good races there and I'm looking forward to going back.

“I believe we have what it takes in our package to win a couple of races and to be able to fight at the top. Last weekend wasn't normal and my hope is Finland is closer to what we would consider 'normal'. The car is still good, so we're hoping for a better result in Finland.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“We have to keep pushing step-by-step beyond where we are now.”
“Kouvola is quite similar to Höljes, with a lot of elevation changes. I love the track; it's got a good flow and I think we have a good car for it too.

“I expect we'll be able to score podiums in Finland. That's the aim, and we need to keep on our toes and do the maximum possible. If we want to reach the podium or score wins, we have to keep pushing step-by-step beyond where we are now.”

The track: Kouvola
Kouvola joins the World RX calendar for the first time since 2014. It's a track of two very distinct halves: the first half almost like Rally Finland, with wide, fast roads featuring jumps, while the second half is tight, twisty and technical.

T he big numbers
7
This year each World RX car is restricted to a maximum of seven crew memebers, including the driver. That's making it more challenging than ever to run a World RX team successfully.

40
By Sunday evening Team Hansen will have completed 40% of its scheduled World RX rounds for 2020 in the space of only nine days!

What to look out for
Rain. The previous - and only - World RX of Finland turned into a mudbath as it reached a thrilling conclusion. Turns three and four, one of the fastest sequences on the track, caught out many drivers in 2014 when it rained. In one semi-final five out of six cars crashed at said turn. Turn eight and the joker merge also have grip changes from surface transitions, so being able to judge the amount of grip change between surfaces when it rains can make a big difference.

Turn Six. After the long, fast run up the hill featuring wide-radius turns, the track suddenly slows into a technical section at the turn six hairpin. It's a tricky downhill braking zone at the end of a quick section, which features a surface change from gravel to asphalt. That makes judging the braking difficult, especially in changeable conditions.

The Joker. Kouvola's joker is quite tight, but equally the entry speed is quite high. That means mistakes can be easily made, especially as this section of track is off-camber. There's also a sudden left-to-right direction change which can trip drivers up.

Event Timetable
All times CET
Saturday, August 29th
Free Practice 08:30
Qualifying 1 10:30
Qualifying 2 11:50
Qualifying 3 13:15
Semi-Final
Final 16:00

Sunday, August 30th
Warm-up 09:00
Qualifying 1 09:40
Qualifying 2 11:30
Qualifying 3 13:15
Semi-Final
Final

20-08-25 RX2 champ Eriksson dominates on Euro RX debut
Super Swede speeds to sensational success in Euro RX curtain-raiser
Reigning RX2 champ’s dominant drive leaves opposition eating his dust
OMSE ace sets times quick enough to rival World RX front-runners

Reigning two-time RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires Champion Oliver Eriksson sped to a sensational victory on his FIA European Rallycross Championship debut last weekend (22/23 August), as the Swede came, saw and conquered on home soil at Höljes.

Eriksson’s participation in the 2020 Euro RX curtain-raiser was his prize for clinching back-to-back crowns in RX2 in 2018 and 2019. Taking to the track in an Olsbergs MSE-engineered, Red Bull-backed Ford Fiesta (MK8), he was immediately on the pace, although an unlucky draw that left him caught in traffic and a drying circuit that favoured the later races restricted him to fifth place in Q1.

Unleashing his trademark spectacular style, an epic switchback overtake through the Velodrome section nonetheless showcased Eriksson’s superb racecraft – honed by two ultra-competitive campaigns in the official World RX feeder series – and his blistering raw speed was already clear to see. And from that point on, he was unbeatable.

Unrivalled runs in both Q2 and Q3 vaulted the 21-year-old to the top of the standings, before another fastest time in Q4 secured him TQ honours. Even more impressively, in every qualifier, his pace would have troubled the top five in the World Championship battle – indeed, his Q3 time was quicker than any of the World RX stars managed in comparable conditions.

In the semi-final, an early break as his pursuers squabbled in his wake gave Eriksson the breathing space he needed to control proceedings, and he duly pocketed pole position for the all-important final.

There, a substantial hit from behind into Turn One briefly lifted the Fiesta into the air, but the former GRC Lites Champion and two-time RallyX Nordic runner-up boldly stood his ground and held his nerve, rapidly regaining his composure to go on to cement a magnificent win first time out in the series.

Not only that, but his overall race time would have seen him finish on the World Championship podium, and the result meant Eriksson left Höljes with a maximum score and a seven-point lead in the Euro RX title standings. Reasons to be satisfied, all-in-all.

“What a weekend!” he enthused. “This event has haunted me for the past few years – I’ve always seemed to get taken out by technical issues – so it feels so good to finally get the win!

“The fight with Johan [Kristoffersson] in RallyX Nordic at Arvika a couple of weeks ago really boosted my self-confidence, and we arrived at Höljes with a well-prepped car, which clearly paid off. The Fiesta never missed a beat, and whilst it still needs a bit more development to extract a little more speed, we’re definitely on the right path.

“We were unfortunate with the draw in Q1 – it was still slightly wet in my race, whereas by the last race of the session there was dust being kicked up. We took a gamble on slick tyres, because although it was wet on the start-line, the rest of the track was much drier. That meant I didn’t get the best of launches, but our pace through the race was really strong and to come away in fifth was pretty good in the circumstances.

“After that, the rest of the qualifiers felt a lot like my time in RX2 – it’s all about working your way to the inside, and then when you have that inside line, you never let it go! I focussed on putting in consistent lap times, and everything just hit the marks.

“I quickly settled into my rhythm in the semi-final, after which it was a pretty smooth ride, and then the start to the final was…interesting! It was a drag race to Turn One, and at first I thought I’d out-braked myself, but then I saw the replay and realised I’d taken a big hit from behind!

“Thankfully, I was able to stay in front and after that, my spotter kept telling me, ‘keep it clean, you have the pace – just keep doing what you’re doing and bring it safely home’ and that obviously worked out. I went to Höljes with the goal of doing RX2 proud – and hopefully I managed to do that...”

The identity of Eriksson’s successor as RX2 Champion will be decided at Nysum in Denmark next weekend (5/6 September) in a high-stakes double-header showdown, the winner of which will receive a fully-funded, single-round drive in the new-for-2021 FIA eRX2 Championship. All of the action from Nysum will be shown live and in superb definition via a state-of-the-art broadcast package and global livestream, details of which will be revealed soon.

20-08-24 GCK Bilstein continue to impress at round 2 of Sweden RX
Following GCK Bilstein’s impressive performance at yesterday’s inaugural round of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship in Sweden, Anton Marklund didn’t disappoint today as he battled his way to the semi-finals on home soil despite numerous challenges along the way.

Despite a rear wheel puncture in lap 3 of the first qualifier, Marklund somehow managed to hold on to the car and put down an impressive race defending position to cross the finish line in 2nd, putting him in p12 overall.

Keen to fight back grid position, Marklund took no prisoners in the 2nd qualifier as he went for the joker in the first lap to then battle his way past one driver after another to take the win taking him up to p4 of Q2 and p6 overall.

Having dropped into p7 overall following a fierce battle and some traffic in Q3, the action didn’t stop there, as Marklund lined up on the 2nd row of the first semi-final. A decision to joker in the 2nd lap and some engine issues cost time for Marklund as he led GCK Bilstein to finish round 2 of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship in 7th overall.

“Unfortunately, we missed out on the final today - the first two corners weren’t great and we lost some time, plus some engine issues had us running low on power and then of course carnage ensued. The Megane is certainly carrying its battle scars today but I cannot wait to go to Finland. The pace we’ve shown this entire weekend, especially on the loose surface, is really competitive and Finland should have pretty slippery surface also, so I can’t wait to show you what we can do there.”, Marklund commented.

20-08-24 Mattias Ekström tillbaka med KYB Team JC – kör VM i Finland
Efter helgens succé i Höljes tillsammans med KYB Team JC blev det klart att Mattias Ekström återvänder ännu en gång till rallycrossen. Redan till helgen kommer han köra de kommande två VM-deltävlingarna.

Till helgen körs tredje och fjärde deltävlingen av rallycross-VM (FIA World Rallycross Championship) i finska Kouvola. Det svenska VM-debuterande teamet KYB Team JC, som drivs av JC Raceteknik, gjorde under helgen i Höljes sitt första framträdande i mästerskapet. De två inledande deltävlingarna resulterade i en vinst och en andraplats för Mattias Ekström, som ligger tvåa i mästerskapet – precis före teamkollegan Robin Larsson. Efter de två inledande deltävlingarna har KYB Team JC 28 poängs ledning i teammästerskapet.

Nu är det klart att den tidigare världsmästaren Mattias Ekström återigen gör ett inhopp i teamet. Ekström, som egentligen endast skulle köra i Höljes, kommer nu även köra de kommande två VM-deltävlingarna i Finland. Där är KYB Team JCs mål att fortsätta genom Ekström och Larsson plocka poäng i både förar-VM och teammästerskapet.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB Team JC och JC Raceteknik:
”Tanken från början var att Mattias inhopp bara skulle vara en engångsgrej i Höljes, men nu fick vi möjligheten att fortsätta samarbetet även i Finland. Mattias är jätteviktig i KYB Team JC. Så att få med honom även till de kommande två tävlingarna känns riktigt skönt, både för Robins skull och för hela teamet. Vi kommer till Finland med en seger och en andraplats i ryggen, plus en fin ledning i teammästerskapet för KYB Team JC. Så vi alla har absolut fått mersmak. Målet nu kommer vara att fortsätta kämpa för poäng både i teammästerskapet och förar-VM.”

Mattias Ekström [SWE]:
”Det känns riktigt kul att köra med KYB Team JC även i Finland. Jag har aldrig varit där och tävlat innan, så jag vet inte vad jag kan förvänta mig av banan. Men jag ser fram emot ännu en fantastisk helg med teamet och åker dit med samma inställning som till Höljes – att göra mitt bästa tillsammans med ett bra team.”

20-08-23 Kevin Hansen takes dramatic second place in World RX of Sweden
FIA World Rallycross Championship bronze medallist Kevin Hansen scored Team Hansen's first podium of the 2020 season, finishing in second place in the final of the second round of the year.

Starting fourth in the final, Kevin remained patient after his first lap joker left him running where he had started at the halfway mark.

A bold move around the outside of Robin Larsson exiting the velodrome gave Kevin third place on lap five, which became second when Johan Kristoffersson was given a five-second penalty for a track marker infringement.

Kevin and his brother, reigning World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen, had contrasting fortunes throughout Sunday. While Kevin wasn't able to repeat his Q1 race win from Saturday he did set top five times in all three rounds of qualifying, then scored a commanding second place en-route to the final.
Kevin Hansen leads Timmy Hansen at the 2020 World RX of Sweden. Höljes, August 23, 2020.

Timmy qualified ninth and in his semi-final, he was on the receiving end of contact on his way into the joker on the first lap. That cost him precious time and dropping him to last place.

Timmy bounced back quickly to move into fourth, one position off a place in the final. With everything on the line Timmy made an attempt to take second place which unfortunately led to contact and dropped him to fifth. Race stewards then elected to remove Timmy from the semi-final results.

Kevin's second place promoted him to fourth place in the drivers' championship race, and Team Hansen reinforced its second place in the teams' championship with another strong haul of points. Defending champion Timmy heads to the next round in Finland seventh in the drivers' standings.

The 2020 season has only just begun but Team Hansen's next event is less than a week away, as World RX heads to Finland for rounds three and four of the championship on August 29-30.

1
TimmyHansen
“I’m very happy for Kevin. He put in a strong race which finally got him second place.”

“My grid positions for all three qualifying races were from grid positions on the outside lane and I ended up in traffic during every lap today. That meant I wasn’t able to drive at my own pace.

“I struggled with some technical issues and had some difficulty getting the right balance with my set-up. I know the car is good and I believe we have a package that is able to win races. We will work hard with the team this week and hopefully arrive in Finland with new hopes of success.

“I’m very happy for Kevin. He put in a strong performance which earned him a deserved second place. His speed today was good from the beginning and it rewarded us with a first podium for the team this season.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“I really missed the fans at the podium today. I was driving for them.”

“I felt very good today, so I really hoped we could bring home a podium finish today. I knew if we put it together, were smart and focused on ourselves, we'd be able to pull it off.

“We all deserved a podium for our hard work and how we improved during the weekend as a team. We have a completely new crew of mechanics and they really deserve this podium after all the work they have done after this very long break. I'm happy for them that I was able to secure the result.”

“We made some good adjustments in areas like the car balance, but it's not enough yet. We have some ideas for the next round in Kouvola. Timmy was very unfortunate with his starting positions today and overtaking is never easy.”

“I really missed the fans on the podium today. I was driving for them but it felt quite empty without the fans watching trackside. And I was thinking a lot about my grandfather, Thord, who passed away just before the World RX season finale last year. He never missed a race and this podium was for him. I really miss him.”

The Boss Kenneth Hansen
Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Team Hansen

“We weren't completely on the pace today but once we make some small adjustments, we'll be there.”

“I think we adapted very well today. Kevin got into a good rhythm and his pace was very stable, pushing really hard. We weren't completely on the pace today but once we make some small adjustments, we'll be there. We continued to learn the upgrades we'd developed and tested; we didn't quite get that right yesterday but today we started going in the right direction. I'm quite sure Timmy will be back at the front next weekend, especially as he struggled a bit with having to start on the outside for every race today, which isn't easy.

“We expected to have slightly better pace from the start but we've seen some small things in the car which changed its behaviour quite a lot. We also know that while Höljes is a home track for our team, it's also traditionally been quite a difficult one for us over the years. It will be very interesting to try this car in Finland, to see how well it works around Kouvola, how much speed we can gain there and how close we can be to the Volkswagen and Audis, with the hope that we'll really give them a fight next week.

SWE World RX of Sweden:
Round Two results
Timmy Hansen, 2020 World RX of Sweden
11th
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 13th
Qualifying 2 9th
Qualifying 3 8th
Semi-Final 1 EX
Final

Kevin Hansen, 2020 World RX of Sweden
3rd
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 5th
Qualifying 2 3rd
Qualifying 3 5th
Semi-Final 1 2nd
Final 2nd

Talking points Talking
Points
Weather conditions remained stable throughout the day, removing some of the randomness of Saturday. Teams weren't rushing to swap between dry and wet set-ups at the last minute, giving a better understanding of which cars were faster.
With the next track action less than six days away, World RX teams have very little time to reprepare their cars for the next two rounds. Team Hansen's cars proved to be reliable, putting the team in a good position to optimise their cars ahead of World RX of Finland next weekend.

FIN Next round:
World RX of Finland
Timur Timerzyanov competing for Team Peugeot-Hansen at the 2014 World RX of Finland.
Photo: Tony Welam / Red Bull Content Pool

For the first time since World RX's inaugural season in 2014, Finland is back on the calendar. It's the second half of a gruelling two weeks for World RX teams, taking place only a week after World RX of Sweden on August 29-30.

Like Höljes, Finland is hosting two championship rounds back-to-back on consecutive days, making this the most intense period of action in the history of World RX.

Host circuit Kouvola is a track of two halves; the first wide open and fast, the second tight and technical through the forest. Rain is also forecast, which means the same muddy conditions seen the last time World RX rolled into town may happen again.

20-08-23 Seger i Höljes för KYB Team JC – dubbelt på pallen med Ekström
En vinst och en andraplats, ledning i teammästerskapet samt både Ekström och Larsson topp tre i VM-tabellen. De inledande två deltävlingarna av rallycross-VM kan kort sammanfattas som en succé för det nya VM-teamet KYB Team JC.
– Det här är någonting vi aldrig kommer glömma, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Rallycrosspremiären tog under helgen plats inför ett publikfritt Höljes, genom både dubbla VM-deltävlingar (FIA World Rallycross Championship) och den inledande EM-deltävlingen (FIA European Rallycross Championship). För JC Racetekniks nya VM-team KYB Team JC blev det två lyckade deltävlingar, och de lämnar svensk mark med 28 poängs ledning i teammästerskapet. Samtidigt ligger de tvåa och trea i förar-VM. Samtidigt kunde JC Raceteknik sluta fyra i EM-deltävlingen med sin debutant.

2016 års världsmästare Mattias Ekström gjorde under helgen comeback genom ett gästinhopp tillsammans med KYB Team JC. Under lördagens tävling visade han direkt att VM-tempot fortfarande finns. Han satte flera topptider och slutade tvåa på en regnig Höljesbana. Under söndagen växlade Ekström upp ytterligare och fick stå som segrare. Efter helgens triumf ligger han tvåa i VM-tabellen.

Även regerande europamästaren Robin Larsson inledde med ett genomgående högt tempo och slutade femma i grundomgången. Han passerade mållinjen i semifinalen som trea, men missade trots det finalen efter ett fem sekunders tidstillägg. Under den andra deltävlingen fortsatte Svenljungaföraren att imponera genom en fjärdeplats i grundomgången och seger i semifinalen. I finalen såg han ut att gå mot en pallplats, men efter punktering på sista varvet fick han nöja sig med en femteplats. Trots det ligger Larsson trea i VM-tabellen.

I Euro RX startade de båda JC Raceteknik-förarna Ben-Philip Gundersen och Mats Öhman. Gundersen, som har en framgångs karriär i både Supercar Lites och Touringcar, debuterade i helgen i Supercar-EM och gjorde sin totalt tredje tävling i bilen. Han imponerade direkt genom två heatvinster och en femteplats i grundomgången. Han kvalificerade sig till final, där det slutade med en fjärdeplats. Mats Öhman hade även han högt tempo i helgen, men missade precis finalen efter en fjärdeplats i semifinal.

Nästa deltävling i World RX körs redan till helgen med en ny dubbeltävling i Finland. Näst i EM-kalendern är Lettland 19-20 september.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB Team JC och JC Raceteknik:
”Det känns helt fantastiskt. Att som team få vinna en VM-deltävling för första gången… Det är riktigt stort för oss och någonting vi aldrig kommer glömma. Vi hade aldrig kunnat drömma om det här redan under första helgen som VM-team. Sen att KYB Team JC direkt går upp i ledningen i teammästerskapet, och dessutom göra ett ryck där, ger en bra känsla. Målet kommer vara att vinna teammästerskapet och fortsätta fightas för seger i förar-VM.

Mattias har briljerat i helgen med sin seger och andraplats. Även Robin visar en fruktansvärd hög lägstanivå, så det var tråkigt med hans punktering. Utan den hade vi haft två förare på pallen idag. Nu blir det skruva ikväll och sedan direkt till Finland, där vi hoppas ha samma höga fart.

Även i EM blev det en riktigt bra helg. Ben-Philip gör sin första helg i EM och att komma till final direkt känns riktigt skönt. Han tappar lite i starterna, men vi kommer jobba på det och fortsätta jaga topp tre-placeringar i mästerskapet. Med Mats känns det skönt att vi börjar få till starterna, och jag är nöjd med hans tempo i helgen.”

World RX: Mattias Ekström [SWE]:
”Det blev en rolig helg och vi har haft farten båda dagarna. Alltid extra kul att vinna – det är inte varje dag man gör det när det är biltävling. Hela KYB Team JC har kämpat så mycket som de orkat. Det roligaste för mig har varit att se glädjen och passionen i teamet. Det är hemligheten till framgången och utdelningen har varit fantastisk.

Att vi skulle leda teammästerskapet med 28 poäng direkt hade jag inte gissat på om någon frågat innan, och även ligga två poäng bakom Johan [Kristoffersson] i förarmästerskapet. Det är skönt för hela teamet, men säsongen är lång och detta är de första tävlingarna.

Just nu jobbar vi på en lösning för att kunna köra i Finland, därefter ser det svårare ut. Jag har ingen budget för att ta annat än en tävling i taget, och har även andra åtagande som krockar med VM. Så vi får helt enkelt se...”

World RX: Robin Larsson [SWE]:
”Det blev en bra första VM-helg för teamet. Det har varit en väldigt intensiv helg, men vi har hållit oss inom topp fem och varit jämna. Att haft med Mattias har varit ett väldigt stort plus, både för mig och KYB Team JC. Det här visar hur viktigt det är att ha en snabb förare som Mattias vid sin sida, vi tog tips av varandra och utan honom hade jag nog inte kunnat fortsätta utveckla min fart. Så jag hoppas att vi ser mer av honom den här säsongen.

Idag blev det stolpe ut med punktering i finalen. Synd, för det hade varit klockrent med en etta-tvåa i tävlingen. Tråkigt också att dippa lite genom att missa finalplatsen igår, men poängmässigt ser det ljust ut i teammästerskapet och även jag har samlat stadiga poäng. Att Ekström kunde “borra ner huvudet” och ta Johan [Kristoffersson] på ren fart är något jag tar med mig, nu vet vi att vi kan hänga på honom. Som team har vi gjort det mesta vi kan, och det är den energin vi kommer fortsätta med i Finland.”

Euro RX: Ben-Philip Gundersen [NOR]:
”Lördagen var väldigt krävande, med mycket skiftande väder. Det blev bättre idag, men jag är ändå inte helt nöjd med farten och tempot på banan. Däremot är jag nöjd över att vi kunde kämpa oss till en fjärdeplats till slut. Det var hög nivå på chaufförerna, så en fjärdeplats i första EM-tävlingen är jag nöjd med. Inför Riga kommer jag behöva jobba vidare med mycket, men framförallt starterna. Målet inför säsongen är att fortsätta plocka poäng och tänka på mästerskapet. Tack till mekaniker, team, arrangörer och sponsorer som gör det möjligt att få till detta under omständigheterna som är nu.”

Euro RX: Mats Öhman [SWE]:
”Jag skulle säga att det blev en hyfsat bra tävling för mig. Igår hade jag lite mer flyt på banan, med bland annat jokern. Och trots att jag inte tyckte farten fanns för att hänga på Oliver [Eriksson] i Q2 så satte jag en femtetid. I semifinalen hade vi nästan en finalplats under de första tre till fyra varven, men det räckte inte hela vägen. Men, det är ju rallycross. Som jag sagt tidigare så börjar vi hitta rätt set-up för min körstil. Jag trivs med bilen och det känns allt bättre. Vi har lite småsaker att jobba på och även om starterna inte är perfekta än så börjar vi gå i rätt riktning. Vi vet att de här bilarna är startsnabba, så nu jobbar vi för att jag ska få till den perfekta starten. Jag måste också säga, vilket helg det blev för teamet. Robin har kört jättebra och tagit ett stort steg framåt, och vilken chaufför Mattias är. Även Ben-Philip imponerade i EM, och han kommer bli farlig när han blir ännu mer varm i kläderna. JC Raceteknik, det är ett väldigt härligt gäng.

20-08-23 Bakkerud leads Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel into the final at 2nd round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship
The 2nd round of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship at world-famous rallycross track in Holjes, Sweden, saw Bakkerud put down an impressive performance as he led the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel into the final, only missing out on a podium spot due to a technical issue following contact.

ANDREAS BAKKERUD
FINAL P6
Q1 P4 / Q2 P6 / Q3 P2 / SEMI-FINAL P3
Bakkerud held his own as he took on Kristofferson and Ekstrom to finish his first qualifier in 3rd with the 4th fastest time overall.

While dropping into P5 following the second qualifier, Bakkerud battled his way back and took an impressive win against Timmy Hansen, Timur Timerzyanov and Krisztian Szabo to push the GCK Megane R.S. RX back into p3 overall ahead of the semi-final.

The semi-final showed some of the most epic race performance of the season yet as Bakkerud showed incredible driving skills defending P3 despite damage to the car following contact with Timmy Hansen.

Despite the team working hard to turn the Megane around in time for the final, the car’s broken driveshaft made a comeback in lap 2 of the final and had Bakkerud miss out on the hard-fought-for podium spot in Sweden.

“I’m really proud of our performance today. We made massive steps and I can see where we’ll be able to go with the GCK Megane R.S. RX. I now hold the record for the only person having raced their way to the final in 5 different cars, so that’s not too bad either :). I know we’re just a step or two away from the podium, so bring on Finland - I’m ready.”, Bakkerud added.

LIAM DORAN
P17
Q1 P17 / Q2 P17 / Q3 P17 While Doran showed some impressive starts and his well-known style of sending it through the first corners into the lead saw him win battles throughout all 3 qualifiers, his GCK Megane R.S. RX struggled with technical issues as both propshafts and the drive shaft broke leaving him without gears or control for the latter part of the races and had him retire from the weekend following Q3.

STÉPHANE ORRÉ
Team manager of the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel

“We’ve seen some good improvements across the weekend despite some challenges for the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel. We missed some preparation time ahead of Sweden RX, so the guys had a tough job on their hands to try to understand the cars as they were racing, and the team had to make adjustments on the go. Andreas put down an impressive fight and performance, especially considering the little time he’s had in the Megane so far.

Liam also showed great pace and definitely knows how to handle the Megane but continuing technical issues since yesterday meant we couldn’t actually see him battle, so we now have to put in the work ahead of Finland to see both drivers at the top. Andreas showed today that the car’s performance is there and we certainly have the pace, so now it’s time to bring it all together for round 3 and 4 next week”, Stéphane commented

20-08-23 Ekström claims dramatic Höljes victory
• Mattias Ekstrom scores victory at home circuit
• KYB Team JC takes first ever World RX win
• Kevin Hansen and Johan Kristoffersson complete round two podium
• Oliver Eriksson wins Euro RX, Ken Block claims first Projekt E victory

KYB Team JC’s Mattias Ekstrom claimed a dramatic victory in the second round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, the Swecon World RX of Sweden, in the second instalment of the Championship’s first ever double-header (August 23).

Sweden’s Ekstrom started from the second row of grid for the final at Holjes and took his joker on lap one. He then moved into second position when he overtook Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud at the end of lap one, before his team mate, Sweden’s Robin Larsson and ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Timo Scheider, from Germany, took the joker lap on lap two.

From there on, Ekstrom chased the race leader, Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson – the round one winner. Setting very equal pace, and exchanging the fastest lap times of the whole weekend at Holjes, Ekstrom eventually closed the gap enough to take the lead when Kristoffersson Motorsport’s Kristoffersson took his joker on lap six.

Kristoffersson finished second on track, but was classified third following a track limits penalty. Team Hansen’s Kevin Hansen finished second to make it an all-Swedish podium. Scheider was fourth, Larsson was fifth with a puncture and Bakkerud was slowed by problems and finished sixth.

The result marked Ekstrom’s 11th career World Rallycross Championship victory. “It was an amazing weekend for me to come here and be competitive straight away. In the final it was by far the best it went. I had the gap [to Kristoffersson] over the radio in my ears, I knew how much I needed to push and when I really badly needed a lap I nailed one. I managed to come out in front which was fantastic. I really appreciate the effort that KYB has spent to develop our car’s dampers with EKS, and now that JC Raceteknik can profit from this is a nice feeling. To win and to beat Johan fair and square on pace is an outstanding feeling,” said Ekstrom.

Kevin Hansen’s podium marked the first top three finish of the season for Team Hansen. “We worked all weekend and really had to think and progress, which I think we were not pushed for as hard last year. It’s really nice to find new ways in the team and to understand what we need to do on the car and in the team to improve. We have great challengers now, we have to take the fight, keep calm and do the work. We learned a lot about the car in the wet and the dry in the changing conditions, we have to work hard in the next few days before Finland next weekend but we are up for it and I can’t wait for Saturday,” said Hansen.

Kristoffersson’s third place ensured he retained the World RX Drivers’ Championship lead, and also won round two in the new-for-2020 Champion Fast Start Award. “It was a fantastic day, all day long. Robin had a very good start in the final, I had a bit of a wiggle with him in the beginning, then from there on just trying to get my head down and bang in the lap times. Mattias did the same, I got over the radio that it was super tight and at one point I had the gap to joker, I think if I had done the joker on the fifth lap it would have been enough, but he got me when I jokered. I gave everything I had in the joker and got a penalty, but anyway we are leading the championship and had a fantastic weekend and we’re looking forward to Kouvola,” said Kristoffersson.

Finland’s Niclas Gronholm, the GRX Taneco driver, was first reserve for the final, after finishing fourth in semi-final two, ahead of fellow Hyundai i20 driver, GRX SET’s Krisztian Szabo, from Hungary. Germany’s Rene Muennich made the semis but retired on the second lap. The battle for a place in the final during semi-final one was one of the most action-packed of the weekend. It included Team Hansen’s Timmy Hansen, GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund, both from Sweden, and GRX Taneco’s Timur Timerzyanov from Russia, behind Andreas Bakkerud. After contract between Hansen and the Bakkerud on lap five. Timerzaynov ended up fourth, Marklund fifth while Hansen was disqualified from the race.

France’s Guerlain Chicherit was 13th in the Intermediate Classification, one place ahead of his Unkorrupted team mate, Lithuania’s Rokas Baciuska. Sweden’s Sebastien Eriksson, the winner of the World RX of Sweden in 2019, received a time penalty in Q2 for a track marker infringement and was 15th. Finland’s Jani Paasonen scored a championship point in 16th. For the second round of the weekend at Holjes, Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Liam Doran, had a number of technical problems through qualifying and was classified 17th.

The first round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar was won by Sweden’s Oliver Eriksson, the double RX2 International Series Champion. Eriksson made his debut in Euro RX in an Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta and took maximum championship points from the event. He was joined on the podium by France’s Andrea Dubourg (Peugeot 208) and Sweden’s Peter Hedstrom (Volkswagen Polo). Norway’s Ben-Philip Gundersen (Audi S1) was fourth on his debut in the series, ahead of France’s Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Peugeot 208) and Sweden’s Pontus Tidemand, who both suffered from technical problems in the final.

America’s Ken Block made history by becoming the first driver ever to win an international electric rallycross event in the new Projekt E category. Driving a Ford Fiesta ERX, Block took the TQ (top qualifier) position to claim pole position for the final, and led the race from start to finish. All three drivers on the podium drove Fiesta ERXs fitted with three motor, 450kW electric powertrains developed by Projekt E technical partner STARD. Great Britain’s Natalie Barratt finished second and Austria’s Hermann Neubauer was third.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “Congratulations to Mattias and Johan for putting on an enthralling show in the final, and to Kevin for joining them on the podium in an intense weekend for all of the teams. Congratulations also to Ken for winning the first ever Projekt E final, and to Oliver for taking a debut Euro RX win. Thanks to the FIA, the Swedish promoter, our partners and competitors, the IMG team and television production team for putting together two World Championship rounds in two days in these challenging circumstances. 180 PCR tests will be done on-site for those personnel moving directly from Holjes to Kouvola for our next double-header and World RX’s return to Finland next weekend.”

World RX also launched the new ‘RX Aftertrack’ Fuelled by Monster Energy magazine show on its Facebook and YouTube channels after Sunday’s event.

The third and four rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship take place next weekend (August 29 – 30), at the CapitalBox World RX of Finland in Kouvola

20-08-23 Kristoffersson i VM-ledning
Den dubble världsmästaren imponerade i VM-comebacken. Johan Kristoffersson tog en seger i den första tävlingen och en tredjeplats i den andra. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren toppar mästerskapstabellen efter första tävlingshelgen i Höljes.
- Man kan väl inte önska mycket mer efter en riktigt utmanande helg, summerar Kristoffersson.

Johan visade redan under lördagens tävling att de gamla mästartakterna sitter i ryggmärgen. Han samlade ihop maximala 30 poäng genom att vara snabbast i kvalet, etta i semifinalen och tog därefter en överlägsen seger i finalen.
- Jättekul att vara tillbaka och en otroligt bra start.

Endast Mattias Ekström lyckades matcha Kristoffersson, när han tog hem andra kvalomgången, och det mönstret upprepade sig under söndagen. Efter att Johan hade tagit hem Q1 så lyckades Ekström klämma sig förbi i andra omgången efter ett tidigt joker-varv.
- Mattias var helt enkelt snabbare än oss där.

Kristoffersson återställde ordningen i tredje kvalrundan, där han på nytt gjorde en mycket bra start och den här gången inte gav Ekström någon chans.
- Där kändes det mer komfortabelt. Framför allt fick jag en väldigt bra start. Starterna har överhuvudtaget varit bra, både på torrt och på regn.

Som kvaletta startade han från pole position i semifinalen och upprepade sitt segerrecept - en vass start och därefter ohotad körning till seger med sin Volkswagen Polo R Supercar.
- En lugn och fin resa, tycker den 31-årige värmlänningen.

Lika lugnt blev det inte i finalen där Kristoffersson hade Robin Larsson bredvid sig längst fram på startplattan och det blev en riktig närstrid mellan de båda genom den första kurvan. Johan tappade lite fart, men kom ut i ledning. Bakom tog Mattias Ekström en tidig joker och började sin jakt.

Ömsom plockade Ekström in tid, ömsom drog Johan ifrån. När det var dags för Kristofferssons joker på sista varvet hade Ekström krympt avståndet nog mycket och smet förbi.
- Han var lite snabbare på varvet före jag tog jokern.

Det blev ändå en kamp ända in på mållinjen, där Johan låg i bakluckan på sin konkurrent och till slut bara var ett par tiondelar efter. Andraplatsen förbyttes sedan i en tredje när Johan fick tidstillägg för att ha träffat två banmarkeringar i jokerrundan.
- Jag visste att det var tight, så jag riskerade allt i jokern, hade planerat att träffa en av markeringarna, men bilen hoppade till och träffade även den andra.

Kristoffersson hade inget att invända mot domslutet och trots den fadäsen skymtade ett leende efter adrenalinkicken.
- Vi är ju här för att fightas och ställer man upp i en tävling får man också räkna med att få stryk ibland.

Efter dubbeltävlingen i Höljes leder Kristoffersson VM med sina 56 poäng. Ekström skuggar på 54. Dalmasen gjorde bara ett gästspel i Höljes, men frågan är om han kommer att fortsätta konkurrera med Johan under säsongen.
- Det vore kul, men jag vet inte om det blir så. Skulle han inte fortsätta finns det ändå många duktiga chaufförer som kommer att utmana mig.

Efter en intensiv tävlingshelg i Höljes blir det ingen vila utan direkt till Finland för nästa dubbeltävling kommande helg.
- Vi kommer inte ur tävlingsbubblan nu. På tisdag morgon går färjan och om sex dagar ska allt vara servat och klart på nästa ställe.

Teamchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson, kunde summera en totalt sett bra premiärhelg, men var inte helt tillfreds med söndagens tävling.
- Klart det är bra att vi leder VM, men vi är aldrig helt nöjda när någon annan gör ett bättre jobb än oss, säger Tommy.
- Vi gratulerar Mattias till en mycket stark insats. Det såg bra ut för vår del, men han gjorde framför allt ett superbra femte varv som överraskade oss. Det visar att vi måste vara mer noggranna och göra saker ännu bättre.

Nya dueller att vänta i Kouvola!

20-08-23 Evjen hittade tempot
Det blev en premiärhelg med blandade känslor för Sondre Evjen i Euro RX. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren tvingades bryta i semifinalen, men var totaltrea i kvalet och fick med sig femton poäng hem från Höljes.
- Vi har tempo för att vinna, säger Evjen.

Sondre Evjen inledde tävlingshelgen stabilt i det omväxlande vädret under lördagen. En sjätteplats i första kvalomgången följdes av en riktigt stark andraplats där Evjen hängde i hasorna på Oliver Eriksson.

Samma scenario utspelade sig i söndagens första race, där Eriksson och Evjen höll ett tempo som matchade toppskiktet i VM-klassen.
- Oliver tog starten. Annars hade jag lika gärna kunnat vara snabbast i omgången, säger den 22-årige norrmannen som slutade trea i Q3.

Just starterna var den detalj som inte satt helt perfekt. Det syntes också i fjärde kvalrundan, där Evjen fick nöja sig med en fjärdeplats i heatet, men tempot var högt och därmed blev det samma placering i omgången och en tredjeplats totalt i kvalet.

Evjen kom till EM-premiären i Höljes med en revansch att utkräva på den utmanande rallycrossrundan. Förra året snurrade han två gånger efter långa utförsbacken.
- Den där lilla mentala spärren släppte mellan Q2 och Q3.

Sondre tog med sig den sköna känslan till semifinalen, där han från första startledet kom iväg bra med sin Volkswagen Polo GTI RX.
- Starten i semin var helt okej, tycker Sondre.

Evjen hade häng på en finalplats, men tyvärr tog det roliga slut efter ett par varv när han fick problem med styrningen.
- Jag touchade lite lätt i räcket ut från velodromen. Inte så mycket, men det räckte tydligen för att styrväxeln skulle explodera.

Därmed fick han parkera för dagen, men var ändå inte alltför nedstämd.
- Egentligen inte. Bilen har fungerat bra och passar mig, så jag är väldigt nöjd.

Även körningen var han tillfreds med.
-Vi var helt med på tiderna där uppe i täten och min lägstanivå var högre än tidigare. Det är så mycket mindre som ska till nu i år för att vi ska vara med där uppe i toppen. Det är skönt att ta med sig, inte bara för mig, utan också för de som jobbar med bilen. Vi tar nya tag i Riga!

Stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson gav betyget klart godkänt till sin EM-förare.
- Han körde bra och har tagit kliv framåt. Tråkigt att vi inte fick se honom i finalen, för han hade kunnat vara med långt fram även där.

Evjen ligger sexa i EM-tabellen efter den första tävlingshelgen. Nästa tävling körs i Lettland om fyra veckor.

20-08-23 Peter EM-trea i Höljes
- Tidemand fick drivaxelbrott efter smäll i finalen och slutade sexa.
Allt gick i stort sett planenligt när Hedströms Motorsport körde första EM-deltävlingen för året i Höljes. En stabil helg där både förare, bilar och team levererat på topp. Båda teamets VW Polo Supercars stod på startplattan i finalen och där bjöds på både dramatik och spänning.

Räkna med att Hedströms Motorsport kommer vara med och kriga om EM-medaljer i år. Både Pontus Tidemand och Peter Hedström tog sig till final i inledande EM-deltävlingen i Höljes. Teamet tar vid där de slutade i fjol, då med båda bilar till final vid EM-finalen i Riga.
- Jag rankar den här tredjeplatsen och även teamets prestation högre jämfört med Riga ifjol, inte minst med tanke på att vi då alla var varma i kläderna mot slutet av säsongen och att jag inte tränat en meter här i år innan de fyra träningsvarven i går morse, säger en mycket nöjd Peter Hedström.

Finalen blev en riktig nagelbitare och Peter fick till en bra start från andra led, var upp jämsides segrande Oliver Eriksson i andra kurvan, men blev trängd på ytorna och fattade snabbt beslut att ta alternativet. Detta skulle visa sig vara ett lyckokast. Pontus jagade på som trea och höll denna placering ända tills drivaxeln gick av och han snurrade på banans snabbaste parti. Peter tog över tredjeplatsen och höll den in i mål.
- Det i stort sett enligt plan, vi tog båda bilarna till final, men det vet ju alla att i en final kan allt hända.

Det har varit en stabil helg utan några svackor, både Peter och Pontus har levererat topptider under hela helgen, bortsett från ett drivaxelbrott och en smäll i finalen med upprepning för Pontus.
- Jag förstår att Pontus är besviken att det inte höll hela vägen, han slog i och en drivaxel rök, men han har verkligen bevisat här i Höljes att han kommer vara med och slåss om det i år, konstaterar Peter Hedström.

Nu väntar RallyX Nordic för teamet med finalen i Danska Nysum på Jylland om två veckor, sedan är det ytterligare två veckor till nästa EM-deltävling i Lettland och Riga.

20-08-22 Hansen endures tough start to World RX title defence
Team Hansen did not have the easiest of starts when the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship season finally got underway in Sweden, with Timmy Hansen leading the team's charge in sixth and Kevin Hansen finishing eighth.

As reigning champions hopes were high for a strong result during the return of World RX after an extended break. And while there were signs of strong pace at times, the team's key focus this evening is finding improvements ahead of the second round of the championship this Sunday.

Ultimately circumstances conspired against either reigning world champion Timmy Hansen and his younger brother, World RX bronze medallist Kevin Hansen, from scoring a top result on Saturday. Both drivers faced a similar fate at turn two, as Kevin was pushed wide into the joker in his semi-final and Timmy spun around in the final.

Timmy and Kevin did score the second and third-fastest times in Q3 and Timmy repeated the feat in the second semi-final, beaten only by eventual round winner Johan Kristoffersson.

Kevin also picked up a race win in his Q1 heat, his switch from #71 to #9 in hope of better grid draws paying off immediately as he was able to start from pole.

The end result for both drivers weren't ideal. Timmy finished the final in the gravel trap at turn nine, while being pushed wide left Kevin stuck behind a train of cars for much of his semi-final.

Despite those results it was still a productive day for the team. Both drivers' points put Team Hansen second in the teams' championship race, and Timmy is fourth in the drivers' championship.

Unlike a normal World RX round, the team and drivers aren't going anywhere after the chequered flag. With round two of the season happening tomorrow in a shortened double-header format - today featured only three qualifying rounds instead of the normal four - Team Hansen is back on track and aiming to convert its pace into stronger results in less than 24 hours' time.

1 Timmy Hansen
“We missed our target a bit today but tomorrow's a new day.”

“We had some technical issues on my car today during Q1 and Q2, which was strange. But we found a solution for Q3 and after that I felt at home in the car again. That put us behind at the beginning but Q3 and the semi-final were good, and then the final didn't go so great, so it was an unusual day.

“We're working hard to find some improvements. We've got some got some things to work on and details to solve. We missed our target a little bit today but tomorrow's a new day so I'm looking forward to it.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“We need to stay on our toes.”
“The car wasn't perfect. We still have some work to do. We need to understand a few things we've changed on the car for this season. What's positive is that me and Timmy are running our cars a bit differently to one another, so tonight we're excited to be sitting down together as a team and not worrying about the result today, focusing instead on what we can find for tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the debrief.

“While we didn't have the pace to win today, we're pretty close. We need to sit down and see what improvements we can find and gain those important few hundredths of a second in every corner. We know where our weaknesses are and we have a new race at the same track tomorrow, a track we love, so we're going out there for redemption tomorrow! We need to stay on our toes, look into the small details, leave no stone unturned and go again.”

The Boss Kenneth Hansen
“We struggled a little bit with some issues that we didn't quite expect but we figured those out...”

“In certain conditions today went really well. We struggled a little bit with some issues that we didn't quite expect but we figured those out, and after that we were back on the pace for Q3. We'd made some big changes between Q2 and Q3 and the drivers needed to adjust, so we were fully focused on our own race rather than worried about our competitors' track position. Overall, not winning Q3 didn't make much of a difference.

“Neither of the cars have any significant damage after today, just some small cosmetic defects. What's taking up a lot of our time this evening is preparing the 48 new wheels and tyres for tomorrow, which is a lot! Then we're giving the cars a normal service and debriefing with the drivers. But with the weather forecast still variable, we won't be making any decisions on set-up today.

SWE World RX of Sweden:
Round One results
6th
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 8th
Qualifying 2 5th
Qualifying 3 2nd
Semi-Final 2 2nd
Final DNF

8th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 6th
Qualifying 2 7th
Qualifying 3 3rd
Semi-Final 2 5th
Final

Talking points Talking Points
Changeable conditions meant track evolution was rapid not only between qualifying rounds but individual races. That served as something of a disadvantage for both Hansens, neither of whom got to race in the best track conditions in Q1 or Q2.
World RX remains as close as ever before, with six different types of car in the first final of the year. Team Hansen's 208 WRX was one of those six, with all teams chasing performance now they've raced their 2020-spec cars

20-08-22 Kristoffersson storms to Swedish victory
• Johan Kristoffersson makes winning comeback at Holjes
• Mattias Ekstrom and Timo Scheider finish on Swedish podium
• KYB Team JC leads Teams’ standings after round one

Kristoffersson Motorsport’s Johan Kristoffersson was the comeback king in the first round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, the Swecon World RX of Sweden.

Sweden’s Kristoffersson, the 2017 and 2018 World RX Drivers’ Champion, claimed his 21st career victory in the final held after a torrential downpour at the Holjes circuit, and with it - together with being TQ (top qualifier) and winning semi-final one – claimed maximum points to take an early lead of the Drivers’ standings, driving a Volkswagen Polo.

KYB Team JC’s Mattias Ekstrom, the 2016 World RX Drivers’ Champion, also scored a podium on his return to the sport. He set the quickest time in Q2, won semi-final two and finished second in the final with a strong run in the wet conditions, driving an Audi S1.

Germany’s Timo Scheider, the ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport driver, racing a Seat Ibiza, finished third. He was promoted onto the podium when Sweden’s Anton Marklund, racing a Renault Megane for GCK Bilstein, was given a 30 second penalty for contact on lap one with Sweden’s Timmy Hansen, the 2019 World RX Drivers’ Champion. GRX Taneco’s Niclas Gronholm, from Finland, Marklund and Team Hansen’s Hansen completed the final results.

Along with his victory, Kristoffersson also won round one in the new-for-2020 Champion Fast Start Award. “This feels very good. I had a bit of a tricky starting position in Q1, but I had a very good start in the rain and managed to have a good Q1 after that. That made everything a bit easier. In the semi-final we tried a few things on the car that didn’t really work out, but then the rain came for the final. The day has also been very tricky for our family team for a comeback after being away since 2015. We had all sorts of different conditions but I have very good people around and the launch in the final speaks for itself. It’s never easy, and there is always someone there trying to take you down. It’s quite a wide field now with lots of different fast drivers. It’s going to be tricky this year and we have to work hard.”

Ekstrom’s result, together with points scored by team mate Robin Larsson, gives KYB Team JC the lead in the Teams’ standings. “It was very different preparation to an event for me, to know like two weeks before that I would race here. Finishing second is never something I dream about, but Johan did a good job and you have to say they have a very good car. We have developed our car as good as we can, but when the sky opened and we had a full dry setup for the final I knew I would not stand a chance. If it had been dry, I think it would have been closer. We’re having a good time with Robin and the team and we’ll try again tomorrow.”
Scheider’s success marked the first ever World RX podium for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport. “It was kind of a chaotic start to the season, given the weather conditions we had here. We’ve had okay speed in the dry, but not too good in the wet. But, we made the semis, finished third there and started P6 in the final. We had a good chance, and finally, with a bit of luck in the end due to Anton Marklund’s penalty, we finished third. I’m mega happy for the ALL-INKL team, it’s the very first World RX podium for those guys, so it’s a mega start to the season for us.”

Sweden’s Robin Larsson was classified fourth in semi-final one, following a three second penalty for contact with Marklund during the race. Hungary’s Krisztian Szabo, driving a Hyundai i20 for GRX SET, was fifth and Unkorrupted’s Rokas Baciuska, from Lithuania, was sixth. In semi-final two, 2019 World RX of Sweden winner Sebastian Eriksson, racing a Honda Civic for the Olsbergs MSE team, was fourth. Team Hansen’s Kevin Hansen, from Sweden, and GRX Taneco’s Timur Timerzyanov, from Russia, were fifth and sixth.

Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud, from Norway, missed the semi-finals. He was 13th in the Intermediate Classification, on his first event in the GCK Renault Megane. ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Rene Muennich, from Germany, was 14th, Finland’s Jani Paasonen 15th and Unkorrupted’s Guerlain Chicherit, from France, was 16th and the final championship points scorer. Great Britain’s Liam Doran, racing the second Renault Megane for the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel team, retired from the event in Q1 with technical problems.

The first ever international electric rallycross event, for the Projekt E category, is at its halfway stage and America’s Ken Block is the top qualifier on day one, ahead of Austria’s Hermann Naubauer and Great Britain’s Natalie Barratt, all three driving Ford Fiestas fitted with the three motor, 450kW all-electric powertrains developed by Projekt E technical partner STARD.

The first round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship also takes place this weekend at Holjes. Like Projekt E, Euro RX takes place as a single event over two days. After Q2, France’s Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Peugeot 208), Sweden’s Oliver Eriksson (Ford Fiesta) and Norway’s Sondre Evjen (Volkswagen Polo) hold the top three positions.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, concluded: “In very difficult circumstances and thanks to the hard work of the FIA, our partners, teams, drivers and the Swedish promoter, we have been able to get the 2020 season underway with a bang. Everyone in the World RX paddock reduced their personnel numbers to help make this work and over 340 negative PCR test results were received. Congratulations to Johan on claiming victory on his comeback weekend, and at his home event too. Well done also to Mattias and Timo for finishing on the podium in such difficult conditions in the final. Now it’s a quick turnaround to do it all again tomorrow.”

The second round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship takes place tomorrow (Sunday, August 23), also at Holjes in Sweden. Watch all the action on the World RX Facebook and YouTube channels.

20-08-22 Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel face challenging season starter in Sweden
The long-awaited start to the 2020 FIA World Rallycross season kicked off at the world-famous rallycross track in Holjes, Sweden, today and round 1 brought plenty of race action and challenges with it for the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel.
Following rain on Friday and Saturday morning’s free practice, the first qualifier of the 2020 season got off to a start with the rain slowly stopping, resulting in quickly changing track conditions.

ANDREAS BAKKERUD
P13
Q1 P14 / Q2 P14 / Q3 P12
Despite having put down the fastest time in free practice, technical issues for Andreas Bakkerud saw him finish 4th in his first qualifier having not been able to get off the line. He raced into 2nd behind Timerzyanov in his second qualifier but engine issues meant he couldn’t entirely make up for lost time and had him in P13 following the first 2 qualifiers.
Pushing hard in Q3 for a last chance to get into the semi-finals, Bakkerud put down a good start and raced into the front, taking the checkered flag. An ever-evolving and quickly drying track meant Bakkerud’s time wasn’t quite enough to make it into the semi-finals with him missing out on a spot by a point.

“It was a tricky day for me for sure - we had a great start to the day putting down some good pace but then the technical issue in the first and second qualifier put me on the back foot and I didn’t manage to win enough time back in Q3. It’s tough with only three qualifiers and the entire round in one day as every issue has an even bigger impact and it’s super tough to fight back. Now we have to look to tomorrow and make up for it then.”, Andreas Bakkerud commente

LIAM DORAN
P17
Q1 P11
Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Liam Doran took a promising start in race 4 of the 1st qualifier but faced disaster as the prop shaft broke in the final lap, causing the brakes to go and resulting in him crashing into the barrier. Damage to the GCK Megane R.S. RX was so significant that it meant the end of racing for Doran today with the pressure on for the team to try and turn the car around for round 2 of the Championship tomorrow.

“Today didn’t really work out for me. We had a pretty good draw which put me in a good position in regards to track evolution and despite being at the back, my time was looking quite good and would’ve put me in a good position for the rest of the race but in the last lap, we lost the propshaft which then took out the brakes, so I lost all drive and the brakes at the same time, which resulted in me ending up in the barrier causing further damage to the Megane. The damage was too severe to continue and the team are now working hard in the hope to fix it for round 2 tomorrow. I’m super bummed the first day of the season ended in this way but that’s life and we have to focus on tomorrow now.”, Liam Doran added.

Bakkerud looks forward to Höljes RX
Ahead of this weekend's season-opening, double-header event at Höljes RX we caught up with the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel's Andreas Bakkerud who gave us his thoughts on the Megane R.S. RX, what he's been up to during the off-season, and how much he's looking forward to finally getting on a World RX start line again!

20-08-22 Marklund leads GCK Bilstein to 5th place in Höljes
Anton Marklund put down a fantastic performance at the first round of the 2020 the FIA World Rallycross Championship today leading GCK Bilstein through a nail-bitingly emotional day to finish in 5th overall.

20-08-22 Kristofferssons succécomeback
Världsmästaren är tillbaka. Johan Kristofferssons comeback i rallycross-VM blev till segersuccé och maximala 30 poäng redan i den första deltävlingen i Höljes.
- Otroligt bra. Jag kan verkligen inte be om mer, säger en lättad och lycklig Kristoffersson.

Efter den makalösa segersviten under VM-säsongen 2018 och därefter ett år borta från rallycross var förstås pressen stor på dubble världsmästaren inför comebacken. Men Johan har visat många gånger att han presterar helt utan nerver och VM-premiären på Höljesbanan blev inget undantag. 31-åringen från Arvika var snabbast redan i första kvalomgången med sin Volkswagen Polo R Supercar.
- Jag fick en riktigt bra start och räddades av det, sammanfattar Johan.

Likaledes comebackande Mattias Ekström utmanade hela vägen och visade att Kristoffersson inte skulle få något gratis trots allt. I Q2 var inte starten lika bra och Johan fick nöja sig med en sjätteplats totalt.
- Vi blev utmanade flera gånger under dagen, samtidigt som mina starter inte var helt optimala varje gång.

I tredje och sista kvalomgången tog han ändå ledningen och kunde köra mer fritt fram till en totalseger i kvalet och de sexton första poängen på VM-kontot.

Semifinalen blev också ganska odramatisk, vilket betydde pole position i finalen, där en rejäl regnskur strax före start gjorde förutsättningarna chansartade.
- Det var en otroligt intensiv dag med alla ändringar vi behövde göra när vädret spelade oss spratt.

Kristoffersson satsade ändå rätt och levererade en av sina bästa starter i karriären.
- Den bästa regnstarten någonsin. Helt otrolig. Därefter blev det mycket enklare, när man får köra först och slipper skit på rutan.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren flög upp i en överlägsen ledning och vann till sist med drygt fyra sekunder före tvåan Mattias Ekström. Det fanns anledningar till att segern var extra känslosam.
- Morfar somnade in under veckan. Klart att jag ville göra något extra för hans skull.

Dessutom var det ingenjören Richard Brownes födelsedag och även ett första examensprov för det egenbyggda teamet.
- Pojkarna har gjort ett fantastiskt bra jobb, speciellt som det har varit tuffa förutsättningar under dagen.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson pustade ut efter den förlösande segern i premiären.
- Luften gick ur mig efter målgång. Jag blev bara sittande, medger Tommy. Det har varit otroligt stora förväntningar på oss, känts som vi har allt att förlora och jag har hela tiden sagt att det inte finns utrymme för några fadäser. Så hård är konkurrensen.

Kristoffersson senior tydliggjorde kravbilden under fredagskvällen och fick ett perfekt gensvar från teamet.
- Superbra att få komma tillbaka till den underbara rallycrossvärlden med vårt eget team på det här sättet. Sedan känns det alltid tryggt att ha Johan. Den starten han gör i finalen är helt outstanding. Hans egenskap att vara bäst när det gäller har vi haft nytta av många gånger.

Efter en första intensiv tävlingsdag väntar deltävling nummer två redan under söndagen.
- Efter den långa corona-koman känns det som allt går från 0-100 på två sekunder nu. Vi får suga på segerkaramellen lite grann ikväll, men vi ska också analysera dagen ordentligt. Det finns fortfarande saker att förbättra, säger VM-ledaren Johan Kristoffersson.

20-08-20 Flat out från start - Peters strategi är klar inför publikfritt EM och VM i Höljes
Sista finputsen är gjord och teamet är laddat till tänderna inför årets sena EM-premiär på magiska Höljesbanan. Peter Hedström och Pontus Tidemand gjorde sina sista testmeter i bilen idag. Strategin är glasklar. Full fart från första metern.

Westombanan i Arvika stod som värd för ett sista shakedown idag, när Hedströms Motorsport finputsar inför helgens inledande EM-drabbning i Höljes. Nytt för året på bilarna är en ny typ av stötdämpare från Öhlins, som ska ge ännu bättre traction.
- Jag fick en mycket bra känsla i bilen, just denna bil har jag aldrig kört förut, den har varit vår testbil. Jag körde med mina inställningar från förra året och den nya dämparen från Öhlins kändes mycket bra, säger Peter Hedström.

Teamets Marklundsbyggda vinnarbilar av modell VW Polo har en rad topplaceringar från tidigare år i Höljes och blir svårslagna även i år, i dess uppdaterade skick. Om inte Peter förra året blivit bortdömd, så hade det varit tredje raka finalen i Höljes för honom.
- Både vi och Marklunds har bevisat att det är en vinnarbil här, men känslan är ändå att jag slår från underläge, jag har inte kört en meter på banan sen förra året här på EM, fortsätter Hedström.
Peter ser verkligen fram mot EM-starten på hemmaplan och känner med tillförsikt fram mot att köra tillsammans med rallymästaren Pontus Tidemand i teamet. Pontus kommer för övrigt att ratta den nyaste av teamets bilar.
- Pontus har stor erfarenhet av tester och förmedlar sin känsla väl från förarstolen, vi kompletterar varandra perfekt, menar Hedström.
Tuffaste konkurrenterna då?
- Det finns väl en handfull ”raketer”, min teamkollega Pontus är en, sen båda fransoserna Duborg, Bryntesson och Oliver Eriksson kan bli farliga.

Planer och strategier inför första tävlingen, kanske just är att man inte har någon strategi, bara gasa så mycket det går, då längden på årets EM-serie är oviss.
- Det kanske bara blir denna tävlingen och i Riga, det känns ju ännu ovisst med Belgien i dagläget, så det blir full fart från första metern, vi kommer inte att spara på krutet, avslutar Peter Hedström.

Till start i Höljes är det 21 bilar i EM-klassen och 17 bilar i VM. Tävlingen är publikfri och livesändning på evenemanget kommer att ske på World RX Facebook- och YouTube-kanalerna: facebook.com/fiaworldrallycross och youtube.com/RallycrossRXTV

Det sänds också i TV via Sportkanalen, Lördag och Söndag 15:00 - 17:00.

20-08-20 Tidemand redo för EM-premiär
Pontus Tidemand är redo att ta sig an Höljesbanan igen när startskottet för rallycross-EM bränner av i helgen. Det blir hans andra tävling för Hedströms Motorsport och han hoppas få en flygande start på mästerskapet.
- Jag ska inte sticka under stol med att jag är rejält sugen på ett bra resultat, säger Pontus. Pallen vore fantastiskt och det är ju alltid dit man siktar.

Hans premiär med Hedströms Motorsports VW Polo Supercar skedde under All-Star Magic Weekend i juli, även då i Höljes. Trots att det var en inte helt problemfri tävling, gav det mycket att jobba vidare med för att få så bra förutsättningar som möjligt nu när EM-serien drar igång.
- Teamet är väldigt proffsiga och har jobbat hårt sen sist, analyserat mycket och finslipat bilen ända ner på detaljnivå. Vi har klarat av den första tävlingen, som var lite som ett genrep inför det här, och betade samtidigt av lite oflyt. Nu känns det som det kan bli en riktigt kul helg. Revanschsugen är jag definitivt, säger Pontus.

Under torsdagen får Pontus ett litet test inför helgen och hoppas att det ska bli en bra uppvärmning.
- Bara att få upp pulsen och få känna lite på bilen innan vi åker upp till Höljes kommer göra mycket för känslan. Man taggar till lite extra och det tagget tänker jag behålla tills på söndag. Jag är redo att göra det bästa jag kan utefter förutsättningarna och trots att det såklart blir en publikfri tävling hoppas jag att vi alla kan bjuda på tillräckligt med action så det går igenom skärmarna, säger Pontus.

Förutom Pontus deltar 20 andra förare i Supercar Euro- klassen, däribland Hedströms Motorsports egen teamchef Peter Hedström.

Tävlingen avgörs under lördag och söndag och sänds direkt på Sportkanalen, men livestreamas även på FIA World RX Championships Facebook- och Youtubekanal.

20-08-20 New RX Show launced for 2020 Championship
Brand new rallycross magazine show ‘RX Aftertrack’ Fuelled by Monster Energy, will stream every Sunday throughout this season’s FIA World Rallycross Championship weekends, on social media.

Launching this Sunday, August 23 at 19:00 UK / 20:00 CET, the new series ‘RX Aftertrack’ will be hosted by TV personality & former skateboarder Matthew Pritchard at Monster Energy headquarters in Stockley Park, chatting about all things rallycross with his co-hosts, Monster Girls Giorgia Davies and Laura Bell, while World RX pit reporter Neil Cole will be trackside at each event providing insight and access from inside the paddock.

The show will broadcast on World RX’s Facebook and YouTube platforms on the Sunday night of every rallycross weekend.
‘RX Aftertrack’ will feature some of the best of the weekend’s racing, coupled with unique interviews, sketches and reaction from each event. It will give fans a true behind the scenes experience of World RX race weekends.

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG, hopes the show will offer the sport something unique.
He said: “We’re excited to be working with Monster Energy to provide fans with a unique insight into what goes on behind the scenes of the action-packed championship they love, for the first time. The show has been designed to take fans beyond the live racing and focus on the sport, key players, challenges, and how inspiration can be drawn from other sports.”

‘RX Aftertrack’ is fuelled by long-time World RX sponsors Monster Energy and Bellamy believes the show will offer them the perfect vehicle to reach rallycross fans around the world in a year when travel is restricted and crowd numbers at live sports events are limited.
He added: “In a year where travel, event crowds, and live activations are limited, ‘RX Aftertrack’ provides the perfect vehicle for the series partner to engage with rallycross fans around the world.”
It was announced earlier this week that IMG also launched a new FIM Speedway World Championship magazine show ‘Talking Dirt’ Fueled by Monster Energy, as well. It

Don’t miss the first episode of ‘RX Aftertrack’ Fuelled by Monster Energy on Sunday, August 23 from 19:00 UK / 20:00 CET on World RX’s Facebook and YouTube platforms.

20-08-19 Eriksson excited for Euro RX debut as wraps come off Red Bull-backed Fiesta
Two-time RX2 Series champ joins Euro RX Supercar field this weekend
Swede revving up to begin his challenge on home soil at Höljes
Olsbergs MSE ace looking forward to renewing battle with old rivals

Reigning two-time RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires Champion Oliver Eriksson is fired-up to fight for trophies this weekend (21-23 August), as he makes his eagerly-anticipated debut in the FIA European Rallycross Championship on home soil at Höljes in Sweden.

With titles to his name not only in RX2 but also RallyX on Ice (2018) and GRC Lites (2015), Eriksson is one of the hottest young prospects on the current rallycross scene. The 21-year-old is also a multiple race-winner at Supercar level in RallyX Nordic – a series in which he has twice finished runner-up in the overall standings – and has two World Championship starts on his glittering career CV.

As his prize for clinching back-to-back crowns in the official FIA World RX feeder series in 2018 and 2019 – taking an impressive eight victories from 14 starts – Eriksson will pilot an Olsbergs MSE-prepared Ford Fiesta MK8 at Höljes, with the car adorned by the same Red Bull livery that he sported in RX2 last year, in celebration of his title success.

The Swede triumphed at the Värmland circuit in RallyX Nordic in 2019, and as he prepares to join the fray in Euro RX, he is targeting another top finish in the high-calibre, 16-strong field, which includes the likes of 2017 RallyX Nordic Champion Thomas Bryntesson, former FIA Junior World Rally and WRC 2 Champion Pontus Tidemand and fellow RX2 graduates Sondre Evjen and Ben-Philip Gundersen.

20-08-19 Swecon World Rallycross of Sweden Preview
Swecon World Rallycross of Sweden 22-23 August 2020
The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy will begin this weekend with the Swecon World Rallycross of Sweden at Holjes.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have delayed the start of the season and led to a revised schedule that includes 10 events taking place over seven weekends.
In Sweden the World Championship will complete rounds one and two with a full event – comprising three rounds of qualifying races, semi-finals and the final – taking place each day.
The supporting FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar and Projekt E series will complete the usual schedule of one event taking place over two days, with two qualifiers on Saturday, the remaining two qualifiers, semi-finals and finals on Sunday.

WORLD RX
FIA World Ralycross Champion Timmy Hansen will begin the defence of the title he won in dramatic circumstances in Cape Town last November. Entering the last event of the year in a three-way battle for the title, Hansen ended the season level on points with Andreas Bakkerud, the title decided in favour of the Swedish driver as he won four events to Bakkerud’s single victory. Hansen will again be joined at Team Hansen by younger brother Kevin who was the third player in last year’s title battle.
The entry for the first event contains 17 drivers, including two returning former champions. Johan Kristoffersson, World Champion in 2017 and 2018, is back in World RX with the VW Polo Supercar he raced two years ago.
KYB Team JC has recruited 2016 World Champion Mattias Ekstrom as substitute for Janis Baumanis who has had to drop out of the championship at the last moment because of budget issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ekstrom races alongside 2019 European Champion Robin Larsson.
The 2019 World RX of Sweden was won by Sebastian Eriksson and the Swede returns to his home track this year where he will race an Olsbergs MSE Honda Civic in a bid to repeat the win.
Ferratum Team will join the World Championship for all events, its new car driven by Finn Jani Paasonen.
Niclas Gronholm and Timur Timerzyanov won three events for GRX Taneco in 2019 and return for the 2020 season. In Sweden they are joined by a third Hyundai i20 Supercar from the GRX SET stable with multiple European Champion Krisztian Szabo at the wheel.
A pair of Renault Clios from Unkorrupted will be driven by Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit and Lithunanian Rokas Baciuska.
Timo Scheider returns with ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport, the team this year expanded to two cars with Rene Muennich handling the second of its Seat Ibizas.
GCK Bilstein has a solo Renault Megane for Anton Marklund while the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel entry is for two further Meganes in the hands of Bakkerud and Liam Doran.

EURO SUPERCAR
Sweden forms opening event of the three-round FIA European Rallycross Championship which will include events in Latvia and Belgium.
Travel restrictions and other issues have reduced the 21-car entry to 16 expected starters.
Thomas Bryntesson (Volkswagen Polo) and JB Dubourg (Peuegot 208) led the chase of Larsson last year, Dubourg winning the event in Latvia.
Oliver Eriksson steps up to Euro Supercar with a Ford Fiesta having claimed the title in the RX2 feeder series in 2018 and 2019. He will be joined by RX2 event winner Ben-Philip Gundersen (Audi S1) in the entry that includes drivers from seven different countries.
The entry is also diverse; it includes younger Danish racer Tobias Daarbak (Ford Fiesta), former WRC-2 Champion Pontus Tidemand (VW Polo) and 74-year-old Swedish motor sport legend Per Eklund (VW Beetle).

PROJEKT E
Electric racecars join the World RX events for the first time in 2020.
Projekt E is a new International Series for all-electric cars that will appear in Sweden, Latvia, Belgium and Germany as rallycross embraces electric cars.
Incorporating traditional values by allowing teams to create cars using a wide range of production models, Projekt E specifies a battery and powertrain kit from Austrian company STARD.
The kits comprises three electric motors, two used on the rear axle, and one on the front, and produces a 450kW racecar with 1000Nm of torque.
The landmark first event will feature three cars, the entry led by American star Ken Block who is joined by British rally driver Natalie Barratt and Austrian rally champion Hermann Neubauer. All three will drive Ford Fiesta-based cars. The debut of the new Citroen C3 ERX has now been postponed until round two in Riga.

WHERE
Holjes, in the Varmland region of Sweden. Because of control measures around the COVID-19 pandemic the event is closed to spectators.

WHEN
Racing from 1030 Saturday and 0950 Sunday, see schedule below for more details.

LIVESTREAM
The livestream for the events will be carried on the World RX Facebook and YouTube channels:
facebook.com/fiaworldrallycross
youtube.com/RallycrossRXTV
Watch social media channels (below) for more details on livestream and broadcast.

RESULTS
fiaworldrallycross.com/results
All event results appear on the above page of the website, just select the event you are interested in.
For PDF files, scroll down and look to the right side of the page.
This page is ‘live’ so documents will appear here immediately they are produced.

LIVE TIMING
fiaworldrallycross.com/results
As above, select the event you are interested in and then click the link to the live timing feed.

ENTRY LIST https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/event/139/holjes-motorstadion

20-08-18 French S1600 star Fosse joins OMSE for RX2 debut in Denmark
Frenchman joins winner-takes-all RX2 shoot-out at Nysum
38-year-old arrives with five years of S1600 experience
Seine-Maritime native sampled Supercar Lites car last year

French Rallycross Championship Super1600 star Grégory Fosse will join the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires at Nysum in Denmark next month (4-6 September), teaming up with defending champions Olsbergs MSE.

Fosse made his rallycross debut in 2011 with illustrious outfit Pailler Compétition, before spending three seasons contesting Division 4 in the Coupe de France. In 2015, the Seine-Maritime native stepped up to S1600 level, initially with a Citroën C2 before switching to a Peugeot 208, with which he achieved four top five finishes and reached the final eight times from nine rounds in 2018 on his way to sixth in the overall standings.

Last year, Fosse participated in the Supercar Lites sampler test the day after the FIA World Rallycross Championship event at Lohéac, receiving tuition from Damien Meunier. Now, he is set to put that experience into practice over the course of RX2’s double-header Danish weekend, the winner of which will earn themselves a fully-funded, single-round prize drive in the all-new FIA eRX2 Championship in 2021.

“I am very happy to be able to compete at Nysum in such a high-profile series,” enthused the 38-year-old. “It’s going to be an enriching and completely crazy experience for me. There will be a lot to learn in a short space of time, from the different type of gravel to four wheel-drive – given that I am accustomed to French tracks and S1600 – but I am so excited to participate in this unique double-header.

“I will go to Nysum with no real objective apart from having fun, but if the opportunity presents itself to score a good result, I will of course grab it with both hands! I have wanted to compete in RX2 ever since trying the Supercar Lites car out at Lohéac last year. I really enjoyed driving the car that day – and now I can’t wait to actually race it!”

RX2’s winner-takes-all shoot-out has attracted competitors from a number of different disciplines and nations. The full entry list will be officially revealed next week.

20-08-18 Bra EM-förberedelser för Evjen
Sondre Evjen är redo för sin andra säsong i EM-serien för Supercar. Även i år kör han för Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS och målet är högt satt.
- Jag hoppas vara på pallen totalt, säger Evjen.

Den 22-årige norrmannen slutade sjua i EM förra året. Sedan dess har teamets egenbyggda Volkswagen Polo GTI RX fått en rejäl genomgång hos Eklund Motorsport och därefter hos Kristoffersson Motorsport med två tävlingar för Johan Kristoffersson i RallyX Nordic som skarpt utvecklingsläge.
- Vi har gjort stora framsteg. Tack vare ett perfekt samarbete med Eklunds gäng samt Ole Johan Rustads kunnande och Johans input har vi tagit bilen till en ny nivå. Förra året kom allt hastigt på, men nu har vi haft tid att förbereda för Sondre på bästa sätt, säger teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Efter två dagars test i Strängnäs kan inte Evjen göra annat än att hålla med.
- Den är mer stabil bak och går bättre overall med större driftsäkerhet. Hela känslan med bilen är mycket bättre.

En något rattrostig Evjen förbättrade sina tider kontinuerligt under testdagarna.
- Väldigt viktiga dagar! Jag körde mer på två dagar än på hela säsongen tidigare och håller vi det här tempot i Höljes så måste de andra köra fort för att hänga med.

Toppfarten finns där, men Evjen jobbar på sin egen jämnhet.
- Jag behöver bygga stabilitet på en hög nivå. Toppnivån var bra förra året, men det räcker inte att vara där uppe i ett av tio race. Man måste vara där i åtta eller nio, helst tio.

Att ha dubble världsmästaren Kristoffersson i samma tält under testdagarna är förstås inte heller någon nackdel i utvecklingsfasen.
- Det är värt allt! Oavsett vad man frågar om så finns det ett svar, säger Evjen, som också känner stort förtroende för övriga i teamet.
- Det är en galet hög nivå på ingenjörer och mekaniker. Inte minst betyder Ole Johan väldigt mycket för mig.

Euro RX 2020 blir en kort och intensiv historia, med premiären i Höljes, fortsättning i Lettland fyra veckor senare och till sist en avslutning i Belgien första helgen i oktober.
- Men vi vet ju inte helt säkert om det blir körning på alla ställen, så det gäller att vara på från första start.

Till Höljes åker han med stor revanschlust.
- Jag körde bort mig två gånger nerför backen, så det finns definitivt på min lista att göra det bättre där än förra året.

Evjen får jaga sin revansch inför tomma läktare på den annars så folktäta Höljes-banan.
- Det är förstås tråkigt, men vi får godta det. Det är ju ändå inte publiken som gör att vi kör fort, avslutar Sondre Evjen.

Tommy Kristoffersson är nyfiken på vad Evjen ska kunna uträtta under årets säsong.
- Det ska bli spännande att följa Sondres utveckling och inte minst vad han kan uträtta nu när Polon har genomgått en klar förbättring. Det är förstås tuff konkurrens i EM, men vi räknar med att kunna vara med och slåss om topplaceringarna.

20-08-18 FIA eRX2 prize test-drive for next DiRT Rally World Series winner
New electric rallycross championship joins forces with gaming giants
Winner of virtual rallycross competition to try out QEV-developed car
eRX2 set to reap the benefits of rapidly rising interest in esports sector

The next DiRT Rally 2.0 rallycross world champion will be given the opportunity to showcase their virtual racing skills in the real world with a test-drive in the new QEV Technologies-developed FIA eRX2 car, following the conclusion of an exciting esports partnership with Codemasters and Motorsport Games.

The eagerly-anticipated, all-electric rallycross series will join the FIA World Rallycross Championship undercard next year and, in evidence of its growing profile, eRX2 has been invited to team up with two motorsport gaming giants for the second season of the popular DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series, guaranteeing significant visibility during broadcasts.

Online qualification rounds begin on 25 August, with the competition set to culminate in a special live showcase finale at the Autosport International show on 16 January, 2021, where 12 professional sim racers will go up against each other for a share of a $20,000 prize pool – and the coveted eRX2 test-drive.

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager for the new FIA eRX2 Championship, said:

“We are very excited to be partnering with Codemasters and Motorsport Games for the forthcoming DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series. The interest in esports has exploded in recent months, in particular amongst younger participants and fans, and we see a lot of synergies between this demographic and the new FIA eRX2 Championship, which is right at the forefront of rallycross’ electrification.

“We have witnessed in other disciplines how gamers have the potential and ability to transition into real-life racers, and we look forward to following the competition’s second season as it unfolds and to helping the eventual winner to put their skills to the test in real life.”

The DiRT Rally World Series has been divided into three qualifying stages, each consisting of three events. The fastest time in each event from each platform will earn a place in the Qualifying Final. In rallycross, these winners will be joined by the two fastest cumulative runners-up. The top two in each Qualifying Final will earn a place in the Semi-Final, before the live Final takes place at Autosport International.

Fans can follow the progress of the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series on the @DiRTGame social media channels and via motorsport.tv.

20-08-18 Kristoffersson jagar tredje VM-titeln
Dubble världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson gör en efterlängtad comeback i rallycross-VM vid premiären i Höljes.
- Målet är ett tredje guld. Vi har allt som behövs för att vara med och fightas om titeln, säger en hoppfull Kristoffersson.

Johan Kristofferssons senaste tävling i FIA World Rallycross Championship var säsongsavslutningen i Sydafrika 2018. Då avrundade han en historiskt framgångsrik resa till VM-titeln genom att ta sin elfte seger på tolv deltävlingar. Kristoffersson är medveten om att förväntningarna är höga inför comebacken, men påpekar också att det är skillnad på förutsättningar jämfört med de två mästarsäsongerna hos PSRX Volkswagen Sweden.
- Det är ganska stora kontraster och vi kan inte kompensera för allt, men kommer att göra absolut allt vi kan utifrån de förutsättningar vi har.

Den nya satsningen med Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS har Johan som ende förare, också det en skillnad.
- Då var vi två chaufförer som kunde prata ihop oss och hjälpas åt. Det blir en utmaning att vara själv.

Den viktigaste biten är ändå att han får ratta en bil av samma sort som tog honom till mästartitlarna, Volkswagen Motorsports Polo R Supercar. Årets VM-bil fick han sätta sig i för första gången under förra veckans tvådagarstest i Strängnäs.
- Det dröjde inte många varv förrän jag hade hittat tillbaka till känslan igen. Vi hade två väldigt bra dagar, helt utan driftstörningar.

31-åringen från Arvika fann inte bara känslan, utan gjorde också framsteg.
- Det gäller att alltid hitta något mer som gör att det kan gå ännu snabbare och jag tror faktiskt vi gjorde det.

Konkurrenterna har härmed blivit varnade, men Kristoffersson är också medveten om att kampen om VM-titeln kommer att bli allt annat än enkel.
- Jag vet att det blir tufft. Det är många konkurrenter och det är en annan förare som har nummer 1 nu, påpekar Johan och syftar på regerande världsmästaren Timmy Hansen.

Trots att VM-premiären blivit förskjuten så har Kristoffersson fått skaka av sig lite rattrost tack vare två gästspel i RallyX Nordic, då i teamets egenbyggda Polo.
- Väldigt bra faktiskt. Det gjorde det lättare att komma in och göra testdagarna effektivare. Jag vet också vilka fel jag gjorde i Höljes. Körningen var betydligt bättre på Westom-banan.

När nu VM äntligen rullar igång så är det förstås under speciella förutsättningar med corona-test, munskydd och publikfria tävlingar. Säsongen körs dessutom komprimerat med dubbeltävlingar de två första helgerna, i Sverige och Finland.
- Det blir hektiskt med två tävlingar på två dagar. Det gäller att vara noggrann med förberedelserna och extra varsam med grejerna, säger Kristoffersson och fortsätter:
- Ingen har ju facit på det här, men helt klart gäller det att vara med hela tiden och inte ge bort något i början.

Säkert är i alla fall att Kristoffersson åker till Höljes-banan med stort tävlingssug.
- Det här ska verkligen bli jättekul!

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson, instämmer:
- Äntligen får vi sjösätta det projekt vi har jobbat så hårt för och som har gjorts möjligt tack vare vårt långa samarbete med Volkswagen och BAUHAUS. Vi har gjort förberedelserna på bästa sätt och ser fram emot premiären med stor tillförsikt.

20-08-17Multiple rallycross title-winner confirmed as official eRX2 test-driver
Reigning two-time RX2 Series title-winner joins eRX2 testing programme
Oliver Eriksson excited to drive what he predicts will be ‘the most fun car yet’
Preparations intensify ahead of all-electric series’ inaugural season

Oliver Eriksson has been appointed as the official test-driver and ambassador for the new FIA eRX2 Championship, as preparations intensify ahead of the all-electric series’ inaugural campaign on the FIA World Rallycross Championship undercard in 2021.

Eriksson’s pedigree in the sport needs little introduction. With titles to his name in the RX2 International Series (2018/2019), RallyX on Ice (2018) and GRC Lites (2015), the 21-year-old Swede is one of the most highly-rated young prospects on the current rallycross scene.

A multiple race-winner in RallyX Nordic – where he has twice finished runner-up in the final Supercar standings – he additionally has two World Championship appearances on his career CV as well as a full season of Global Rallycross competition under his belt.

The Red Bull-backed athlete will play a pivotal role in the development of the new eRX2 car, the first iteration of which was unveiled at Höljes in Sweden last month, featuring an interim ‘prototype’ composite bodyshell on top of RX2’s existing Supercar Lites chassis.

Testing has thus far been restricted to Spain’s Circuit Calafat, but Eriksson will soon be putting the car through its paces at a variety of international rallycross tracks.

The final car is set to be officially presented towards the end of this year, and six European events are planned for the first season of the FIA eRX2 Championship, with the full calendar to be released in due course.

Oliver Eriksson, Test-Driver and Ambassador, FIA eRX2 Championship, said:
“It’s a great honour to be involved in this project. We’re going through a revolution in motorsport right now – the whole automotive industry is in the midst of a huge drive towards a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly future – and we can’t close our eyes to that. The eRX2 concept is tremendously exciting and very much the direction in which we need to be pushing.

“To be a part of it all from such an early stage is really cool. It will be a new car for everybody – we all know combustion engines, but electric motors are something very different and the cutting-edge technology they incorporate is incredible.

“Just for starters, they will generate more power than we have had before, which as a driver is always welcome! Of course we will lose the sound of the engine and the smell of burning fuel, but from a driving perspective, it looks like being the most fun car yet – the numbers are extremely impressive.

“It’s sensible money for an arrive-and-drive format, and the driver-adjustable parameters mean there will be much more to think about during the races, too, which will highlight the importance of preparation and skill. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel to experience the car for myself!”

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA eRX2 Championship, said:
“We are delighted to announce Oliver as the official test-driver and ambassador for eRX2. With titles in three different series, his record in the discipline speaks for itself and he is unquestionably one of the most talented and respected drivers in the paddock.

“He will also provide an excellent benchmark for us at QEV Technologies as we continue to adapt and acclimatise to the rallycross world. Nobody knows the Supercar Lites car better than Oliver does, and as such, he brings with him a wealth of information, knowledge and experience that we can leverage as we work hard to refine the new eRX2 car over the coming months.

“Initial testing has been positive, and with Oliver’s input, we are now preparing to intensify our development schedule to ensure the eRX2 car is capable of performing at its peak on the variety of European tracks the championship will visit in its first season. We are all very much looking forward to working together.”

20-08-17 World rallycross champions return to chase more titles
World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen and World RX bronze medallist Kevin Hansen will begin Team Hansen's defence of its FIA World Rallycross titles at their home round of the championship in Sweden this week.

Team Hansen is coming off the back of an extraordinary 2019 season, where it won every competition it entered: the World RX drivers' title with Timmy and the teams' title, plus Nitro RX and TitansRX titles with Kevin. And while there's been plenty of time for the team to reflect on that success, that time has also been spent focusing on how to repeat it in 2020 against a line-up that's even tougher than last year.

After a long wait World RX is finally back underway. Höljes has now inherited the role of season-opener on August 22-23, giving Team Hansen a unique opportunity to begin its campaign only a few hundred miles from team headquarters in Götene.

For the first three rounds of the season - Sweden, Finland and Latvia - the event format has been changed, with two championship rounds held back-to-back on consecutive days at the same circuit. Starting this Saturday, four of those six rounds take place in the space of nine days, so Team Hansen and its rivals will be going from months of waiting for a return to action and straight into the most intense start to a World RX season ever.

Ahead of the weekend's action, the team has also unveiled its dynamic 2020 livery, featuring the traditional Hansen Motorsport blue, plus light blue accents for Timmy's Peugeot 208 WRX and yellow accents for Kevin's 208 to distingush the team's two cars.

Both drivers carry new numbers for this year: as the reigning World Rallycross Champion, Timmy has elected to use #1 on his rear passenger window this year, while Kevin is switching from #71 to #9 in World RX.

1
Timmy Hansen
“If we are fast in Höljes, we can be fast anywhere”

“It's exciting to start a new year. We begin the season in Sweden with our home race but it's going to be very different this year; without spectators it's going to be more like a 'normal' race. But the track layout is always fantastic and I'm looking forward to racing at Höljes.

“This weekend should be a good indication right away of where we stand. If we are fast in Höljes, we can be fast anywhere. I want to continue what we did last year; it was a fantastic season, the best season I have ever had as a racing driver. But I still have more to give, more left in me that I want to give to the sport and I can still become a better rallycross driver. That's my goal for this year, and hopefully that leads to another world title.

“We have to be clever during these first races not to end up in any trouble, because there is definitely no way you have time to repair any big damage between the two rounds on Saturday and Sunday. So ideally I want to avoid another Abu Dhabi from last year! To recharge between the two days will be challenging but I'm up for it.

“To race with number one on the rear window is a nice reminder of what we did last year. It's a journey that I will never forget and I worked so hard for it. It had been a dream for many years and a goal, and now we have achieved it, so seeing that number one is a way to continue to enjoy it. It definitely feels good.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“I think the new livery looks amazing. We've tried to make the two liveries look more similar this year, so it looks more like the cars belong to the same team. We are the reigning world champions so we need to present a united front even more this year. It's great to have Red Bull, Total, Inquire, Sparco, Öhlins, NGK, and SADEV continuing to support us, their presence really stands out on the new livery. Mine especially looks really great!

“To start the season with my home race is very exciting. We're used to double headers and the team is as well, so this format won't feel like a surprise. It'll be very calm with no fans but if we do well in the final, the celebrations will feel a bit empty, with no-one in the grandstands. We feel all the support from our home fans and we hope they will share their feelings and emotions about World RX's return with us on social media.

“Our expectation for this year is to continue where we left off in 2019. We learned a lot from being in the lead of a world championship and fighting for wins, so I don't feel nervous at all. I feel very comfortable with who I am, what I can achieve, and what I'm capable of doing, so it's just about getting to the track and fine-tuning the car, extracting everything we can from every race. Becoming world champion is the ultimate goal.

“I'm switching to #9 for only one reason this year: the qualifying grid draw. #71 has not performed well in these draws for the past few years, so I felt it was time to try and change that. Hopefully now with #9, which has the best average grid position for Q1 grid draws, this will help make things a little easier for Q1. I'll always keep #71 in my heart and use that number anywhere else I race, but I need to do everything possible to optimise my performance.”

The Boss Kenneth
“Everyone has waited for so long and now it's going to happen, so we're all very hungry and determined to get to the track.”

“It's been a strange feeling but we have tried to work and do what we can, even if we have been reduced in working time. We should still be quite well prepared; we did some testing a week ago and everything appeared to be working well.

“Our busy schedule last year which included TitansRX was very beneficial for this situation. We had double rounds in a single weekend in that championship, so the feeling for the first three events of World RX is very similar. It's difficult of course because you have to work very hard on the technical side, preparing the cars between Saturday and Sunday. You also need to consider those factors during the actual races, as there's not a lot of time available for changes and repairs. There are few possibilities if something bad were to happen.

“Everyone has waited for so long and now it's going to happen, so we're all very hungry and determined to get to the track. We're using the same crew we'd planned to work with before the original season start was postponed but we're not allowed quite as many people as before due to COVID-19 regulations. We'd have loved to have a bigger media team around us to cover everything we're doing but that's not possible this year. Most importantly we're thinking about our crew and everyone in the team at the track staying safe.”

Track The track:
Höljesbanan
Höljesbanan aerial view, 2019 World RX of Sweden

Höljesbanan is an undisputed icon of rallycross, featuring a mix of almost everything. It’s a track of two halves; the first twisty and quite technical, the second a sprint back to the finish line.

The big numbers
286
The number of days between last year's season finale and this year's season opener. It's been a long wait!

5
The number of finals Team Hansen won during the 2019 World RX season. We're hoping for more of the same in 2020...
What to look out for

Turn Six. This banked left-hander at the back of the circuit, coloquially referred to as the "velodrome," is a favourite overtaking spot: good traction on exit is vital for top speed along the long run to the track’s penultimate turn, but the best line for speed leaves the door open for an overtake from drivers behind.

The Joker. On every rallycross circuit the joker lap makes a difference but mistakes and mix-ups are especially common here. The joker surface is a mixture of gravel and asphalt, and drivers carry a lot of momentum towards the joker entry. So, a mixture of unpredictable grip and misreading what others on the track are planning to do can end in a slow joker or, worse, a collision on the way in.

Rewind Rallycross Rewind
2019: So close!
Team Hansen came close to another double podium finish for Kevin and Timmy Hansen at last year's World RX of Sweden, dashed only by a mid-race puncture.

A bold pass on Niclas Grönholm on the way into a first lap joker put Timmy in third place, with Kevin Hansen all over the back of Sebastian Eriksson in the lead battle.

With clear track ahead Timmy punched in two trademark fast laps, giving him second when his brother went for his own joker lap.

The pair were set to chase down Eriksson for the win but a puncture dropped Timmy out of contention, and also lost Kevin precious tenths of a second as he went past his ailing brother.

Where to watch World RX

FIA World Rallycross has a variety of ways to keep up to date with live event coverage, thanks to comprehensive worldwide TV coverage on channels such as Viasat (Sweden and Norway), L'Equipe (France) and LTV (Latvia). World RX’s full TV listing can be found here.

You can also watch live coverage of all the World RX qualifiers on Team Hansen's Facebook page and, in selected countries, watch the Finals on World RX's YouTube channel.

Event Timetable
All times CET
Saturday, August 22
Free Practice 08:30
Qualifying 1 10:30
Qualifying 2 11:50
Qualifying 3 13:15
Semi-Final
Final 16:00

Sunday, August 23
Warm-up 09:00
Qualifying 1 09:50
Qualifying 2 11:15
Qualifying 3 13:30
Semi-Final
Final 16:00

20-08-17 KYB Team JC byter förare – Ekström till start under VM i Höljes
Före detta världsmästaren Mattias Ekström är tillbaka i rallycrossen. Han kommer köra de första deltävlingarna i Höljes och representerar, tillsammans med Robin Larsson, det nya svenska VM-teamet KYB Team JC.
– Mattias blir ett starkt tillskott i KYB Team JC, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Den internationella rallycrossen är tillbaka för premiären av både FIA World Rallycross Championship (Supercar-VM) och FIA European Rallycross Championship (Supercar-EM). Till helgen ska de två inledande deltävlingarna av VM, samt den inledande i EM, att köras inför tomma läktare i värmländska Höljes, där KYB Team JC och JC Raceteknik kommer till start i båda mästerskapen.

I slutet av 2019 presenterade JC Raceteknik sitt nya VM-team KYB Team JC. Nu är det klart att Mattias Ekström kommer köra två VM-deltävlingar på svensk mark tillsammans med teamet. Ekström har ett gediget CV inom både rallycross och DTM. Han vann bland annat rallycross-VM 2016, och har även två segrar på Höljesbanan från 2014 och 2015 i bagaget. Ekström har tidigare gjort två inhopp i rallycross tillsammans med JC Raceteknik och körde då World RX i Belgien samt RallyX Nordic i Tierp. Nu återvänder han bakom ratten med KYB Team JC för de båda deltävlingarna i Höljes, 22-23 augusti.

Den rådande situationen kring Covid-19 gör däremot att budgeten inte går ihop för Janis Baumanis och KYB Team JC. Lettländaren kommer därmed inte köra full VM-säsong tillsammans med teamet.

I Euro RX kommer JC Raceteknik till start med två förare i deltävlingen i Höljes: Mats Öhman och Ben-Philip Gundersen. Öhman har kört de tre inledande deltävlingarna av RallyX Nordic och visat högt tempo på banan. För norske Gundersen, som gör sin debutsäsong i Supercar, blir det första EM-deltävlingen i bilen. Han har däremot redan Supercar-debuterat under de två deltävlingarna av RallyX Nordic i Höljes, där han imponerade stort.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB Team JC:
”Eftersom vi har en ledig Audi S1 EKS Supercar i Höljes kontaktade jag Mattias Ekström. Han har varit gästförare i teamet två gånger tidigare och tyckte, precis som vi, att det vore jättekul att köra i Höljes. Mattias blir ett starkt tillskott i KYB Team JC. Han är en chaufför med många tips och trix och är det någon som kan dessa bilar så är det Mattias. Det kommer helt klart vara en fördel för både Robin Larsson och oss som team att ha honom i Höljes.

Det är självklart tråkigt att inte Janis Baumanis kommer köra full VM-säsong med KYB Team JC i år. Jag och hela teamet hade verkligen sett fram emot det här samarbetet. Men med tanke på hela situationen kring Covid-19 så tror jag att alla förstår att sådant här kan hända och jag hoppas vi kan ta upp samarbetet med honom igen.”

KYB Team JC: Mattias Ekström, Supercar (SWE):
”Det är alltid kul att tävla. Just rallycrossen har, och har alltid haft, snabba och roliga bilar som jag trivs med att köra. Så att tävla med Joel och JC igen känns bra, framförallt efter avslutet i Tierp förra säsongen där jag hade möjlighet att ge Robin lite support. Nu har Robin redan hunnit vinna en tävling i Höljes i år, så han kommer vara varm i kläderna.

Min största prioritering i helgen kommer vara att ha så roligt som möjligt. Men såklart, den dagen jag inte drömmer om att vinna är dagen jag slutar tävla. Målet är alltid pokal, men sedan får vi se vad som är realistiskt utefter förutsättningarna. Höljes är alltid speciellt, men i år kommer det bli något helt unikt utan all publik. En konstig känsla, men spännande.”

20-08-14 Linnemann returns for Nysum – with 'unfinished business' on his mind
Home hero enters Supercar battle for double-header season finale
Dane rejoins the fray with brand new Ford Fiesta – and a steely resolve
31-year-old returning to the scene of stunning victory on series debut

Ulrik Linnemann will return to RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires for his home event at Nysum in Denmark next month (4-6 September), with a new car and a determination to take care of some ‘unfinished business’ in the series.

Linnemann made a fairytale debut in RallyX Nordic at Nysum in 2018 – although the weekend began more like a nightmare. A broken gearbox in Q1 ruled the Dane out of all three qualifying races, but he fought his way through to the final and then made a spectacular start to launch into the lead when the lights went out.

In a race that included competitors of the calibre of Thomas Bryntesson, Oliver Eriksson and Oliver Solberg, Linnemann kept his head and held his nerve in tricky wet conditions. His reward for an epic effort was the most unlikely of victories, to the delight of his partisan supporters.

A full season with Olsbergs MSE last year saw the 31-year-old place inside the top three in the intermediate standings more often than not en route to fourth position in the championship table, but misfortune of one kind or another always conspired to keep him off the podium.

Now, with a new Ford Fiesta at his disposal, Linnemann is feeling fired-up to right that wrong and reach the rostrum that so frustratingly eluded him in 2019...

“It’ll be a lot of fun to come back to RallyX Nordic and I’m looking forward to fighting with the other Supercar drivers again, like my old team-mate Oliver Eriksson and – who knows – perhaps also Mr. Kristoffersson..?” he mused.

“It will be interesting to measure the performance of the Fiesta against the other cars in the field. I’ve only tested it a couple of times so far, but it drives really well so I’m hopeful of being in the mix for the podium.

“I enjoy driving at Nysum – it’s a special place, and obviously I have very happy memories from two years ago. That was such an emotional weekend – never in a million years did I expect to reach the final after what happened in Q1.

“We had good speed in RallyX Nordic last year, too, but luck never seemed to be on my side, so coming back, I definitely have a bit of ‘unfinished business’ to attend to...”

20-08-13 Medaljregn över Finnskoga MK under SM-finalen i rallycross
Finnskoga MK tog inte mindre än sex SM-medaljer när Superfinalen i Rallycross kördes på Westombanan i Arvika 7-9 augusti. MK Team Westom arrangerade finalerna i både rallycross-SM för 2400, 2150, JSM och Supernationell samt för förarna i RallyX Nordic som kör klasserna Supercar och Supercar Lites.

Linus Östlund debuterade i rallycross i Supercar Lites i fjol och kammade hem sitt andra raka SM-guld.
– Kul att det gick att arrangera tävlingar trots covid-19. Det har varit olika vinnare och tight racing i år – precis som det ska vara. Fantastiskt kul med ett till SM-guld i karriären. Dessutom bra poäng inför RallyX Nordics avslutande dubbeltävling i Danmark i början av september, säger Linus.

I Supercar Lites blev det även en bronsmedalj efter en bra säsong av Mats Oskarsson. Han inledde tävlingen lite trevande med mycket strul under fredagen, men lyckades samla ihop sig och höll upp tempot under lördagen och söndagen.
– Häftigt med ett SM-brons! Att vi gick till final i Arvika trodde vi inte efter mycket strul under fredag och lördag. Att vårt lilla team tar en medalj är stort, säger Mats.

Per Berglund har haft lite otur och "ramlat" från pallen tidigare i år, men i år ville det sig äntligen hela vägen och han tog guldet i 2400-klassen.
– I år har det känts som att jag har varit väldigt stark både i starterna och på banan. Det gick inte alls så lätt som man kanske kan tro, men i år var turen på min sida, säger Per.

I Supernationell blev det två medaljer efter att de båda Finnskogaförarna Andreas Israelsson och Micke Nilsson delade poäng efter målgången. Eftersom Andreas vann tävlingen blev det han som tog silvret i mästerskapet, trots att han inte startade i dubbeltävlingen i Västerås.
– Säsongen kändes mest som ett test inför nästa år för min del. Bilen känns nu riktigt bra inför nästa år och det var jäkligt kul att få ett silver trots att jag missade tävlingarna i Västerås, säger Andreas.

Micke Nilsson uppdaterade bilen med ny motor i år och det konceptet gav honom SM-bronset efter andra platsen i helgen.
– Vi är laddade för en full säsong nästa år och hoppas fler kommer till start i supernationella klassen. Självklart hoppas vi även på en Coronafri värld snart, säger Micke., säger Micke.

August Krokström fightades in i det sista om SM-guldet, men fick "nöja" sig med en hedervärd silvermedalj.
– Jag är mycket nöjd med säsongen överlag. Jag gjorde två misstag och det räckte för att kosta mig guldet. Med ett såpass snabbt startfält som det är i 2150 måste säsongen vara snudd på perfekt för att man ska lyckas vinna, säger August.

Finnskoga MK´s medaljer 2020 i rallycross:
SM-guld: Linus Östlund, Supercar
SM-guld: Per Berglund, 2400
SM-Silver: Andreas Israelsson, Supernatinoell
SM-silver: August Krokström, RM2150
SM-brons: Mats Oskarsson, Supercar Lites, Brons
SM-silver: Micke Nilsson, Supernationell

20-08-11 OMSE celebrate Arvika success with Supercar and Supercar Lites silverware
Eriksson takes the fight to double world champ at Westombanan
Östlund defends Swedish title in Supercar Lites class
Enlund overcomes ill-fortune to race to maiden podium finish

Olsbergs MSE left the third round of RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires at Arvika last weekend (7-9 August) with a bumper trophy haul, as Oliver Eriksson truly took the fight to double FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson in a pulsating Supercar final.

The battle between the two Swedes has been the talk of the rallycross community since the weekend, as Eriksson cut underneath his countryman to force his way into the lead exiting Turn Two of the technical Westombanan track.

The two-time RX2 Series title-winner resolutely held sway at the front of the field, rebuffing his rival’s every attack until Kristoffersson dived for the joker at the end of lap three – at which point, Eriksson knew he really needed to get the hammer down.

Unfortunately, a mistake over the jump left him with a puncture, and a second one shortly after meant he had to nurse his Ford Fiesta to the finish, doggedly staving off Peter Hedström to cling on to third place at the chequered flag – and with it, securing his third Swedish Championship (SM) medal in as many years.

“It was certainly a hell of a race!” the 21-year-old acknowledged. “Arvika is Johan’s home track, and whilst I could match his speed, I couldn’t go any faster so we knew our best opportunity would be to get him off the line. I had struggled with my starts in the qualifying races, so we worked hard on that and also saved a set of brand new tyres for the final because you get a much better launch than on used ones.

“As ever in rallycross, the first few corners were a mixture of a bit of skill and a bit of luck, but once I was in the lead, I made sure to focus on corner exit speed. Johan was breathing down my neck, but it’s very difficult to overtake at Arvika and by sticking to my lines, each time he got his nose alongside me, I was able to fend him off.

“I knew I needed to put a quick lap in when he jokered, but I pushed a bit too hard and that’s where I picked up the first puncture. To then later get a second one was just so unfortunate and made the last lap-and-a-half really tricky, but there was no way I was going to lose a top three finish as well as the win. I was obviously disappointed but hey, we put up a fight and we came pretty close...”

Eriksson’s OMSE stablemates Fraser McConnell and Anders Michalak similarly shone at Westombanan. The Jamaican was another to throw down the gauntlet to Kristoffersson with a doorhandle-to-doorhandle duel in Q1, but a broken wheel in Q3 and a first corner squeeze in the final curtailed his podium charge. The Swede also impressed in only his second weekend at Supercar level, and was on-course to finish third until gearbox issues intervened.

Linus Östlund spearheaded OMSE’s bid in Supercar Lites. The only driver to get the better of class pace-setter Henrik Krogstad in the qualifying stages – taking the chequered flag first in Q4 courtesy of a brilliant last corner block – the 20-year-old went on to lead a 1-2-3 for the team in the second semi-final and ran second in the final until suspension breakage dashed his hopes.

Östlund nonetheless did enough to successfully retain his hard-fought Swedish Championship crown, and he remains firmly in RallyX Nordic title contention heading into the double-header season finale at Nysum in just under a month’s time.

“It was obviously good to defend my SM title,” the Swede reflected. “There are a lot of fast guys in the Swedish Championship so that meant a lot, and it’s another cool medal to add to the collection.

“We struggled a bit to begin with at Arvika, but we analysed the data and worked out what we were missing and that helped us to close the gap to Krogstad. I knew I had to try to block him as he emerged from the joker at the end of Q4, but I didn’t honestly think I would be able to pull it off – I kept waiting for him to fly past me on the left-hand side, but he never did. After hunting him for so long, that was a big boost for the whole team.

“We had good pace again in the final, but over the first jump, I felt something weird. At first, I thought it was a puncture but then going down the hill, I felt the back of the car just hit the ground. That was when I knew it was more serious. It turned out to be a bolt holding the damper that had broken, which was extremely unlucky – the guys in the team had never seen that happen before.

“Still, we’re very much in the fight and moving on to Nysum now, it’s shaping up to be an awesome battle for the title in Supercar Lites – there’s everything to play for.”

Just two points ahead of Östlund in the Supercar Lites standings is Jesse Kallio, who jointly leads the championship going to Denmark. The Finn bravely raced to second place at Arvika with a bandaged-up wrist following contact in Q4, crossing the finish line narrowly ahead of Martin Enlund, who celebrated his breakthrough rostrum finish after having to overcome an electrical problem in Q3 and an unfastened door in Q4. The Swede displayed strong pace all weekend and thoroughly deserved his maiden trophy in the class.

“I was stoked to achieve my first podium, especially coming so early on in my Supercar Lites career,” the 19-year-old enthused. “My main goal for this season was simply to reach the final, so this definitely exceeds my expectations. I know I’ve got the speed – I’ve shown that before – but we’ve been unlucky and until Arvika, things just didn’t seem to go our way.

“I feared my weekend might be over after the electrical issue in Q3, because you never know how far down the standings you’re going to fall – especially in such a competitive field. Then in Q4, I needed to stop the door flapping to avoid getting black-flagged, so I had to step off the gas for a moment to close it, which left me at the back of the field. I knew I had the pace to fight back through and I drove angry after that – I was really pushing! To go third-fastest was extremely satisfying.

“In the semi-final, I didn’t challenge Jesse too hard because we were in a good position and the main thing was to ensure all three OMSE cars got through. It was a similar situation in the final – I felt I had a bit more pace than him, but we’re team-mates and friends and I was on for my first podium, so it would have been silly to try anything risky.

“The other Supercar Lites guys are super-quick and have a lot more experience than I do. I look up to them and I’m aware that I still have a lot to learn, but we’re definitely going in the right direction. The constant bad luck can drag you down a bit, but this gives me more confidence going to Denmark – bring it on!”

Niklas Aneklev reached the semi-final stage for the third time from three starts in 2020, and along with the rest of the OMSE stable, the Swede is now aiming to finish with a flourish at Nysum on 4-6 September.

20-08-10 Clean sweep for Kristoffersson as World Champ wins at home
World Champion withstands Eriksson challenge to seal hometown success
Rallycross returnee Krogstad scores dominant first victory for #YellowSquad
Teenage talents Hallberg and Gustafsson triumph in CrossCar categories

There was a homecoming celebration for Johan Kristoffersson at Arvika yesterday (9 August), as the Swede maintained his 100 per cent success record at the popular Westombanan track by triumphing in the third round of RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires – but Oliver Eriksson made sure he had to fight for it.

Värmland circuit Arvika is home soil for Kristoffersson, and whilst he had not raced there since 2014, he quickly showed his adversaries who was boss with a clean sweep of all four qualifying sessions, semi-final and final – but that did not tell the full story...

Supercar
Tired of playing second fiddle to the double FIA World Rallycross Champion, Olsbergs MSE ace Eriksson – runner-up in the RallyX Nordic Supercar class standings for the past two seasons – braved it out around the outside of the first corner in the final before snatching the inside line on the exit of Turn Two.

For the next two laps, the Ford Fiesta held sway at the front of the field, as Eriksson rebuffed Kristoffersson’s every attempt to get past. Time and again, the Volkswagen Polo pulled alongside, but the two-time RX2 Series Champion boldly stuck to his guns and refused to be intimidated.

Something had to give, and when Kristoffersson dived to the joker lap, Eriksson knew he needed to get the hammer down if he was to retain his advantage. Unfortunately, a mistake at the last corner saw him tap the barrier on the inside, and the contact would ultimately leave him nursing a double puncture and fighting a rearguard action.

As Kristoffersson motored serenely on to his second victory from three starts in RallyX Nordic this year, his OMSE rival was going in the opposite direction. Linus Westman snuck past on the last lap to record an excellent second-place finish, with the gutsy Eriksson having to properly get his elbows out to fend off Peter Hedström on the run to the chequered flag. Flashing across the finish line on only two rims, in the circumstances, third position marked an astonishing effort.

Multiple Swedish Rallycross Champion Hedström wound up fourth on his seasonal debut, ahead of Fraser McConnell. After proving to be Kristoffersson’s closest challenger in both Q1 and Q2, the Jamaican seemed set for a stellar result on the weekend that his country celebrated its Independence Day, but a squeeze at the start of the final sent him spearing across the grass and tumbling down the order.

McConnell’s OMSE stablemate Anders Michalak could tell a similar hard luck story. Fast throughout, the Swede looked to be on course for a rostrum result until gearbox issues intervened – but he could still take heart from a tremendously promising performance in only his second event at Supercar level.

Johan Kristoffersson: “I said all along that you need to be extremely sharp if you want to achieve a clean sweep. Oliver [Eriksson] was really on it in the final. I had a little bit too much wheelspin at the start and he pulled a great move up the inside of me and over the jump. After that, we had a fun battle for a couple of laps – it was only a shame it was cut short as I was looking forward to continuing the fight. Still, I’m very happy that we were able to put on such an exciting show for all the fans following via the livestream.”

Supercar Lites
Henrik Krogstad was the main man in Supercar Lites at Arvika, as the Norwegian delivered #YellowSquad its first victory in the category with a dominant performance. After leaving his rivals eating his dust in the opening three qualifiers, Krogstad was denied a clean copybook in Q4 when Linus Östlund narrowly pipped him to the post – but he would not allow any of his adversaries the same opportunity in the semi-final or final.

His second Supercar Lites win – and first since his competitive comeback this year – vaulted Krogstad to the summit of the championship standings, tied on points with Jesse Kallio, who took the chequered flag second at Westombanan despite having to drive with a bandaged-up wrist following contact in Q4.

The Finn benefitted from a suspension breakage for OMSE team-mate Östlund to inherit the runner-up laurels, although the latter could console himself with the Swedish Championship (SM) crown. He also remains firmly in the hunt for the RallyX Nordic title, just two points adrift of the top of the table.

An impressive Martin Enlund made it a double podium celebration for OMSE in third – the Swedish teenager’s maiden top three result in the class in only his fourth start – ahead of Gustav Johansson, for whom Arvika marked a tremendously positive weekend. Fellow finalist Mats Oskarsson pulled off the track at mid-distance with a punctured tyre.

The most frustrated driver leaving Westombanan, however, was undoubtedly Simon Olofsson. Championship leader going into the weekend, the STS RX ace was in the mix throughout the qualifying stages but a mistake in the semi-final saw him hit the barrier exiting the joker, breaking his right-rear wheel and ruling him out of a spot in the all-important final.

Henrik Krogstad: “This feels so good – it’s the best racing weekend I’ve ever had! Right from the start of Q1, I was properly in the zone and had a lot of fun – there wasn’t a single lap all weekend that I didn’t enjoy. It’s an emotional result. It’s my first win since returning from a year away and #YellowSquad’s first win in Supercar Lites, and everybody involved fully deserves this success for all the hard work that has gone into the project – that hard work is now paying off.”

CrossCar/Crosskart and CrossCar Junior
At Höljes last month, Patrik Hallberg posted the fastest time in five of the seven CrossCar/Crosskart qualifiers and appeared to be a dead-cert for some silverware, only for a spin and a stall to see him leave the track empty-handed. He was not about to let victory slip through his fingers again.

The Swedish teenager was in a league of his own from Q1 to Q3, but gear selection problems in Q4 spoiled what was looking set to be a clean sweep. Undeterred, Hallberg went on to dominate his semi-final and the final, finishing the job he had started at Höljes – and in some style.

Isak Reiersen continued his podium-finishing run by taking the chequered flag second, following a stirring early duel with former championship leader Max Rundberg, whose bid would unfortunately end in the barriers. The JC Raceteknik Juniorteam ace also had to withstand a late-race challenge from Oskar Andersson, who briefly got ahead only to run through the gravel at the last corner and slip to third.

In the new-for-2020 CrossCar Junior class, Alex Gustafsson fought his way to the top step of the rostrum. After winning two of the four qualifiers, the 13-year-old gave himself some work to do in the final. Slow away from the lights, he had to overcome both Raoul Dahlqvist and Rasmus Persson, but once he was in the lead, he simply checked out to vault from fourth to first in the championship table.

The architect of a number of eye-catching overtaking moves, Dahlqvist held on to finish second from Persson, meaning the battle for glory in CrossCar Junior – as in all of the other RallyX Nordic categories – will go down to the wire in the double-header season finale at Nysum in Denmark on 4-6 September.

Patrik Hallberg: “It’s unbelievable – this feels great, especially after Höljes, where we should definitely have come away with a much better result. I got an amazing start in the final and pushed flat-out, which enabled me to build up a bit of a gap and then I could just focus on bringing it home. To be so fast at two completely different types of track is really encouraging going forward.”

Alex Gustafsson: “I dropped back a bit at the start of the final, after which I had a big battle with Raoul (Dahlqvist). I pulled off what I thought was a good move on him into the last corner, but he came straight back at me again! My joker then wasn’t great, so I was a bit surprised to emerge in front after Raoul jokered too. I’ve been driving at Westombanan since I was six-years-old, so I know the track pretty well and it really is such a special feeling to win at ‘home’.”

Results
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) VW Dealer Team Bauhaus 5 laps
2. Linus WESTMAN (SWE) LIWE RX +10.099s
3. Oliver ERIKSSON (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +11.329s
4. Peter HEDSTRÖM (SWE) Hedströms Motorsport +11.633s
5. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) Olsbergs MSE +15.404s
6. Anders MICHALAK (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +1 lap

Supercar Lites
1. Henrik KROGSTAD (NOR) YellowSquad 5 laps
2. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) Olsbergs MSE +4.025s
3. Martin ENLUND (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +4.819s
4. Gustav JOHANSSON (SWE) VGracing +6.859s
5. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +20.147s
6. Mats OSKARSSON (SWE) MORX +2 laps

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) Patrik Hallberg 5 laps
2. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) JC Raceteknik Juniorteam +3.581s
3. Oskar ANDERSSON (SWE) Enlunds Motorsport +4.749s
4. Timmy ENLUND (SWE) Enlunds Motorsport +6.920s
5. Fredrik ERIKSSON (SWE) Fredrik Eriksson +10.580s
6. Max RUNDBERG (SWE) Json Motorpsort +2 laps

CrossCar Junior
1. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) JC Raceteknik Juniorteam 5 laps
2. Raoul DAHLQVIST (FIN) DahlqvistRX +1.413s
3. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +3.210s
4. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) Lukas Andersson +4.416s
5. Erik ANDERSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +4 laps

Championship Standings
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) 81 points
2. Oliver ERIKSSON (SWE) 56 points
3. Robin LARSSON (SWE) 55 points
4. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) 47 points
5. Oliver SOLBERG (SWE) 46 points
6. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) 45 points

Supercar Lites
1. Henrik KROGSTAD (NOR) 71 points
2. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) 71 points
3. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 69 points
4. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) 65 points
5. Mats OSKARSSON(SWE) 44 points
6. Jimmie WALFRIDSON (SWE) 42 points

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) 72 points
2. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) 71 points
3. Max RUNDBERG (SWE) 71 points
4. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) 57 points
5. Julle LJUNGDAHL (SWE) 49 points
6. Thomas Eek MURSTAD (NOR) 46 points

CrossCar Junior
1. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) 65 points
2. Raoul DAHLQVIST (FIN) 63 points
3. Erik ANDERSSON (SWE) 59 points
4. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) 57 points
5. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) 55 points
6. Elias KALLIOKOSKI (FIN) 42 points

20-08-10 Krogstad takes RX Nordic championship lead with first win for #YellowSquad
Henrik Krogstad at the third round of RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites 2020. Westombanan, Arvika, Sweden, August 9 2020. Arvika, August 9 2020 - Henrik Krogstad has taken the lead in RallyX Nordic's Supercar Lites category, scoring #YellowSquad's first ever round win at the third round of the season in Arvika, Sweden.

Krogstad was peerless throughout the weekend, topping every practice session, three out of four qualifying rounds and the first semi-final on his way to overall victory.

His most dominant run of the weekend was in the second qualifying round, where he went four seconds faster than any other driver; an unheard of advantage in a four-lap rallycross race, where races are often settled with gaps as small as tenths of a second.

There was also expert help at hand as FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen, #YellowSquad's Head of Driver Development, was at the track helping Krogstad optimise his performance throughout the weekend.

After a second and fourth place at the season-opening Magic Weekend double-header at Höljes, Krogstad was fourth in the championship heading to Arvika. But a maximum points score from round three has propelled him all the way to the top of the standings, tied with Jesse Kallio on 71 points.

#YellowSquad's next event is the RallyX Nordic season finale at Nysum, Denmark, on September 4-6. That weekend will also host a winner-takes-all shoot-out for the RX2 Interational Series crown.

Henrik Krogstad
#YellowSquad Driver
“We were doing a lot of testing on Monday focusing only on our starts. I’ve been quick at Arvika before but never been able to get in clean air, and this weekend I nailed every start, which allowed me to just enjoy driving up front rather than having to fight every lap. And this will be useful for the season finale at Nysum too, even more so than here at Arvika.

“I also had enough self-confidence to be able to enjoy being in the lead. I knew that even if the other drivers could follow me, they couldn’t pass me, because the speeds here are so high. Höljes has always been one of my weaker tracks so we worked really hard on the little details there, and kept that approach here. So now we’ve come here, to a track that suits me, and we’re extremely fast.

“We had a great setup on the car from the start. I don’t believe we changed anything on the car all weekend, at least nothing significant with the set-up. Eric and the guys used their experience with the Lites car and their baseline set-up was perfect out of the box.

“It’s been so great having Timmy here. He knows so much and he has the answer to everything that I ask. It’s not only down to the advice he gives about driving but his mental coaching, ensuring I have the right mindset during the weekend, which is so important as well.”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“It's amazing for the team to get its first win since Hansen Motorsport and Team Färén began the #YellowSquad partnership. The goal was always get Hansen Motorsport back on the top of the podium. It's been many years since I was there myself, winning the RX Lites championship in 2015, and for Team Färén it's a first win since 2017. We've been working really hard since we merged and the only thing we wanted was to get back on the top step.

“It's the first win for this team and we've done it in a way that really puts a mark on this category. Combining Hansen Motorsport's strengths as a world championship-winning team and Team Färén's operational strength, you can see what that combination can give to the drivers in our team. I'm ecstatic with this victory and extremely proud for everyone involved in this project for putting their heart, soul and passion into it. The result today is a natural consequence of that, and I'm really grateful for all their efforts.”

Timmy Hansen
Head of Driver Development
“Henrik's performance this weekend is one of the best I've ever seen in rallycross. It's a one make series and to be sometimes a second a lap faster than anyone else is absolutely amazing, especially considering these are the best drivers you can go up against in this class right now. And he was still in a league of his own.”

“From the beginning he had fantastic pace and within the team, we didn't look too much at the others. Even though we were far ahead we still worked on the details and trying to get that perfect run together and race by race, we were still able to improve and find a bit of time here and there.”

“Henrik drove with incredible confidence and seeing him in the semi final and final, securing it with such a margin, is something that doesn't happen very often. It's a fantastic sporting achievement, so I must take my hat off to Henrik this weekend and to the entire #YellowSquad team. We were able to get the set-up just to Henrik's liking and all of the pieces came together this weekend.”

“It's a lot of pressure performing at the end after such a good weekend; I know that myself from my own good races! But he was still able to put that run together when he needed to in the semi-final and final. So it was a massive performance, hugely impressive, I couldn't have done it better myself, so I'm very proud of him.”

20-08-09 Dubbelt på pallen för JC Raceteknik Juniorteam – SM-medalj för Robin Larsson
Seger och en andraplats för JC Raceteknik när RallyX Nordic under helgen kördes i Arvika. Teamet tar även med ett SM-brons, trots en färre körd deltävling.
– Det blev en välförtjänt seger på hemmaplan och en skön känsla att lämna Arvika med årets första medalj, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Årets tredje deltävling av rallycrossmästerskapet RallyX Nordic kördes under helgen på Westombanan i Arvika. Värmländska JC Raceteknik kom till start med fyra förare – en i varje klass. För JC Raceteknik Juniorteam blev det en triumf, där båda juniorerna går upp i mästerskapsledning. I helgen avgjordes även det svenska mästerskapet i rallycross. Trots att Robin Larsson, som satsar fullt på FIA World Rallycross Championship (Supercar-VM) i år, inte kom till start i helgen knep han en medalj. Genom bra poäng från de två inledande deltävlingarna i Höljes räckte det till SM-brons i värstingklassen Supercar.

Junioren Alex Gustafsson, 13-åringen från Arvika, tog under helgen sin andra seger i klassen Crosscar Junior. Han imponerade med högt tempo på hemmaplan genom att kamma hem seger i både grundomgången och semifinalen. Efter helgen avancerar han från en fjärdeplats i RallyX Nordic och övertar ledningen med två poäng. Torsbyföraren Isak Reiersen, 16 år, höll även han ett högt tempo under helgen i klassen Crosscar. Efter en snabb final sluade han tvåa i tävlingen och klättrar upp till en mästerskapsledning – med endast en poäng ner till både tvåan och trean.

Teamet Supercar-förare Mats Öhman höll genomgående högt tempo på banan och imponerade med flera topptider, men tyvärr satte starterna käppar i hjulen. Norrbottningen, som är 95 procent förlamad, kör en specialbyggd rallycrossbil och har under åren haft utmaningar med att optimera startsystemet i sina bilar. Trots att starterna inte var perfekta kunde han sätta flera topptider, ta en heatseger och sluta femma i grundomgången. Det räckte totalt till en fjärdeplats i semifinalen, och Mats blev förste föraren utanför final. I Supercar Lites hade Jimmie Walfridson en motigare tävling och han kämpade med flytet på banan. Värmlänningen missade brons-medaljen i SM med två poäng och slutar istället fyra.

Den sista deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic körs i danska Nysum 4-6 september. Nästa rallycrosstävling blir när World RX (VM) och Euro RX (EM) har premiär i Höljes med en dubbeltävling 22-23 augusti.
* Svenska mästerskapet bestod av tre deltävlingar: Två i Höljes och den avslutande i Arvika.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef JC Raceteknik och KYB Team JC:
”I det stora hela är vi nöjda med helgens deltävling av RallyX Nordic. Att JC Raceteknik Juniorteam kunde ta över mästerskapledningen i både Crosscar och Crosscar Junior gör att vi lämnar Arvika med en skön känsla. Alex gjorde en riktigt bra tävling och imponerade framförallt med uppkörningen i finalen. Han sliter lite med starterna emellanåt, men rent körmässigt är han suverän. Det blev en välförtjänt seger på hemmaplan. Isak har till en början fått fightats lite, men har en hög lägstanivå och knyter som vanligt ihop i slutet.

För Mats del var det inte ens tanken att han skulle tävla, men vi gjorde ett test som kändes bra och lämnade in en efteranmälan tre timmar innan besiktningen. För Mats finns farten och det är och genom en tredjetid i Q2 och en andratid på träningen visar han vad han går för på banan. Tyvärr sliter han och teamet fortfarande med startsystemet i bilen, vilket gör det tufft för honom. För Jimmies del så fick vi inte riktigt till flytet den här helgen. Han kör rent och snyggt, och brukar vara startsnabb. Men den här helgen kom han inte in i matchen som han brukar. Vi får helt enkelt analysera inför Nysum.

Sedan att Robin fick ett SM-brons i helgen känns lite speciellt. Vi valde att satsa på VM istället för RallyX Nordic för hans del i år, så därför kom han inte till start i helgen. Trots det slutade han på tredjeplats i SM, och var även med i fighten om silvret. Så vi är självklart väldigt nöjda ett brons, trots en färre körd deltävling. Det är en skön känsla att lämna Arvika med årets första medalj.”

Mats Öhman, Supercar [SWE]:
”Körningen i helgen kändes fantastiskt bra och jag har blivit jäkligt bekväm i bilen. Men i och med att det är mindre som fungerar på min kropp jämfört med de andra förarna så är det extra viktigt att bilen fungerar perfekt, annars går det inte. Det gör den nu och vi har hittat rätt set-up för mig där bilen styr väldigt fint – förutom att vi fortfarande inte hittat rätt med starterna. Just startsystemet är någonting som vi klurat på och själva utvecklat i många år, men tyvärr så fungerar det inte optimalt än. Det är såklart svårt att göra bra resultat i en hel tävling om du ofta är sist iväg i starten, och istället måste köra upp placeringarna. Men vi får fortsätta testa oss fram och se. Teamet och alla runtomkring har som alltid gjort ett kanonjobb i helgen, utan dem skulle jag inte vara här så jag är väldigt tacksam över det.”

Jimmie Walfridson, Supercar Lites [SWE]:
”Det ville sig inte riktigt den här helgen. Jag har inte hittat flytet och haft den jämnhet som behövts på banan. Dessutom har jag gjort lite för många småmissar mellan varven och det kostade viktiga sekunder. Inför tävlingen i Nysum om en månad ska jag analysera det hela lite, så att vi kan komma igen med den rätta farten. Målet är att avsluta säsongen i en final. Jag har tidigare kommit på pallen i Danmark, så känslan på den banan är bra.”

Isak Reiersen, JC Raceteknik Juniorteam, Crosscar [SWE]:
”Vi gick in i helgen med tredjeplats i RallyX Nordic och målet är alltid att plocka så många poäng som möjligt. Nu lämnar jag Arvika med en mästerskapsledning, så det kan inte bli bättre. Farten och bra varvtider har funnits, men liksom i Höljes startade min helg lite trögt och med otur med starter från ytterkanten. I Q3 fick jag ett bra startspår och därefter blev det snabba tider. En andraplats i tävlingen känns bra, nu laddar vi om inför Nysum. Jag var snabb där i fjol och tog en vinst, samtidigt vet jag vad jag måste förbättra inför tävlingen. Med den kombinationen hoppas jag att vi kan knyta ihop säcken i mästerskapet. Jag vill också gratulera min teamkompis Alex till segern idag. Han har generellt haft väldigt bra körning i helgen, och jag blev imponerad över farten han fick upp i finalen efter jokern.”

Alex Gustafsson, JC Raceteknik Juniorteam, Crosscar Junior [SWE]:
”Det här är första gången den här klassen körs på Westombanan, så det var en härlig känsla att vinna den. Jag har haft väldigt kul och varit snabb hela helgen, även om jag strulat lite med starterna. Jag skulle sammanfatta allt som lärorikt, med väldigt jämna race. I finalen var jag bra med i starten, men lyckades frilägga och tappade fart. Så jag valde jokern tidigt, jagade ikapp och kunde ta över ledningen när de andra tog jokern. Det känns helt otroligt att vinna i en så här stor serie på hemmaplan. Jag vill också passa på att tacka MK team Westom för en väldigt bra tävling.”

20-08-09 Kristofferssons första SM-guld
Det blev en perfekt rallycrosshelg för Johan Kristoffersson hemma på Westombanan, med seger i RallyX Nordic, ett bärgat SM-guld och en härlig finalduell mot Oliver Eriksson.
- Så roligt! Det är precis för såna här fighter man håller på med rallycross, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren.

Trots att Kristoffersson tog hem alla sex heat han körde under helgen, så var det ingen enkel resa till slutsegern. I första omgången på fredagen fick Johan starta längst ut med sin KMS-byggda Polo GTI RX.
- Femtespåret och med tävlingens två snabbaste utmanare på insidan. Det var egentligen nyckeln för resten av helgen att jag lyckades ta hem Q1.

Kristoffersson syftar på Oliver Eriksson och Fraser McConnell, där den senare bjöd på hårdast motstånd i den första kvalomgången. Den dubble världsmästaren fick plocka fram ett av sina allra mest avancerade vapen för att kunna tråckla sig förbi på insidan.
- Det är såna situationer som kan dyka upp även i VM, att man får en dålig lottning och måste jaga. Nu fick Johan jobba för det, menar stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson, som därefter fick se sin son plocka hem även de tre följande kvalomgångarna efter ledning från start till mål.
- Allt har bara fungerat. Starterna har suttit perfekt, säger Johan.

31-åringen från Arvika intog pole position i första semifinalen och där blev det en ohotad seger.
- Ännu en bra start och därefter kunde jag bara ta det i mål i min egen takt.

Ett orosmoln under helgen var annars de punkteringar som Johan drog på sig efter det andra hoppet, både på den fria träningen och under söndagens warm up. Detta problem blev en viktig faktor även i finalen, men nu var det konkurrenten Oliver Eriksson som råkade illa ut.

I finalen gick Kristoffersson en rejäl kamp mot nämnde Eriksson efter en dramatisk första kurva. Johan hade innern, men gled ut lite, fick en liten tryckare bak, vilket öppnade spåret perfekt för Eriksson.
- Han gjorde en superbra förstasväng och smet upp på insidan. Därifrån var det bara för mig att försöka ligga så nära som möjligt för att sätta press på honom.

Den furiösa fighten pågick i tre varv, där båda förarna körde över stock och sten innan duellen fick ett snöpligt slut.
- Jag tog jokern och på varvet därefter fick Oliver punktering. Där dog den kampen kan man säga, men det var riktigt skoj så länge det varade, orytmiskt och tufft som en rallycrossfinal ska vara. Helt perfekt träning för mig inför det som komma skall, säger Johan med VM-premiären i Höljes i åtanke.

I och med framgången på Westombanan plockade Johan också hem sin första SM-titel i karriären och tog sig lite närmare i familjekampen, där pappa Tommy stoltserar med tre guld.
- Nu har jag ett i alla fall, och jag kan ju inte ta mer än ett per år, så man får väl börja någonstans, konstaterar Johan med ett leende.

Nöjd var han också med sin egen insats under helgen. Vid säsongspremiären i Höljes hade solen sina fläckar. Nu såg det vassare ut.
- Bättre och stabilare körning. I Höljes blev det några misstag som man inte får göra. Nu gjorde jag egentligen inte något. Att Oliver tog sig förbi i finalen var ingen miss utan mer en bra manöver av honom.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS flyttar härmed fokus till VM och teamchefen tar med sig bra känslor dit.
- Det här var en väldigt bra genomkörare för hela teamet. Killarna har gjort ett fantastiskt jobb med den bil vi nu ska lämna över till Sondre Evjen medan Johan byter till VM-bilen med början på testet i Strängnäs under torsdag och fredag, säger Tommy Kristoffersson som avslutningsvis också vill ge en eloge till hemmaklubben MK Team Westom och arrangören av RallyX Nordic.
- Jag vill verkligen framhålla alla funktionärer och deras ideella arbete så här i semestertider för att få till ett så snyggt arrangemang, med en bana som håller för tre dagars körning och med allt annat runt omkring.

20-08-09 Jimmie Walfridsson hittade inte rätta flytet under RallyX Nordic - slutade fyra i rallycross-SM
Under tre dagar bjöd RallyX Nordic och rallycross-SM på superfinal på Westombanan i Arvika. Men det ville sig inte riktigt för Torsbysonen Jimmie Walfridson i helgen. Tillsammans med teamet JC Raceteknik fanns han på plats för att slåss om poängen i det nordiska mästerskapet samt försöka ta sin tredje raka SM-medalj.

Westombanan är en bana som Jimmie normalt trivs bra på, men den här gången höll det inte hela vägen till final. Jimmie noterade tre sjundeplatser samt en niondeplats i de fyra omgångarna och kvalade in som fjärde bil i semifinalen. I semifinalen slutade han fyra och fick därmed inte köra final den här gången.

Han slutade nia i tävlingen och fick därför nöja sig med en fjärde plats i rallycross-SM för Supercar Lites i år – med bara två poäng upp till bronset.
– Det ville sig inte riktigt den här helgen. Jag har inte hittat flytet och haft den jämnhet som behövts på banan. Dessutom har jag gjort lite för många småmissar mellan varven och det kostade viktiga sekunder. Inför tävlingen i Nysum om en månad ska jag analysera det hela lite, så att vi kan komma igen med den rätta farten, säger Jimmie.

Resultat Arvika, Supercar Lites
1. Henrik Krogstad (Nor) 30 p
2. Jesse Kallio (Fin) 23 p
3. Martin Enlund (Sve) 19 p
4. Gustav Johansson (Sve) 20 p
5. Linus Östlund (Sve) 23 p
6. Mats Oskarsson (Sve) 11 p
7. Simon Olofsson (Sve) 15 p
8. Nils Andersson (Sve) 13 p
9. Jimmie Walfridson (Sve) 12 p
10. Niklas Aneklev (Sve) 10 p

Mer info hittar du på där vi följt tävlingen heat för heat www.walfridson.com.

20-08-07 SBF-play livesänder hela superfinalen i rallycross
SBF-play sänder hela rallycross-SM och RallyX Nordic från Arvika.

Sändningsschema:
Fredag 7 augusti - Sändningstid: 12.45-16.30
Lördag 8 augusti - Sändningstid: 09.45-18.00
Söndag 9 augusti - Sändningstid: 10.45-17.00 (finaler 13.30-17.00)

Ta del av all action på www.sbfplay.se

20-08-05 Svenska Superfinalen i Rallycross 7-9 augusti
Många förare och rallycross-fans har frågat efter en stor final med alla klasser som finns, 2- och 4-hjulsdrivna. Alla vill se våra VM- och EM-stjärnor på nära håll men också våra nationella (mindre kända) förare som bjuder på lika bra underhållning

Tidigt i år fanns en plan för en Super-SM-final, men Covid-19 ändrade allt, många gånger om.

Efter hårt arbete från många entusiaster, är vi tillbaka på rätt spår. Det kommer att köras en fantastisk Svensk Superfinal tillsammans med RallyX på Westombanan i Arvika 7-9/8.

Nationella klasserna Supernationell, 2400, JSM (Junior-SM) och RM2150 har lockat en imponerande skara förare 2020. De fyra första deltävlingarna hade totalt över 80 deltagare varje gång! Det är fler än på många år! Till finalen är det nästan 80 ;-) (78) Det är imponerande då man vet att bara 12 SM-medaljer ska delas ut bland dessa. Förarna älskar sin sport och kör för publiken! (Det verkar inte spela någon roll om publiken är på läktarna eller på webben. Strongt!)

I 2400 väntar vi en tuff uppgörelse om guldet mellan SimonC Claesson och Per Berglund. 5 poäng skiljer, men det är 30 att köra om. Det är en större lucka ner till bronsplatsen. Där finns Rasmus Ohlsson, Rasmus Carlsson och Rasmus Karlsson inom 7 poäng, så där kommer att bli fight. Vi får även se ett intressant inhopp av ”en gammal mästare”. Mattias Ohlsson är supersugen på att köra Rallycross efter några säsonger i Crosskart. Kan han rubba någon av herrarna ovan tro?

I JSM är det ynka 2 poäng mellan Filip Martinsson och Klara Andersson. Båda kör fort i Arvika, men de får se upp för Alexander Jeppsson som bara ligger 6 poäng bakom och har verkligen ångan uppe! Värmlandsföraren Linus Björk imponerade i finalen förra året. Även han har en hypotetisk chans på guldet, men såklart även på övriga medaljer.

I största klassen RM2150 är det hela 7 förare som teoretiskt kan ta guldet. Självklart krävs det ett under om 7:an ska ta hem det, men möjligheten finns för det är jämnt. I toppen har vi fjolårsmästaren Björn ”Putte” Alvarsson som närmast efter sig har August Krokström, bara 2 poäng skiljer dem åt. 12 poäng efter August ligger förra årets JSM-mästare Jens Högbom och han har tre Värmlandsförare inom 6 poäng efter det. Marius Tangen, Anton Eriksson Therus och Jim Jansson vill självklart visa vem som är kung av Westom, så det kommer att bli strid på kniven.

Supernationella mönstrar ett större startfält än tidigare i år. Ingen kan göra något åt suveränen Per-Erik Blomqvist som är klar guldmedaljör, men många vill visa vad de kan. Här hoppas vi på goda fighter och show för de som tittar.

I Supercar kommer vi bland annat att få se världsmästare Johan Kristoffersson på sin hemmabana. Han kommer att få tampas med kanske den ende som är mer känd än han själv i Arvika. Legenden Per Eklund kommer till start i sin VW Beetle. Det här blir mycket intressant! Är gammal äldst? Finns det någon som kan rubba dessa båda är det nog Oliver Eriksson. En bra dag gör han underverk och då kan saker hända.

Supercar Liten har hemmaföraren Simon Olofsson i ledarposition i SM, men bara 4 poäng före Linus Östlund. Lite längre ner väntar vi oss en hård fight om bronset mellan Mats Oskarsson, Jimmie Walfridson, Marcus Höglund och Nils Andersson.

Nu ser vi fram mot ett finalevenemang av sällan skådat slag, med fantastisk körning från superladdade förare.

En värdefull faktor för alla förare och fans är den massiva mediatäckningen från fredag till söndag.

På SBFPlay kan man följa allt som händer från start till mål, från fredag till söndag.

Utöver det kommer RallyX att sända sitt eget program, med engelska kommentatorer.

Sist men inte minst kommer SVT att sända hela söndagens finalpass live med experterna Johan Ejeborg och Jonas Kruse vid rodret.

Mer info:
SBF play: https://solidsport.com/sbfplay
RallyX Nordic: https://tv.rallyx.se/
SVT: https://www.svt.se/sport/motorsport/rallycrossfest-direkt-i-svt

20-08-05 Arvika livestream details and commentary team confirmed
World-class commentary line-up unveiled for Arvika global broadcast
Cutting-edge live coverage available here for just 99 SEK (c. €9,99)
SVT and SBF Play to support with comprehensive Swedish package
Building upon the success of last month’s ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend at Höljes, RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires is delighted to confirm that Andrew Coley, Hal Ridge and Molly Pettit will return to the mic at Arvika this weekend, with livestream subscriptions now open.

The 2020 RallyX Nordic season curtain-raiser set new standards for live broadcasts in the discipline, with the NEP Sweden-produced, non-geoblocked show attracting almost 16,000 unique subscribers and drawing universal acclaim for its comprehensive coverage, state-of-the-art studio set-up and spectacular drone shots.

FIA World RX commentator Coley – the ‘Voice of Rallycross’ – and esteemed British journalist Ridge will reprise their popular double act as they tell the story of the races at Arvika, with official FIA World Rally Championship TV reporter Pettit continuing to anchor the studio and welcome its high-profile guests.

The seven-hour global livestream is scheduled to begin at 10:15 (CEST) on Sunday (9 August), summarising all of the major action from the first three qualifying rounds before launching into the live broadcast element of the show from Q4 onwards.

Subscriptions are available for just 99 SEK (c. €9,99), with a full replay of Höljes’ ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend on offer for 129 SEK (c. €12,99) and a discounted joint package on sale for only 199 SEK (c. €19,99). The link to subscribe is here.

Taking place behind closed doors in-line with current restrictions, not only will Arvika host the eagerly-anticipated third round of the RallyX Nordic campaign – featuring the likes of two-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson and 1999 Euro RX Champion Per Eklund, extending his comeback at the age of 74 – but it will also stage the final instalment in the enthralling battle for glory in the Swedish Rallycross Championship.

In what looks sure to be the biggest rallycross event ever held in Sweden, the ‘Super SM Final’ will see the destiny of the coveted SM crowns decided over the course of an historic high-octane weekend. Competitors in all Swedish two and four-wheel drive classes – Supercars, Supercar Lites and national categories 2400, RM2150 and Junior SM – will duel doorhandle-to-doorhandle around the popular Westombanan track.

All of the RallyX Nordic and SM Finals action – comprising all races in all classes from Friday through to Sunday – will be streamed live with Swedish commentary from Christian Holmudd on SBF Play. The full weekend broadcast is available to watch for 199 SEK, with individual day subscriptions priced at 99 SEK.

This will be complemented by a three-hour live broadcast of Sunday’s all-important semi-finals and finals on Swedish national television (SVT), whose expert commentator, Jonas Kruse, predicts ‘drama on the classic Westombanan’...

Provisional Arvika Broadcast Timetable*
Friday, 7 August 13:00 Q1 (SM) SBF Play
Friday, 7 August 14:50 Q1 (RallyX Nordic) SBF Play
Saturday, 8 August 10:00 Q2 (SM) SBF Play
Saturday, 8 August 11:50 Q2 (RallyX Nordic) SBF Play
Saturday, 8 August 14:20 Q3 (SM) SBF Play
Saturday, 8 August 16:10 Q3 (RallyX Nordic) SBF Play
Sunday, 9 August 11:00 Q4 (SM) RallyX.TV / SBF Play
Sunday, 9 August 13:40 Semi-Finals (SM) RallyX.TV / SVT / SBF Play
Sunday, 9 August 14:40 Semi-Finals (RallyX Nordic) RallyX.TV / SVT / SBF Play
Sunday, 9 August 15:30 Finals (SM) RallyX.TV / SVT / SBF Play
Sunday, 9 August 16:10 Finals (RallyX Nordic) RallyX.TV / SVT / SBF Play
*All times are local (CEST) and remain subject to change

20-08-05 Motorfest väntar på SBF Play i helgen
Superhelg i rallycross väntar på SBF Play med SM-finaler och Rally X Nordic.
– Det kommer bli riktigt bra action säger, Jörgen Ekwall, marknadschef på Svensk Bilsport.

I helgen körs det rallycross i Arvika, fredag till söndag. Det blir en superhelg som innehåller samtliga SM-finaler och dessutom den tredje deltävlingen av Rally X Nordic där bland annat dubble världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson kommer till start.

Sändningsschema:
Fredag 7 augusti - Sändningstid: 12.45-16.30
Lördag 8 augusti - Sändningstid: 09.45-18.00
Söndag 9 augusti - Sändningstid: 10.45-17.00 (finaler 13.30-17.00)

Ta del av all action på solidsport.com/sbfplay

20-08-04 Genrep inför VM för Johan
Med två veckor kvar till World RX-premiären i Höljes startar Johan Kristoffersson i RallyX Nordic hemma på Westombanan i Arvika.
- En bra repetition inför VM, där jag hoppas vi får till en felfri helg och får jobba med de verktyg vi ska använda under säsongen, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren.

Johan kommer närmast från ett succéartat inhopp i Carrera Cup Scandinavia, där han tog hem en dubbelseger uppe i Fällfors, som gästförare hos Fragus Motorsport.
- Kul att köra på en ny svensk bana, dessutom ganska lång och med ett mer internationellt stuk, säger 31-åringen som stoltserar med hela 43 racesegrar i Carerra Cup.

Nu går Kristoffersson in i en mycket hektisk rallycrossperiod, där RallyX Nordic-tävlingen följs av ett första test med VM-bilen i Strängnäs och därefter VM-tävlingar i Sverige och Finland.
- Fyra helger med gasen i botten. Det ska bli väldigt härligt, tycker den dubble världsmästaren.

På Westombanan tävlar Kristoffersson, precis som vid segern i Höljes, med den KMS-byggda Volkswagen Polo GTI RX som Sondre Evjen ska ratta i EM-serien.
- Det är kul och inspirerande att jobba med vår egen bil och försöka optimera den så mycket det går för att ge Sondre bästa möjliga förutsättningar längre fram.

Kristoffersson kommer att bjudas motstånd av bland andra EM-föraren Oliver Eriksson.
- Oliver får jag se upp med, men det finns några till som kan åka fort i startfältet, påpekar Kristoffersson som förstås ändå får bära det stora favoritskapet på hemmabanan.
- Nej, det vet jag inte. Den stora favoriten måste ändå vara Per Eklund. Han har åkt flest varv av alla på Westom och körde där till och med före de byggde banan, säger Johan med ett stort leende på läpparna.

Den 74-årige motorsportslegenden gör ännu en comeback i tävlingssammanhang. Kristoffersson är inte sen att hylla sin gamla förebild, tillika pappa Tommys kanske hetaste konkurrent när det begav sig.
- Det är helt otroligt. Han kallades ju ”moffarn” redan när farsan körde och han slutade köra rallycross för 22 år sedan.

Eklund har kört biltävlingar i 56 år och Johan kan inte annat än att imponeras av hans drivkraft.
- Det är som är mest fascinerande är att han fortfarande tycker det är så himla roligt. Jag vet många lovande talanger i 20-årsåldern som inte är hälften så intresserade som Eklund fortfarande är. Han tittar på alla detaljer kring däck, startljus och allt möjligt.

Men att Kristoffersson skulle få någon mildare behandling av det faktum att Eklunds team har jobbat med KMS-Polon under vintern tror han inte.
- Ha-ha, nej, några sådana skrupler tror jag inte han har. Får han chansen trycker han nog till mig.

För att hantera Eklund och de andra konkurrenterna behöver Johan få till starterna på ett, som det ser ut just nu, torrt underlag.
- Det verkar bli varmt som vanligt i Arvika. Jag tror inte jag har kört på regn en enda gång där. Det är en kort startraka och svårt att göra manövrar i till exempel jokern, så det gäller att ha ordning på grejerna från start.

RallyX Nordic bjuder på en tre dagar lång, fredag till söndag, publikfri tävling som live-streamas på nätet.

20-08-04 Jimmie redo för RallyX Nordics tredje deltävling som drar igång på fredag
På fredag drar den tredje deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic igång och tävlingen körs i Arvika tillsammans med rallycross-SM. Jimmie Walfridson kommer som vanligt till start tillsammans med JC Raceteknik i klassen Supercar Lites och är sugen på revansch.

Under tre dagar kommer det bjudas på publikfria rallycrossfighter på Westombanan. Du kommer att kunna följa de på bland SBF play och SVT. Förutom RallyX Nordics klasser: Supercar, Supercar Lites, Crosscar och Crosscar Junior körs även rallycross-SM med klasserna: 2150, JSM, 2400 och Supernationell. Fullspäckat program, med andra ord.

Det är 13 förare anmälda i Supercar Lites och det hela drar igång på fredag med träningar och första omgången. Under lördagen körs två omgångar och på söndagen avslutas det hela med fjärde och sista omgången följt av semifinaler och final.

Jimmie inledde RallyX Nordic med ett högt tempo och blev fyra i första tävlingen och hade en finalplats när ett tidstillägg för en banmarkering kom i ett sent skede. Istället för final blev det åttondeplats.
– Det ska bli roligt att få köra igen och jag är lite revanschsugen efter tidstillägget jag fick i semifinalen i Höljes och Westombanan är en bana jag brukar trivas bra på, säger Jimmie.

Mer info (startlista och tidsschema) på www.walfridson.com

20-07-31 Fortune set to favour the brave as battle resumes at Arvika
Host of champions headline star-studded entry list for round three of campaign
Kristoffersson, Eklund and Hansen amongst the major names at Westombanan
Popular Swedish track renowned for generating wheel-to-wheel action
More than 70 national competitors join the bill for eagerly-awaited SM Finals
Live broadcasts and dual-language commentary via NEP, SVT and SBF Play

Following a show-stopping curtain-raiser at Höljes earlier this month, RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires will return to the track at Arvika next weekend (7-9 August), with the Swedish circuit set to deliver another high-octane dose of doorhandle-to-doorhandle entertainment.

A popular fixture on the RallyX Nordic calendar, Arvika is back on the schedule in 2020 following a year’s absence and the technical and challenging Westombanan track – characterised by sharp curves and big jumps – is renowned for generating close, exciting racing and rewarding bravery.

Supercar
In the star-studded Supercar class, double FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson – who made a victorious return to the discipline at the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend – is back for more RallyX Nordic action at his home circuit. The last time the Swede competed at Arvika – six years ago – he won, and he is targeting a repeat performance behind the wheel of the same Volkswagen Polo GTi RX in just over a week’s time.

In order to do that, the 31-year-old will need to overcome a high-quality field that includes the likes of multiple Swedish Rallycross Champion Peter Hedström (Hedströms Motorsport) and two-time RX2 Series title-holder and RallyX Nordic championship runner-up Oliver Eriksson (Olsbergs MSE). In 2018, Hedström and Eriksson collided in the final at Arvika; both will be aiming for a much cleaner run two years on.

Eriksson’s OMSE team-mate Fraser McConnell was one of the standout Supercar rookies at Höljes, as the Jamaican reached the final on his maiden appearance in the fiercely-contested class. He will be bidding to build upon that impressive debut next weekend.

Meanwhile, many eyes will be on rallycross hero Per Eklund. At the age of 74, the 1999 FIA Euro RX Champion – who has twice conquered the iconic Pikes Peak hillclimb challenge and won Sweden’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship in 1976 – is back with his beloved Volkswagen Beetle after contesting the invitational ‘Legends’ category at the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend. The last time he competed at Arvika, in RallyX Nordic in 2015, Eklund finished fourth.

Supercar Lites
In the Supercar Lites class, Höljes winners Simon Olofsson (STS RX) and Jesse Kallio (OMSE) headline a 13-strong entry. The Swede reached the rostrum at Arvika two years ago, while the Finn was in dominant form earlier this month and will be looking to increase his tally to three victories from four starts in RallyX Nordic when he makes his first appearance at the track.

Other surefire contenders will be Kallio’s OMSE stablemate Linus Östlund – currently a close third in the standings, just four points shy of the summit – and Henrik Krogstad, who missed out on the runner-up spoils at Arvika three years ago by a mere thousandth-of-a-second in a dramatic photo-finish. The Norwegian was a consistent front-runner on his rallycross return at Höljes, and will be able to ask for tips from #YellowSquad Team Manager Kevin Hansen, who won in Supercar Lites at Westombanan in 2014.

Others to look out for include the class’ ‘elder statesman’ Mats Oskarsson, off the back of his brilliant second-place finish at Höljes, and Lars Erik Haug, who will make his 2020 debut at Arvika after being forced to skip the season-opener due to border restrictions.

CrossCar/Crosskart and CrossCar Junior
Picking a favourite in the CrossCar/Crosskart category is no easy task, with 21 high-calibre competitors all vying for glory. Höljes winners Oskar Andersson (Enlunds Motorsport) and Max Rundberg (Json Motorsport) both return, as does JC Raceteknik Juniorteam’s Isak Reiersen, who will be bidding to extend his 100 per cent podium record so far this season.

Patrik Hallberg could count himself unlucky not to come away with any silverware from Höljes following a superb RallyX Nordic debut, while Carcontrol’s Isac Egonsson won at Arvika two years ago in CrossCar’s SRX Series predecessor. Jimmie Österberg is aiming to kick-start his title challenge on home soil following a subdued curtain-raiser, and FIA World RX star Kevin Hansen rejoins the fray for the first time since winning the class in RallyX on Ice in 2018.

In the new-for-2020 CrossCar Junior category, meanwhile, Höljes winners Alex Gustafsson and Raoul Dahlqvist look like the drivers to beat, but Erik Andersson, Lukas Andersson and Rasmus Persson similarly shone at the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend and can certainly not be discounted.

Adding to the 51 RallyX Nordic entrants at Arvika will be more than 70 Swedish Championship drivers across the Supernational, 2400, RM2150 and Junior SM classes, as the eagerly-anticipated SM Finals join the bill for what looks sure to be the biggest rallycross meeting ever held in Sweden.

Fittingly, the event will benefit from unprecedented exposure and coverage both within Sweden and far further afield. All of the RallyX Nordic and SM Finals action – comprising all races in all classes from Friday through to Sunday – will be streamed live with Swedish commentary on SBF Play, complemented by a three-hour live broadcast of Sunday’s all-important semi-finals and finals on Swedish national television (SVT).

The third round of the RallyX Nordic campaign on Sunday will be simultaneously broadcast by NEP Sweden, following a similar model to the tremendously well-received Höljes production complete with state-of-the-art studio set-up and English commentary. Further details about the livestream and how to subscribe will be revealed early next week.

Official Entry Lists
Supercar
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
1 Johan Kristoffersson SWE VW Dealer Team Bauhaus Volkswagen Polo
5 Lars Andersson SWE Hedströms Motorsport Volkswagen Polo
6 Peter Hedström SWE Hedströms Motorsport Volkswagen Polo
8 Per Eklund SWE #MKIVRX Volkswagen Beetle
12 Anders Michalak SWE Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
16 Oliver Eriksson SWE Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
35 Fraser McConnell JAM Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
44 Stene Johansen NOR Johansen Motorsport Ford Fiesta
67 Frank Valle NOR Frank Valle Motorsport Ford Fiesta
88 Daniel Thorén SWE TiKRX Volkswagen Polo
99 Dan Öberg SWE #MKIVRX Volkswagen Scirocco
105 Linus Westman SWE LIWE RX Ford Fiesta

Supercar Lites
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
8 Gustav Johansson SWE VGracing Supercar Lites
10 Martin Jonsson SWE Alfta Racing Team Supercar Lites
11 Mats Oskarsson SWE MORX Supercar Lites
14 Nils Andersson SWE TiKRX Supercar Lites
18 Linus Östlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
33 Lars Erik Haug NOR Haug Rallycross Team Supercar Lites
37 Nathalie Petersson SWE Natha’s Motorsport Supercar Lites
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
52 Simon Olofsson SWE STS RX Supercar Lites
60 Martin Enlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
77 Henrik Krogstad NOR #YellowSquad Supercar Lites
90 Jimmie Walfridson SWE Helmia Motorsport Supercar Lites
91 Niklas Aneklev SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites

CrossCar/Crosskart
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
9 Kevin Hansen SWE LifeLive Nordic TN5
10 Per Goodison SWE TPK Sverige Speedcar
11 Jimmie Österberg SWE Österberg Motorsport Speedcar
20 Julle Ljungdahl SWE TiKRX Speedcar
31 Jan Emil Wilsberg NOR Jan Emil Wilsberg Speedcar
47 Jimmy Karlsson SWE JK Racing Sweden RX01
51 Linda Johansson SWE Json Motorsport Speedcar
62 Robin Nord SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
66 Max Rundberg SWE Json Motorsport Speedcar
67 Isac Egonsson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
100 Andreas Persson SWE Helmia Motorsport YMS
105 Simen Ødegården SWE Helmia Motorsport YMS
110 Thomas Eek Murstad NOR Murstad Motorsport YMS
118 Fredrik Eriksson SWE Fredrik Eriksson EDGE
161 Patrik Hallberg SWE Patrik Hallberg Speedcar
170 Isak Reiersen SWE JC Raceteknik Juniorteam YMS
175 Timmy Enlund SWE Enlunds Motorsport EDGE
183 Oskar Andersson SWE Enlunds Motorsport Casmat
190 André Bendixen NOR Bendixen Motorsport Kamikaz
605 Mattias Andersson SWE Mattias Andersson Speedcar
767 Aron Jensen Marum NOR Kermit Racing Team Kamikaz

CrossCar Junior
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
10 Erik Andersson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
21 Rasmus Persson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
99 Lukas Andersson SWE Lukas Andersson Speedcar
199 Alex Gustafsson SWE JC Raceteknik Juniorteam Speedcar
200 Raoul Dahlqvist FIN Dahlqvist RX Speedcar

20-07-31 New FIA eRX2 Championship set to electrify international rallycross scene
New FIA Championship tipped to generate ‘dynamic and spectacular’ racing
Driver-adjustable parameters add exciting strategic element
Interest high and testing underway ahead of inaugural 2021 campaign

The new FIA eRX2 Championship is set to electrify the international rallycross landscape when it joins the FIA World Rallycross Championship undercard in 2021, with the emphasis placed predominantly on driver ability and ingenuity in the single-spec series.

Sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, eRX2 is a joint venture between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies, Olsbergs MSE and RX Promotion, the company that operates the current RX2 International Series. It will be run by FIA World Rallycross Championship promoter, IMG.

The vision for the FIA eRX2 Championship is to provide a pathway to the top of the sport for aspiring rallycross stars. RX2 – like its predecessor RX Lites – has served as an excellent training ground for drivers on their way up the ladder to the pinnacle of World RX, and eRX2 is now set to raise the bar even further by embracing the discipline’s electrification and focussing firmly on the future.

In order to achieve that, the FIA has called upon the very best in the business. QEV boasts a long and successful history in the electric vehicle domain, from managing the NEXTEV team with whom Nelson Piquet Jr won the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship in 2014/15 to designing and creating electric powertrains and installing electric charging infrastructures.

Having won the governing body’s tender to develop the ‘arrive-and-drive’ eRX2 concept – based around a bespoke, lightweight four wheel-drive electric rallycross car with a spaceframe chassis and 32kWh battery producing 250kW (335bhp) of power – the Spanish company has spent the past nine months working hard behind-the-scenes in preparation for its launch.

The first iteration of the eRX2 car – featuring an interim ‘prototype’ composite bodyshell on top of RX2’s existing Supercar Lites chassis – was exclusively unveiled during RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires’ ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend at Höljes in Sweden earlier this month.

The battery – which has been fully safety-tested – is mounted next to the driver in the centre of the car to ensure optimum, 50/50 weight distribution, while power is supplied evenly to the front and rear wheels by a pair of motors and inverters, all of which benefit from a cooling system to prevent excessive temperatures.

The eRX2 car will be able to run for up to 25 minutes, with recommended 20-minute recharges between sessions over the course of a race weekend. The final car is set to be officially presented towards the end of this year, and six European events are planned for the FIA eRX2 Championship’s first season, with the full calendar to be released in due course.

Joan Orús, COO, QEV Technologies, said:
“This is a tremendously exciting time for electric motorsport, and here at QEV, we all firmly believe that the FIA eRX2 Championship can play a major role in helping to shape the future of rallycross’ electric landscape. Since winning the tender back in October, our team has worked tirelessly to develop the new eRX2 car.

“With short, sharp races, rallycross is the ideal discipline for electric cars, and we are confident eRX2 will generate more dynamic and spectacular action than has ever been seen before. Not only will the degree of torque available make the car considerably quicker than the current RX2 model, but it will also be more challenging to drive, especially on the limit, which will be a key factor in helping to prepare competitors for the subsequent step-up to Supercar level.

“One of the aspects I like most about the eRX2 car is all of the additional areas in which the driver can make a real difference, from the distribution of the torque to brake bias, which simply isn’t possible with an internal combustion engine vehicle. Being able to manually balance the car and its performance mid-race, while travelling side-by-side at speeds of up to 150km/h will truly showcase a driver’s skillset and technical understanding.”

Andreas Eriksson, CEO, Olsbergs MSE, said:
“We are delighted to be working with QEV Technologies to develop the new eRX2 Championship and car. QEV’s experience and expertise in the electro-mobility domain speaks for itself, with sustained success both on and off-track – they are truly a pioneer in the sphere.

“It is that same pioneering spirit that earned them the tender for the FIA eRX2 Championship, and their eagerness to innovate and push back boundaries truly resonates with all of us here at OMSE. They have been very open in acknowledging that this will be their first foray into rallycross, but they have shone in every other motorsport discipline they have entered and are learning fast. They are an excellent partner in every respect.

“There is no question that the future of motorsport is going to be electric, and as far as I am concerned, there is no question that QEV are going to set the pace in rallycross’ bright new era.”

Gyarfas Olah, FIA Off-Road Commission President, said:
“We are delighted that through the launch of the FIA eRX2 Championship we are able to provide a cost-effective entry point for younger drivers to become part of rallycross’ electric future. We look forward to making further announcements about the championship over the coming months.”

Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President for motorsports events at IMG, the FIA World Rallycross Championship promoter, said:
“We understand how important it is for drivers progressing to international competition to race at World Championship events. It’s exciting that the next generation of drivers will be able to drive bespoke electric race cars and be at the forefront of the electrification of rallycross.”

20-07-30 Hedström till start i Arvika - Peter har inte kört en meter i år, så tävlingen blir ett test inför EM i Höljes
Det blir säsongsdebut för Peter Hedström nästa helg, då Hedströms Motorsport ställer två VW Polo Supercar på startlinjen. RallyX Nordic flyttar då in på anrika Westombanan i Arvika för att köra deltävling nummer tre i det nordiska rallycrossmästerskapet.

Det är snart ett år sedan Peter Hedström senast satt i en rallycrossbil med tävlingstempo. Teamet har kört tolv testdagar utan att Peter haft möjlighet att köra en enda meter.
- Prio har legat på att få de andra chaufförerna varma i bilarna och det har faktiskt inte funnits en minut över för mig, berättar Peter Hedström.
Den bristvara på träningsmöjligheter gjorde att Peter nu griper halmstrået två veckor innan EM-premiären i Höljes.
- Jag hade en en testdag i Strängnäs planerad, men så kom den här möjligheten att köra RallyX i Arvika, Lars ville också köra där så det blev två flugor i en smäll, fortsätter Hedström.
Lars Andersson gjorde debut i Supercar och körde sitt livs första tävlingsmetrar i Höljes under All-Star Magic Weekend. Han gjorde det i Hedströms Motorsports Ford Fiesta. Till Arvika växlar han upp och kliver in i en av teamets VW Polo Supercar.
- Lars har testat i Höljes en halvdag i var bil och fann att Polon passade bättre ihop med hans körstil, han trivdes helt enkelt bättre i den, säger Peter Hedström.
Fokus för Lars blir på att få mer rutin och erfarenhet i tävlingstempo och lära in den nyare Polon mer.

Peter vill själv tona ner förväntningarna, inte minst med tanke på att han inte fått möjlighet att köra något i år, men tror ändå att han kan vara med där i toppen och kriga.
- En pallplats är jag nöjd med, men framförallt är tävlingen som ett enda stort genrep inför Höljes, avslutar Hedström.

RallyX Nordic i Arvika avgörs den 7-9 Augusti och innehåller alla klasser för RX Nordic, men också hela Rallycross-SM, som kör sina avslutande två deltävlingar på Westombanan. Tävlingarna körs publikfritt och det kommer sändas både på SBF Play och även en tretimmar lång sändning av finalpassen på söndagen via SVT. Så vi säger än en gång ”Stay Home, Stay Safe, and Enjoy the Race!”

20-07-30 Eklund rides again as rallycross legend returns at Arvika
Former European Champion extends rallycross comeback
Swedish hero to join main Supercar class at track he helped to build
74-year-old teams up with Dan Öberg under #MKIVRX banner

Former FIA European Rallycross Champion Per Eklund will ride again at Arvika next weekend (7-9 August), as the Swedish hero continues his competitive comeback at the age of 74 in the third round of the 2020 RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires campaign.

Eklund made his first rallycross start in almost five years at Höljes’ ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend earlier this month, taking on fellow motorsport ‘old boys’ Marcus Grönholm, Stig-Olov ‘Stecka’ Walfridson, Andreas Eriksson and Henning Solberg in the event’s hugely popular ‘Legends’ invitational category.

Synonymous with both rallying and rallycross, the erstwhile Saab factory driver won the Swedish round of the WRC in 1976 and finished fifth in the FIA World Rally Championship in 1982. He debuted in rallycross in 1971 and won Sweden’s first ever event in the discipline.

In 1999, he was crowned FIA Euro RX Champion in Division 1 (now Supercar), and he placed inside the top three in the overall standings on five further occasions. ‘Pekka’, as he is affectionately known, is also two times a winner of the iconic Pikes Peak hillclimb challenge – once overall and once in-class.

The last time he competed at Arvika, in RallyX Nordic in 2015, Eklund reached the final and although he is not anticipating hitting such heady heights next weekend, he is clearly excited to take his beloved Volkswagen Beetle for another joyride on home soil.

“I’m really looking forward to racing in RallyX Nordic again – and this time in the main Supercar class!” enthused Eklund, going on to joke: “It was nice to drive against my fellow rallycross ‘oldies’ at Höljes, but now I really want to see how I measure up against the current stars. I’m certainly planning to arrive well-prepared in terms of spare body panels and parts!

“On a serious note, though, it’ll be enjoyable to race at Arvika again. It’s my home track – my workshop is literally just down the road – and I was involved in the construction of the Westombanan circuit many years ago. We have been working hard on the Beetle since Höljes and focussing particularly on improvements to the drivetrain to make it sturdier in corners. Hopefully that will make it more competitive and we can go out there and have some fun!”

Eklund will team up with Arvika-born Dan Öberg under the #MKIVRX banner. The 33-year-old made his maiden rallycross appearance at the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend after racing his own AMG Mercedes and Lamborghini sportscars from 2016 to 2018, and he is looking to build upon early progress behind the wheel of his Volkswagen Scirocco.

“I can’t wait to race again!” Öberg stated. “I have almost no experience whatsoever of driving on gravel since I have only done circuit racing previously so rallycross is totally new for me, but I already love it! The feeling in a Supercar is great, and the control you can have even on loose gravel is astonishing.

“It will be a lot of fun sharing the awning with Per again. There was a fantastic atmosphere inside the team at Höljes – nobody took themselves too seriously – and it was awesome to work with him. What really impressed me about Per is that he is 74 years YOUNG and he becomes like a 20-year-old when he climbs into the cockpit. To have that passion and spark still is incredible. The saying ‘never grow old’ truly couldn’t fit any better.”

The third round of the RallyX Nordic campaign will be broadcast by NEP Sweden, following a similar model to the tremendously well-received Höljes production complete with state-of-the-art studio set-up and English commentary.

All of the RallyX Nordic and SM Finals action will additionally be streamed with Swedish commentary on SBF Play, with the RallyX Nordic semi-finals and finals similarly being shown live on SVT. Further details will be released in due course.

20-07-29 'Super Seb' returns to defend hard-fought Höljes crown – in a Honda
Olsbergs MSE ace aiming to repeat last summer’s Swedish success
27-year-old swaps Ford Fiesta for Honda Civic in pursuit of glory
Defending race-winner promises to go ‘all-out’ on World RX return

Just over a year ago, Sebastian Eriksson toasted the biggest success of his career to-date when he won Höljes’ legendary ‘Magic Weekend’. In only a few weeks’ time, the understated Swede will return to the track for the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser (20-23 August) – with his eyes once more fully focussed on the prize.

Eriksson had made only three starts at the top level prior to his appearance at Höljes last summer, but in a high-calibre, 25-strong field, the Olsbergs MSE ace was irresistible and – from Q4 onwards – unbeatable. When the ‘quiet man’ of rallycross – just as famed for his off-track mechanical expertise as his on-track prowess – took the chequered flag first in the final, there was scarcely a dry eye in the house.

This year, the 27-year-old will rejoin the World RX fray in defence of that hard-fought triumph not behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta that he piloted to victory, but in OMSE’s Honda Civic with which he claimed six podium finishes – including a race win – in GRC in 2016/17. As he prepares to return to the scene of his breakthrough World Championship achievement, it is clear that he has more silverware firmly in his sights.

“It felt like everything just went our way at Höljes last year,” reflected Eriksson. “It was the race I wanted to win more than any other and the biggest result of my career, and it was nice to see the reaction of everybody in the paddock – that meant a lot.

“I’m really excited to be going back again. Höljes is the most iconic rallycross track in the world, and this year, we get double the chances to win and double the fun. It’s the first time the World Championship has staged a double-header so the regular drivers might not be so used to that format, but I did a lot of it in GRC back in the day so hopefully that might give me a little bit of an advantage.

“It will be interesting to see how the Honda shapes up on the World Championship stage. It’s obviously a completely different shape and has different characteristics to the Fiesta, but in testing, we’ve achieved very similar lap times with the two cars. We’ve worked hard to update the Civic in recent months, which should make it a bit more competitive so I’m positive we can be up at the sharp end again – and how cool would it be to win back-to-back in two different cars?!

“I might be the guy with the target on my back as the defending race-winner, but I actually don’t feel under any pressure. For me, this is a one-off event so I can just go all-out. The drivers entered for the full season need to be a bit more conservative and think about the points situation, but for me, points don’t matter.

“I haven’t seen the full entry list yet, but there’s no question that it’s going to be fiercely-contested – this is the pinnacle, after all. Johan Kristoffersson is back in the game, we saw how quick Niclas Grönholm and Robin Larsson were at Höljes in RallyX Nordic earlier this month and then, of course, you’ve got the likes of the Hansen brothers and Andreas Bakkerud so it’s clearly going to be an extremely tough field – but I’m definitely up for the fight!”

20-07-28 Kevin Hansen to make seasonal debut at Arvika
World RX race-winner to join CrossCar category at Arvika
Swede keen to gauge progress of LifeLive TN5
Action to be broadcast live in both English and Swedish

Kevin Hansen will kick-start his 2020 campaign with an appearance in RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires’ CrossCar/Crosskart class at Arvika next weekend (7-9 August), as he prepares to head back to a circuit that holds ‘a lot of great memories’ for him.

Hansen was a title contender in the FIA World Rallycross Championship last year, winning the Abu Dhabi curtain-raiser and tallying four further podium finishes on his way to third in the final drivers’ standings.

As he did then, the Swede is continuing to dovetail his racing commitments with a managerial role at #YellowSquad, the outfit that he and brother Timmy Hansen established early in 2019 and which currently competes at Supercar Lites level.

In addition to mentoring Henrik Krogstad at Arvika, the 22-year-old will climb into the cockpit himself as he aims to build upon a promising showing for LifeLive Nordic earlier this month at Höljes, where FIA World Rally Championship star Thierry Neuville posted the third-fastest time amongst the 40 contenders in one of the qualifying rounds and reached the semi-finals on the opening day, and both he and Timmy Hansen won races.

“I’m so excited to start the season!” the younger Hansen brother enthused. “I was really eager at Höljes, seeing Timmy and Thierry drive and witnessing the progress we made over the weekend with the LifeLive TN5.

“It’s been a long time since I raced a CrossCar – it was back in the winter of 2018 when I won RallyX on Ice, so it’s really great to come back and I hope the positive development we have made since Höljes will allow us to be a bit faster.

“Finally the season for me is getting underway, and at a circuit where I won my first Supercar Lites race in 2014. I have a lot of great memories from Arvika, I love the track and the competition will be very, very tough. Let’s do this!”

The third round of the RallyX Nordic campaign will be broadcast by NEP Sweden, following a similar model to the tremendously well-received Höljes production complete with state-of-the-art studio set-up and English commentary.

All of the RallyX Nordic and SM Finals action will additionally be streamed with Swedish commentary on SBF Play, with the RallyX Nordic semi-finals and finals similarly being shown live on SVT. Further details will be released in due course.

20-07-22 Kristoffersson aiming to 'pick up from where he left off' as he returns for Arvika
Double world champion to rejoin the field for more RallyX Nordic action
Swedish superstar predicts ‘close and exciting’ racing at home track
31-year-old aiming to replicate scene-stealing Höljes comeback victory

Johan Kristoffersson is hoping to ‘pick up from where he left off’ when RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires races into Arvika in just over a fortnight’s time (7-9 August), after confirming his participation in round three of the series’ 2020 campaign at his home circuit.

Following a sabbatical season in the FIA World Touring Car Cup, Kristoffersson made his eagerly-anticipated rallycross return at Höljes’ ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend earlier this month – and straight out-of-the-box in the high-calibre, 20-strong field, he was on the leading pace.

Fastest in the first free practice session in the headlining Supercar class behind the wheel of his Volkswagen Dealer Team Bauhaus VW Polo, the two-time FIA World Rallycross Champion missed out on topping the timesheets in Q1 on Thursday by less than 0.040s. He went on to finish a close second in the round one final, right in the wheeltracks of winner and reigning RallyX Nordic title-holder Robin Larsson.

Similarly there-or-thereabouts on Saturday, when the heavens opened on Sunday, Kristoffersson outclassed all of his rivals in Q4 as conditions deteriorated and then simply drove away from his pursuers in the semi-final, going more than six-and-a-half seconds faster than anybody else could muster. The Swede followed that up with a wet-weather masterclass in the final, where – after nailing the start from the outside of the front row of the grid – he was untouchable.

Almost 20 months on from his last victory in the discipline, his sensational comeback triumph at Höljes proved beyond doubt that Kristoffersson is back in business on the rallycross scene – and now he is aiming to keep that success story going at Arvika.

“It was so much fun to be competing in a rallycross event again – especially on Sunday, when the rain came and gave us a sniff of victory,” reflected the 31-year-old, who sits second in the title table, just four points shy of the summit of the standings. “I love every aspect of this sport, and after a year away, it felt like coming back home.

“In many ways, Höljes was the perfect weekend with the mixed weather, and we learnt a lot. The Polo isn’t new to us, but we made a lot of changes to it over the winter so there was a whole list of things we wanted to try out and different set-ups we wanted to experiment with.

“In the wet, we were right on the pace – if not indeed setting the pace, which was really encouraging. I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of driving in conditions like that. In the dry, we discovered where we need to improve to make the car even more competitive, and we’ve been working hard to do that ever since.

“Arvika is my local track – literally just 5km from my front door – and it’s one of the first I ever drove in rallycross, back in 2013. We’ve tested there a few times recently, and it’s great news that RallyX Nordic is returning after a year away, particularly given it will enjoy the same superb livestream coverage as at Höljes and will additionally be broadcast on Swedish TV.

“As a circuit, Arvika always generates close racing, and the joker lap coming right at the end of the lap can make for interesting finishes, so I’m sure it will be exciting. Hopefully, we can pick up from where we left off at Höljes...”
Click the images to download in high-resolution

20-07-22 Kristoffersson till Westombanan
Självklart vill Johan Kristoffersson tävla hemma på Westombanan i Arvika. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren kommer därför till start i RallyX Nordic 7-9 augusti.
- Det ska bli jättekul att vara med på min egen bakgård och jag behöver fler varv bakom ratten inför VM, säger en taggad Kristoffersson.

Senast Johan tävlade på Westombanan var 2014, då han vann RallyX i en Volkswagen Polo GTI RX KMS, samma bil han nu ska köra och samma som han vann med i RallyX Nordic-premiären i Höljes för några veckor sedan.
- Där hade vi inte riktigt pace för att följa VM-bilarna på torrt underlag, men vi vet var vi tappade tid och har en del idéer om vad vi kan ändra på.

När himlen öppnade sig i Höljes var den dubble världsmästaren däremot omutlig.
- Det får gärna regna nu igen, konstaterar Kristoffersson med ett leende.

Publiken behöver han inte ha medlidande med om det skulle bli nederbörd. Den får precis som i premiärtävlingen sitta hemma och följa tävlingarna.
- Det är förstås extra tråkigt att det inte är någon publik på plats när jag tävlar på hemmaplan, men det är kul att det gick att få till en tävling på så kort tid och otroligt bra att SVT sänder direkt.

Grundtanken var att EM-föraren Sondre Evjen skulle ratta KMS-Polon på Westombanan.
- Men när inte Sondre hade möjlighet att vara med ville jag ta chansen att fortsätta utveckla bilen och att få känna på tävlingspulsen igen.

I Höljes bjöds Kristoffersson hårt motstånd av främst Robin Larsson och Niclas Grönholm. Vilka som står i de andra startrutorna på Westombanan återstår att se.
- Men det blir säkert bra konkurrens och oavsett så är det alltid små marginaler som avgör. Jag måste framför allt göra färre förarmisstag än i Höljes, säger den självkritiske värmlänningen.

Tävlingen på Westombanan innebär starten på en förhoppningsvis mycket hektisk höst med VM-serien i fokus. Känslan av att säsongen äntligen varvar upp sammanfattar Johan med ett enda ord:
- Eufori!
- Det har varit hur bra som helst att vara hemma med familjen och slippa alla resor under en period, men nu längtar jag efter att äntligen få jobba dygnet runt igen. Och framför allt att få tävla!

Veckan efter RallyX Nordic-tävlingen blir det två testdagar i Strängnäs med Volkswagen Motorsport-Polon inför stundande VM-premiär i Höljes.

Är det då en nackdel att inte tävla med den ordinarie bilen på Westombanan?
- Jag hade gärna kört den istället, men det funkar helt enkelt inte för oss. För mig spelar det ingen roll. Jag har alltid hållit på att växla mellan olika bilar varje helg och kört lastbil och byggt tält däremellan så det är inget problem.

Teamchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson, tycker också att det är utmärkt att få ett extra tävlingstillfälle.
- Det är sex deltävlingar på de första fyra veckorna när VM börjar, så det är bra för hela teamet att få trimma det praktiska genomförandet.

Stallchefen trycker också på ytterligare en anledning till att teamet satsar resurser på ännu en tävling utanför det ordinarie programmet: det faktum att RallyX Nordic överhuvudtaget kan genomföras i dessa svåra tider.
- Vi ställer gärna upp och kör med tanke på det fantastiska jobbet Andreas Eriksson gör i svårast tänkbara klimat.

20-07-18 Rallycross-SM på SBF-play 10:20
SM i Rallycross fortsätter i helgen med deltävling 3 och 4 i Västerås. Säsongen är komprimerad p.g.a. Corona, men den körs! Startfältet är imponerande stort, igen! 80 förare har anmält sig och bland dessa finns många nya som vill pröva sina vingar.

Sändningsstart cirka 10:20

https://solidsport.com/sbfplay/watch/sm-rallycross-deltavling-3?fbclid=IwAR2bpsQtbCuCappOZxYKIeSCzE9tMRxwcq67VkYCd0wSOoNZmFRwpfcLiq4

20-07-16 Exciting winner-takes-all shoot-out for 2020 RX2 finale – with stellar champion's prize
Final RX2 campaign to take the form of high-stakes, single-weekend shoot-out
Champion to be rewarded with prize drive in forthcoming electric series
Unrivalled exposure for competitors and sponsors via global broadcast package
Preparations accelerating at full speed ahead of electric switch in 2021

Following a COVID-19 enforced change to the schedule, the upcoming RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires will take the form of a single-weekend, winner-takes-all shoot-out at Nysum in Denmark, supported by a comprehensive live broadcast package and with a glittering prize drive for the champion in next year’s inaugural electric series.

2020 marks the final season of the official FIA World Rallycross Championship feeder series in its current guise before the transition to electric power next year. While work continues to accelerate behind-the-scenes in preparation for that eagerly-anticipated switch, there have simultaneously been stringent efforts to ensure RX2 bows out in style following four successful campaigns.

The repercussions of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic have been felt all around the globe, significantly disrupting sporting events and series and leading to some being cancelled outright. Ongoing restrictions on international travel and border closures have delayed the start of the World RX season until 23 August, which has in-turn directly impacted upon the championship’s support series.

With no suitable schedule for RX2 on the revised World RX calendar, the decision has been taken to instead add the championship to the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites class, meaning the destiny of the 2020 RX2 crown will be decided exclusively at Nysum in a Danish double-header on 4-6 September.

As at the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend at Höljes earlier this month, all of the key action will be shown live and in superb definition via a state-of-the-art broadcast package and global livestream, with the RX2 champion receiving a fully-funded, single-round drive in the series’ electric successor in 2021.

“Clearly we are disappointed that RX2 could not continue to support the World Championship for its final season, but our first loyalty has to be to our competitors, and the calendar complications caused by COVID-19 meant it would no longer have been financially viable for them or their sponsors – particularly in the current economic climate,” explained Jan-Erik Steen, CEO of series promoter, RX Promotion.

“Once that became clear, we immediately set to work to find an alternative solution, because we certainly didn’t want to have to abandon the season altogether – there is a lot of prestige in being crowned the last RX2 champion before the series’ exciting electric transition in 2021, and we want to give competitors a chance to fight for that title and the incredible prize drive that accompanies it.

“With that in mind, we have taken the proactive decision to stage a single-weekend RX2 shoot-out at Nysum, where we know the series’ drivers, teams and partners will derive considerable value from the first-class global livestream and will add an intriguing new element to the racing programme.

“The switch has been made with the full blessing of our loyal title partner Cooper Tires, and we thank them for their ongoing support. We are confident that it is the right move to ensure as many competitors as possible can take full advantage of what has unquestionably been a turbulent 2020 campaign.

“Since its inception in 2017, RX2 – maintaining the momentum of its predecessor RX Lites – has proved to be a tremendous success story in helping to hone and develop countless promising rallycross drivers for future stardom, with many now to be found running regularly at the front at Supercar level. Although the series is entering its final straight, the story is not quite over yet, and we are all extremely excited to see how the final chapter plays out...”

20-07-16 Arvika to host Super Swedish Championship finale – with live TV broadcast
All SM champions to be crowned on RallyX Nordic bill at Arvika
Bumper entry expected for a unique event in unique times
Swedish national TV to broadcast SM semi-finals and finals live
State-of-the-art studio production returns for RallyX Nordic classes

The battle for glory in the Swedish Rallycross Championship will reach a scintillating conclusion at Arvika on 7-9 August, with the eagerly-anticipated SM Finals set to be broadcast live on SVT after being added to the RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires bill.

In what looks sure to be the biggest rallycross event ever held in Sweden, the ‘Super SM Final’ will benefit from unprecedented exposure and coverage by sharing the stage with RallyX Nordic, a series whose international profile and prestige sky-rocketed earlier this month during the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend, which attracted motorsport heroes including Johan Kristoffersson, Timmy Hansen, Robin Larsson, Niclas Grönholm and Thierry Neuville.

At Arvika, the destiny of the coveted SM crowns will be decided over the course of an historic high-octane weekend, with competitors in all Swedish two and four-wheel drive classes set to duel doorhandle-to-doorhandle around the popular Westombanan track – Supercars, Supercar Lites and national categories 2400, RM2150 and Junior SM. With 90 entrants for the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend and more than 80 for each of this year’s SM race meetings so far, a bumper field looks guaranteed.

Befitting of such a unique event in unique times, the action will be broadcast widely both within Sweden and far further afield. The entire SM competition from Friday through to Sunday – comprising all races in all classes – will be shown live with Swedish commentary on SBF Play, complemented by a three-hour live broadcast of Sunday’s all-important semi-finals and finals on Swedish national television (SVT).

The third round of the RallyX Nordic campaign on Sunday will be simultaneously broadcast by NEP Sweden, following a similar model to the tremendously well-received Höljes production complete with state-of-the-art studio set-up and English commentary.

Jan-Erik Steen, CEO of RallyX Nordic Promoter, RX Promotion, said:
“We are delighted to be bringing the SM Finals into the RallyX Nordic fold at Arvika next month. I think it’s fair to say fans will never have seen so many rallycross cars and categories at a single race weekend before, and better yet, they will be able to watch all of the action live via SBF Play, SVT and the NEP global stream.

“Sharing the spotlight with RallyX Nordic will offer SM competitors and their sponsors a unique and unrivalled opportunity to grow their own profiles, and we are all excited to see how NEP will raise the bar again following their superb ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend production. It truly is a win-win scenario for all concerned, bringing more rallycross to more people at a time when we are all yearning for live sport – reinforcing Sweden’s position as a market leader and visionary in the discipline.”

Magnus Krokström from Svensk Bilsport’s Rallycross Committee, said:
“We know many rallycross fans have been longing for a great SM finale weekend, where all classes are represented – and we had plans for this, but then along came COVID-19. Now, after a lot of hard work from everybody involved, we are back on-track – behind closed doors, but with a superb broadcast arrangement.

“It will be a really exciting weekend at Arvika. We expect an amazing SM Finals event, with spectacular driving and astonishing achievements from supercharged drivers. A key factor for all drivers will be the extensive media coverage. For those contesting the Swedish national classes, it will be extra valuable to be seen on the same scene as the well-known drivers in Supercars and Supercar Lites.”

Jörgen Ekwall, Marketing Manager at Svensk Bilsport, added:
“It feels really good that we can now, together with SVT, invite viewers to watch live rallycross, and the fact that the Swedish Championship Finals at Arvika will be hosted by RallyX Nordic will add extra spice to the whole weekend. It will be fantastic action!”

20-07-15 SVT sänder live den 9 augusti från historisk rallycrosshelg med SM-finalerna i rallycross och deltävling tre av Rally X Nordic
Nu är det klart att SVT sänder semifinalerna och finalerna live när svensk rallycross genomför sin största tävlingshelg någonsin då samtliga finaler i SM avgörs i Arvika mellan den 7 och 9 augusti. En helg där även Rally X Nordic på plats kör sin tredje av seriens totalt fem deltävlingar. SVT sänder live på finaldagen den 9 augusti i en cirka tre timmar lång. Men allt från hela helgen kan även ses på SBFPlay.

Idrotten runt om i landet börja så smått att komma igång igen. Allt igenom med publikfria tävlingar. Men också med mängder av sändningar via playkanaler. Så också bilsporten. Redan under första helgen i juli sändes tittarsuccén Rally X Nordic All Star Weekend med både dåtida och nutida rallycrossvärldsstjärnor. Men även rally och karting har synts nyligen i SFBPlay.se Samtidigt som det nu är klart med SVT:s livesändning från rallycrossen i Arvika så lanserar Svensk Bilsport sitt sommarpass för SBFPlay där du som tittare kommer kunna se flera olika tävlingar under sommaren.

- Att vi under den här speciella tiden som är kan erbjuda livesändningar från flera olika tävlingsgrenar känns väldigt bra. Vi har redan haft en del och mer kommer och är planerat under resterande sommarmånader, säger Jörgen Ekwall, Marknadschef på Svensk Bilsport.

Redan till helgen kan du se deltävling tre och fyra när SM i rallycross kör en dubbeltävling publikfritt i Västerås 18-19 juli med Västerås MS som arrangör. Under lördagen kan du även se folkrace från Harabackens Motorstadion med 140 startande förare i tre klasser, senior, junior och dam. Arrangör är Hästveda Folkraceklubb som arrangerar denna tävling publikfritt.

RALLYCROSS FINALHELG 7-9 AUGUSTI MED SEMIFINALER OCH FINALER LIVE I SVT
Arvika andra helgen i augusti. Då blir det en riktigt mastodonthelg med rallycross. Då kommer finalerna av samtliga SM-klasser i rallycross att avgöras.
- Det är många rallycrossfans som längtat efter en stor finalhelg där alla klasser är representerade med både två- och fyrhjulsdrift. Och vi hade planer tidigt för detta, men sen kom Covid-19. Men nu efter mycket hårt jobb från alla inblandade är vi nu tillbaka så som det var tänkt. Fast utan publik. Men det kommer de planerade sändningarna hjälpa upp. Det kommer bli riktigt spännande dagar på Westombanan I Arvika, säger Magnus Krokström från Svensk Bilsports rallycrossutskott.

Men inte nog med att det körs om SM-medaljer. Rally X Nordic kommer då även att köra sin tredje deltävling innan de sen reser till sin finalhelg i Danmark 4-6 september.
- Arvika har länge varit en av Rally X Nordics favoritbanor och det känns bra att vi kommer tillbaka nu igen efter ett års frånvaro i vår kalender. Men önskan från både oss och arrangörerna att igen göra något bra och nu med den situation vi är i så var det inte svårt att komma överens, säger Jan-Erik Steen, VD för Rally X Nordic promotorn RX Promotion.

Hela tävlingen kommer kunna ses i SBFPlay men semifinaler och finaler kommer även sändas live i SVT
- Det känns riktigt bra att vi nu tillsammans med SVT kan bjuda TV-tittarna på rallycross och att SM-finalerna i Arvika får besök av Rally X Nordic blir en extra krydda på hela helgen och dess sändningar. Det kommer bli riktigt bra action säger, Jörgen Ekwall.

SM-finalhelgen i Arvika 7-9 augusti
Fredag - Livesändning alla heat och klasser i SBFPlay
Lördag - Livesändning alla heat och klasser i SBFPlay
Söndag - Livesändning alla heat och klasser i SBFPlay. Semifinaler och finaler även i SVT
Söndag – Livesändning alla heat och klasser i Rally X Nordic deltävling tre av seriens totalt fem deltävlingar. Engelsk kommentator.

Missa inte Folkracetävlingarna i sommar
Under sommaren kommer även flera folkracetävlingar att köras. Tre av dem är redan planerade att sändas i SBFPlay och du ser dem med ditt sommarpass (all acess tom 31 augusti).

20-07-14 Revised RallyX Nordic dates confirmed as Arvika rejoins the calendar
Arvika returns to RallyX Nordic schedule as next round of 2020 season
New September date rubber-stamped for Danish double-header at Nysum
State-of-the-art live broadcast to continue at forthcoming race weekends

The revised 2020 RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires calendar can now officially be confirmed, featuring upcoming events at Arvika in Sweden (7-9 August) and Nysum in Denmark (4-6 September).

RallyX Nordic kick-started the international rallycross season at Höljes earlier this month, with the tremendously well-received ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend attracting the likes of two-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson, defending World RX title-holder Timmy Hansen, fellow World RX race-winner Niclas Grönholm, reigning Euro RX Champion Robin Larsson and five-time FIA World Rally Championship runner-up Thierry Neuville – not to mention some 16,000 unique subscribers to the hugely popular global livestream.

With reports of fans watching in groups of up to ten people, the true number of viewers was likely significantly higher still, catapulting the Scandinavian series firmly into the sporting spotlight – and that success story is now set to continue.

After the original RallyX Nordic schedule was disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, alternative dates and venues needed to be sourced, which has resulted in a welcome return to the fray for Arvika.

The Värmland County circuit last hosted the series in 2018 and has always generated spectacular racing. It will rejoin the calendar for a single-header event next month – a weekend that will also comprise the Swedish Championship (SM) final across all classes – before competitors head across the border to Nysum four weeks later for an eagerly-anticipated Danish double-header.

All of the action will continue to be broadcast by NEP, whose Höljes production – characterised by cutting-edge drone footage and a state-of-the-art studio set-up – has been widely acclaimed for raising the bar in terms of live rallycross transmissions.

“We are delighted to be able to officially confirm the upcoming RallyX Nordic events,” affirmed Jan-Erik Steen, CEO of series promoter, RX Promotion. “It was immensely rewarding to witness the success of the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend at Höljes, from both a competitors’ and fans’ perspective, and that has truly given us the impetus to push on with the rest of the season.

“Arvika has long been a RallyX Nordic favourite, and it is great to be going back there again after a year away. With a willingness on both sides to make something happen, it did not take long to reach an agreement. Similarly, we are grateful to the organisers at Nysum for working so closely with us to fix an alternative date after government restrictions made the original one impossible.

“NEP set a new standard for live rallycross broadcasts at Höljes, and we look forward to seeing what they have in store for fans at Arvika and Nysum. In times like these, you need to think ‘outside-of-the-box’ and do things differently. That is what we did with the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend, and we look forward to building upon that momentum over the coming weeks and months. There is plenty more exciting news still to come – so watch this space!”

Revised 2020 RallyX Nordic Calendar
July 02-05 Rounds 1/2 Höljes, Sweden
August 07-09 Round 3 Arvika, Sweden
September 04-06 Rounds 4/5 Nysum, Denmark

20-07-13 Timmy Hansen is World RX Esports Champion - Shane Van Gisbergen wins Cape Town showdosn
Sweden’s Timmy Hansen claimed the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s Esports Series title in the final round at Cape Town-South Africa, but it was New Zealand’s Shane Van Gisbergen who took the event win (July 12).

Van Gisbergen had missed the Holjes-Sweden round of the World RX Esports series, run on DiRT Rally 2.0™ in partnership with Esports specialist Motorsport Games, and DiRT video game publisher Codemasters, due to real-life motor sport commitments last month, but proved his class by dominating the final in the last round to take his second win and finish third in the points.

The biggest prize though went to Hansen, who won the Esports crown to add to his 2019 FIA World Rallycross Driver’s Championship title. Driving the same Peugeot 208 WRX in DiRT Rally 2.0 as he raced in World RX last year, Hansen had an event-long fight for top honors with Great Britain’s Tom Blomqvist.

The action came thick and fast all through qualifying, as Blomqvist and Hansen both set a pair of fastest times, Blomqvist taking the TQ (top qualifier) position in the Intermediate Classification. Both drivers also won their semi-finals, then came together when battling for track position in the final. After being given a five second penalty for contact on lap four, Blomqvist was dropped from P2 to P3 at the finish, as P4 was enough for Hansen to take the title.

South Africa’s David Perel stunned the rallycross regulars on his debut with P2 in the final classification, and Holjes-Sweden winner Jonathan Pailler, from France, was also in the final and was classified P5.
“This feels great. It’s been kind of a long off season, and to be able to do Esports has been a fantastic way to stay alert and stay sharp. We had some great rallycross races in the Esports series, when I’ve been looking back at it, it’s properly exciting and this time again it fell my way. Shane was the star of the series by being so super-fast, but this feels amazing. Now I’m going to celebrate, and next up is the start of the real World RX in Sweden. We’re going to be busy preparing for that,” said Hansen.

Kevin Hansen also started the last race of the Esports season with a chance of the title, but a disconnect before Q1, then battles in every session and being pushed into a spin in his semi-final meant he did not make the final. Also just missing out on the last final of the series was Norway’s Sivert Svardal, P3 in semi-final one, and Norway’s Marius Bermingrud, who was P4 in semi-final two. Turkey’s Orhan Avcioglu returned to the World RX Esports series and made the semi-finals, along with another newcomer from South Africa, Jordan Pepper.

Russia’s Matvey Furahzkin (Peugeot 208) was the first of the drivers to miss out on a starting position in the semi-finals, in front of Lithuania’s Rokas Baciuska, who’s event representing the GC Kompetition team was hampered by a 20-second jump start penalty in qualifying. Norway’s Henrik Krogstad had a difficult event and was unable to make the semi-finals after finishing on the podium earlier in the series.

New Zealand’s Simon Evans and Great Britain’s Fail Race, Oliver Bennett, Max Coates and Tessa Whittock also took part in the final round.

Also crowned at the South African circuit was the Sim category champion, and by winning his third final from four events, it was France’s Killian Dall’olmo who won the title for the SET Esports team. It was a good day for the SET Promotion-run Esports team, as Finland’s Tommi Hallman and Jonne Ollikainen completed the podium.

France’s Quentin Dall’olmo, the winner from round one at Yas Marina Circuit, dropped out contention for the Sim title when he didn’t make the final following a five-second penalty in the semi-finals.

World RX Esports Series Round 4 – Cape Town-South Africa, Sunday, July 12

Relive all the action here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_D2h_zSVEk&feature=youtu.be

RESULTS – Pro Final
1. Shane Van Gisbergen (NZL)
2. David Perel (ZAF)
3. Tom Blomqvist (GBR)
4. Timmy Hansen (SWE)
5. Jonathan Pailler (FRA)

STANDINGS –
1. Timmy Hansen (SWE) 97
2. Tom Blomqvist (GBR) 93
3. Shane Van Gisbergen (NZL) 82
4. Kevin Hanssen (SWE) 72
5. Henrik Krogstad (NOR) 56

RESULTS – Sim Final
1. Killian Dall'olmo (FRA)
2. Tommi Hallman (FIN)
3. Jonne Ollikainen (FIN)
4. Jarod Pesch (AUS)
5. Johan Lundqvist (SWE)

STANDINGS –
1. Killian Dall'olmo (FRA) 50
2. Quentin Dall'olmo (FRA) 40
3. Lukas Mateja (CZE) 28
4. John Harris (GBR) 25
5. Tommi Hallman (FIN) 21

20-07-13 Timmy Hansen wins World RX Esports title in thrilling finale
FIA World Rallycross champion Timmy Hansen has mirrored his real-life success by winning the World RX Esports title at the final round of the season.

Like the real-world 2019 championship, World RX Esports concluded at Cape Town's Killarney International Raceway in South Africa, and once again the title race went down to the final race of the final round, with Timmy this time against GT specialist Tom Blomqvist.

Hansen was the fastest driver throughout qualifying, winning three out of four qualifying sessions before a time penalty for Q3 dropped him down to second in the overall qualifying standings.

A fast start in his semi-final ensured Timmy entered turn one in the lead and stayed there with a trademark set of fast, clean laps to pick up six vital points for the race win.

But like in the real-world 2019 season finale, the virtual equivalent held drama until the very end.

The only way for Blomqvist to beat Hansen to the title would have been a win for the GT racer and Timmy finishing off the podium in the final. While Timmy arrived at turn one in second place, a bad start for Blomqvist left him near the back. Supercars Australia pro Shane van Gisbergen charged to an easy win out front; once again driving Kevin Hansen's 208 WRX as he had done in the first round of the championship.

At the half-way mark Timmy was sitting in an all-important third place - one that guaranteed the title even if Blomqvist won - but was then pushed off into the wall at turn five by his British rival, dropping him to the back.

Timmy recovered well to pick up fourth place on the last lap, coming out of the joker just ahead of Jonathan Pailler, and clinching the World RX Esports title with it.
Kevin Hansen had also entered the World RX Esports season finale with a chance of taking the title in third overall. However, a server issue meant that he failed to connect to his Q1 race, immediately putting him on the back foot and costing him points to van Gisbergen.

Despite dropping to fifth at turn one in his semi-final, Kevin had already climbed to third by turn four, although he was then tagged from behind and sent into the tyre barriers, leaving him with too much time to make up and no way to reach the final. A win in the same race for van Gisbergen meant Kevin would eventually finish fourth overall in the World RX Esports standings.

Team Hansen's focus is now moving back to the real world, with both Timmy and Kevin Hansen set to start their 2020 World RX campaigns at Höljes on 22-23 August.

World RX Esports - South Africa:
Results
4th
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 12th
Qualifying 2 1st
Qualifying 3 9th
Qualifying 4 1st
Semi-Final 2 1st
Final 4th

10th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 DNS
Qualifying 2 3rd
Qualifying 3 5th
Qualifying 4 13th
Semi-Final 1 5th
Final

Talking
Points
Who says video games are unrealistic? Like in the real-life 2019 season, Timmy and Kevin Hansen entered the season finale in first and third. And Timmy also won the title only in the final of the last round of the series, just like 2019.
Hansen's Peugeot 208 WRX was the most popular and successful car in the World RX Esports series. The top seven drivers in the final standings all used a 208, including Hansen's #YellowSquad junior driver Henrik Krogstad in fifth overall.

The big number
4
Unlike the real-world 2019 title decider, no tiebreaker was needed this time. Timmy won the World RX Esports crown by four points over nearest rival Tom Blomqvist.

1
Timmy Hansen

“The World RX Esports series has been a great way to have some racing in the off-season and the result at the end was fantastic for me. The achievement of everyone involved was fantastic. From the promoter to the commentary and production, everyone pulled off something great during a time when we thought everything else would come to a stop. We were able to keep racing, which is a big win in itself.

“I practised a lot and went into this championship in the same way as I would have done anything else. I never felt I was the quickest out there; I was always missing a couple of tenths, but I was often able to have good launches and put in the laps when I needed to. I think that was the key to becoming champion.

“Although we haven’t started racing properly yet in 2020 I already have two championships under my belt, this one and Race of Champions Virtual. This year has already been good to me in terms of results, so I’m going into the season now with nothing to lose. I’m going to jump into it and do the best that I can, and enjoy being back on a real race track. ”

9
Kevin Hansen

“Esports has been very fun, a great experience to keep the pulse racing and keep the rallycross spirit high all the time. We had some bad luck in two of the races and maybe lacked a tenth of a second when it comes to pace. Maybe I didn’t put enough practice hours in! But to come out with first, fourth and fifth - for Henrik Krogstad in our #YellowSquad Lites team - was really nice.

“A big thanks to Sparco Gaming for hooking us up with the simulators, and to Timmy as well for spending so much time with me working on esports over the past few months.

“It’s been fun but I really want to get back into real racing now and not being so behind on the times! I’m really looking forward to getting back into my real-life 208 WRX Supercar and

20-07-06 'All-Star' Magic Weekend lives up to its name as rallycross returns with a bang!
World champion Kristoffersson in a different league as heavens open on final day
Grönholm unlucky to miss out on final after dominating 'Super Saturday'
Kallio avenges Thursday disappointment with commanding Supercar Lites success
‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend thrills thousands of viewers on rallycross’ return

The king is back. Johan Kristoffersson reminded everybody just why he is a two-time World Champion with a wet-weather masterclass at Höljes yesterday (6 July), as rallycross roared back into life in spectacular style at the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend.

Kristoffersson had been there or thereabouts throughout Saturday’s two qualifying sessions, albeit never quite on the ultimate pace in his rebuilt 2016 Volkswagen Polo. When the heavens opened on Sunday, that all changed and the Swede – whose last rallycross appearance was almost 20 months ago – stormed to a sensational comeback victory on home soil.

Round one winner and reigning RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Champion Robin Larsson added the runner-up spoils to his earlier triumph, with former title-holder Oliver Solberg reaching the rostrum on his series return in the much-loved Citroën DS3.

Jesse Kallio put his Thursday disappointment firmly behind him with a commanding Supercar Lites class success for Olsbergs MSE, as an inspired Mats Oskarsson sped to second place and local specialist Linus Östlund made it two podiums from as many starts in third. Max Rundberg played an early joker strategy to perfection to prevail in the CrossCar category, while Raoul Dahlqvist lifted the laurels in CrossCar Junior.

In the tremendously popular ‘Legends’ invitational class, meanwhile, two-time FIA World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm proved that the years have taken away none of his razor-sharp skills as he left his fellow rallying and rallycross heroes trailing. Henning Solberg emerged on top in the scrap for second, ahead of Stig-Olov ‘Stecka’ Walfridson, Andreas Eriksson and – at the ripe old age of 74 – Per Eklund.

With every moment of the major action broadcast live and in superb definition all around the world – and the first-rate commentary team of Andrew Coley, Hal Ridge, Neil Cole and Molly Pettit delivering countless entertaining and engaging studio interviews with motorsport heroes past, present and future – the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend was a resounding success that finally raised the curtain on the 2020 international rallycross campaign.

Supercar
Third overnight behind Robin Larsson and Saturday pace-setter Niclas Grönholm, Johan Kristoffersson outclassed all of his rivals in Q4 as conditions deteriorated, before simply driving away from his pursuers in the semi-final, going almost ten seconds faster than anybody else could manage. That earned him a front row berth for the all-important final, and after nailing the start to out-drag pole-sitter Larsson to Turn One, he was untouchable.

Larsson jokered early in his efforts to respond, but had to battle his way past Fraser McConnell – the Jamaican excelling on his Supercar debut to make it through to the final in the high-calibre, 20-strong field – and by then, Kristoffersson had already checked out. That meant the KYB Team JC ace had to settle for the runner-up spoils, which nonetheless saw him leave Höljes in possession of the championship lead.

Behind the wheel of the venerable DS3, Oliver Solberg was a lightning-fast starter all weekend and fended off namesake Oliver Eriksson and 2017 RallyX Nordic Champion Thomas Bryntesson for the remaining spot on the podium. For Eriksson, fourth place marked a much happier ending to the event after an uncharacteristically off-colour opening day, while Bryntesson had to recover from a stall on the grid when the lights went out.

McConnell took the chequered flag a creditable sixth following a typically committed performance first time out in the class, but elsewhere, there were hard-luck stories, and nobody could claim to have been robbed more than Grönholm. After winning both Q1 and Q2, the Finn took TQ honours but found himself stranded on the start-line in his semi-final; although he valiantly battled back to fourth, the time loss was ultimately too great to overcome.

Ben-Philip Gundersen similarly had cause to feel hard done-by. Making his maiden appearance in a Supercar, the Norwegian – champion in RallyX Nordic’s Supercar Lites class last year – turned heads throughout with his scintillating starts and accomplished racecraft, but Lady Luck was rarely on his side. An electrical issue that ruled him out of Q3 was symptomatic of his fortunes, and like on Thursday, the JC Raceteknik star narrowly failed to reach the final on Sunday at the end of a stellar weekend.

Pontus Tidemand showed strong form and could have been a contender but for a sluggish getaway in his semi-final, while Lukas Walfridson brought his striking yellow Renault Clio back out to play and impressed with his turn-of-speed after a year out of the cockpit.

Like fellow Supercar rookies McConnell and Gundersen, Anders Michalak made a good impression on his class debut. Last but far from least, serious credit must go to the ACRX crew, who repaired Andreas Carlsson’s Clio in super-quick time for the Swede to be able to start the semi-final after his car set on fire on the run to Turn One in Q4, causing its driver a heart-stopping moment from which he thankfully emerged unscathed.

Johan Kristoffersson said:
“It’s very nice to be back! When the sniff of a win was there, I felt I could be really threatening on pure pace. It was great to get back into a super-competitive mode, analysing everything and trying different lines in the rain when I had a gap behind me.

“My start in the final was very good – all three wet starts were very good, in fact. The Polo is easy to launch in the wet, controlling it with the clutch and throttle. I made sure to spray the cars behind me so they couldn’t see anything – that was planned! From there on, I tried to push a little harder on the first lap while making no mistakes, and then just focussed on banging the laps in with a safe margin.

“I haven’t driven this car much before, so it was nice to see how it handles and it worked very well, with no problems whatsoever. I’m very happy.”

Supercar Lites
Jesse Kallio looked to be on-course for Supercar Lites glory on Thursday, until a gearshift issue in Q3 and wheel bearing failure in the semi-final halted his charge in its tracks. Fast forward three days, and the Olsbergs MSE ace was not to be denied a second time. After again dominating Q1 and Q2, he enjoyed a change of fortunes in the semi-final as he benefitted from a joker lap merge collision between Marcus Höglund and Linus Östlund to grab pole position for the final.

From there, the Finn was never headed, and he was chased home by surprise package Mats Oskarsson, who was promoted to the last six following a track marker penalty for countryman Jimmie Walfridson.

Oskarsson was on fine form all weekend, consistently and energetically mixing it with his younger adversaries and playing a masterstroke with an early joker in the final. Hunting his rivals down, the Swede overhauled both Östlund and Henrik Krogstad when they jokered on the last lap to seal a brilliant second-place finish and match his best result in the series to-date.

Following a superb launch that saw him split the front row starters, Östlund – who produced an incredible save after being sideswiped by the unsighted Höglund in the semi-final – held on to finish third in his ‘backyard’, while Krogstad completed a positive weekend on his return to racing in fourth. The #YellowSquad ace pulled off a gutsy pass for the lead on Östlund in Q4, as he signalled that he will be a real force to be reckoned with over the coming months.

Championship leader Simon Olofsson was unable to replicate his Thursday victory as he had to settle for fifth place on Sunday, struggling for traction in the treacherous conditions, with STS RX team-mate Thomas Holmen following the Swede closely home in sixth. The Norwegian – who won at Höljes last year – was on punchy form, particularly in Q2 as he fought his way to the front of the field in an audience-pleasing performance.

Getting stronger as the weekend progressed, Martin Enlund sat an excellent fourth overall after Q3, but was sent into a spin by Olofsson when the round one winner inadvertently ran wide on the slippery track surface in Q4. He was subsequently delayed again on the opening lap of the semi-final, which was where his challenge ended.

Walfridson enjoyed a solid event and was unlucky not to reproduce his final appearance from Thursday, while #YellowSquad rookie Dan Skocdopole similarly missed the last six on this occasion, skating through the gravel at the start of Q3 and taking the chequered flag fourth in semi-final two.

Jesse Kallio said:
“This is payback for what happened on Thursday! It’s been a really up-and-down weekend. We’ve been quick throughout, which is encouraging, but the technical issues we suffered in round one were obviously frustrating. I also struggled with the starts, which meant I gave myself a bit too much work to do at times.

“The weather then threw a curve ball into the equation on Sunday, which was the first time I’ve ever driven a Supercar Lites car in fully wet conditions. It was really tricky out there, and whilst I was pushing hard, you have to be slightly cautious too when it’s like that. I got a bit lucky in the semi-final with the coming-together between Linus [Östlund] and Marcus [Höglund], but after Thursday, maybe I deserved some luck...

“This is a great way to start the season. It was a disappointing end to last year, so it’s nice to come out fighting and I think we’ve taken a decent step forward over the winter, which bodes well for the races to come.”

CrossCar / CrossCar Junior
Max Rundberg adopted an early joker tactic in both the semi-final and final to claim victory in the CrossCar/Crosskart class, seizing the initiative from long-time leader Isak Reiersen when his rival served his own joker on the last lap of the final. The JC Raceteknik Juniorteam driver – the architect of a brilliant overtake in the semi-final – held on to finish second, with Thomas Eek Murstad rounding out the rostrum in third ahead of Jimmie Österberg and Timmy Enlund.

There was misery, however, for impressive TQ Patrik Hallberg and Isac Egonsson, both of whom stalled at the start of the first semi-final, while Julle Ljungdahl spun out of a commanding lead in semi-final two.

By contrast, an honourable mention must go to Marcus Agerheim, who only just snuck into the semi-finals in 18th position but went on to progress through to the final. Five-time FIA World Rally Championship runner-up Thierry Neuville similarly showcased his wet-weather prowess, but was unable to repeat his Thursday semi-final showing.

Revelling in the conditions, Raoul Dahlqvist proved to be the ‘rain master’ in the CrossCar Junior category, but the Finn did require a slice of luck to prevail. From the rear of the grid, Erik Andersson squeezed spectacularly through the middle of his rivals at lights-out to snatch a lead he would never relinquish, but a post-race track limits penalty dropped him to third behind Dahlqvist and Rasmus Persson.

Cementing the curse of the TQs at Höljes on Sunday, Thursday winner Alex Gustafsson was denied the chance to double up when he was left on the line at the start of his semi-final.

Max Rundberg said:
“I had a bad start, really bad. When it’s wet, the car doesn’t start so well. That’s mostly my problem, I think, but I took the joker on the first lap like I used to do and it worked out well. In these conditions, you need to have a clean run and avoid getting too much spray or dirt on the windscreen. My spotter kept telling me, ‘push, push, push’ and then when I got ahead of Isak [Reiersen], I just concentrated on keeping it steady. It’s been a good start to the season.”

Raoul Dahlqvist said:
“I was a little bit surprised when I reached parc fermé and they told me I’d won – I wasn’t expecting that! Going into the final, I knew it would be tough because we had seen in the other races that it was very slippery underneath the front row grid slots, but I pushed as hard as I could. I have a lot of seat time in the wet and that clearly paid off.”

Results
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) VW Dealer Team Bauhaus 5 laps
2. Robin LARSSON (SWE) KYB Team JC +4.677s
3. Oliver SOLBERG (SWE) PS 110 procent AB +10.407
4. Oliver ERIKSSON (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +11.634
5. Thomas BRYNTESSON (SWE) Thomas Bryntesson +13.500s
6. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) Olsbergs MSE +18.230s

Supercar Lites
1. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) Olsbergs MSE 5 laps
2. Mats OSKARSSON (SWE) MORX +2.113s
3. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +3.898s
4. Henrik KROGSTAD (NOR) YellowSquad +5.070s
5. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) STS RX +5.144s
6. Thomas HOLMEN (NOR) STS RX +5.670s

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Max RUNDBERG (SWE) Json Motorpsort 5 laps
2. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) JC Raceteknik Juniorteam +1.381s
3. Thomas Eek MURSTAD (NOR) MURSTAD MOTORSPORT +3.000
4. Jimmie ÖSTERBERG (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +3.230s
5. Timmy ENLUND (SWE) Enlunds Motorsport +40.50
6. Marcus AGERHEIM (SWE) Agerheim Motorsport +1 lap

CrossCar Junior
1. Raoul DAHLQVIST (FIN) Dahlqvist RX 5 laps
2. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +1.921s
3. Erik ANDERSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +2.019s
4. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) Lukas Andersson +2.633s
5. Thomas MARTENS (BEL) LifeLive Nordic +55.018s
6. Elias KALLIOKOSKI (FIN) Elias Kalliokoski +2 laps

Championship Standings
Supercar
1. Robin LARSSON (SWE) 55 points
2. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) 51 points
3. Oliver SOLBERG (SWE) 46 points
4. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) 45 points
5. Oliver ERIKSSON (SWE) 31 points
6. Thomas BRYNTESSON (SWE) 31 points

Supercar Lites
1. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) 50 points
2. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) 48 points
3. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 46 points
4. Henrik KROGSTAD (NOR) 41 points
5. Mats OSKARSSON (SWE) 33 points
6. Jimmie WALFRIDSON (SWE) 30 points

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Max RUNDBERG (SWE) 49 points
2. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) 47 points
3. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) 41 points
4. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) 40 points
5. Julle LJUNGDAHL (SWE) 39 points
6. Thomas Eek MURSTAD (NOR) 32 points

CrossCar Junior
1. Raoul DAHLQVIST (FIN) 45 points
2. Erik ANDERSSON (SWE) 45 points
3. Elias KALLIOKOSKI (FIN) 42 points
4. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) 41 points
5. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) 40 points
6. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) 36 points

20-07-05 First race wins for #YellowSquad at Magic Weekend
#YellowSquad scored its first Supercar Lites race wins in the second round of the four-day RallyX Nordic Magic Weekend double-header, with Henrik Krogstad topping the times in Qualifying 4 and also winning his semi-final.

Krogstad was a contender for victory all weekend, after scoring the team's first podium three days earlier in the first round of the championship.

As the weather turned for the worse on Sunday, Krogstad's pace took a turn for the better, when he dominated Q4 in wet and muddy conditions to top the session. Despite being beaten to turn one, Krogstad pulled off a brilliant switchback move on the exit of the velodrome hairpin, powering past Linus Östlund on lap two and then flying past Jesse Kallio as the Finn took his joker lap.

He followed that up with another supreme performance in the semi-final, comfortably winning the race to secure a front-row grid slot of the final. Unfortunately a lack of grip off the line meant that Krogstad dropped to third by turn two, and the first-lap joker deployed by Mats Oskarsson turned out to be the optimal race strategy, leaving Krogstad fourth.

#YellowSquad's younger driver, 16-year-old Dan Skocdopole, was made to work hard for his place in the round two semi-finals, as his car engaging safe mode in Q2 cost him time and precious intermediate points. Despite lacking experience in the wet, Skocdopole rallied to score the points he needed, qualifying for the semis in 10th.

But the rain continuing to fall meant that Skocdopole had to focus on putting in five clean laps, so as Krogstad used his past experience in Supercar Lites from 2018 to great effect, Skocdopole ensured that he made the most of the experience with a mistake-free run. Fourth place in the semi-final was still a strong result on his debut Lites weekend but not quite enough to join Krogstad in the final.

Henrik Krogstad
#YellowSquad Driver
“I really thought we had this one. I made a very small mistake on the grid, running the revs a little bit too low at the start and that small error made a big difference to the outcome of the race. Getting to the first turn in third instead of first meant my hope of victory was pretty much over. This was my first race weekend in a Lites car after almost a year and a half, and getting starts right in the rain is not easy; it’s not something you do that often.

“It’s a good sign that I was fastest in Q4 and my semi-final. It’s just a question of time before everything clicks and I get that win. Everything else within the team is working great; it’s just the small details and increasing my experience even more that will make the difference.

“What Q4 and the semi-final did show is how much more consistent my pace was. Working with #YellowSquad is helping with that aspect of my driving a lot, especially with learning how to analyse my data in detail, understanding what I’m doing wrong, and then working to improve those areas. I feel like the team has gelled very well this week, both in terms of working together and also having fun while doing so!”

Dan Skocdopole
#YELLOWSQUAD DRIVER
“I'm pretty happy about how today went. We had the natural speed all weekend; the only issue is I struggled put it all together and get the result a few times. Reaching the semi-final in both rounds and the final in the first round is a good debut result; if we keep going going like this, good results will come in the future. Thank you to the team for all their efforts during this very long weekend!”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“It's been an absolutely brilliant weekend. It's the first time we're racing as a Lites team, and it's such a long weekend for a rallycross event as well. It was a really big test for everyone in the team, especially under these new COVID-19 safety rules issued by the FIA, which is also helping us to prepare for the return of the RX2 Series.

“There were promising results for both drivers: Henrik has made a fantastic comeback after his one-year sabbatical, stepping up massively to be fast ever since the first qualifying session on Thursday. His driving today was fantastic: so stable, consistent and mature. To score a podium with Henrik was definitely the best part about this weekend, along with having a real shot to win today's race.

“Dan has also developed so much during this weekend alone, getting to know the car better and better and becoming more comfortable with the team; we're all learning how to work best together. His approach has been really mature. There have been some rookie rallycross mistakes from lacking a bit of experience, which is to be expected because he's a rookie! But we're working on those points very hard before the next race and I'm sure he's hungry for more. He'll know the car is fast given the times Henrik was achieving this weekend.

“We have two great drivers, and we've had a great weekend with a great team behind us. #YellowSquad is in the game.”

Henrik Krogstad
Henrik Krogstad (born 04/04/1998) began karting at seven years old, becoming Norwegian karting champion in 2013. After a brief stint in circuit racing, claiming the Scandinavian and Norwegian Formula 7 titles, he turned his attention to rallycross, winning the Norwegian ‘Auto Sport Talent’ competition in 2015.

He has since raced Supercar Lites cars in both RX2 and RallyX Nordic, securing third place in the standings for both the RallyX Nordic 2017 Supercar Lites season and the RX2 Series in 2018.
About Dan Skocdopole

An experienced and successful go-karter, Skocdopole made a name for himself by winning the Czech championship in 2015, before going on to claim the WSK KRS World Series championship crown in 2016.

Skocdopole made his first steps in rallycross in 2018 when he contested the Italian Rallycross Championship, driving a Skoda Super 1600. He continued in the series last year while also making his debut in the German RX championship, winning on his first visit to the Oschersleben circuit that October.

He has tested a variety of GT and RX machinery during his young career to date, from RX2 and Super 1600 cars to Supercars and Electric RX. His aim is to become the youngest-ever World Rallycross Championship entrant and winner.
About #YellowSquad

#YellowSquad is a vibrant junior rallycross team formed by brothers Kevin and Timmy Hansen in February 2019. Its focus is on delivering a platform for aspiring rallycross drivers to learn the skills needed to progress up the ladder towards the World Rallycross Championship.

The team made its racing debut in the RallyX Nordic Cross Car (XC) category in 2019 with Julius Ljungdahl, winning one race. #YellowSquad has now expanded to RX2 - the feeder series to World RX - for the 2020 season, and will also compete in RallyX Nordic’s Supercar Lites category.

#YellowSquad provides its young drivers with development opportunities beyond the cockpit, including fitness, nutrition, self-development and media relations. Alongside team principal Kevin, World RX champion Timmy is responsible for driver coaching, while Eric Färén is team manager.

20-07-05 Dubbelseger och en tredjeplats för JC Raceteknik under All Star Magic Weekend i Höljes
Under RallyX Nordic inledde JC Raceteknik rallycrossäsongen med pallplatser för Robin Larsson, Alex Gustafsson och Isak Reiersen. Samtidigt imponerade teamets Supercar-rookies.
– Teamet är verkligen jättenöjda med de här tävlingarna, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

De inledande två deltävlingarna av RallyX Nordic kördes 2-5 juli i värmländska Höljes. Finnskoga MK, som egentligen skulle arrangerat FIA World Rallycross Championship med cirka 50 000 i publiken den här helgen, bjöd istället på publikfria All Star Magic Weekend – där publiken kunde följa tävlingarna online. För JC Raceteknik, som kom till start med sju förare varav fyra i Supercar, blev det en lyckad inledning på säsongen.

KYB Team JC-föraren Robin Larsson värmde i helgen upp inför den kommande VM-säsongen. Han hittade snabbt rätt i den nya bilen och inledde med en seger under torsdagen. Tempot fanns också den andra deltävlingen, men efter en miss i finalen slutade han istället tvåa. Han leder även i mästerskapet. Supercar-debutanten Ben-Philip Gundersen imponerade under helgen. I första tävlingen såg han ut att gå mot en finalplats, men bara några meter innan mål blev det problem med det elektroniska gasspjället och han tappade två placeringar. Även i andra deltävlingen hade norrmannen problem, då med en trasig drivaxel i Q1 och ett elfel i Q4.

Supercar-föraren Enzo Ide, som gjorde sin andra och tredje rallycrosstävling någonsin, imponerade liksom Gundersen. Han tog bland annat en sjunde tid under söndagen, och såg ut att gå mot en finalplats innan han snurrade i regnet. För Mats Öhman blev det inte en felfri helg, där starterna och en svartflagg satte käppar i hjulen.

Värmlänningen Jimmie Walfridson, Supercar Lites, gjorde två bra tävlingar. Efter första deltävlingen låg han trea i mästerskapet, men efter en DNF i Q3 och ett tidstillägg i semifinalen missade han finalen. JC Raceteknik Juniorteams förare Isak Reiersen, Torsby, och Alex Gustafsson, Arvika/Gunnarskog, hade två imponerande tävlingar. Isak knep under torsdagen en tredjeplats i tävlingen och ledde efter dagen mästerskapet. I helgens tävling blev det en andraplats och han ligger nu tvåa i RallyX Nordic. Under torsdagen imponerade Alex Gustafsson med den första segern någonsin i nya RallyX Nordic-klassen: Crosscar Junior. I andra tävlingen var han snabbast från träning till Q3, tog en andraplats i Q4 och vann därmed grundomgången. Men framfarten tog slut genom ett stopp i starten i semifinalen, och han ligger efter helgen fyra i mästerskapet.

Läs vår release från första deltävling av RallyX Nordic här: https://bit.ly/2VPmO9t

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef JC Raceteknik och KYB Team JC:
”Teamet är verkligen jättenöjda med de här tävlingarna. Det blev en annorlunda start på säsongen och tanken var ju egentligen att bara Jimmie, Isak och Alex skulle köra RallyX Nordic, men nu blev det också en uppvärmning för våra Supercar-förare och första tävlingen för Robin i KYB Team JC. Även om vi planerade att mest testa i Supercar är en tävling alltid en tävling. Nya bilen fungerade perfekt och vi är väldigt nöjda med en vinst och en andraplats för Robin. Även Juniorteamets Isak och Alex gjorde imponerande insatser i sina klasser. Alex inledde starkt med seger i torsdags, och var väldigt snabb sedan dess. Det enda som felade för honom var tyvärr dagens semifinal. Isak hade i perioder haft tufft med starter och farten. Men han hade som vanligt en väldigt hög lägstanivå och levererade resultaten i semifinal och final.

Ben-Philip imponerade väldigt på mig med sin Supercar-debut, både på torrt underlag och i regnet. Hade vi inte haft tekniska problem hade han varit ännu vassare, men nu är vi bättre förberedda inför EM-premiären. Enzo gjorde sin andra rallycrosstävling i torsdags och sin första den nya bilen. Han kämpar fortfarande lite i starterna och när det är mycket trafik, men tempot finns där och hans utveckling är kul att se. Med Mats har vi haft det lite tufft i helgen med stolpe ut och någon startmiss, men överlag har han gjort ett bra jobb. Vi får åka hem och testa mer helt enkelt. I Supercar Lites har Jimmie haft bra fart, och är närmare toppen än i fjol. Så det var synd att han missade finalen på grund av tre sekunders tidstillägg.

Det här är ett av de bästa rallycrosstävlingar vi har varit på. Arrangemanget har varit fantastiskt med ett bra upplägg av Finnskoga MK, NEP och RallyX Nordic. TV-showen var någonting utöver vanliga och jag hoppas att vi får uppleva liknande tävlingar fler gång. Det här har gett en bra känsla inför VM och EM, hela teamet är väldigt taggade inför 22 augusti.”

Robin Larsson, KYB Team JC, Supercar [SWE]:
”Det har varit två väldigt bra tävlingar. Första gången i nya bilen – jag kom in i det snabbt och vi har ökat tempot under helgen. Att inleda med en vinst i första deltävlingen kändes som ett fint kvitto för mig och hela teamet, och gav mersmak till VM drar igång. I dagens final regnade det ordentligt och vi visste att starten troligen skulle vara avgörande. Så det var synd att jag spann bort den till [Johan] Kristoffersson, för bortsett från det hade vi samma varvtider. Samtidigt gjorde [Niclas] Grönholm en miss i sin semifinal, så det är små marginaler det handlar om. Det var en jämn helg så en andraplats känns bra ändå. Vi kom hit som en uppvärmning för VM och nu vet jag att det fungerar även på regn när allt drar igång. Joel och ”gubbarna” har gjort att bilen fungerat klockrent redan från start. Vårt tempo har stått sig bra mot de andra VM-förarna, Niclas som var riktigt vass i fjol är en bra värdemätare. Nu blir det bara att göra lite småjusteringar och få till bättre starter.”

Enzo Ide, Supercar [BEL]:
”Jag har testat på många banor och Höljes är min favorit. Så de här tävlingarna har varit bra för mig. Jag kom hit med en helt ny bil och en ny känsla. Farten utvecklades och jag lärde mig under helgen att utmana de andra förarna mer. Men Rom byggdes inte på en dag, och även det här med rallycross tar tid att lära. Jag kom inte heller hit med mål om en pallplats, utan för att förbereda mig inför Euro RX. Jag har kört test på regn förut, men det är inte samma sak som att tävla på det. Det var en utmaning och banan förändrades snabb. Men jag låg tvåa i semifinalen och hade kanske kunnat ta mig till final om jag inte snurrat. Så i det stora hela är jag nöjd. Också tack till Joel Christoffersson och hans team för ett bra jobb hela helgen, och EKS som byggt och hjälpt till att förbereda bilen inför helgen.”

Ben-Philip Gundersen, Supercar [NOR]:
”Äntligen fick vi köra tävling igen, och Supercar-debuten gick väldigt bra på torsdagen tills vi fick ett tekniskt fel på bilen. Så hade bilen fungerat optimalt hade vi såklart kunnat ha bättre tävlingar. Det som fungerat bäst är nog starterna, vilket var oväntat eftersom jag trodde att de skulle bli vanskligt. Resultatet blev ändå bättre än förväntat, och även om det är en bit upp till de allra snabbaste är det inte omöjligt att komma dit.”

Mats Öhman, Supercar [SWE]:
”Att tävla i Höljes utan publik hade jag aldrig kunnat föreställa mig, men arrangemanget har varit suveränt. Körmässigt har det här inte riktigt varit min tävling. Jag är mest nöjd med Q3, men bortsett från det har jag inte gjort en vidare bra prestation. Det har varit svårt väder sista dagen och i rallycross handlar det om små marginaler. Jag är inte riktigt där jag vill med starterna än, och det kommer vi jobba vidare på. Teamet har gjort ett kanonjobb i helgen. Robin har skött sig mycket bra, Ben-Philip kommer bli livsfarlig i EM i år och Enzo har också imponerat. ”

Jimmie Walfridson, Supercar Lites [SWE]:
”Jag är jättenöjd med mina starter i helgen, de har verkligen fungerat bra. Tiderna har bitvis också varit helt okej med en fjärde tid och sjätte tid i omgångarna. Däremot måste jag jobba lite mer på min jämnhet. Helgen överlag har också fungerat bra, tycker jag, men en bruten omgång och tidstillägget i semifinalen fick luften att gå ur lite. Men vi kommer igen.”

Isak Reiersen, JC Raceteknik Juniorteam, Crosscar [SWE]:
”Det har varit en bra helg med mycket poäng i båda tävlingarna. Just det var målet inför helgen och andraplatsen i mästerskapet ser lovande ut inför resten av säsongen. Konkurrensen i klassen är hård och du måste ligga på gränsen hela tiden. Under första tävlingen var det stabilt i kvalet och semifinalen – och jag kom trea efter en miss i målkurvan. I helgens andra deltävling slet jag väldigt i kvalomgången, med dåliga starter och trafik. Men när regnet kom gjorde jag en snabb omställning och kunde efter lite tips från Joel och andra förare leverera från Q4. Eftersom jag inte kört så mycket på blött innan var det en bra lärdom, och vi känner oss redo för resten av RallyX Nordic.”

Alex Gustafsson, JC Raceteknik Juniorteam, Crosscar Junior [SWE]:
”Säsongen började väldigt bra för mig, och det känns stort att vara först att vinna den nya klassen Crosscar Junior i RallyX Nordic. Jag fick självförtroende efter segern, och tog med mig den goda känslan till andra tävlingen. Andra tävlingen började väldigt bra och jag var snabbast från träningen ända till Q3. Vi chansade på att behålla torra inställningar i Q4, men regnet kom snabbare än vi trodde. Så det var svårkört och väldigt halt på banan, men det blev ändå en andra tid. I semifinalen stod jag i pole position, vi försökte starta på ett lågt varvtal i regnet men när jag släppte på kopplingen så dog motorn. Jag försökte jaga ikapp efter det, men sikten var dålig och jag kunde inte attackera fullt. Verkligen synd, men det är sånt som händer. Jag har fyra poäng upp till ledaren i mästerskapet och slåss fortfarande om vinsten den här säsongen. Jag vill tacka teamet för en fantastisk helg, och RallyX Nordic och Finnskoga MK som har gjort ett otroligt bra arrangemang.”

20-07-05 Stecka trea i All Star Legends Magic Weekend
I helgen arrangerade Finnskoga MK fyra dagar av All Magic Weekend, där legendarerna Per Eklund, Andreas Eriksson, Henning Solberg, Marcus Grönholm och Stig-Olov "Stecka" Walfridson bjöd upp till fight.

Under fredagen kördes en Shoot-out och en kvalomgång inför dagens final. Finalen drog igång efter att RallyX Nordic gått i mål, för att inte riskera att "gamlingarna" skulle köra sönder de lånade Supercarbilarna. Med tanke på ösregnet var det garanterat ett bra beslut.

Stecka startade i fjärde spår och var riktigt bra med i starten. Han var tvåa iväg och hakade på Marcus Grönholm. Stecka och Andréas Eriksson bjöd på äkta Höljesfighter, där Stecka drog längsta strået och slutade trea.
– Det var väl egentligen lite för halkigt för vår del och väldigt svårt att veta var gränserna går. Speciellt när det är 7-8 år sedan man satt bakom ratten, säger Stecka med ett skratt.

Men trots det ihållande regnet har det synts att han har trivts bakom ratten på sin gamla bil som Lukas numera har övertagit.
– Det här var ett kul intiativ och det är roligt att få att ställa upp och hjälpa kluppen och kanske skapa lite intresse för rallycrossen, säger han.

Resultat
1. Marcus Grönholm
2. Henning Solberg
3. Stecka Walfridson
4. Andréas Eriksson
5. Per Eklund.

Mer info och resultat hittar du på http://walfridsson.com/StigOlov/index.htm där vi följt Stecka och legendarernas framfart.

20-07-05 "Kungen av regn" slog till igen
Han kallas ibland för ”Kungen av regn” och i den andra deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic visade Johan Kristoffersson varför. När de mörka molnen drog in över Höljes vände den dubble världsmästaren underläge till seger.
- Jag vet att jag är stark när det är blött och den här bilen har alltid fungerat bra i regn, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren.

I finalen stod Kristoffersson på utsidan om torsdagssegraren Robin Larsson, som varit vassare även under kvalet i den andra deltävlingen. Men nu sköljde regnet ner över banan och då var maktbalansen ändrad.
- Regnet jämnar ut styrkeförhållandena mellan de mer utvecklade VM-bilarna och vår lite äldre hembyggda, menar Johan som fick ta en krokig väg fram till seger.

Efter lördagens två kvalheat på torrt underlag summerade Kristoffersson en total tredjeplats efter Niclas Grönholm samt nämnde Larsson och var nöjd med det.
- Det är ungefär vad vi kan prestera. De åker fort med sina VM-bilar.

Söndagen inleddes med ett regnlotteri. Johan körde ut i omgångens första heat i lätt regn. På den halkiga Höljes-banan märktes det direkt på varvtiderna och Kristoffersson fick inte heller den bästa av starter.
- Jag trodde faktiskt det skulle vara halkigare än det var.

Johan klöv mållinjen som trea efter Larsson och Grönholm, men därefter upphörde regnet och öppnade upp för betydligt bättre tider i de följande heaten. Kristoffersson fick därmed nöja sig med en elfteplats i Q3 och låg så långt bara femma totalt.

Till fjärde kvalomgången hade däremot himlens portar öppnat sig på riktigt och då visade Johan - som vanligt - sina spetsegenskaper och var snabbast av alla.
- Det var riktigt svårt, men man måste ha ett fruktansvärt stort tålamod när det är så blött, sammanfattar Kristoffersson.

Med en tredjeplats i sammandraget fick Johan starta i pole position i sin semifinal, varifrån han defilerade fram till finalen, där det blev ytterspår.
- Ett nytt startspår jämfört med Q4 och semifinal, men det var bra grepp där också. Finalen var nog den bästa starten på hela helgen.

Först in i startsvängen på blött underlag, då fanns det förstås ingen hejd på Kristoffersson, som seglade iväg till en överlägsen seger i sin Volkswagen Polo GTI RX KMS.
- Känns mycket bra att åka härifrån med en andraplats och en seger, en perfekt racehelg inför VM.

Efter nitton månaders frånvaro från rallycross fanns det en del rutiner att hitta tillbaka till.
- Jag har fått fatta många svåra beslut ute på banan den här helgen och vi har provat oss fram en hel del med inställningarna, konstaterar Kristoffersson.

Nästa gång han kommer till Höljes är det VM-premiär med den mer potenta bilen från Volkswagen Motorsport, men han lämnar också över KMS-Polon i riktigt bra nyutvecklat skick till Sondre Evjen, som ska köra EM-serien med den.

Stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson var överlag mycket nöjd med utfallet av RallyX Nordic-helgen.
- Från början till slut väldigt nyttigt, alltifrån prepareringen inför tävlingen till testet av vårt teams set-up här på plats. För Johan har det varit bra att få köra i trafik och få en hel tävling i ryggen.

Att världsmästaren dessutom visade sin klass som förare när det drog ihop sig gjorde inte heller saken sämre.
- På torr bana hängde vi inte riktigt med mot VM-bilarna, men när regnet kom blev det mer förarrelaterat och Johan visade att han inte har tappat något som förare. En väldigt bra comeback för oss i rallycross.

20-07-05 Trubbelkantat All-Star Magic Weekend för Tidemand
Det blev kanske inte riktigt helgen Pontus Tidemand och Hedströms Motorsport hade hoppats på. Men trots ett problematiskt Höljes All-Star Magic Weekend, finns det ljusglimtar när tävlingen summeras. - Vi har fått ett kvitto på att vi är snabba när allt väl stämmer, säger Pontus.

Med nytt team och ny bil började torsdagens omgång bra för Pontus. Hans VW Polo Supercar fungerade fint och han satte stabila tider. Men turen vände snabbt efter kvalrundorna. En incident i en väldigt hård semifinal tog ut sin rätt på bilen och med kort om tid innan finalen fanns ingen tid att reparera skadorna.
- Förutsättningarna är inte de bästa i en final när man har en inte helt intakt bil, säger Pontus. Dessutom åkte jag på en punktering och det gjorde det knappast lättare att fighta. Jag fick nöja mig med en sjätteplats i finalen, men jag är ändå glad att jag faktiskt tog mig till final i den allra första tävlingen för teamet.

På lördagen startade nästa omgång med två av fyra kvalheat. Men inte heller nu gick det enligt planerna. Tekniska problem slog till redan på träningen på morgonen och det blev en tung start på dagen.
- Otur, kommenterar Pontus. Man vet aldrig när det händer och den här gången var inte tekniken på vår sida. Men teamet gjorde ett dunderjobb för att få ordning på problemen och vi laddade om för att få chansen att göra det bästa av slutklämmen.

Söndagen startade riktigt bra med fjärde snabbaste tid på uppvärmningen och ett kanonrace i det tredje kvalheatet där Pontus var näst snabbast totalt. Lagom till det fjärde och sista kvalheatet vräkte regnet ner över banan och för Pontus som tidigare bara rattat bilen på torrt underlag blev det en utmaning. Han kvalificerade sig ändå till semifinal, men där var dagens tur förbrukad.
- Vi fick problem igen i semin och det kan ha kostat oss en plats i finalen, säger Pontus, vars tävlingshelg slutade efter semifinalen. Han fortsätter:
- Hedströms Motorsport-teamet har jobbat fantastiskt hårt både inför och under tävlingen. Vi hade bra tester inför det här och alla detaljer var på plats så jag tror faktiskt inte att vi hade kunnat göra så mycket annorlunda. Det här var helt enkelt inte vår helg. Men dagen började bra idag, utan strul, och i och med det har vi fått ett kvitto på att vi är snabba när allt väl stämmer, vilket är bra träning inför EM. Vi är redan revanschsugna så nu är det bara att kavla upp ärmarna och jobba vidare mot det.

20-07-05 Mindre lyckat resultat i RallyX Nordics andra deltävling för Jimmie
En bruten omgång och ett tidstillägg i semifinalen blev tyvärr kostsamt för Jimmie Walfridson när andra deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic kördes i samband All Magic Weekend i Höljes.

Jimmie låg inför Finnskoga MKs tävling på tredje plats i det Nordiska Mästerskapet och målsättningen var att även den här gången ta sig till final och vara med och slåss i toppen.

Helgen har fungerat mestadels bra och Jimmie noterade bland annat fjärde- och sjätteplats i omgångarna. En raceincident gjorde att han tvingades bryta en omgång, men tack vare ett högt tempo blev det ändå en åttonde plats grundomgången.

I semifinalen körde han upp sig från sista led och knep en finalplats. Tyvärr upptäckte man när han stod ute på pre-griden till finalen att han kört på en banmarkering i semin. Tidstillägget på tre sekunder gjorde att han istället för trea slutade femma i semifinalen. Det blev ingen finalplats den här gången, med andra ord.

Trots det snöpliga slutet är Jimmie ändå nöjd med helgen.
– Jag är jättenöjd med mina starter, de har verkligen fungerat bra. Tiderna har bitvis också varit helt okej. Däremot måste jag jobba lite mer på min jämnhet. Helgen överlag har fungerat bra, tycker jag, men en bruten omgång och tidstillägget fick liksom luften att gå ur. Men vi kommer igen, säger Jimmie.

Resultat RallyX Nordic deltävling 2
1. Jesse Kallio (Fin) 30 p
2. Mats Oskarsson (Sve) 20 p
3. Linus Östlund (Sve) 23 p
4. Henrik Krogstad (Nor) 24 p
5. Simon Olofsson (Sve) 20 p
6. Thomas Holmen (Nor) 13 p
7. Martin Enlund (Sve) 15 p
8. Jimmie Walfridson (Sve) 11 p

20-07-05 Spellbinding Solberg lights up the Magic Weekend
Away from rallycross for two years, driving a car first built seven years ago, it’s fair to say Oliver Solberg wasn’t sure what to expect at this All-Star Magic Weekend at Höljes.

Faced with the sport’s finest and fastest – including father Petter Solberg’s former PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team-mate, two-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson – this would be the toughest RX competition 18-year-old Oliver had ever faced.

To end the weekend on the podium, having run third to Kristoffersson in the final, was a great result for the Monster Energy-backed DS 3 Supercar driver.

“Honestly, I didn’t know what it would be like against these guys,” said Oliver, who has focused his attentions on the World Rally Championship for the last two years – and now drives a factory-supported ŠKODA Fabia in WRC3.

“I did a small test with the DS 3 last week and straight away I was smiling again – that’s what happens when you have 600bhp. In the first part of the double-header, I was remembering the strategy and how to drive rallycross again. In Q3, I got some damage on the car when the guys were hitting me a bit from behind.

“We made the final in part one and I was fourth. Maybe I could have made a better plan for the joker lap, this was my fault. I was really looking forward to the weekend then and trying to make Sunday’s second final [at part two of the All-Star Magic Weekend double-header].”

Fastest in Q3 on Sunday morning was a great start to the day, but when the Swedish summer deserted Höljes, the conditions took a turn for the worse.

“The rain has been incredible,” said Oliver. “It just didn’t stop. We had some big puddles out there, a lot of standing water. But it’s still so cool to drive these cars and race these guys.”

Winning his semi-final by a massive seven seconds landed Oliver a place in the final. And the Monster Energy-flashed DS 3 was lightening quick off the line.

“I got a really good start,” said Oliver, “I did my part of the plan, but those guys [Kristoffersson and Robin Larsson] let me down a bit – they were supposed to make bad starts and let me fly through to the lead!

I forgot a little bit that Johan doesn’t do bad anything in rallycross! I would never have beaten him, he’s so quick in the wet. I’ve watched his onboards so many times and to see him do it again in this race was really impressive. And Larsson was quick as well. Maybe if it had been dry, I hope it would have been closer, but this was like Wales Rally GB times 10!

“There was so little grip in the wet, when the rain was coming I said to myself that I would just do my best and drive my own race. I’m really happy to come back to rallycross again and come away with this podium position. Would this have been possible if Niclas [Grönholm] didn’t have his problem in his semi-final? I don’t know.

“He (Grönholm) was so quick this weekend, he drove really clean all the time and he really deserved more than what happened to him [his car stalled on the start line].”

“I have to say a big thank you to the whole team, they worked really hard to get this car quick and it really worked. To come here in a car my father used to win the 2014 and 2015 World Rallycross Championship with and still be at the front is good. I’m happy.”

“And we have to say another very big thank you to the organisers of this event and to the production company making the television coverage. You know, right now, it’s not really a normal time and to put on this All-Star Magic Weekend has been fantastic effort from so many people.”

The focus now returns to rallying for Oliver, with his team closing on a programme of events for the second half of the season.

20-07-03 Larsson defeats 'World Championship-level' field on epic day of racing
Reigning champion comes out fighting on first day of the season
Swede sees off World Championship rivals Kristoffersson and Grönholm
Emotional triumph for Olofsson in fiercely-contested Supercar Lites class
More fast-paced action over the next three days – subscribe here!

Reigning RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Champion Robin Larsson defeated a ‘World Championship-level’ field at Höljes today (2 July), as the ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend kicked off the 2020 international rallycross season by serving up an epic feast of high-octane entertainment.

Larsson is renowned for his trademark all-out, ‘just-gotta-send-it’ style, and there was plenty of that on display today as he threw his KYB Team JC Audi S1 around the iconic Swedish circuit with energetic brio. There were similarly show-stopping performances in the Supercar Lites, CrossCar and CrossCar Junior classes, as rallycross returned with a bang!

The action continues with round two on Saturday and Sunday, as the global English-language feed streams the racing live all around the world, with no geo-blocking. The attractively-priced subscription package offers more than 26 hours of live rallycross and interviews – all of which can be paused, re-wound and replayed at will – for just 249 SEK (c. €24,99). You can sign up here.

Supercar
In the 20-car Supercar entry – described by 2018 RallyX Nordic Champion Oliver Solberg as ‘World Championship-level’ – Larsson was on the leading pace throughout the qualifying stages at his home circuit. After winning his semi-final, the Swede out-dragged pole-sitter Niclas Grönholm away from the start-line in the all-important final – and from there, he was unstoppable.

An early joker for two-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson paid dividends, as the rallycross returnee vaulted up to second place at the chequered flag – a fine fightback after an uncharacteristically rough run through the qualifiers.

That put the Swede just ahead of fellow World RX front-runner Grönholm, who won all three qualifying rounds behind the wheel of his GRX Taneco Hyundai i20, despite describing his Q1 joker lap as ‘driving like grandma’. For the record, it was the fastest joker of anybody...

Solberg finished a close fourth as he brought the venerable Citroën DS3 back to the fray, enjoying a clean run in the races after suffering from a broken driveshaft and gearbox issues in the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning practice sessions.

2017 RallyX Nordic title-winner Thomas Bryntesson placed fifth, battling back from a Q2 incident that saw him clip the barrier going down the hill and spin wildly off the track. Pontus Tidemand wound up sixth in the final reckoning, surviving a skirmish with Lukas Walfridson in the semi-final that earned the latter a penalty for pushing.

Honourable mentions should also go to Supercar debutants Ben-Philip Gundersen (JC Raceteknik) and Fraser McConnell. The Norwegian was consistently quick and was on-course to reach the final when his car suddenly slowed approaching the semi-final finish line. McConnell was equally impressive for Olsbergs MSE, but team-mate Oliver Eriksson endured a day to forget as the two-time championship runner-up failed to make the last six.

Robin Larsson said: “That was a really good start with the new car – the Audi worked perfectly the whole day. In the final, I got a great launch and having seen how quick Grönholm was behind me in the semi-final, I just controlled the tempo for the opening laps, making sure to drive carefully on the gravel as it was really slippery.

“I knew Niclas had used two new tyres for Q3 and we had four new tyres for the final, so we had a good advantage there and I began pushing on lap three. It was a fun day, without any problems and now I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Supercar Lites
Banishing the bad luck that has plagued him over the past three years, Simon Olofsson sped to an emotional Supercar Lites class victory ahead of #YellowSquad’s Henrik Krogstad – the Norwegian returning to action following a season on the sidelines – and local hero Linus Östlund.

Olofsson is unquestionably one of the fastest Supercar Lites drivers around, but for one reason or another, he has tended to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Today, the Swede was in exactly the right place at exactly the right time and, when Q1 and Q2 pace-setter Jesse Kallio (Olsbergs MSE) picked up a gearshift issue in Q3, it was his STS RX rival that leapt to the top of the intermediate standings.

From there, Olofsson successfully fended off Östlund in a cat-and-mouse duel in both the semi-final and final to register his first win since 2017, with Krogstad bouncing back from a torrid run through the qualifying races to steal second place late on. The home hero took the chequered flag third, ahead of Jimmie Walfridson (JC Raceteknik), class rookie Nils Andersson (TiKRX) and #YellowSquad’s Dan Skoçdopole.

Meanwhile, Marcus Höglund’s ill-fortune from last year’s ‘Magic Weekend’ returned to haunt him, as the Swede – fifth in Q1 and third in Q2 – pulled suddenly off the circuit in the second semi-final just as he was poised to relieve the ailing Kallio of the lead.

Simon Olofsson said: “This is amazing. Honestly, the past few years have been so difficult and racing really wasn’t much fun for me anymore. I wasn’t even planning to drive this season, but then we decided in the end to enter a few races.

“I think the extended winter break has really focussed my mind. When I came here for the #RXQuarantine event in May, I had the same feeling as I had in 2016 – it was the first time since then that I’ve sat on the grid genuinely believing I can win. This is such a special weekend and this victory really means a lot to me. We’re back in the game!”

CrossCar / CrossCar Junior
From last on the grid, Oskar Andersson came out on top in a hugely unpredictable CrossCar final that produced drama and excitement right from the word ‘go’. From the second row of the grid, Patrik Hallberg rocketed between the front row starters at lights-out, only to spin the lead away with two laps remaining.

That promoted Isak Reiersen to the front of the field, but a faster joker – despite tapping the barrier on the exit – allowed Andersson to leapfrog his countryman for the most unlikely of victories, having only just scraped into the semi-finals in 15th place. A last corner mistake by Reiersen allowed Isac Egonsson past to seal the runner-up spoils.

In the new-for-2020 CrossCar Junior class, Alex Gustafsson recovered from a Q1 collision to dominate the final, pulling off an ultra-brave move on Erik Andersson to snatch the lead before proceeding to check out, even surviving a last corner lapse that almost sent him spearing off the circuit. Andersson held on to take the flag second, with Elias Kalliokoski completing the podium-finishers in third.

Oskar Andersson said: “We had some problems in the qualifying races, which meant I had to start right at the back in both the semi-final and final, but our speed was good all day and I just pushed as hard as I could. It was a crazy final and it’s an unbelievable feeling to win – I’m so happy!”

Alex Gustafsson said: “I could never have imagined this – it’s so magical. I wanted to win so much and gave it everything I had. When I saw the gap open up for the lead, I knew I had to go for it and thankfully, Erik gave me racing room. I thought I had thrown it away in the last corner, but fortunately, I had enough of a margin behind to stay in front.”

20-07-02 Krogstad scores #YellowSquad's debut RX podium at Magic Weekend
#YellowSquad scored a podium finish on its Supercar Lites debut at the RallyX Nordic Magic Weekend, with both Henrik Krogstad and Dan Skocdopole making it through to the all-important final.

Krogstad was on fine form as he came only half a second from victory, finishing in second place and scoring the team's first podium with a Lites car. A decision to take the joker lap was an inspired one in the first half of the race, giving him free air to push and get ahead of team-mate Skocdopole on lap two and then Linus Östlund shortly afterwards.

Ultimately Krogstad became stuck behind a slower car that had yet to take its joker towards the end of his race, allowing eventual winner Simon Olofsson to get just far enough ahead to avoid being caught by Henrik.

Skocdopole also made a fine debut apperance with #YellowSquad in a Lites car, finishing fourth on the road before a track marker infringement cost him three seconds and dropped him to sixth.

But 16-year-old Skocodopole undoubtedly showed his talent, winning his race in Q3 and then taking another session win in his semi-final, which was a 1-2 finish for #YellowSquad with Krogstad right behind.

Both drivers will be back on track this Saturday and Sunday for the second round of the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites series, which is being held back-to-back at Höljes as part of the championship's bumper Magic Weekend meeting.

20-07-02 Dubbelseger och en tredjeplats för JC Raceteknik under All Star Magic Weekend i Höljes
Årets första rallycrosstävling har precis avslutats i Höljes. Till Premiären av RallyX Nordic, All Star Magic Weekend, kom JC Raceteknik till start med sju förare i alla fyra klasserna. Fyra av dem kom till final och tre slutade på pallen. Samtidigt leder teamet mästerskapet i två av klasserna.

KYB Team JCs Supercar föraren Robin Larsson gjorde en bra final och knep årets första seger, före Johan Kristoffersson och Niclas Grönholm. JC Raceteknik Juniorteam-föraren Alex Gustafsson gjorde ett bra jobb även han och vann den första tävlingen någonsin i klassen Crosscar Junior på svensk mark och i RallyX Nordic. Juniorteamföraren Isak Reiersen slutade trea i Crosscar. Han såg ut att gå mot en andraplats, men efter ett misstag strax innan målgång på sista varvet slutade han trea. Både Larsson och Reiersen leder mästerskapet, medan Gustafsson ligger på tredje plats.

Jimmie Walfridson slutade på en fjärdeplats i Supercar Lites finalen, och ligger efter helgen trea RallyX Nordic-mästerskapet. Supercar debutanten Ben-Philip Gundersen har gjort en imponerande tävling, med snabba starter. Han var påväg mot en andraplats i semifinalen, men med bara några meter från mållinjen stannade bilen plötsligt och han slutade istället fyra. Både rallycross-rookien Enzo Ide och Mats Öhman tog sig till semifinal i Höljes. Ide visade bra tempo och kom P3 i sin semifinal, medan Öhman slutade femma i sin. De slutade på trettonde respektive fjortonde plats – både i tävlingen och mästerskapet.

Robin Larsson, Supercar:
”Det blev en skön första dag för oss. Trots att jag inte var snabbast genom tävlingen lyckades jag tagga till och knyta ihop säcken lagomt till semifinal. Det här var första gången jag testade den nya bilen, och jag kom in i den direkt. Den är lik den gamla bilen, medan vi samtidigt kunde flytta gränserna framåt hela tiden. Så vi kommer fortsätta utveckla den i helgen, och föra den så redo som möjligt tills VM väl drar igång. RallyX Nordic bjöd verkligen inte på en slapp tävling, utan många av de bästa rallycrossförarna tävlar i helgen. Varken [Niclas] Grönholm eller [Johan] Kristoffersson gör någonting halvdant, så vi ser den här segern som ett bra kvitto för teamet inför VM.”

Alex Gustafsson, Crosscar Junior:
”Det här känns helt obeskrivligt, jag har nog inte förstått att jag vunnit än. Det var en riktigt tuff dag med hård konkurrens. Så när jag passerade mållinjen som segrare blev det många glädjetårar och segerrop. Att jag dessutom är den första någonsin att vinna Crosscar Junior i Sverige och RallyX Nordic känns häftigt, det gör ju att jag hamnar lite i historieböckerna. Nu kommer jag ladda om direkt och lägga fokus framåt, det är en ny tävling redan till helgen och även där kommer jag göra mitt bästa. Jag vill också passa på att tacka alla som hjälpt mig i helgen, teamet och sponsorer – tillsammans blev det här möjligt. Såklart också stort tack till RallyX Nordic som tog klassen till Sverige.”

Isak Reiersen, Crosscar:
”Den här tävlingen har varit väldigt tuff. Ingen förare har varit överlägsen utan det har varit otroligt jämnt, vilket gjort att jag hela tiden behöver ligga på gränsen för att hänga med. Just därför blir det en ännu skönare känsla med pallen och att inleda med en mästerskapledning i RallyX Nordic. I fjol fick jag lärdomen att det är jämnhet och att plocka poäng i alla heat som resulterar i ett bra mästerskap. Du behöver inte vinna för att ta flest poäng, vilket jag visade idag. Jag har en del saker att utveckla ännu mer, och ser fram emot nästa tävling i helgen. Jag vill också säga tack till teamet för bra jobb, mina sponsorer som gör möjligt och såklart alla som hejat på oss hemifrån.”

20- 07- 02 Comeback med silversmak
Det blev en rallycrosscomeback med silversmak för Johan Kristoffersson när RallyX Nordics första deltävling avgjordes i Höljes.
- Jag är nöjd med körningen, bilen och det arbete som teamet har gjort. Vi ska vara stolta över insatsen, summerar Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS- föraren.

Kristoffersson slutade tvåa i supercar- klassen bakom VM- kollegan Robin Larsson efter en bra tävlingsdag, men utan det optimala flytet.
- I rallycross måste allt stämma för att man ska lyckas fullt ut. Så små marginaler är det.

Redan i första kvalomgången stod det klart att marginalerna var små. Johan vann sitt heat komfortabelt före Oliver Solberg, men var fyra hundradelar efter Niclas Grönholm totalt och nio före Robin Larsson, vilket innebar en andraplats i omgången.

I andra omgången kom Kristoffersson lite trångt till i starten och hamnade sedan bakom Pontus Tidemand och den undflyende Niclas Grönholm.
- Jag skulle ha följt med Robin Larsson in i jokern redan på första varvet, men det är lätt att säga efteråt.

Johan träffade också en banmarkering, vilket betydde tre sekunders tidstillägg och en åttondeplats i Q2.
- Helt och hållet mitt eget fel. Jag körde på en floppy, en sån sak som händer när inte allt stämmer till hundra procent. När jag vann VM 2017 och 2018 hade jag kört en millimeter från den där pinnen. Nu träffade jag den istället, men det är sånt man måste jobba vidare med.

Trångt blev det också i tredje kvalomgången, där Johan fick slå av i startböjen när två bilar körde ihop framför.
- Jag försökte bara hålla mig undan och behålla bilen hel. Det räckte ändå till en fjärdeplats totalt och det var det viktiga.

Fjärdeplatsen i kvalet innebar en plats i främsta ledet i den första av tre semifinaler. Niclas Grönholm tog starten från innerspåret och Johan körde följa- john fram till mållinjen och en säkrad finalplats.
- Kul att se att jag kunde ligga så nära och känna på honom lite. Det är i såna lägen man kan få idéer om var vi kan göra vår bil bättre, säger Johan om den Polo GTI RX som han efter den här helgen ska lämna över till Sondre Evjen i EM- serien medan han själv återvänder till sin gamla VM- bil från Volkswagen Motorsport.

I finalen missade Kristoffersson i starten från fjärde startrutan.
- Vi hade haft problem med för mycket hjulspinn i starterna under dagen. Till semifinalen hade vi löst det, men i finalen gick motorn i källaren istället.

Johan fick ta ett omtag och dök därför direkt in i jokern, alldeles ensam lyckligtvis, och kunde därefter ta upp jakten på framför allt Marcus Grönholm och Robin Larsson.
- Jag gjorde det jag kunde och det var kul att få stressa upp dem lite.

En efter en av konkurrenterna plockades in. Larsson och Grönholm insåg att det började brännas och gick in på näst sista varvet för att kunna hålla undan för den jagande Kristoffersson. Finländaren lyckades inte i sitt uppsåt, men det gjorde däremot västgöten Larsson och Johan fick därför nöja sig med en andraplats - med mersmak.
- Superkul, även om jag gärna hade haft publik på plats här i Höljes med den stämning och folkfest det innebär.

Totalt sett var det ändå en härlig återkomst inom rallycross, med en ny chans att gå för under lördag och söndag.
- Vi har en lång lista av åtgärder vi kan jobba med. En del kan vi lösa redan till lördag- söndag, medan andra kräver lite mer långsiktigt arbete.

Även teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson var på berömmande humör efteråt.
- Vi ska absolut vara nöjda med det vi har presterat. Riktigt kul att vi kunde utmana VM- förarna ända fram till mållinjen.

20-07-02 Jimmie trea i RallyX Nordic efter premiären!
Idag var det rallycrosspremiär när All Magic Weekend kördes i värmlandska Höljes under RallyX Nordicpremiären. Jimmie Walfridson höll upp ett både högt och jämnt tempo och ligger efter helgens fjärdeplats, trea i det nordiska mästerskapet.

Finnskoga MK arrangerar under coronapandemin publikfri rallycross. Bland annat genomförs de två första deltävlingarna i RallyX Nordic. Jimmie startar även i år tillsammans med JC Raceteknik och har under helgen varit med och slagits i toppen av resultatlistan.

Han slutade på femteplats i grundomgången och tog sig efter hård fight till final där han fick starta i sista led.

Det räckte dock inte riktigt ända fram till pallen den här gången, men en fjärdeplats gav tillräckligt med poäng för att knipa tredjeplatsen i mästerskapet.
– Det är klart att man alltid vill mer, men att komma till final är alltid kul och ett delmål som jag hade. Det finns både positiva och negativa saker att ta med mig ifrån helgen. Jag har en del att småsaker att jobba på och förbättra. Men sammantaget blev många viktiga poäng ihelgen, säger han.

Nästa deltävling körs under lördagen och söndagen. Även då är det publikfritt såklart.
Mer info hittar du på www.walfridson.com.

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