Rallycross 2021

» Rallycross januari - maj

21-12-30 Ett mästerligt år för Johan!
Vid förra nyåret såg 2021 ut att bli ett ganska stillsamt motorsportsår för Johan Kristoffersson. Men med året i backspegeln kan värmlänningen summera ett intensivt och framgångsrikt år med fyra titlar i bagaget! Framgångar som krävde mycket möda och stort besvär.
- Ingen av titlarna har varit enkel att ta hem, tajta mästerskap hela vägen. Snacka om att varje poäng räknas, summerar Kristoffersson.

Det enda som var klart vid nyårsfirandet för ett år sedan var att Johan skulle köra nystartade elbilsserien Extreme E för Rosberg X Racing.
- Men det var förstås en bra bas att stå på. Spännande att få ge sig in i en helt ny serie i form av ett så gigantiskt projekt med många stora motorprofiler involverade.

I andra änden av året var det också Extreme E-finalen som tog rekordsäsongen i mål. Det slutade med totalseger för Kristoffersson, förarkollegan Molly Taylor och för Nico Rosbergs nystartade team. Den tidigare formel 1-världsmästaren kunde konstatera att han hade valt rätt laguppställning, inte minst i form av rallycrossvärldsmästaren från Arvika.
- Vilken känsla att ha en förare av sådan kaliber i teamets bil! Man tror alltid att något speciellt kan hända. Vi har känt att vi alltid har haft chans att vinna, även under ogynnsamma förhållanden med oddsen emot oss, säger Nico.

Rosberg fortsätter sin beskrivning av Kristoffersson:
- Jag känner igen många av de egenskaper jag har upplevt i kamp mot de stora i Formel 1, som Schumacher och Hamilton. Gladiatorinstinkter i kampen hjul mot hjul, riskhantering och väldigt få misstag. Ovanpå det en mental styrka och självförtroende.

Den mentala styrkan har suttit i förarsätet under hela året, men för att få med hela bilden av Kristofferssons fantastiska år behöver vi börja på BB i Karlstad 28 april.
- När vår dotter Nicole föddes. Det är ändå det största som har hänt i år, slår Johan fast.

Till skillnad från när sonen Colin föddes fick Johan vara med på plats, men redan ett par dagar senare lämnade han familjen för Rally X Nordic-premiären i danska Nysum.

En fortsättning i VM med den tyskbyggda mästar-Polon verkade avlägsen. För att ändå hålla igång teamet riggades den egenbyggda Polon för en start i Nordic.
- Det blev ett tufft uppvaknande ur vinteridet. En del folkraceåkning där nere, summerar Johan som ändå åkte hem med en andraplats och en seger.
- Från början var inte planen att åka hela Nordic och uppladdningen blev därefter. Planerar man för en hel serie laddar man upp med material för hela året, men nu tog vi det lite eftersom.

Rally X Nordic fortsatte i Höljes och Uleåborg, med såväl framgångar som motgångar.
- Vår gamla Polo är byggd 2013, men sprattlade bra mot Szabos och Grönholms VM-bilar, ett bra betyg till gamla Iris!

Inte problemfritt, men utvecklingsarbetet hade gett resultat.
- I Höljes fungerade motorn fantastiskt bra, men där hände en massa andra konstiga saker, sånt som aldrig händer. Det var nästan som att slängas tillbaka till tiden då pappa körde för 30 år sedan. I Oulo var chassit bättre än någonsin, men då hade vi istället tappat effekt i motorn.

Finalen i Nordic gick i Arvika i augusti. Kristoffersson ledde med närmare 30 poäng över främste utmanaren Sondre Evjen, så det krävdes i princip bara att ta sig till startplattan för att säkra titeln. Men vinna hemma på Westombanan ville jössehäringen förstås och dessutom stod ett SM-guld på spel i superfinalform. Det visade sig bli en ganska sömnfri helg för mekanikerna…
- Bra att vi har rutinerat folk som är bekväma med att göra grejer som inte tillhör det normala. Man jobbar vanligtvis inte som vi gjorde den helgen. Själv fick jag ta höjd för vissa grejer i min körning för att det skulle funka. Som tur är trivs jag i Arvika, en extremt körteknisk bana.

Tommy Kristoffersson, teamchef i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, understryker Johans viktiga egenskaper när ett framgångskoncept ska sys ihop:
- För en stallchef, på det sättet jag vill bygga ett team, är Johan en perfekt medlem, inte minst genom att leverera absolut bäst när det gäller som mest. Utöver det är han ödmjuk i sin roll och kan vinna mekanikernas förtroende genom att göra sin del av jobbet runt omkring, vare sig det gäller att köra lastbil eller bygga tält. Gentemot våra viktiga partner är han också en perfekt ambassadör för teamet.

Dubbel guldglans avrundade alltså helgen på Westombanan - två titlar säkrade.

Aprilskämtet som blev verklighet

Men det skulle ju köras VM också. Jo, det blev faktiskt så ändå, när ett aprilskämt från Mattias Ekström blev till verklighet. Johan berättar:
- Det var där var ju Mattias påhitt. Jag var i Saudiarabien på Extreme E och Timmy (Hansen) kom fram till mig och bara: “Varför har du inte sagt nåt?”. Jag var som ett stort frågetecken. “Du ska ju köra Audi i VM.” Jag fick förklara för honom att det bara var ett aprilskämt och att jag inte hade en aning om det där.

Från sponsorhåll uppfattades skämtet som ett frö till en sanning och plötsligt började det dras i trådar. En idé hade väckts.
-För mig kändes det så avlägset. Jag hade gett upp om att få köra mästar-Polon och var mentalt inställd på att det inte skulle bli något i VM. Men till sist satt jag där i alla fall.

I konkurrenten Mattias Ekströms Audi S1, tävlande för KYB EKS JC. Färden mot den fjärde VM-titeln hade inletts, men det låg många hinder i vägen skulle det visa sig.

Bröderna Hansen forsade fram och tog dubbelsegrar i de tre första deltävlingarna.
- Team Hansen var bra med från start. De hade gjort hemläxan ordentligt, så det var givet att det skulle bli tufft motstånd.

Kristoffersson var visserligen gott och väl lika snabb, men flytet infann sig inte. I Höljes i andra deltävlingen hade Johan byggt upp för en seger när han drog på sig en dubbelpunktering och missade finalen.
- Årets absoluta lägstapunkt med 1000 procents marginal, eftersom det berodde på mitt eget misstag. Usch vad jobbigt!

I Lohéac, Frankrike, fortsatte motgångarna trots att Johan var klart snabbast på den hårda banan.
- Audin är exceptionellt bra på banor med högt grepp. Jag hade så gärna fått ta starten i finalen för att se hur fort jag hade kunnat åka med den bilen just där.

Nu ville ödet annorlunda. Kristoffersson missade finalen med några sekunders marginal. I semin gick en drivaxel. Trots det hasade han sig i mål som trea och var kvalificerad för finalen, men reparationen tog aningen för lång tid och Johan tilläts inte starta.
- Det var nog teamets lägstapunkt för året. Många hade gråten i halsen den dagen.

Jakten går vidare
Läget ljusnade något efter dubbeltävlingen i Riga. Johan inledde med en tredjeplats och i den femte deltävlingen för året kom första segern. Åtta poäng inhämtade på mästerskapsledande Timmy Hansen.

Jakten fortsatte på Spa i Belgien där Kristoffersson tog sin andra seger. Åtta nya poäng reducerade.

Ett steg tillbaka blev det i Portugal där teamkörande Kevin Hansen såg till att Johan fick en bestraffning för att ha genat.
- Det var väl där vi märkte att Hansens började bli lite stressade. Taktikkörningen togs till en ny nivå.

Johan åkte till det slutliga avgörandet på Nürburgring med sjutton poäng att hämta in på Timmy.
- Förhoppningen var att väderleken skulle bli så oförutsägbar och besvärlig som möjligt, säger Kristoffersson.

Vädergudarna hörde bön och skickade snöfall över Tyskland.

Kristoffersson tackade, tog emot och säkrade sin första fullpoängare under lördagens tävling, 30 poäng och bara fyra kvar att hämta in.

Det blev en spänd förväntan i depån.

Teamchefen för EKS JC, Joel Christoffersson, berättar:
- På finaldagens morgon var alla spända och tysta, men så kom Johan in i tältet. “Det här ska bli roligt”, sa han och skrattade. Det lyfte alla. Han har verkligen ett psyke av stål och är hur kall som helst i de värsta situationerna.

Timmy Hansen å sin sida tuggade taggtråd och satte en kanontid i söndagens Q1. “A hell of a drive”, sa västgöten efteråt. “A little bit better than a hell of a drive”, kontrade Johan efter att ha satt en ännu bättre tid. Bataljen var i full gång!

Att de små marginalerna skulle avgöra stod helt klart och i ett sånt läge kan hjälpryttaren spela en hjälteroll. Det var precis vad Enzo Ide gjorde. I Q3 slog belgaren till med snabbaste tid, vilket innebar att han fick platsen utanför Johan i semifinalen, en helt avgörande detalj eftersom innerspåret hade betydligt sämre grepp.
- Annars hade jag fått Niclas Grönholm utanför och han var ruskigt snabb i starterna. Det var rena King Kong-insatsen av Enzo, berömmer Johan.

Joel Christoffersson fyller i:
- Johan är bra på att få alla att göra sitt bästa. Man kan också säga att han fick betalt tillbaka för all den tid han hade lagt på att ge goda råd till Enzo.

Med tanke på att mästerskapstabellen slutade med dött lopp mellan Kristoffersson och Hansen kan man lugnt konstatera att Ides insats var en av de avgörande detaljerna. Särskilt som den betydde att Grönholm istället fick starta på utsidan om Hansen i sin semi, vilket i sin tur ledde till en bestraffning för Timmy.

I finalen var det först i mål som gällde. Kristoffersson körde alltså inte främst för segern utan för mästerskapet.
- Kevin fick en bättre start än mig så jag lät honom åka. Niclas kom ju ut som fyra, men hade farten för att vinna med flera sekunders marginal. Det visar att det var andra förutsättningar än normalt.

Johan såg till att hålla Timmy bakom sig och styrde i mål som trea och därmed fyrfaldig världsmästare. I ett nytt team, med ny bil och begränsat med tid för förberedelser.
- Det hade inte gått utan en kombination av att jag fick med mig några av mina tidigare ingenjörer och EKS/JC:s kunskap om bilen. Båda sidors erfarenhet behövdes för att vi skulle ta oss snabbare framåt.

Kristoffersson körde alltså hemvävt i Nordic och SM, delvis bekant i World RX, men i Extreme E var allt nytt, på alla vis.
- Jag kände ingen i teamet sedan tidigare och det var svårt att förbereda sig när man inte visste vad man skulle förbereda sig på. Man fick helt enkelt preparera för det oförutsägbara.

Hur fungerar det att anpassa sig till olika teams kulturer och hur mycket sätter du din egen prägel?
- Det blir en blandning. EKS/JC är ju i sin tur en sammansättning av två team. Där har vi fått anpassa oss åt alla håll. Ingen lätt uppgift för Joel ska sägas, men det har fungerat. I RXR kommer mekanikerna från DTM. Nico och hans gäng kommer från Formel 1, vilket på ett sätt känns som en annan planet. De är väldigt duktiga på logistik och scheman, och mycket media förstås.

I Extreme E skulle Johan dessutom trimmas ihop med en rallyåkare från Australien: Molly Taylor.
- Molly är en väldigt duktig chaufför. Vi funkade bra ihop direkt. Dessutom är hon en riktig hårding.

Succén var omedelbar. Redan i Saudiarabiens dammiga öken levererade Rosberg X Racing. Den avgörande manövern var Kristofferssons omkörning av Timmy Hansen in i den första svängen.

Ut ur dammolnet kom RXR-bilen först, men hur?
- Ja du, det där är inget jag vill göra om igen. Det hoppade och studsade och jag såg ingenting. Det var så här nära flaggan på ena sidan och Timmy på den andra, berättar Johan och måttar till några decimeter.

Det blev en ny seger i Senegal, men också exempel på de exotiska miljöer som Extreme E landade i.
- Att komma tillbaka till hotellet efter en lång dag i decimeterdjup sand bara för att upptäcka att det inte finns vatten i kranen på rummet…

Tävlingen på Grönland blev ett litet bakslag för RXR, men på Sardinien var man tillbaka i täten. Inför avslutningen på brittiska öarna såg det riktigt bra ut i mästerskapstabellen, men det skulle bli en ny rysare innan leran hade skvätt färdigt. X44 med Sébastien Loeb och Cristina Gutierrez utmanade ända till sista mållinjen.
- Vi hade många olika varianter på scenarier, men anade att allt skulle avgöras på sista varvet. Jag hade sagt till Molly att lämna över bilen i “one piece” för att jag skulle ha chansen att ta hem supersektorn om det skulle behövas. Hon spelade sina kort på säkerhet och i slutänden behövde jag inte göra något annat än att bevaka den fjärdeplats som skulle räcka.

Efter fjärde titeln av fyra möjliga blev det ett välförtjänt firande som avslutning på helgen i England innan det bar av till ett lugnt julfirande med Zandra och barnen hemma i Jössefors - med sikte på nya framgångar 2022!

21-12-16 Provisional 2022 FIA RX2e Championship calendar revealed
The provisional calendar for the 2022 FIA RX2e Championship has been officially unveiled, with the second season of the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship comprising five rounds – and visiting some of the discipline’s most iconic circuits.

Following on from a hugely successful 2021 campaign in which drivers vied for honours and the inaugural RX2e crown, a titanic title battle between Guillaume De Ridder and Jesse Kallio went down to the wire with the former emerging as the eventual champion. Now, the stage is set for another season of all-electric rallycross action.

Once again, in 2022 the series will feature five rounds alongside the high-profile FIA World Rallycross Championship. The season gets underway on 2/3 July at Höljes, Sweden with rallycross’ famed ‘Magic Weekend’ before heading to Germany and the Nürburgring later that month (30-31 July) for Round 2.

The legendary Hell circuit will stage the third round of the season as the Norwegian venue joins the calendar for the first time on 13-14 August. Similarly, Riga in Latvia (3-4 September) is another new track to welcome RX2e in 2022.

Finally, the legendary Spa-Francorchamps returns for a second season and will play host to the season finale and the crowning of the next RX2e champion on 8-9 October.

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: “The first season of the FIA RX2e Championship has been a resounding success with drivers and fans, so naturally we’re very excited to announce the calendar for season two.

“We have three excellent tracks returning from our inaugural season. Höljes, the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps all hosted fantastic events, while Hell and Riga are exciting new additions to our calendar. If our first season is anything to go by, I think we’re in for another thrilling season.”

Provisional 2022 FIA RX2e Championship Calendar
July 2-3: Höljes, Sweden – Round 1
July 30-31: Nürburgring, Germany – Round 2
August 13-14: Hell, Norway – Round 3*
September 3-4: Riga, Latvia – Round 4
October 8-9: Spa-Franchorchamps, Belgium – Round 5

21-12-15 Format changes set to enhance the racing in 2022
Rallycross Promoter GmbH has today confirmed the introduction of a number of key regulation changes for the FIA World Rallycross Championship, FIA RX2e Championship and FIA European Rallycross Championships (Euro RX1 and Euro RX3).

In recent months, the Promoter has been engaged in regular and constructive discussions with teams, event organisers, the FIA and the governing body’s Off-Road Commission with the common goal of enhancing the show and attracting new fans – as World RX prepares to embark upon its exciting new electric era in 2022. The format changes agreed have now been ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC), and will come into force from next season.

In World RX, each race weekend will begin with a new ‘SuperPole’ shootout immediately after Free Practice, in which all World Championship competitors will complete a single timed lap from a standing start to determine grid positions for Heat One, replacing the traditional grid draw.

Single-header events will comprise three Heats, reduced to two for double-headers. Finishing positions in Heat races will be more important than before, as they will decide the starting positions for the following Heat. The Ranking at the end of the Heats will still be established by total race time.

All drivers will then enter a ‘Progression’ race, in which the highest-ranked driver from the Heats chooses their grid slot first, followed by the second-highest and so forth. The top ten drivers from the ‘Progression’ stage will advance to the Semi-Finals, from where the top five (first and second from each Semi-Final, plus the highest-ranked third-placed driver) proceed to the Final.

All races will feature a maximum of five cars, starting line-abreast and competing over five laps. Championship points will only be awarded at the end of the weekend, according to the following breakdown from first place down to 15th: 20-16-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The changes will apply to all championships with the exception of ‘SuperPole’, which is for World RX only – the grid draw remains for RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3.

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“We have always recognised rallycross’ immense potential – that is what attracted us to World RX in the first place. In this digital age, its short, sharp races featuring spectacular, no-holds-barred action make it a surefire crowd-pleaser, but we also recognise that it is not yet the product we would ultimately like it to be.

“We consulted the teams to gather their thoughts, and were pleased to note that they echoed our feelings; indeed, it soon became clear that we had quite a lot of common ideas for how to enhance this great discipline. We duly agreed upon a number of key changes to develop the event format and make World RX even more exciting for existing fans and easier to understand for new audiences – and this is something we will continue evaluating throughout the years to come.

“We are particularly looking forward to the new ‘SuperPole’ shootout, which introduces a real ‘jeopardy’ element into the opening phase of the weekend and will reward the best drivers – and with all races now featuring in-line starts, the action is set to be red-hot from the get-go every time. We cannot wait to see the fruit of everybody’s efforts when the new season gets underway

21-12-15 Fan favourites return to the calendar for first season of World RX’s electric era
The provisional 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar has been unveiled following today’s FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting, highlighted by the return of some classic tracks alongside existing fan favourites.

The 2022 World RX season – the first in the championship’s exciting new electric era – is planned to incorporate 12 rounds across seven events, each in a different country. The action will get underway at iconic Swedish circuit Höljes in early July, before moving on to Germany’s Nürburgring – scene of the thrilling 2021 title showdown just a few weeks ago – at the end of the month.

After those two single-headers, the remaining five events will all take the form of double-headers, beginning with a welcome return to Hell in Norway in mid-August. The undulating Lånkebanen circuit has traditionally been a staple of the schedule, but the global pandemic meant no World Championship event was held there in 2019 or 2020.

Riga’s historic Bikernieki trase in Latvia is next up in September, followed by Portugal’s scenic Montalegre circuit a fortnight later and legendary Belgian venue Spa-Francorchamps in early October. The campaign is set to conclude at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway in South Africa in November, subject to prevailing Covid restrictions.

The FIA RX2e Championship will join World RX at five events again for its second season of competition, with rounds planned in Sweden, Germany, Norway, Latvia and Belgium.

There will be six rounds for the two FIA European Rallycross Championships – Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 – beginning with a brace of standalone events. The first of them will take place at Nyirád Motorsport Center in Hungary – an ‘old-school’ classic that last featured on the calendar in 2013 – in May, with the second venue to be confirmed in due course.

Following these opening two contests, Euro RX1 will visit Höljes, Riga, Spa-Francorchamps and Montalegre, with Euro RX3 travelling to Höljes, the Nürburgring, Hell and Montalegre.

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“We are delighted to present the provisional 2022 calendar for the FIA World Rallycross Championship, FIA RX2e Championship and FIA European Rallycross Championships. A lot of hard work has gone into putting together what we believe is a schedule that blends the very best of this sport, from much-loved traditional rallycross tracks to iconic, world-renowned motorsport venues – and we are sure everybody will welcome the prospect of returning to South Africa for the season finale.

“By the same token, we hope competitors and fans will relish the prospect of the Euro RX standalone events, which will kick-start the campaign in style ahead of the beginning of World RX’s exciting new electric era. It promises to be another spectacular season.”

Provisional 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship Calendar
July 2-3 Round 1 Höljes, Sweden
July 30-31 Round 2 Nürburgring, Germany
August 13-14 Rounds 3/4 Hell, Norway *
September 3-4 Rounds 5/6 Riga, Latvia
September 17-18 Rounds 7/8 Montalegre, Portugal *
October 8-9 Rounds 9/10 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
TBC Rounds 11/12 Cape Town, South Africa *†

Provisional 2022 FIA RX2e Championship Calendar
July 2-3
Round 1 Höljes, Sweden
July 30-31 Round 2 Nürburgring, Germany
August 13-14 Round 3 Hell, Norway *
September 3-4 Round 4 Riga, Latvia
October 8-9 Round 5 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Provisional 2022 FIA European Championship (Euro RX1) Calendar
May 21-22 Round 1 Nyirád, Hungary *
June 18-19 Round 2 TBC *
July 2-3 Round 3 Höljes, Sweden
September 3-4 Round 4 Riga, Latvia
September 17-18 Round 5 Montalegre, Portugal *
October 8-9 Round 6 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Provisional 2022 FIA European Championship (Euro RX3) Calendar
May 21-22 Round 1 Nyirád, Hungary *
June 18-19 Round 2 TBC *
July 2-3 Round 3 Höljes, Sweden
July 30-31 Round 4 Nürburgring, Germany
August 13-14 Round 5 Hell, Norway *
September 17-18 Round 6 Montalegre, Portugal *
* Subject to track homologation
† Subject to COVID restrictions
All events remain subject to promoter agreement

21-12-14 RallyX leading the way in sustainable motorsport as 2022 calendar is revealed
Ambitious plan for one hundred per cent sustainable, fossil-free events outlined by pioneering series
Three double headers and season finale scheduled for leading rallycross championship in 2022
RX2e joins burgeoning RallyX bill as guest class, producing ultimate blend of fossil-free ICE and electric rallycross competition
Championship concludes early in the season enabling competitors to contest other series
RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires has announced its plans for the eagerly anticipated 2022 season, as the series aims to build on yet another industry-leading campaign this year with a largely unchanged formula of high-octane action across six categories at some of the region’s most popular circuits. The calendar itself features tried and tested venues from past seasons, all but guaranteeing a championship brimming with drama and excitement.

With more entries than ever before in 2021, the series has enjoyed a period of unprecedented success in recent years, with social followings, driver/team entries and online audiences growing exponentially as RallyX continues to go from strength to strength. Couple this with the series’ sustainability principles and the crowd-pleasing on-track action the championship delivers at each event, and you have an unquestionable recipe for success that other racing series have begun to follow.

The upcoming RallyX season will once again be live and free-to-air throughout the year via the RallyX TV YouTube channel following resounding praise from drivers, teams and fans alike. In 2022, coverage of the series will be even more forward-thinking and innovative, utilising new technologies and ideas, bringing action to the fans in more exciting ways than ever before.

Non-stop action next season
RallyX will rev into life with a media day in Sweden on April 29 with the exact venue still to be confirmed, while the long-awaited 2022 championship officially gets underway with Rounds 1 and 2 at the iconic rallycross mecca of Höljes, Sweden (13-15 May) which is now a mainstay on the RallyX Nordic calendar producing sensational action across all categories.

Kouvola, Finland is set to host Rounds 3 and 4 just two short weeks later at a venue that last hosted the Finnish round of the championship in 2019. At the event, RallyX will be joined by the Finnish national championship in a spectacular festival of rallycross following the success of similar events in previous seasons.

Similarly, the Bikernieki circuit in Riga, Latvia featured on the 2019 calendar of RallyX and returns to the schedule this season for Rounds 5 and 6. Like Finland, the series will welcome the Latvian and Lithuanian national drivers to participate alongside the championship regulars.

The stage is set for a dramatic season finale at an all-new venue for 2022. The yet to be announced circuit will feature a new facility that aims to be created in a sustainable way as RallyX continues to revolutionise sustainability in motorsport.

2022 RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Calendar
Rounds 1&2 May 13-15 Höljes, Sweden
Rounds 3&4 May 27-29 Kouvola, Finland
Rounds 5&6 July 8-10 Riga, Latvia
TBC July 22-24 TBC, Sweden

Six categories on the bill
Alongside the existing the pre-existing Supercar Lites, Supercar, CrossCar/Crosskart, Open 2WD and CrossCar Junior classes, RallyX welcomes RX2e to the paddock as a guest category for 2022.

The headlining classes remain the single-make Supercar Lites category ensuring the RallyX bill is the global hub of building future rallycross stars. Meanwhile, the Supercar category’s regulations allow for a mixed field with all Supercar classes globally being encouraged to race, ensuring a diverse range of cars powered by sustainable sources.

The supporting cast will continue to provide the ultimate proving ground for aspiring drivers in rallycross, through CrossCar, Open 2WD and CrossCar Junior.

Andreas Erikson, Founder, RallyX said: “RallyX is really doing something different at the moment, something new and exciting. It’s great for us to be pushing the boundaries when it comes to sustainability and driver development for the future – the series is becoming extremely relevant when it comes to green initiatives, and we will show the way not just in rallycross, but in motorsport generally.

“We have a fantastic line-up of circuits to race at in 2022. We’re returning to several tracks that have delivered great action in the past, while also welcoming a new circuit that reinforces our sustainability efforts. Alongside the new RX2e EV category and our fossil-free initiative for older category cars, we have a place for all drivers, sponsors and partners which is reflective of their own sustainability goals. We’re aiming to become the first global motorsport series to become one hundred per cent fossil-free as a whole event which is our next ambitious goal.”

Jan-Erik Steen, CEO of RallyX promoter, RX Promotion added: “The unrivalled free-to-air coverage RallyX fans enjoyed in 2021 will be unwavering next season with the full season broadcast on YouTube while bringing innovative technologies and ideas to the table.

“I’m so proud of the work that this series continues to deliver year after year. The innovations in competition, sustainability and technology continue to push RallyX into the limelight and attract global stakeholders."

21-12-08 2022-års kalender för Supercupen i rallycross
2022-års kalender för Supercupen i rallycross är nu klar.

Kalender 2022
2022-04-30 Fjärås MK
2022-05-07 Haninge MK
?2022-05-21 Bollnäs MK
2022-06-11 Strängnäs AMS
2022-08-27 Teknis MC
2022-09-10 Götene MK

21-12-06 #Yellowsquad ends Nitro campaign with fifth podium for Magennis
Jacksonville, December 6, 2021 - George Megennis rounded out his debut Nitro Rallycross season with a fifth podium finish in the NRX Next category this year, picking up second place at round nine at The FIRM in Jacksonville, Florida.

Despite being the youngest driver in the field, 16-year-old George was amongst the title contenders in NRX Next all season, entering the final race of the season still mathematically in the hunt for the championship crown.

While the final race of 2021 didn’t go his way his journey there had been a remarkable show of skill behind the wheel, strong ambition and bags of potential.

His second place in the first of two rounds this weekend on Saturday was his fifth of the year, meaning he scored a medal in 50% of his NRX finals this year.

There was a tough battle with Martin Enlund in the Saturday semi-final as he and Megennis battled for the lead, with Enlund eventually winning that four-lap skirmish. But Megennis would get his revenge in the final.

Lining up back in fourth place on the grid Megennis was smart in picking his lines, avoiding an elbows-out battle up ahead of him to sneak down the inside and take third at the start.

George Megennis at Glen Helen Raceway, CA.
From there Megennis focused on putting in a string of consistent laps, putting him in a position to pounce and take second from Enlund on the last lap of the race.

There wasn’t to be a repeat of the podium heroics on Sunday as a puncture in the final cost Megennis over a minute, consigning him to seventh place in the season finale after initially battling for a sixth podium finish of 2021.

Though the final race of the year wasn’t the result anyone had hoped for, a podium on Saturday capped a brilliant first season as a rallycross driver for Megennis.

He had made made the jump straight from karts at the beginning of the season with #YellowSquad and learned quickly, starting with a stunning run to the final at the RallyX Nordic season finale in Arvika before his US debut in Nitro.

With the help of Nitro Rallycross champions Kevin and Timmy Hansen, Megennis has been coached all season by two of the best rallycross drivers in the world, benefitting from decades’ worth of experience under the Hansen Motorsport umbrella.

Several strong results, including a win at the season-opening event in Salt Lake City, has shown that Megennis is one to watch in the future.

GEORGE MEGENNIS
#YELLOWSQUAD DRIVER
“A podium finish is a great way to cap off this season. It’s been another strong weekend where we’ve had good pace and scored some silverware for it. All the races this season were so much fun; it’s been an incredible learning experience and I’ve loved every second of it.

“It’s crazy to think I have five podiums this year because I came into this season with no expectations. But I’ve come out of it with so much knowledge and confidence thanks to all the guys at #YellowSquad helping me every step of the way.

“Going with #YellowSquad and Hansen Motorsport for my first foray into motorsport was definitely the right choice. Every member of the team has taught me something. Eric Färén has taught me the art of finding a perfect set-up for the car, Kevin and Timmy Hansen have helped me figure out how to drive the car faster, and Kenneth Hansen’s advice and wisdom on the mindset required to drive competitively has been invaluable. They were on top of every aspect of what a racing driver needs to succeed behind the wheel.

“A huge thanks to everyone who’s helped me on this amazing journey in Nitro Rallycross this season: #YellowSquad and the wider Hansen Motorsport family, DirtFish, Nitro Rallycross and Travis Pastrana for putting on such a great championship, and my family for supporting me all the way!”

KEVIN HANSEN TEAM PRINCIPAL
“This has been another great weekend by George, picking up another podium today. I'm so proud of him and his season. The highlight for sure has to be his win in Salt Lake City in his second ever race in the United States. It's been great working with the entire Megennis family. They're so passionate and just like the Hansen family, always positive but also giving it 100% supporting their boys.

“It's been a pleasure having George with us and taking on this new challenge in America. It's something #YellowSquad has never done before, competing in a completely different continent from our own and competing for a title. We can be proud that we were in the running for the championship all the way until the very end but it wasn't meant to be in the end.

“Our congratulations to Casper Jansson on winning the title and everyone else in NRX Next. There's some great stars of the future coming through, especially George! He's shown loads of potential, a lot of maturity, and has really taken onboard all the feedback and advice we've given him this year.”

21-12-06 Hansen victorious at Nitro Rallycross finale
Red Bull Hansen NRX Team finished off 2021 in style as Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen combined to score first and second place at the Nitro Rallycross season finale at The FIRM, Florida.

Despite coming into the season finale with a near-insurmountable 17-point deficit to eventual champion Travis Pastrana, Timmy finished the year only one point from a second NRX title win after a brilliant victory.

Timmy’s start to the finale was strong, picking his way through the head-to-head battle brackets rounds that included a win against Kevin in round three. He finished Saturday off with a close fight with fellow title contender Scott Speed in the final battle bracket race.

A dominant heat win secured Timmy a place on the outside front row for the final, with Kevin lining up directly behind him in fourth after taking a slightly longer path to the final.

While Kevin couldn’t quite fend off Pastrana for victory in his heat racer, he pulled off the win when it mattered in his semi-final to secure a second-row grid slot.

A cool-headed Timmy took advantage of contact between Pastrana and Speed at turn one in the final, cutting back to the inside and zipping past to take the lead.

Shortly after it was Kevin’s turn to dispatch both Subarus. He’d already passed Pastrana by going to the joker on lap one and then, seeing an opportunity as Speed took a wide line through the sweeping left-hander in the joker, dived to the inside to take third.

Timmy would come out just ahead of Kevin when taking his joker lap at the halfway mark, and that 3-4 became a 1-2 when Pastrana and Steve Arpin jokered on the final tour.

The brothers crossed the line in formation finish to bag a fourth 1-2 finish of 2021, adding to their trio of front two lock-outs in World RX earlier this year in Spain, France and Sweden.

Though Timmy finished third in the final standings it was mightily close at the final tally; he finished only one point behind both Pastrana and Speed, who ended the year tied on 219 points to Timmy’s 218.

There was also great news for Kevin. His stellar pace in the finale meant he finished well ahead of Arpin on points, with whom he was battling with to secure fourth in the championship classification.

It’s the end of the rallycross season for Hansen Motorsport in 2021 but it’s not the final race event for Timmy and Kevin. Both will head to the Extreme E season finale in the UK, the Jurassic X-Prix, on December 18-19 to compete for their respective teams, Andretti United and JBXE.

21
Timmy Hansen
“We did absolutely everything we could as a team to try and get that championship. In the end, there was nothing more we could do.”

“It's been a perfect weekend here in Florida scoring this 1-2 along with Kevin. We did absolutely everything we could as a team to try and get that championship. In the end, there was nothing more we could do.

“This track was definitely more suited to our car. I had the best car I've had for the whole year in any championship this weekend; we were really fast and competitive at this track, which gave us the win in the end.

“In the end, we lost the title by one point, and without that penalty in the battle bracket on Saturday we would have won the championship. But that was the story of this season for me; penalties put an end to both titles. But regardless of that, it's been a fantastic season overall.

“There's been lots of victories and being in the battle for two championship titles – both here in NRX and in the world championship – has made this an incredible year. I'm very proud of what we've done this season even if I wish it had ended a little differently.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“It's been such a fun challenge doing these five races here in the States. We've got no regrets, it's been an awesome time”

“This has been a really nice weekend. The speed has been there from the first practice for both myself and Timmy. But Scott and Travis were also really quick which made it a proper four-way showdown. It was really fun to battle with them all the way through. It was good fun to race Timmy in the brackets too even if I had to be a bit careful at the merge!

“We had a really good race in the heat on Sunday morning but a minor engine issue meant we didn't have 100% power so unfortunately, we couldn't beat Travis there. The first turn in the final was a big mess – so proper rallycross! – and it was fun fighting Scott, pulling off the overtake and then fighting him off for the rest of the race.

“To finish off the year and our time running combustion-engined rallycross cars with a 1-2 is a fantastic feeling, I'm very proud of all the work the guys have put in to give me a fast car, and proud of the pace I was able to extract from the car. We've made some good progress so I'm really happy with that.

“Congratulations to Travis on winning the championship, he deserves it. He put in some great drives and he is a true racer and sportsman, so a big thanks to him for a great fight all year.

“This championship was lots of fun even if we had a couple of rounds with issues in the middle of the season. But it's been an amazing year. It's been such a fun challenge doing these five races here in the States. We've got no regrets, it's been an awesome time; thanks to everyone at Nitro for a great season and I hope to be back for more!”

THE BOSS
Kenneth Hansen
“We've had a great fight this season with Subaru and finishing the season with a 1-2 shows our speed and performance.”

“It's been an intense season! It started quite late in the calendar year but once it got underway, it was a lot to deal with; we've had so many races in a row. We've had a great fight this season with Subaru and finishing the season with a 1-2 shows our speed and performance, so we're really happy even if we came just one point short of the title with Timmy.

“Our drivers have been brilliant all season. It's both easy and difficult to have them together in our team. They're both winners but they know each other very well and the race so well together. They've become even stronger this year, especially in their mentality. They're growing stronger every year. I'm looking forward to the future and what they can do, wherever that may be.”

“Our crew has been fantastic all year. The cars have been so reliable – only once this year in Nitro did one of our cars stop and it wasn't anything to do with the work of our mechanics. We couldn't have asked for anything more from them, they've been so good with making the car run all the time. And this is really important; it earns you points and it earns you positions on track.”

“Overall we're happy with how this year has gone, especially with the type of 1-2 performances like this weekend that we've been able to execute. Those were magnificent.”

FL Nitro RX Florida:
Results
1st
Timmy Hansen
Battle Brackets 2nd
Heat 2 1st
Final 2nd

2nd
Kevin Hansen
Battle Brackets SF
Heat 1 2nd
Semi-Final 1 1st
Final 2nd

21-12-06 Top treble TV deal a treat for Nordic motorsport fans
· WRC Promoter seals ground-breaking motorsport deal with C More
· Finnish and Swedish fans to enjoy action from three championships
· Coverage of WRC, World RX and ERC featured in six-year contract

Up to 600 hours of spectacular motorsport per season from WRC Promoter’s new-look world championship portfolio will be screened across Finland and Sweden in an innovative six-year agreement with C More.

Starting next year, C More will show comprehensive coverage from the FIA World Rally Championship’s (WRC) new hybrid era, the ground-breaking electric-powered FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) and the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) – a newcomer to WRC Promoter’s stable.

The partnership runs until the end of 2027 and represents the latest major broadcast deal for the WRC Promoter family, which owns the commercial rights to all three championships.

Coverage on the C More Max channel and via its streaming service and other platforms will include live action and highlights from all three series, interviews with big-name stars, news from the WRC and ERC service parks and World RX paddocks and behind-the-scenes features.

Swedish viewers can access World RX and ERC in 2022, with WRC coverage starting in 2023. Finnish fans can view all three series from next year, with WRC Promoter’s All Live product available via C More’s streaming services and channels.

Finland and Sweden are both long-standing WRC hosts and both will stage fixtures in the 13-round 2022 calendar.

Finland is the home of Toyota Gazoo Racing, which completed a grand slam of drivers’, co-drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in 2021. Toyota boasts mercurial youngster Kalle Rovanperä, who this year became the youngest driver to win a WRC round aged just 20, and fellow Finn Esapekka Lappi in next season’s line-up.

Rallycross similarly boasts a long heritage in the Nordic region. Sweden and Finland provided the top four drivers in this year’s World RX standings, while at least one of the two nations has staged a World RX round every year since the championship’s inception.

Philipp Maenner, media rights director at WRC Promoter, hailed the new deal as ‘a mouth-watering hat-trick’ for motorsport devotees.

“It’s a multi-course menu for hungry fans eager to feast on three of the most exciting and action-packed motorsport series in the world,” he said.

“Finland and Sweden both have a wonderful motorsport heritage. This package gives fans the opportunity to support their heroes in three different, but equally exciting, series at almost 30 events each year.

“There will be more motorsport action to watch than ever before in these countries on a variety of platforms. C More’s enthusiasm for a long-term agreement shows not only the current value of our championships, but its confidence at the way in which they will grow over the coming years.”

Johan Cederqvist, head of pay channels and rights at TV4 Media, added: “We’re delighted to become part of the journey WRC, ERC and World RX has embarked on with world-class production and an extensive calendar. We look forward to C More being the home of rally and rallycross.”

21-11-29 Hansen wins World RX teams championship title in thrilling finale
Hansen World RX Team has won its third FIA World Rallycross Teams’ Championship title thanks to a podium finish each by 2019 world champion Timmy Hansen and his team-mate Kevin Hansen at the Nürburgring season finale.

Timmy also finished the season tied on points with rival Johan Kristoffersson in the drivers' championship but missed out on a second world title on count-back.

Led by Team Principal Kenneth Hansen and Team Manager Susann Hansen, Hansen World RX Team clinched the teams’ championship in Germany after leading the championship from the first day of the season. They finished 49 points ahead of nearest rivals GRX-SET in the final standings.

There were three victories and 10 further podium finishes in nine championship rounds during the 2021 season, with those consistent podium finishes key to clinching the title. A third teams’ championship adds to successes in 2015 and 2019, where the latter was also won by the same driver combination of Timmy and Kevin Hansen as in 2021.

Round 8 (Saturday)
Timmy resumed his quest for a second world title with a second place finish at the line in the first of two back-to-back rounds over two days, making a stunning drive through the field from fifth on the grid.

Despite starting down in fifth place Timmy was up to third by the first turn, then used an early joker strategy to find some free air, put the hammer down and leap past Yury Belevskiy on the final lap to clinch the place.

However, Timmy was later excluded from the final results along with Enzo Ide, as both drivers were judged to have made contact with Niclas Grönholm under braking.

Kevin was unlucky with his grid positions in Q1 and Q2, comrpomising his ability to put in fast times as being stuck in traffic affected his visbility. He pushed hard throughout but was ultimately unable to make the final on Saturday.

Round 9 (Sunday)
All eyes were on the title fight between Timmy and Kristoffersson on Sunday morning. A thrilling battle ensued in Q2, with Timmy shooting into the lead at turn one and holding off Kristoffersson behind all race to take the race win. But one session later Kristoffersson would claw a crucial championship point back with a race win of his own.

A strong 1-2 finish down in the semi-final meant Timmy and Kevin should have started start second and fourth in a thrilling final. But as had been the case on Saturday, there was unexpected intervention.

A better start for Grönholm in the semi-final meant he tried to close the door on Timmy while the lead Peugeot 208 was on the inside line, leading to unavoidable contact that Timmy was surprisingly given a seven second penalty for. While he won the race on track, he would line up fifth on the grid in the last final of the year.

Timmy’s penalty promoted Kevin to victory in the semifinal and a front-row start in the final, which he transformed into the race lead in the final with a brilliant launch to pass Kristoffersson. There was an equally good start for Timmy, as he flew up from fifth to third at the first turn to keep his title hopes alive.

Kevin finished his 2021 campaign with second place but it was ahead of Kristoffersson, not Timmy, as dirt blocking Timmy’s windshield caused low visibility and hampered his pace.

Kristoffersson finishing third and Timmy fourth in the final meant the drivers’ championship ended level on points. But with three wins for Kristoffersson versus two for Timmy, the drivers' title went to the former on countback.

21
Timmy Hansen
“This has been a fantastic season we've had with plenty of success and some great rallycross action. I gave it everything I had right until the very end.”

“This has been a fantastic season we've had with plenty of success and some great rallycross action. I gave it everything I had right until the very end but it feels a bit unfair with the size and number of penalties that were handed out this weekend. Opportunities to get the job done were taken away because of that and I don't agree with the outcome of those judgements, of course.

“Johan did a fantastic job this weekend. He knew he had to come here and win everything. He pulled off a great performance and if you are going to lose, I suppose that is the way for it to happen. It's a great sporting achievement by him.

“We were on the top of our game today, doing everything we could and should have, and were right where we had to be. In the end, we finished equal on points and that explains the story of the season really. Johan was unlucky when we were on form and winning three events back-to-back with one-two finishes; towards the end, we had our own fair share of bad luck.

“It's a hell of a story, one that's great for the sport. I'm proud of this season and proud of my performance this weekend, my team, and my family. I'm looking forward to the future.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“I’m disappointed to see Timmy lose the championship and myself losing third place, but I am very proud of our team's domination of the team championship.”

THE BOSS
Kenneth Hansen

“We have worked well as a team this year with great co-operation between everyone involved and I'm proud of every member of this team for giving us everything they had in 2021.”

“We have had a really successful year but the feeling today is still a little strange, given we have missed out on the drivers' title so narrowly. But we have worked well as a team this year with great co-operation between everyone involved and I'm proud of every member of this team for giving us everything they had in 2021.

“Even today we have grown stronger as a unit because of the setbacks we faced with penalties knocking us back. While some of them were deserved, some were less justifiable. But when something like that happens all you can do is accept it, move on and refocus, and we did that well as a team this weekend.”

“Today is also the last time we will see our current Peugeot 208 in World RX. It has been a fantastic car all these years and it gets to retire with more World RX Teams' Championship titles than any other car. It suits rallycross and we have continued to develop it over the years; it's been a fast car but even more importantly, it has been extremely reliable. We know this car very well, so let's see what the future can bring.”

“This was also a promising introduction to World RX for the Nürburgring. It would be nice to have a little more gravel but this is an easy change to make for the future. If you look at the joker lap especially, this is an excellent corner thanks to how long and wide it is. If the track can be widened in some places and some work is done on the kerbing, this will be a great rallycross circuit in years to come.”

Timmy Hansen
R8: 5th
Qualifying 1 3rd
Qualifying 2 5th
Semi-Final 2 3rd
Final DSQ
R9: 4th
Qualifying 1 2nd
Qualifying 2 2nd
Qualifying 3 3rd
Semi-Final 2 3rd
Final 4th

Kevin Hansen
R8: 9th
Qualifying 1 9th
Qualifying 2 6th
Semi-Final 1 5th
Final –
R9: 2nd
Qualifying 1 10th
Qualifying 2 4th
Qualifying 3 4th
Semi-Final 2 1st
Final 2nd

21-11-28 Kristoffersson snatches fourth World Championship crown in dead-heat Nürburgring decider
Johan Kristoffersson fought his way to his fourth FIA World Rallycross Championship crown at the end of a sensational weekend of action at the Nürburgring today, snatching the title from the clutches of countryman Timmy Hansen as the 2021 campaign concluded in a dramatic dead-heat.
Leaving Lohéac in early September, Kristoffersson looked far from the champion in-waiting, sitting 28 points shy of the summit of the standings following a troubled opening three outings. Disqualified from Q1 in the Catalunya curtain-raiser due to a disconnected data-logger and falling victim to a double puncture on home soil at Höljes and transmission woes in France, despite subsequently winning in Latvia and Belgium, he nonetheless travelled to Germany still 17 points adrift of the top of the table.

A third triumph of the season yesterday – allied to a disqualification for Hansen – cut that deficit to a mere four points heading into today’s all-important decider in the second leg of World RX of Germany, and the pair were the class of the field once again in Q1. Hansen described his effort as ‘all in – a hell of a run’, with Kristoffersson quipping that his own performance had been ‘just a bit better than his (Hansen’s) hell of a run’ as he pipped his compatriot to the fastest time.

Hansen turned the tables in a breathless Q2, but a textbook launch in Q3 vaulted Kristoffersson into a lead he would not surrender and earned the Swede Top Qualifier honours – meaning only three now points separated the championship-chasing duo entering the semi-finals.

Kristoffersson won the first of them at a canter, but while Hansen did likewise in semi-final two, he was later penalised seven seconds for contact that tipped Niclas Grönholm into a half-spin. That reduced his advantage to a single point ahead of the final – and more significantly, meant that while Kristoffersson would be starting on pole position, Hansen would be at the rear of the grid.

At lights-out, it was Kevin Hansen in the sister Hansen World RX Team Peugeot 208 that got away best to seize the initiative from the outside line, with Kristoffersson and the elder Hansen jokering in unison on lap one. Kevin Hansen took his own joker next time around, retaining track position in front of the title duellists and promoting Grönholm to the lead.

As the Finn stretched his legs, the younger Hansen did his best to play the team game by backing Kristoffersson up towards his brother, but the long-time championship pace-setter had no answer for his KYB EKS JC rival and third place for the Audi driver at the chequered flag was enough to seal the spoils. Ending the campaign tied on points, Kristoffersson’s superior win count swung the balance in his favour by the very finest of margins.

Johan Kristoffersson, 2021 FIA World Rallycross Champion, said:
“What an absolutely unbelievable weekend – just crazy! We had a tough start to 2021, and from coming here 17 points behind, to then finish on equal points, it will take some time for this to all sink in, to be honest. To win the championship after starting out with a new team and in a new car this year is just fantastic. It means a lot.
“We were chasing our tail a little bit early in the season, and it’s been a real comeback since Riga. Everybody in this sport works so hard, and that sweet feeling of winning is what it’s all about. When I went back to the team awning after not being able to start the final in France, everybody was in tears. Today, I hope they’re all in tears again – only for a far happier reason...”

Having won the 2019 championship on countback, this time Hansen lost it in the same way as the trophy slipped narrowly through his fingers at the end of a campaign he had dominated for so long. There was no shame, however, in missing out to a driver as talented as Kristoffersson – the most successful in World RX history – and the Hansen brothers’ combined efforts were sufficient to secure a third Teams’ title for the family-run Hansen World RX Team.

Just like two years ago in South Africa, Grönholm’s triumph was somewhat overshadowed amid the duel for the crown, but the Finn produced a virtuoso drive at the end of a challenging weekend, during which he frequently found himself on the receiving end of contact.

Not only that, but with his third victory of the season, the GRX-SET ace climbed to third in the Drivers’ classification – writing his own little piece of history as the winner of the final race of the sport’s internal combustion-powered era.

Behind Grönholm, Kevin Hansen, Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen, Guerlain Chicherit celebrated his World RX return in Unkorrupted’s Renault Mégane with a fifth-place finish ahead of Enzo Ide, who lost time to a first corner spin in the second KYB EKS JC Audi.

ELECTRIC DREAMS: DE RIDDER REIGNS IN RX2e
Guillaume De Ridder became the first-ever FIA electric rallycross champion in the FIA RX2e Championship at the Nürburgring today. Entering the final eight points clear of arch-rival Jesse Kallio, the Belgian out-dragged the Finn away from the start line and raced to his third win of the season, fending off late pressure from Kallio to seal the deal in style. A maiden podium finish for Pablo Suárez secured the Spaniard third spot in the overall points table.

Guillaume De Ridder, 2021 FIA RX2e Champion, said:
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but the tension was so high that the tears just flowed. I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders this weekend; I had everything to lose, and Jesse was super-fast throughout – as he has been all season. He’s been a fantastic competitor. This is such an incredible feeling – I don’t think I fully realise yet what we’ve achieved this year.”

Possibly the only person sporting a bigger smile than De Ridder at the end of the weekend was Kristoffersson. Snow began falling on the podium as he collected his trophy, but the Swede didn’t care – he had just been crowned a four-time world champion.

FINAL RESULT
1. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX-SET World RX Team 6 laps
2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team +4.031s
3. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC +4.259s
4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team +5.480s
5. Guerlain CHICHERIT (FRA) Unkorrupted +8.759s
6. Enzo IDE (BEL) KYB EKS JC +16.091s

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-11-28 De Ridder crowned inaugural RX2e champion following thrilling showdown at the Nürburgring
Belgian ace claims first-ever FIA electric rallycross crown
Flying Finn Kallio narrowly misses out on title
Suárez caps off season with hard-fought podium to snatch third place overall
Guillaume De Ridder claimed the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship title in spectacular fashion following a season-long battle with Jesse Kallio, who pushed the Belgian all the way to the final flag at the Nürburgring.

With a nine-point advantage in hand entering the final weekend of the season, De Ridder was the firm favourite to seize the inaugural honours, but he still had to get the job done when it mattered most and he did just that.

Following a dominant display in the Qualifying and Semi-Final stages from title rival Kallio, the Finn faltered at turn one in the final, spinning out of contention while De Ridder surged into a lead that he refused to relinquish.

Kallio, meanwhile, utilised a tactical joker lap strategy on the second tour, and a swathe of fastest laps, setting the pace as he had done all weekend to recover brilliantly to second on the road and ultimately, secure the runner-up spot in the overall standings.

A first podium of the season for Pablo Suárez signalled his best result of the year as well as settling the hotly contested battle for third place overall, which the Spaniard duly claimed after a hugely impressive event.

The RX2e debutants also enjoyed stellar weekends with both drivers making it to the all-important final. The first of which was Kobe Pauwels who kept pace with the front-runners for much of the competition, eventually taking fourth place just five hundredths of a second behind Suárez.

Having missed the first round in Spain, Isak Sjökvist capped off a strong weekend, and indeed a strong season with fifth in both the final of Round 5 and the championship standings.

The second of the series’ newcomers, Pepe Arqué also enjoyed an impressive first outing to make it into the final, placing as high as third in Qualifying 1.

Those that failed to make the cut for the Final highlight the championship’s fiercely contested nature, with Semi-Final 1 sealing the fate of Patrick O’Donovan who spectacularly crashed out of contention – ultimately costing him third in the standings – and Swedish youngster Filip Thorén. Compatriot Klara Andersson also fell short of a place in the final after setting eye-catching lap times throughout the weekend.

Guillaume De Ridder said: “It’s been a really tough weekend. I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders because I needed to avoid any mistakes. I was kind of safe coming here with the points situation in the championship but I couldn’t afford any big mistakes so I took it really easy in qualifying avoiding all the kerbs so I didn’t get any punctures.

“The level has been so high this season and Jesse [Kallio] and I have been fighting for wins the whole season so it’s been the small details that have made the difference. I think he deserved the win this weekend as he’s been quicker than me throughout but that’s racing sometimes. Even when we have had newcomers, they have been super quick like in Lohéac for example so it’s been intense.

“It’s not been easy not going flat out this weekend, it’s against my nature but it paid off in the end! I think I’ve gathered a lot of experience for the set-ups of electric cars as World RX makes the switch next year so hopefully that comes in handy.”

Jesse Kallio said: “The whole season has been really enjoyable, especially the fights with Guillaume [De Ridder]. Coming here I had only one goal and that was to get the maximum out of the weekend as that was the only chance we had in the championship.

I’m very happy with the speed I’ve shown in Germany, I was setting the pace for most of the event but just got a bit unlucky in the Final. It’s been really tricky to start from pole all weekend so I didn’t get the best start but then I got hit at the rear and from then I was P4, I tried to get my head down but had a slow puncture so it wasn’t easy!”

Pablo Suárez said: “Anything can happen in the Final. I was at the back and waiting for something to happen and I saw my gap and went for it. It was a very tight race and I’d say it was my best this season, it’s made even better as this weekend didn’t start the way I’d hoped.“I’m coming from a rally background so not having a co-driver is something that’s new for me! I had to work on managing the events as the action all happens very quickly so that was probably the most difficult part for me. To achieve this result is really awesome – I can’t believe it!”

21-11-28 Snabb Marklund med oflyt i VM-avslutningen
Det blev inte riktigt den avslutning som Anton Marklund och hela teamet hade hoppats på, när årets VM-säsong i Rallycross avslutades med dubbeltävling i Tyskland under helgen. Men när allt stämde på den ikoniska Nürnburgring, var Marklund hypersnabb i teamets Hyundai i20.

I den första deltävlingen under lördagen, var det inte bara vädret som var emot teamet. Banan såg till viss del ut mer som ett vinterlandskap och förarna fick kämpa för att hålla bilarna i rätt kurs. I första kvalet gick motorn i källaren och Anton var sist av plattan. När sedan Q2 blev inställt och allt hopp stod till Q3, satsade Anton allt på ett kort. Men redan i starten så gick en sprint till växelföraren sönder och det fanns bara tvåan kvar att köra på, heatet igenom.
- Det var helt enkelt extra struligt och lite rumphugget när ett kval blev inställt, mekanikerna fick kämpa och vi hade en del teknikstrul, återger Anton Marklund.
Med semifinal från sjätte position var det inte mycket för Anton att göra. Det hala underlaget gjorde omkörningar näst intill omöjliga.

Till söndagens Grand Finale byggdes bilen om en hel del för att bättre passa de tuffa förutsättningarna som rådde. Man fick även till hjulinställningar som passade bättre, något som Anton direkt tackade för med en heatseger och fjärdeplats i första kvalomgången. I andra kvalet var det tuffa tag i starten, Anton blev uttryckt.
- Det var lite hjulspinn i starten, hamnade i trafik och låg femma efter första kurvan, berättar Anton.
Från den positionen laddade Marklund på för fullt och visade blixtrande fart i Hyundaien.
- När jag väl fick åka fritt så hade jag snabbaste varvtid av alla.
Sista kvalomgången bjöd in till ny kubbning och lite av stolpe ut igen.
- Jag hade en bra känsla i starten, men sen blev jag påförd i arslet två gånger, säger Marklund.
Fjärde position in i semin. Kalabalik direkt in i första kurvan. En tryckare av Hansen. Tog jokern och blev sedan hindrad av en långsammare förare. Över mållinjen som fyra, hack i häl på märkeskollegan och tävlingens segrare Niclas Grönholm.
- Det var inte våran helg helt enkelt, men skönt ändå att känna att farten finns där och att det finns mycket potential i den här Hyundaien, konstaterar Anton Marklund.

Trots den lite struliga avslutningen blickar Peter Hedström tillbaka på ett av teamets bästa år någonsin.
- Verksamhetsmässigt har det varit en succésäsong, ett mycket bra år som helhet med fina prestationer av våra förare, säger Hedström.
Teamet jobbar nu för fullt vidare inför kommande säsong, där det finns en hel del att göra för att materialet ska vara i topptrim nästa år.
- Vi plockar ner bilarna nu och gör en fullständig genomgång inför säsongen 2022, avslutar Peter Hedström.

21-11-28 KYB EKS JCs Johan Kristoffersson rallycross-världsmästare 2021
217-217 poäng. Det blev slutresultatet mellan ettan och tvåan i årets rallycross-VM. Efter en särskiljning av flest segrar under säsongen blev det Johan Kristoffersson som tog världsmästartiteln för fjärde gången.
– Trots att det har känts hopplöst ibland så gav vi fasen aldrig upp. Vi fortsatte kämpa. Nu står vi här med ett VM-guld, det är helt overkligt, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Efter nio deltävlingar var det i årets allra sista final som FIA World Rallycross Championship avgjordes. Inför finalen låg KYB EKS JCs Johan Kristoffersson endast en poäng bakom ledaren Timmy Hansen, vilket innebar att först över mållinjen skulle stå som segrare. I slutet av dagen var det värmlänningen som kunde säkra titeln.

Johan Kristoffersson hade en stark tävlingshelg och kunde efter lördagens fullpoängare knappa in avståndet i tabellen – från sjutton till fyra poäng. Under söndagen fortsatte han plocka viktiga poäng, genom seger i både grundomgången och semifinalen. Väl i final slutade han på en tredjeplats, vilket räckte för att säkra sitt fjärde VM-guld i rallycross.

Även teamkompisen Enzo Ide gjorde under helgen en enastående insats. Under söndagen kunde belgaren vinna sin första omgång hittills i rallycross-VM. Han kvalificerade sig till semifinal och knep där en andraplats, men i finalen tog det stopp efter en startsmäll och han slutade därmed sexa i tävlingen. Även under söndagen avslutades finalen i första kurvan för Ide, då han bröt och senare diskvalificerades efter en startincident. Efter säsongens resultat placerar han sig på sjätteplats i årets rallycross-VM. Han slutar även trea i team-VM tillsammans med Johan Kristoffersson och KYB EKS JC.

Fullständigt resultat från helgen, och säsongen, finns här: www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB EKS JC:
”Det känns riktigt kul att få vara med och ta Johans fjärde VM-guld. Inte minst efter allt slit vi haft hela den här säsongen. För trots att det har känts hopplöst ibland så gav vi fasen aldrig upp. Vi fortsatte kämpa. Nu står vi här med ett VM-guld, det är helt overkligt. Att kunna ge hela teamet det här känns så bra.

Vi kom hit med 17 poäng upp till guldet och attityden att göra vårt bästa. Att Johan är en fantastisk chaufför vet vi, inte minst nu. Hans psyke den här helgen, som gjorde att han klarade pressen, har varit helt out standing. Även Enzo har imponerat starkt, och hade det inte varit för honom hade vi kanske inte stått här med ett till mästerskapsguld. Rallycross är teamwork. Titta bara på Enzos vinst i andra omgången idag, och hans prestation i semifinalen. Som jag alltid säger så har Enzos utvecklingskurva gått spikrakt uppåt, och det var fint att få avsluta så här.

Först och främst vill jag tacka alla våra samarbetspartners och Mattias [Ekström] som faktiskt är med och gör det här möjligt. Såklart stort tack till hela KYB EKS JC som kämpat dag som natt den här säsongen, utan att ge upp. Ni är värda det här guldet.”

Johan Kristoffersson, World RX:
”Ett fjärde guld, det känns helt otroligt. Vilken prestation av alla i teamet. De har jobbat stenhårt i år och hela tiden fortsatt tro att vi verkligen har möjligheten att ta guldet. Vi lyckades få ha en perfekt helg här i Tyskland, och det räckte för att vinna VM.

Efter en så här tuff inledning på säsongen känns det fantastiskt att vi i slutändan kunde vända på allt och komma tillbaka för att vinna. Säsongen började på sämsta tänkbara sätt med att bli diskade i Q1, och Frankrike var vår allra lägsta punkt i år när vi bröt i semifinalen. Då hade vi många poäng upp till ledningen, men lyckades ändå komma tillbaka och vinna VM på samma poäng som Timmy [Hansen]. Så det är nu, när det ser ut så här i resultatet, som man inser att varje liten poäng kan göra all skillnad.

Jag är så otroligt tacksam för alla som gjort det här möjligt. Att jag är i den här positionen som jag är i nu, och kunde vara med att fightas om mästerskapet tillsammans med EKS JC i år. Det är väldigt många som ligger bakom just det, och stort tack till alla dem.”

Enzo Ide, World RX:
”Min prestation fanns där i helgen, och även om vi hade några små problem kunde teamet fixa det. Att sätta snabbaste tid idag i Q2 känns väldigt bra, och är någonting som jag kommer ta med mig. Sedan gick jag in i semifinal och final med målet att stötta Johan. Jag fick faktiskt fråga Johan efter semin om han pushade eller om han bara cruisade, men han medgav att han gasade på. Så det känns stort att jag kunde hålla rygg på honom hela racet

21-11-27 Kristoffersson takes title fight down to the wire as he rules the roost at the ‘Ring
Johan Kristoffersson kept the defence of his FIA World Rallycross Championship crown well and truly alive at the Nürburgring today, racing to his third victory of the 2021 campaign as championship leader Timmy Hansen was disqualified from the final.

Kristoffersson entered the weekend 17 points adrift of Hansen at the summit of the Drivers’ standings, with his fellow Swede firm favourite to lift the laurels for a second time, following his 2019 success. The triple title-winner navigated his way safely through an incident-packed Q1 – with overnight snow throwing a curve ball into the mix – to post the fastest time, backing that up with third place in Q2 to secure Top Qualifier honours, with Hansen down in fourth. Three points already clawed back.

The KYB EKS JC ace then saw off the threat of Q2 winner Niclas Grönholm to take maximum points from the first semi-final, and with Hansen picking up a five-second penalty for contact in the second semi-final, the gap between the pair was down to 12 points entering the six-lap final. Not only that, but they would be starting at opposite ends of the grid.

Kristoffersson proceeded to deliver a masterclass in precision driving in the tricky conditions to take the chequered flag almost four seconds clear of his closest pursuer, and whilst Hansen battled his way up to second, he was subsequently disqualified for first corner contact that tipped Grönholm into a half-spin. That reduced the points difference to just four going into tomorrow’s all-important decider – very much game on.

Johan Kristoffersson, KYB EKS JC, said:
“Mentally, it was a tough day but I really enjoyed it. The conditions were extremely difficult, and we had to try to adapt as quickly as possible to a new track, in the snow and without studded tyres! That was maybe the biggest challenge I’ve ever had in a rallycross car, but it’s always fun as a driver taking on big challenges.

“I didn’t have the best starts in Q2 or the semi-final – we’ll have to work on that – but the final was better. The biggest problem was visibility with the low sun, particularly at the bottom end of the track – it was almost like driving blind at times, but I knew it would be even harder for the guys behind, so I tried to take it steady and drive just fast enough to secure the points.

“The Audi has performed very well today, and Yury [Belevskiy] did a fantastic job, jumping from a front wheel-drive car into World RX and finishing on the podium first time out behind only two world champions. Timmy coming from the back of the grid into second proved that he is up for a fight tomorrow – but so are we!”

Belevskiy, indeed, was arguably the star of the opening day at World RX of Germany, going second-quickest in both Q1 and Q2 to secure pole position for semi-final two on his debut at the international pinnacle of the sport, having wrapped up the Euro RX3 title at Montalegre last month. The Russian excelled behind the wheel of his Volland Racing Audi S1, and went on to scoop the runner-up spoils following Hansen’s disqualification.

Krisztián Szabó wound up third, maintaining his stellar record of reaching the final in every round to-date this season for GRX-SET World RX Team, with stablemate Grönholm a frustrated fourth. Kristoffersson’s team-mate Enzo Ide similarly advanced to the final, but retired on the first lap prior to being disqualified for the same reason as Hansen.

In the supporting FIA RX2e Championship, title duellists Guillaume De Ridder and Jesse Kallio won a qualifying session apiece, leaving them tied at the top of the table in their battle to be crowned the inaugural FIA electric rallycross champion.

The campaign will conclude tomorrow, with racing at the Nürburgring set to begin at 09:00 CET and all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production grants subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of just €7,99, guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for World RX of Germany is available for the same price. For more details or to subscribe, click here

Copyright-free images are available for media download via the World RX Newsroom on the Red Bull Content Pool.

FINAL RESULT
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC 6 laps
2. Yury BELEVSKIY (-) Volland Racing KFT + 4.644
3. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 5.077s
4. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 5.751s
DSQ Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team
DSQ Enzo IDE (BEL) KYB EKS JC

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-11-23 Back to the Future: GCK revives iconic Lancia Delta Integrale for 2022 World RX return
GCK Motorsport will revive one of the sport’s most iconic cars when it returns to FIA World Rallycross Championship competition for the new electric era in 2022 with a model based upon the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale.

Founded by four-time World Freeriding Champion-turned-rally, rallycross and stunt driver Guerlain Chicherit, GCK joined World RX in 2018. From then until 2020, the team entered Renault machinery for drivers including Andreas Bakkerud, Anton Marklund, Liam Doran and Chicherit himself – achieving a trio of podium finishes.

In 2022, the GCK name will be back – and in emphatic fashion, designing, building and running the bespoke Lancia Delta Evo-e, based upon the previously announced GCK Exclusiv-e retrofit of the Lancia Delta Integrale.

Synonymous with motorsport spectacle and success, the Delta Integrale clinched eight FIA World Rally Championship crowns between 1988 and 1992 – five manufacturers’ titles and three drivers’ trophies, split between Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion.

In celebration of those triumphs and ahead of the mooted introduction of a new road-going Delta, the very hottest of Italian hatches will return to action and make its World RX debut during the championship’s inaugural electric campaign next year.

Underpinning every car on the grid will be the cutting-edge RX1e kit developed by Austrian firm Kreisel Electric. This will generate greater all-round performance than ever courtesy of 500kW delivered to the twin motors – equivalent to 680bhp – and 880Nm of instant torque at the touch of a pedal, resulting in eye-watering acceleration faster even than Formula 1.

Not only will GCK Motorsport be back in the World RX driver’s seat in 2022, but GCK Energy will power the grid following a successful first season delivering green energy to the supporting FIA RX2e Championship.

Using a combination of solar energy and power collected from green energy networks ahead of race weekends, GCK Energy will supply electricity to recharge the batteries of all cars between races from its custom containers. This will make the new generation of World Rallycross one of the most environmentally-conscious disciplines in international motorsport.

Guerlain Chicherit, President, Green Corp Konnection (GCK), said:
“I’m super excited for GCK to be returning to the FIA World Rallycross Championship under its new electric banner. The race format lends itself perfectly to delivering one of the most thrilling sporting spectacles with electric cars so far, and we chose the Lancia Delta Integrale because it is a vehicle that made us all dream. It is the rally car par excellence – without doubt the most incredible of its era – and one that remains hugely popular to this day.

“It’ll be a busy year for GCK Motorsport, and the whole team is looking forward to taking on this challenge. Motorsport is going through a significant change at the moment, with the impact felt across all industries. Playing our part in developing some of this change is what keeps us all motivated every day.”

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“In everything he does, Guerlain Chicherit is a pioneer, and the team that he founded shares that same spirit and same commitment to continually break new ground. Since announcing that GCK would be taking a sabbatical from World RX at the end of last year, he has always been very clear that when the time was right and the electric era was upon us, they would return – and we have kept the positive discussions going throughout.

“As a man with his finger firmly on the pulse, Guerlain understands the way the world is going and that in order to advance, you need to adapt, and his future-thinking approach is complemented by a genuine retro passion – as evidenced by GCK’s choice of car for 2022, which is a real masterstroke. Having grown up seeing the epic Lancia Delta Integrale conquering rally stages all over the world, I personally cannot wait to witness the Delta Evo-e in action in World Rallycross next season!”

21-11-22 No silverware for Hansen in California but Nitro title race continues
MEGENNIS SCORES NITRO MEDAL WITH INCREDIBLE COMEBACK DRIVE
George Megennis stands on the podium celebrating his second place finish at round seven of the NRX Next series.
San Bernadino, November 21, 2021 - George Megennis showed resolve beyond his young years with a stunning charge from the back of the grid to second place at the seventh round of the NRX Next series at Glen Helen Raceway in California.

The 16-year-old was quick from the word go but faced a setback in the round seven semi-final, as he suffered a puncture that meant he would line up last on the grid in the eight-car final.

But a brilliant comeback drive from Megennis meant his lowly grid slot was quickly forgotten, especially as he’d climbed to fifth only three corners into the last Saturday race.

That became fourth after a well calculated move on Conner Martell, carefully placing his car on the way into the third hairpin to get a run off the banking and fly past his rival on the exit.

George Megennis at round seven of the NRX Next season at Glen Helen Raceway, CA.
It wasn’t long until Megennis was up into the podium places, easily dispatching Martin Enlund for third place. That became second when Sage Karam spun out on the last lap, giving the New York City native a chance to capitalise and nick second place at the end.

There was high hopes of more silverware on the second day at San Bernadino, as Megennis recovered from a spin caused by a damaged driveshaft in his heat to win the semi-final race on Sunday. Once again he came from the back and again he outpaced Martell in a straight fight, taking the lead after his rival’s last-lap joker lap was complete.

Early signs looked good for a repeat of Megennis’ result from a day earlier in the Sunday final, as he capitalised on a mistake from Enlund to take second place. But that didn’t last long, as he clipped a tractor tyre while pushing hard to keep up with race leader Casper Jansson and broke the front-left corner of his #YellowSquad Lites car.

George Megennis at Glen Helen Raceway, CA.
Despite the disappointing end to the weekend it still marked the end of a successful two week spell for Megennis, scoring a trio of second places while being on course to make it four in a row before his minor misjudgement led to retirement.

Only two rounds remain in the Nitro Rallycross support category series, both taking place at The Firm near Jacksonville in Florida on December 4-5.

Megennis remains fourth in the NRX Next championship standings, 40 behind points leader Jansson. But with 100 points still to play for, anything can happen at the season finale.

George Megennis
#YELLOWSQUAD DRIVER
“Oh man, it's been a tough weekend but a good weekend. I've scored three medals in the last nine days – I'm so pumped with this run we're on!

“I still can't believe that I got all the way to second place on Saturday given where we started. Having that puncture in the semi leaving us starting last was a tough place to be but we pulled it out of the bag. I had a little bit of good fortune in that race, sure, but it felt good to race past some of those guys. I was especially happy with the move on Martell in that race, being able to line it up on the way in and zip past on the exit.

“Sunday was a really tough way to start but Eric Färén and the rest of the #YellowSquad team worked their butts off getting the car fixed, so a huge thanks to them. Being able to get first place in the next race shows how good a job the team are doing at giving me great equipment to work with.

“Not finishing the second final when we were in a place to get another podium is disappointing of course but I'm still feeling really positive. The last couple of weeks have gone really well thanks to all of the help I've gotten from Eric, Kevin, and the whole Hansen family, and I can't wait to get back on track in Florida next month. Let's go!”

Kevin Hansen
TEAM PRINCIPAL
“This was a weekend of two halves. George did a great job recovering from his puncture in the Saturday semi-final to grab a podium finish. This was a drive he can be really proud of. To get second rather than third involved some good luck, sure. But in the Hansen family we have always believed that you make your own luck, and George did that! He did all the right things in this race and was rewarded for it.

“On the other side George has experienced the most painful part of our sport, how one small mistake can take away a great result. But all of this is a great learinng experience for him; mistakes make you stronger. His pace and consistency is improving all the time and he will continue to get better!

21-11-22 No silverware for Hansen in California but Nitro title race continues
Red Bull Hansen NRX Team faced a difficult weekend at the fourth of five Nitro Rallycross rounds this season, as initially promising pace on Saturday didn’t translate to a podium finish on Sunday for either driver.

Timmy Hansen came to Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernadino, CA, narrowly leading the Nitro RX title race over Subaru pair Travis Pastrana and Scott Speed. Kevin Hansen was also in the running to fight for the title and had started strongly on Saturday, winning the battle brackets round by beating all three factory Subaru drivers.

Being eliminated in the second round of battle brackets had sent Timmy on a winding journey to the final, having to race through the heats, a semi-final and then a win-or-bust last-chance qualifier race before rocking up on the back row of the grid for the points-paying finale.

Unable to match the pace of the frontrunners, Timmy kept it sensible in the final and was rewarded for his patience with fifth place.

An early fight with Steve Arpin didn’t last long as Timmy headed straight for the joker lap but he would win the battle later on, as Arpin exited his joker lap near the end of the race behind Timmy’s Peugeot 208. Robin Larsson’s retirement gave Timmy a further leg-up in the final classification.

Kevin had also been in the running to defend his status as reigning Nitro RX champion, a title he won back in 2019 at what was then a single-venue event in Utah.

His early dominance of the battle brackets round, where he'd defeated all three Subarus, looked set to continue after topping the warm-up session. But a slow start off the grid in the second heat demoted him down to the midfield, putting him into a semi-final race.

While Kevin pulled off a solid launch from the grid in the first semi-final, he was forced wide at turn one by Andreas Bakkerud, sending him deep into mud that affected his car’s cooling and, as a consequence, its maximum power output.

Fourth place in that semi put Kevin into a last chance qualifier against Liam Doran, where again he was nudged wide and into the turn three hairpin barriers.

While Doran was given a penalty by the stewards, Kevin’s time-loss from the off had been enough for Ronalds Baldinš to get past and inherit the only transfer spot to the final alongside Timmy on the back row.

Timmy will head to the final round of the Nitro season 17 points off the top spot, now held by Pastrana, with 54 still available to score in Florida.

Kevin remains fourth in the championship but can’t gain any more places at the final round, so will be doing all he can to ensure his eight-point advantage over Steve Arpin grows larger at the season finale.

21
Timmy Hansen
“Fifth place isn't the result we came here to get but considering the route I had to take to reach the final, it's a reasonable amount of points.”

“It's been a tough weekend for the entire team and unlike Kevin, on Saturday I didn't have the pace of the top guys either. Fifth place isn't the result we came here to get but considering the route I had to take to reach the final, it's a reasonable amount of points and it keeps me in the title race at the last round. That's what matters most from this weekend.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“Saturday was amazing. We beat everybody on an even playing field and the battles were really fun.”

“Saturday was amazing. We beat everybody on an even playing field and the battles were really fun, with close but fair racing that was won fair and square. And then in warm-up this morning the lap times were looking really good and we felt confident of scoring a great result this weekend.

“My car's been so fast this weekend but on Sunday events simply didn't pan out the right way. In the heat race, my start wasn't strong enough and that put me on the back foot, and once you're back in the pack, both dust and losing time battling other cars starts to come into play.

“We're out of the NRX title fight now so when we head to Florida for the season finale I'll do what I can to support Timmy, as he still has a chance to become champion. But for now I'm really looking forward to Germany in the world championship next week. It's a much different circuit to this one and also a great chance to strike back with a strong result after this disappointment.”

THE BOSS
Kenneth Hansen

“This weekend looked quite good from the outset so naturally, the outcome is not what we had expected.”

“This weekend looked quite good from the outset so naturally, the outcome is not what we had expected. Kevin had great speed on Saturday but come Sunday, Subaru found something, an extra step, that gave them some more grip and crucially, some more speed.”

“Our engineers and mechanics were really up against it this weekend with the conditions. There was so much wind and dust that it was like working in a sandstorm. They were really tough conditions to work in but our guys performed as brilliantly as ever, so thank you to them for always putting in 100%.”

“Now the team will crack on and focus on the next weekend in Germany, where we have the possibility to win two world championship titles, before we return to the US for the Nitro finale.”

CA Nitro RX California:
Results
5th
Timmy Hansen
Battle Brackets QF
Heat 2 4th
Semi Final 2 4th
Last Chance Qualifier 2 1st
Final 5th

DNQ
Kevin Hansen
Battle Brackets 1st
Heat 2 3rd
Semi-Final 1 4th
Last Chance Qualifier 1 2nd

21-11-19 Double-header in Deutschland to decide destiny of coveted crown
Following seven rounds across six different circuits, it all comes down to this – a double-header season finale on a new track at Germany’s legendary Nürburgring next weekend (27-28 November) to determine who will be crowned 2021 FIA World Rallycross Champion.

The four leading protagonists have all ascended the top step of the podium at least once this year – Timmy Hansen on home soil at Höljes and then again at Lohéac, Johan Kristoffersson in Riga and at Spa-Francorchamps, Kevin Hansen in the Catalunya curtain-raiser and Niclas Grönholm in Latvia and last time out in Portugal.

It is the elder of the two Hansen brothers – 2019 world champion Timmy – who leads the way, as he has done since triumphing in round two in August. Having not finished lower than fourth so far, the Swede is seemingly zeroing in on a second Drivers’ trophy at the international pinnacle of the discipline, but with 60 points remaining to play for at the 1,029m Eifel Mountains circuit – based around the Mullenbachsleife section of the famous Formula 1 venue – and just a 17-point advantage at the summit of the standings, nothing can be taken for granted.

Indeed, it is Hansen’s closest pursuer – three-time title-holder Kristoffersson – who has been the highest scorer over the most recent four outings, and the KYB EKS JC ace can be counted upon to keep pushing until the final chequered flag falls. Notwithstanding a troubled start to the campaign, Kristoffersson has topped more qualifying sessions than anybody else behind the wheel of his Audi S1 in 2021, so his raw speed is certainly not in doubt.

It was the younger Hansen sibling – Kevin – who came out of the blocks fastest in Barcelona, outgunning his two countrymen to seal the second success of his World RX career. The 23-year-old has been a contender throughout, reaching the rostrum in all bar one round to sit only 19 points shy of elder brother Timmy arriving in Germany.

Like Kristoffersson, Grönholm overcame a difficult opening few weekends to launch himself into the reckoning with victory in the Riga double-header, which he then reinforced with another win at Montalegre after his three main adversaries tripped over one another in their scrap for the top spot.

The Finn is a little further back at 29 points adrift of championship leader Hansen, while his GRX-SET stablemate Krisztián Szabó is the dark horse in the pack. Still mathematically in the mix, the consistent Hungarian is the only driver aside from the Hansen World RX Team duo to have progressed through to the final in every round to-date.

Elsewhere in the 14-car entry, two-time FIA European Rallycross Champion Anton Marklund returns for another run in Hedströms Motorsport’s Hyundai i20, Euro RX3 title-winner Rory Belevskiy steps up to the highest level in a Volland Racing Audi S1 and former World RX front-runner Davy Jeanney rejoins the fray for the first time in more than three years in PGRX’s Hyundai.

The weekend will also mark the final event of the World Championship’s internal combustion era, before the eagerly-anticipated switch to electric power in 2022.

DE RIDDER VS. KALLIO FOR RX2e HONOURS
In the supporting FIA RX2e Championship, Guillaume De Ridder and Jesse Kallio will duel it out for the prestige of going down in history as the first FIA electric rallycross champion.

The Belgian has led the way since winning in Catalunya, but the Finn has kept him on his toes throughout, hitting back at Höljes and waging a nip-and-tuck duel for supremacy with his arch-rival at Spa – a battle in which home hero De Ridder narrowly prevailed. Behind the two season-long pace-setters, Patrick O’Donovan, Pablo Suárez and Isak Sjökvist are embroiled in a similarly close fight for third.

Racing is set to get underway at 10:30 CET on Saturday, 27 November. Entry tickets are still available to purchase here, or for those unable to attend in person, all of the action across the board will be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production grants subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of just €7,99, guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for World RX of Germany is available for the same price. For more details or to subscribe, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

Event entry lists can be found here: World RX / RX2e

21-11-19 Down to the wire: De Ridder and Kallio set for title showdown at the Nürburgring
Nine points separate Belgian ace and flying Finn
World RX of Germany to host inaugural RX2e season finale
Newcomers Pauwels and Arqué enter the fray for Round 5
Every race available live on RX+ platform
The 2021 FIA RX2e Championship is set for its grand finale at the World RX of Germany (November 27-28) later this month. A confirmed list of returning cast members from the series’ inaugural season are joined by a pair of newcomers, as the grid prepares to take to the world-renowned Nürburgring circuit.

Guillaume De Ridder has been the man to beat in the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship. With commanding victories in the first and fourth rounds of the season and a further podium at Round 3, the Belgian ace holds the upper hand coming into the final round of the season.

In typical Finnish fashion, Jesse Kallio’s 2021 campaign has been quietly consistent appearing in each of the the finals across the year. The 22-year-old claimed victory at Höljes and followed De Ridder home at Spa-Francorchamps, leaving Kallio just nine points shy of the summit of the standings.

Patrick O'Donovan kicked off his season with a third-place finish and some well-earned silverware at the opening round in Spain. The Irishman has since followed up with a sixth in Sweden and more points to add to his tally in the subsequent rounds to lie third in the overall table with 59 points.

Drawing level with O’Donovan to sit-joint-third in the Drivers’ Standings, Pablo Suarez has been accruing points across the season. Owing to final appearances at the first event of the year as well as last time out in Belgium, the Spaniard will be looking to cap off the season with another strong showing.

Despite missing the opening round of the season, Isak Sjökvist holds a commendable fifth place in the championship. A podium at his home round of Höljes was swiftly followed up by another final appearance in France and yet another rostrum at Round 4 in Belgium.

Klara Andersson returns for a second attempt at reaching the RX2e podium following a spectacular debut at Spa-Francorchamps. The Swede was on the pace from the outset and narrowly missed out on a top-three finish, ending the weekend in fourth behind compatriot Sjökvist.

Similarly, Filip Thorén impressed on his all-electric rallycross bow at Round 4. The 19-year-old rookie remained consistent through his first-ever weekend in the series to reach the all-important final, eventually finishing sixth on the road but gaining vital experience ahead of his return in Germany.

The first of Round 5’s newcomers is Kobe Pauwels, 2021’s Euro RX3 runner-up joins the grid fresh off the back of an eye-catching first season on the World RX package. The 17-year-old has high hopes of a strong result against stiff competition.

The ninth driver to join the fray at the Nürburgring comes in the form of Pepe Arqué. The Spaniard brings with him a wealth of experience in national CrossCar championships and in RallyX Nordic’s single-make support series, RX Academy.

Guillaume De Ridder said: "I'm feeling quite relaxed, because it is better to have a nine-point lead than to be nine points back! I have that advantage, but nothing is done yet. It is only a small advantage and anything can happen.

"I am going to the Nürburgring with the same goal that I have at every other race – to win. To win a championship you should try and win races. I have learned a few things from my near misses in RX2 – you should just give everything you have, and not try and do any calculations regarding points. The second thing I have learned is that it is always better to come to the final race with a points advantage!

"Jesse [Kallio] and I have some similarities, but also some differences. He is a very consistent driver, and he has been strong all season. Occasionally I have had a slight advantage on outright pace, but it's really close. That means I have to always try and maximise the smallest details, and I am constantly working with my engineers to find improvements. We have a lot of similarities – we are both consistent and quick, so it is all about the details.”

Jesse Kallio said: “This season has been great. In the summer I didn’t even know if I’d be racing in this championship and now I have done all of the races so it’s been enjoyable. The win at Höljes was of course the highlight for me but we’ve had plenty of other good results too. I was a bit disappointed to lose it [the win] at Spa in the final to Guillaume [De Ridder] but we’re still in the fight which is the main thing. It’s been so tight all year and everyone has the same equipment, so you have to be perfect to win. In a single make championship like this, it’s all about the small details.

“The gap is quite big but the plan is to get the maximum points and then all we can do is see how Guillaume does. Of course, it’s going to be a big challenge and I think we’ll need luck to be on our side in Germany if we’re going to win. I’m going there to focus and win the race and see what happens from there.

“It’s been a really enjoyable fight with De Ridder, we’ve been close all year and it seems one of us has the upper hand at one track and the other has the advantage somewhere else. I’m going to treat the last race like its one event and not feel any pressure for the championship, we need to go there and get the absolute maximum from the race and not stress to much about points.”

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We’ve had an incredible season so far in the The FIA RX2e Championship. What the series has achieved in it’s first year is commendable and we’re all keen to end it on a high and put on a great show in Germany.

"The fight is going to be decided in the last race which always adds extra excitement to the season finale. Guillaume and Jesse have put in some great performances this year so it’ll be interesting to see who comes on top. It’s not just the title that is up for grabs though, third, fourth and fifth in the championship are separated by three points so the battle for third-place overall is going to be great to watch as well. As usual, they are joined by a hugely talented line-up of drivers who will also be in the mix and looking to finish the season strongly.”

Where to Watch
Racing is set to begin on Saturday, 27 November, with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

Both the Full Season Pass and the Event Pass for World RX of Germany are available for €7,99. For more information or to subscribe, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

RX2e official entry list – World RX of Germany
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT
02 Kobe Pauwels BEL Ann Luijten
05 Pablo Suárez ESP Monlau Compéticion
12 Klara Andersson SWE Olsbergs MSE
13 Patrick O’Donovan GBR Patrick O’Donovan
28 Filip Thorén SWE Olsbergs MSE
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Olsbergs MSE
82 Isak Sjökvist SWE Olsbergs MSE
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Guillaume De Ridder
112 Pepe Arqué ESP Escuderia Mollerussa

21-11-15 Megennis takes two Phonix podiums in NRX next title chase
George Megennis, #YellowSquad’s talented 16-year-old prodigy competing in the Nitro Rallycross support series NRX Next, showed his mettle with two hard-fought podium finishes in Phoenix.

Following the regular series format, Megennis took on two championship rounds in two days at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Arizona and was immediately competitive, winning his heat after an intense battle with Martin Enlund for the win.

That earned him a front-row start for the final and while he was pushed out wide to the start and demoted to fourth, George was quick to rebound.

Waiting until the midway point to take his joker lap paid dividends, not only repassing Conner Martell and Casper Jansson but also pulling off a stunning surprise overtake in the joker section on Sage Karam for the lead.

Megennis’ lead was unfortunately short-lived, as Jansson rolled his car over seconds later and triggered a race restart from the original grid. Starting on the outside meant there was space for Karam to dive down the inside into turn one, space which he duly took to resume the race lead.

Nonetheless it was an impressive second podium result of the season thus far – and there would be more silverware just a day later.

Megennis didn’t make it straight to the final from his heat race on Sunday so took the longer route through the semi-final race. Starting last on the grid he pulled off a sensational move around the outside of turn one, sweeping past both Eric Gordon and Lane Vacala to move into third.

That result earned Megennis a slot on the second row of the Sunday final and his path towards the podium was far from straightforward. While he sneaked past Jansson at turn one, Vacala was able to shove past and demote the #YellowSquad driver down to fourth once more.

It took only a lap for Megennis to retake the place from Vacala but time had already been lost, allowing Jansson to remain ahead once the New York native had taken the faster joker lap route.

Fourth became third when Martell spun on his own at the first turn and then a sensational last-lap pass moved him up to second place. A fast exit out of turn one gave Megennis a run on Jansson down the tight, slow and downhill turn three that he converted into an overtake – a move no other driver had pulled off all weekend.

Two second places has moved Megennis into the thick of the NRX Next title fight. While he remains fourth overall the gap has closed considerably, as he sits only five points behind joint leaders Jansson and Vacala with four rounds remaining.

There’s no rest for #YellowSquad as the team is heading straight to California for the next two NRX Next rounds at Glen Helen Raceway, which takes place on November 20-21.

GEORGE MEGENNIS
#YELLOWSQUAD DRIVER
“Starting from the outside was a tough place to be but we kept fighting and got a great result. It was all about taking advantage of the opportunities when they presented themselves, being neat and tidy and not overdoing it. My karting background helped a lot there; you lose a lot of time going sideways in that discipline and taking the same approach here worked really well.

“Getting to second in the final was such a good example; being neat in turn one meant I got a run on Jansson and was able to get it stopped just in time for the next turn. And it was the same thing getting past Vacala earlier in the race. I'd taken my normal line to enter the joker lap and he'd run very wide on entry, so wide I thought he was taking the regular lap. I unexpectedly found myself going past for third!

“Being able to come to new circuits like this one, along with most of the other tracks in Nitro RX this year, is a big help. I'm only 16 years old so everyone else starting on zero track experience as I am is so important; it comes down to who can learn the track fastest.

“My goal this weekend had been to come here, finish every race and keep it clean. So to get two second places out of that approach is awesome. And we get to go and do it all again next weekend which is mega. I can't wait – and I don't have to! Thanks to #YellowSquad, Eric, Kevin, and the entire Hansen family and team for working so hard with me this weekend.”

KEVIN HANSEN
TEAM PRINCIPAL
“George's performance was absolutely insane this weekend. He took a slightly different approach this time, being a little more calm and patient with his approach. And it really paid off. His speed was really strong all weekend and the results have been fantastic.

“I'm very impressed and really happy his development curve has continued strongly upwards. We have to remember he's still only 16 years old but he's getting better every weekend, learning new tricks and techniques while facing brand new challenges.”

21-11-15 Hansen extends Nitro lead with third consecutive podium result
Timmy Hansen’s lead at the top of the Nitro Rallycross standings has increased thanks to a hard-fought podium finish at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, battling through to score second place for Red Bull Hansen NRX Team.

Current world championship points leader Timmy is in the thick of a title fight to regain the Nitro RX crown he last won in 2018, starting the weekend tied on points with Scott Speed.

A victory in his heat race meant Timmy lined up alongside action sports legend and Speed’s Subaru team-mate Travis Pastrana for the final, though starting on the outside meant rival Steve Arpin was able to sneak through at turn one and demote Timmy to third.

Not satisfied to sit back and take third, and with Speed taking an alternate strategy that would lead to him taking second place away, Timmy pushed on and swept by Arpin, pulling off a clever move down the inside of the banked second turn to nab the position.

It wasn’t enough to beat Speed to the joker merge a lap later but nor did it matter, as Timmy repeated the same move on Speed that he’d pulled on Arpin a lap earlier to retake second.

That podium capped a great weekend for the 2018 Nitro champion, whose early skirmishes in the final were a repeat of his excellent win in the second heat. Again facing Arpin, he had pulled off a switchback move in the joker to move from second to first and book a ticket directly to the final..

Kevin Hansen did not have the same luck as his elder brother in Phoenix. The reigning Nitro champion had demonstrated great pace but suffered a number of setbacks that stopped him from scoring the same headline results as Timmy.

He had finished right on the rear bumper of eventual winner Pastrana’s car during the battle brackets and had looked to be one of the fastest drivers in the field. Kevin had also been on course to finish second behind Timmy in the second heat until a technical issue slowed him on the run to the finish line.

More bad luck would befall Kevin in the second semi-final. He hit a stack of tyres dragged onto the racing line by guest driver Kyle Busch and spun out, ending any hopes of direct passage to the final.

A dominant run in the last-chance qualifier ensured Kevin would get a starting berth for the eight-car final and his race began very well, zipping past three rivals to lie fifth after the first lap and with an excellent late-joker strategy that meant third place was on the cards

Unfortunately an oil leak halted Kevin’s progress up the leaderboard and forced him to park, robbing him of a potential podium finish.

Despite the setbacks both Hansens remain in strong positions for the Nitro RX title. Timmy tops the standings by five points from Pastrana, while Kevin is 28 points behind in fourth overall.

There’s no long wait for the next round either, as the drivers head to Glen Helen Raceway in California for round four of the season next weekend.

21
Timmy Hansen
“I'm super happy with the result given how much racing I had to do to get there!”
“This weekend has been a lot of fun. I had plenty of good battles, especially in the heat race against Steve Arpin; that was super cool.

“I'm super happy with the result given how much racing I had to do to get there! I had put my head down in the final to try and catch Travis but he was just a bit too far up the road. I think we had around the same pace, maybe a little more, but not enough to catch him and fight for the lead. Without those early battles maybe I'd have been able to compete with Travis for the win but I had to work hard for that second place.

“I have no idea what to expect in Glen Helen. It's a whole new experience and these tracks so far have been super challenging. I've still got the championship lead after three races from five but a lot can happen in the next two rounds. Second place is useful for the championship points but I want the winner's trophy again!”

9
Kevin Hansen
“I think we had the fastest car in the paddock all weekend, which makes this result even tougher to take.”

“It has been a good weekend in terms of our ultimate pace. I think we had the fastest car in the paddock all weekend, which makes this result even tougher to take. My car felt very well suited to this track and was driving really well in the final early on. We had enough pace to make it to the podium.

“With the problems we had today and the engine switching off for reasons we haven't diagnosed yet, it's obviously disappointing. This type of fault is quite complicated to diagnose but our engineers are the best in the championship and they'll figure it out before California next week, I'm sure.

“I've got a long way to fight back now after dropping to fourth in the championship but we never give up. We definitely had the pace today and we can go to the next race knowing we're still in a good position to go and fight at the front again.”

THE BOSS
Kenneth Hansen
“There were constant wheel-to-wheel battles out on the track, some proper rallycross, which was nice to see.”

“It was quite a tricky weekend, a bit up and down. The conditions changed a bit over the course of the weekend and it can be hard to tell how that affects the balance between the normal lap and the joker. This meant calculating optimum strategies was extremely complicated from race to race!”

“The racing itself was also very close and this was quite special. There were constant wheel-to-wheel battles out on the track, some proper rallycross, which was nice to see.”

“The issues with Kevin's car that stopped him from getting the result he deserved were a disappointment, obviously, but we can be happy with the potential he showed. All things considered, it was a reasonably positive weekend; we can be happy with Timmy's result and that we are leading the championship.”

2nd
Timmy Hansen
Battle Brackets SF
Heat 2 1st
Final 2nd

7th
Kevin Hansen
Battle Brackets QF
Heat 2 6th
Semi-Final 2 3rd
Last Chance Qualifier 2 1st
Final

21-11-12 Arqué set for long-awaited RX2e debut as Crosscar ace targets Nürburgring outing
Pepe Arqué is set to make his FIA RX2e Championship debut during the season finale at the Nürburgring later this month (November 27/28), four months on from when he was originally due to make his series bow.

The Spanish ace featured on the entry list for the curtain-raising event of the inaugural RX2e campaign at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, but a positive COVID-19 test result saw him miss out on the maiden weekend of action for the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

The pieces are now all in place once more for Arqué to make his mark on the pioneering category, but the 20-year-old faces a baptism of fire with the majority of the field fully up to speed in the advanced machinery after four fiercely contested rounds.

The Crosscar expert also has the added consideration of going up against friend and compatriot Pablo Suárez, for whom Arqué spotted and acted as driver coach during Round 2 of the season at Höljes.

Arqué comes from a karting background, having made his debut at the age of eight in the 2009 Catalan and Spanish Karting Championship before finishing runner-up in the Open OJP Catalonia Karting series a year later.

The Spaniard went on to claim the Open OJP Catalonia Karting title in 2011 and 2012 and was also second in the Micro-Rotax Spain in 2011 before coming fifth in the same competition the following two years, while he reached the final in the 2012 World Rotax Portugal.

More honours followed with Arqué crowned 2013 Aragon Karting Champion and winner of the 2014 Junior Winter Cup before a switch to rallycross in 2016.

He was a revelation in the Spanish Crosscar Junior Championship, finishing second in his maiden campaign before claiming the 2017 title, and this prompted a step up to the top tier where the rookie made an instant impact with a win at Carballo on his way to third in the overall standings.

Several podiums were achieved in 2019, while Arqué also balanced his Crosscar commitments with RX Academy appearances in Kouvola, Finland and Tierp, Sweden - bagging sixth and fourth respectively.

Last year Arqué finished fourth in the Spanish Crosscar Championship, having also notched second in the Catalonian Crosscar Championship, and this term he has registered podium finishes at Arteixo and Mollerussa despite a disrupted campaign.

Pepe Arqué said: "After being unable to compete in Barcelona as we had planned, I am very excited to be on the Nürburgring starting grid.

"I am aware that I am at a disadvantage compared to my rivals because we will not have the experience of driving the RX2e car all season, but it will be interesting to see where we can be throughout the weekend.

"We are going to be very focused all weekend to see how far we get, and we are going to try to learn and gain the maximum experience for the 2022 season."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "It was such a shame that Pepe was unable to race with us in Barcelona, as it would have been fantastic for him to make his debut on home soil, but we are ecstatic that he will be on the grid at the Nürburgring.

"Pepe faces a tough task getting on terms with drivers who have been pushing the limits all season, but he has demonstrated impressive natural ability across several categories already in his career and we expect him to adapt quickly to the unique demands of RX2e."

21-11-12 Klara Andersson klar för finaltävlingen av Rallycross-VM
I början av oktober klev Klara Andersson in i den internationella rallycrossen, när hon debuterade med en fjärde plats i klassen RX2e vid VM-tävlingen i Belgien. Nu är det klart att hon kör finaltävlingen sista helgen i november i Tyskland.
- Det känns verkligen så häftigt att få avsluta säsongen med ännu en VM-tävling, säger Klara Andersson.

21-åringen från Löberöd i Skåne kom lite från ingenstans för den internationella publiken. Och fjärdeplatsen i debuten gjorde avtryck både på konkurrerande förare och team när hon presterade tider i toppskiktet bland seriens etablerade förare.
- Det gick riktigt bra i Belgien och jag kände direkt att jag var med. Bilen funkade perfekt där och jag teamet hela tiden hittade nya små saker för att förbättra min körning. Så med tanke på hur lite tid jag har haft med bilen så är jag jättenöjd med resultatet i Belgien, även om jag alltid vill vinna, säger Klara Andersson som nu får en ny chans att slåss om sin första internationella seger.
- Jag känner att jag har en bra chans. Som sagt, farten har jag och jag tror även att banan på Nürburgring kan passa mig och den körstilen jag är mest bekväm med, säger Andersson.

Klassen som Klara Andersson kör är VM-seriens supportklass, RX2e, en enhetsklass för el-bilar. Ett steg som även VM-serien tar nästa år då den högsta klassens bilar, Supercarbilarna också kommer drivas på el.
- Mitt huvudmål på sikt är att köra den högsta serien i rallycross-VM och att den nu flyttar över till el gör att jag känner att jag är helt rätt på min väg mot målet, när jag nu fortsätter med ytterligare en tävling i RX2e avslutar Klara Andersson.

Mer information om VM i rallycross och RX2e-klassen finns här: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/rx2e/about/

21-11-11 Pauwels to make electric racing foray at FIA RX2e finale
Kobe Pauwels is set to make his debut in the FIA RX2e Championship at the World RX of Germany (November 27-28) later this month, where the Belgian ace will experience all-electric rallycross for the first time.

The 17-year-old is certainly not a newcomer to the World RX paddock, having competed in the 2021 Euro RX3 championship. Now that series has reached its conclusion, however, Pauwels is making a guest appearance in the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship and is targeting a strong result from the outset.

Like his grandfather (national rallycross competitor Benny Pauwels) and his father before him (World Championship Supercar racer Koen Pauwels), Kobe has taken to rallycross like a duck to water.

Following an initial stint on the European and International karting scene in which he clinched the 2016 European Mini Max Championship and seventh in the World Championship standings that same year, Pauwels made the switch to rallycross and hasn’t looked back since.

Kicking off his rallycross endeavours in the high thrills CrossCar category, the Belgian racer gained vital experience in the Belgian CrossCar Junior series – winning the title during his time there – as well as making appearances in the European CrossCar Championship and RallyX Nordic’s prestigious CrossCar category.

Victory in his first-ever car racing entry at the 2020 British Rallycross Championship finale at Lydden Hill only added to Pauwels’ burgeoning reputation, and so the stage was set for him to make his debut on the World RX package in 2021.

Having snatched a breathtaking victory at Lohéac at the midway point of the season and notched a further two podiums throughout the year, Pauwels ended the season as vice champion at the first time of asking, paving the way for a preliminary RX2e entry.

Kobe Pauwels said: "I'm so excited to try out the RX2e car. It's been great to be on the World RX bill in Euro RX3 this year, but this will definitely be a case of adding another string to my bow. Racing in general, not just rallycross, is moving towards electric technology so it's important to get ahead of the curve in terms of experiencing the technology.

"The field has looked really competitive all year so I'm eager to see how I compare to the guys who have been doing this all year. Obviously, I'm targeting a good result to finish the season, I think a podium is a realistic goal."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We’re thrilled to have Kobe [Pauwels] join the FIA RX2e paddock at the Nürburgring. We have enjoyed an incredibly high standard in the series so far this season and we’re clearly going to finish on yet another high note in Germany.”

“Pauwels has proved his worth in Euro RX3 this season by finishing as vice champion in his first year of international competition and his credentials speak for themselves prior to joining the World RX paddock. I think we’re all keen to hear his feedback on our pioneering new car during his first weekend competing in all-electric rallycross.”

21-10-28 European Champions ESmotorsport to step up to World RX in 2022
Buoyed by its recent title triumph with Andreas Bakkerud in Euro RX1, ESmotorsport will join the FIA World Rallycross Championship grid in 2022 – with team manager Robertas Maneikis predicting ‘jaw-dropping’ performance from the new electric RX1e cars.

ESmotorsport was founded by ex-racer Ernestas Staponkus, who competed against the cream of the crop in Euro RX’s Super1600 category and claimed a podium finish in Germany in 2014 before hanging up his helmet two years later to focus on establishing the team that now bears his initials.

The Lithuanian outfit entered the World Championship for the first time in 2019, with Kevin Abbring notably piloting its Škoda Fabia to fourth place in both Norway and Sweden that summer. Former FIA European Rallycross Champion and World RX event-winner Reinis Nitišs climbed behind the wheel for the double-header in Riga last year.

In 2021, the team has run Bakkerud and Janis Baumanis in Euro RX1, the Latvian famously winning on home soil last month and the Norwegian clinching the coveted crown at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of a nail-biting season-long battle – although the primary aim of its combustion-engined activities was always to accumulate experience before embarking upon World RX’s exciting electric era, which is Staponkus’ overriding passion.

ESmotorsport joins Kristoffersson Motorsport (KMS) and ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport in confirming its 2022 World Championship plans. Fourteen kits have already been reserved from pioneering Austrian firm Kreisel Electric, the company behind the cutting-edge RX1e car set to truly electrify World RX next year, with faster acceleration and greater performance than ever before courtesy of 500kW delivered to the twin motors – equivalent to 680bhp – and 880Nm of instant torque.

Robertas Maneikis, Team Manager, ESmotorsport, said:
“After long internal discussions, we are excited to confirm that ESmotorsport will enter World RX in 2022. Even just a couple of years ago, it seemed inconceivable that we would have this kind of evolution in rallycross but here we are, with a brighter future just around the corner and we are excited to be a small part of this big transition.

“The results that we have managed to achieve in Euro RX1 this season ignited a new fire for us to fight amongst the most skilled and experienced competitors in the world next year – and whilst that will clearly not be easy, we are more than up for the challenge.

“We believe that the new promoter alongside the FIA, Kreisel and the other teams are doing a fantastic job looking at ways to make improvements for 2022, and Ernestas [Staponkus] is delighted by the decision to make the championship more sustainable – not to mention the awesome new RX1e beasts. Jaws are definitely going to drop when people see these cars on-track...”

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“It’s great to welcome ESmotorsport back to World RX. Ever since the team first entered the championship, it has demonstrated first-rate commitment and professionalism, and its success with both Andreas Bakkerud and Janis Baumanis in Euro RX1 this year – up against an extremely tough field – proves it possesses all the necessary qualities and credentials to shine at the very highest level.

“Ernestas [Staponkus] has long been a leading advocate of electric technology and greater sustainability – which is entirely in keeping with our core values as promoter of the World Championship. It’s fantastic to have his team on the grid for what is fast shaping up to be a spectacular season of rallycross in 2022.”

21-10-21 Two-car World RX entry for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport in 2022
ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport will run two cars in the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2022, with team manager Dominik Greiner hailing the forthcoming electric switch as an ‘exciting new dawn’ for the discipline.

ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport first entered World RX with René Münnich on home soil at the Estering midway through the series’ inaugural season in 2014, with the German already a regular on the FIA European Rallycross Championship package since 2007.

Over the intervening years, the Saxony-based outfit has been a stalwart of the rallycross scene at both World and European level, fielding cars for Münnich, 2015 Euro RX Supercar (now Euro RX1) Champion Tommy Rustad, double DTM Champion Timo Scheider and World RX event-winner Reinis Nitišs.

Münnich achieved the team’s first European podium finish at Höljes in 2017, before reaching the rostrum again in Germany en route to a career-best fifth in the overall standings in 2019.

Scheider added to the silverware collection with third position in Sweden in 2020, paving the way to a breakthrough campaign for the squad this year in which the German has been a consistent front-runner and podium-challenger on the World Championship stage, despite being dealt more than his fair share of ill-fortune.

Münnich progressed through to the World RX final for the first time himself with a fifth-place finish in the Catalunya curtain-raiser, but the best was yet to come. At Lohéac last month, the team principal/driver made history as the first German ever to win a round in the top class of the European Championship in the series’ near 40-year history, going on to secure sixth spot in the points table at season’s end.

In the sister entry, Mandie August placed 14th amongst the 33 Euro RX1 contenders with two semi-final appearances to her credit, while 2016 World Champion Mattias Ekström competed for the team in World RX’s Riga double-header, only narrowly missing out on a podium on the second day in the Latvian capital.

ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport joins Kristoffersson Motorsport (KMS) in confirming its 2022 World Championship plans. In total, 14 kits have already been reserved from pioneering Austrian firm Kreisel Electric, the company behind the cutting-edge RX1e car that is set to truly electrify World RX next year, with faster acceleration and greater all-round performance than ever before courtesy of 500kW delivered to the twin motors – equivalent to 680bhp – and 880Nm of instant torque.

Dominik Greiner, Team Manager, ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport, said:
“We are delighted to be entering two cars in the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2022. René has been a great supporter of the series for many years now, and he strongly believes in the new promoter’s vision for a more sustainable future.

“As a team, we are very open and enthusiastic about embracing new technologies, and rallycross is the ideal discipline for electrification with its short, sharp format. For us, it makes complete sense to sign up right from the start of World RX’s exciting new dawn, alongside our continuing commitment to the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s combustion-powered Euro RX1 category. Everybody at ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport is extremely motivated to be engaging in these two complementary programmes in 2022.”

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“It’s great to be able to reveal ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport as our second team for the 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign. Since setting the team up 15 years ago, René’s tremendous passion for the sport has driven both his and his ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s performance to new levels, and we were all delighted to see him deservedly claim his first European Championship victory earlier this season.

“The team that he founded is now firmly established as a World RX front-runner, and I have no doubt that ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s experience, professionalism and expertise will make it a formidable contender in the championship’s bright new era.”

21-10-18 KYB EKS JC fast in Portugal but miss out on World RX podium
Enzo Ide, Johan Kristoffersson and the KYB EKS JC team battled hard through the entire weekend at the latest FIA World Rallycross Championship round in Portugal but despite challenging for the race win, came away with a fifth and sixth place finish.

Kristoffersson set the pace in Free Practice on Saturday morning, but the triple World RX Champion lost time in traffic in Q1, then suffered a puncture. He battled back in Q2 and Q3 but starting on the outside of pole position, he found it difficult to make it to the front of the times.

The Swede executed a brilliant overtake in Q4, then again in the semi-final to claim the race win and start on the front row of the grid for the final. But, in a fight for the lead of the final in a three-car rallycross battle, Kristoffersson was pushed into a track marker and even though he finished third in the race, was given a five-second penalty and was classified sixth.

Belgian driver Enzo Ide set the third fastest time in Q1 and continued his World RX learning through the weekend. He set impressive pace in the semi-finals to again make the final, where he finished the race fifth. Kristoffersson remains second in the Drivers’ Championship, with Ide in eighth.

The final rounds of World RX take place at Nurburgring in Germany (November 27-28).

Full World RX results can be found here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/rx-plus/live-timing/

Joel Christoffersson, KYB EKS JC Team Principal:
“It was a tough rallycross weekend. We had quite good pace on Saturday but unfortunately we had some quite bad luck with a puncture and then we were always on the outside on the grid and never got the perfect heat. We were always fighting, we managed to get P1 in the semi-final, then it was a proper rallycross fight in the final. It was good, but unfortunately Johan got pushed out wide and got the five-second penalty and that was it. We lost points this weekend but there is still 60 points to race for at the Nurburgring so we cannot give up.

It was a good weekend overall for Enzo, to be here for the first time I am impressed with the speed, especially in the semi-final where he did good lap times. We’re getting there, things are getting better race by race and his race craft is starting to be very good too so we’re really looking forward to the next one.”

Johan Kristoffersson (SWE):
“Free Practice felt pretty good to start the weekend, then the air went out a little bit after Q1 when we had the puncture. We were a bit on the back foot but we were three times second, then in the semi-final I had a decent launch but Niclas [Gronholm] just got in front. I managed to overtake him, which was good fun. In the final we decided to follow Timmy [Hansen] on the first lap, I tried to pass him but for some reason his pace was not the best, then I ran a little bit wide and Kevin [Hansen] got up the inside and I had to cut the track, so I got a five second penalty from that. There are two races and 60 points left to win, so we are not out of the fight for the championship.”

Enzo Ide (BEL):
“I’m happy that I discovered a new rallycross track this weekend, the circuit is very nice with great gravel and kerbs. It was a bit surprised with myself that I could get quite quickly up to speed, but then I struggled a bit with certain corner. In the end I managed to handle them. I made some mistakes like always, it’s part of my learning process – I learn from my mistakes which is good. I had a small issue in the final, the pace was good then in one corner something happened where I lost a lot of time which was a shame. I finished fifth, but the result without this problem would have been better. It’s all learning though, the team did a great job, we had a good setup and the guys did amazing work.”

21-10-17 Double Montalegre podium edges Hansen ahed in World RX title race
Timmy Hansen has extended his lead in the FIA World Rallycross Championship to 17 points with second place in Portugal, leading home younger brother and fellow title contender Kevin Hansen in third place.

A brilliant start to the weekend ensured Timmy Hansen would top qualifying and bag pole position for the first semi-final. Fastest time in the first, second and third qualifying sessions meant Timmy scored an important 16 points for his title bid, following that impressive display up with a lights-to-flag win in his semi-final. But Timmy wasn’t given the opportunity to lead with ease in that race. Kevin had bagged himself a place on the front-row alongside Timmy in the first semi-final by winning the last qualifying session, then went with an alternate first-lap joker strategy to give him clear air to push.

Kevin’s plan of attack nearly worked, only just being beaten to the exit on the last lap by Timmy. With 1-2 locked down in the semi-final, the pair would start first and third in a thrilling final.

An intense three-way battle between Timmy, Kevin and Johan Kristoffersson for the podium places began from the moment the lights went out in the final, with Timmy defending smartly from Kristoffersson behind him.

At the halfway mark an ambitious move for the lead by Kristoffersson at the long, sweeping gravel turn six right-hander didn’t quite work, leaving the door open for Kevin to go down the inside and get second place.

Kristoffersson, refusing to back out, cut the exit of the following corner and earned himself a penalty, allowing Kevin to cross the line behind Kristoffersson but move past him for third after the chequered flag fell.

That battle for the lead had allowed Niclas Grönholm, who had taken his joker on the first lap, to close right up to the leading trio, then going on to steal the win as the leading trio took their jokers on the final lap.

Despite missing out on the win it was still a great result for Timmy, as his second place extended his championship lead to 17 points with 60 left on offer at the season-ending double-header in Germany next month.

Kevin can’t be counted out of the fight just yet though, as he’s only a little further behind Kristoffersson with 19 points in arrears to Timmy.
It’s looking good for Hansen World RX in the teams’ standings with only two rounds left, as the points advantage over GRX-SET has grown to 61 with only 112 available from the Nürburgring double-header.

21
Timmy Hansen
“It was a brilliant race. That's why we love this sport”

“This weekend has been fantastic for me. We scored lots of good results throughout qualifying and that battle with Kevin in the semi-final was so close, decided purely on pace. While the results say I won plenty of sessions this weekend, every one of those sessions was hard-fought and very close.

“The final was super tough – Johan kept the pressure on and it's impossible to close the door at this track given how sideways you need to be on corner entry.

“The moment I had some space to Johan behind I did everything I could, both to stay clear of him and also try to build a gap to Niclas further behind. I couldn't quite manage to find enough to stop Niclas from coming out ahead but regardless, it was a brilliant race. That's why we love this sport.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“It was a very fun semi-final against Timmy and actually I'm a little disappointed I didn't win it.”

“It's been an up and down weekend! I had a tough first day with lots of contact and things not really panning out in my direction. But day two was brilliant, with much better speed from the first session that allowed me to mount a comeback.

“It was really nice to have the full support of the team in Q4. We had a plan in advance to help me get up the qualifying order and we executed it perfectly at the first corner, so I'm very thankful to Timmy and the rest of the team for their efforts.

“It was a very fun semi-final against Timmy and actually I'm a little disappointed I didn't win it - I wasn't pushing to the absolute maximum and maybe I could have had him! But it was a good battle nonetheless.

“There was a possibility to do more in the final but the first turn didn't quite go right. I locked up the brakes and stalled, so I didn't have any turbo pressure for exiting the turn and Johan zipped away after I'd nearly got him for second place. That changed the story of the final. But I'm happy with my weekend overall.”

THE BOSS
Kenneth Hansen
“It was great to have been able to take control in qualifying and lead from the front, with first and third for Timmy and Kevin.”

“It's great to be back on a circuit with lots of gravel – and to be back in Portugal! The people here are very kind and enthusiastic for rallycross. I'm glad we were able to put on a great show for them this weekend; the action in the last races was certainly exciting.”

“We had great performance this weekend. After some races where we had started on the back foot, it was great to have been able to take control in qualifying and lead from the front, with first and third for Timmy and Kevin.”

“We're happy with the final result even if we didn't get the win today. The gap Timmy has over the chasing pack, plus Kevin being only two points off second place, is a great position to enter the final rounds of the season in Germany.”

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

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

21-10-17 Grönholm wins breathtaking battle of the big guns in Portugal
Niclas Grönholm emerged on top at the end of a pulsating FIA World Rallycross Championship final in Portugal this weekend (16/17 October), with the Hyundai driver’s second triumph of the season setting the scene for a four-way battle for title glory in Germany next month.

Grönholm was there-or-thereabouts throughout Cooper Tires World RX of Montalegre – round seven of the 2021 World Championship campaign – and after placing fourth in the qualifying classification, a demon start in the second semi-final propelled him firmly into contention for victory.

Having led five of the six laps, the 25-year-old had to give best to a hard-charging Johan Kristoffersson almost within sight of the chequered flag, but he was not done yet. In the final, the GRX-SET World RX Team ace darted immediately for the joker on the opening tour – and it was a tactic that would pay off handsomely.

As Timmy Hansen, Kristoffersson and Kevin Hansen duelled ferociously at the front of the field, they were also holding each other up – allowing the pursuing Grönholm to close the gap.

Approaching mid-distance, matters came to a head when Kristoffersson tried to prise the door open for the lead but drifted wide. That enabled the younger Hansen to edge alongside for second place, with the KYB EKS JC Audi S1 skating spectacularly across the gravel trap and ploughing through the track markers as Kristoffersson kept his foot planted firmly to the floor.

With Grönholm zeroing in, all three left their jokers to the very last lap in a bid to put some clean air between themselves and the flying Finn, but the Hyundai driver undercut them to assume a lead he would not subsequently relinquish, in so doing cementing a fifth career success at the international pinnacle of the sport in a race that will unquestionably go down in World RX history.

Niclas Grönholm, GRX-SET World RX Team, said:
“It feels great – I didn’t expect this after qualifying. I really enjoyed the weekend and racing at Montalegre, especially the gravel sections. I didn’t have much choice but to take the joker at the start of the final, and I was actually a bit surprised that Timmy, Johan and Kevin all chose the standard lap.
“We had slightly better pace than in the qualifiers and when they began battling, that allowed me to catch up and I just tried to stick as close as possible to the back of them. I really didn’t know if we had enough, but thankfully it turned out that we did. Now I’m looking forward to the Nürburgring and hopefully a strong finish to the season.”

Championship leader Timmy Hansen ultimately wound up second at the end of a weekend he had largely dominated, claiming three fastest times in qualifying and a semi-final triumph. Despite missing out on victory, the Swede has nonetheless extended his advantage at the top of the title table to 17 points, with 60 remaining to play for in the season finale.

Hansen World RX Team stablemate Kevin Hansen was classified third after Kristoffersson was handed a five-second penalty for his track marker transgression, which dropped the three-time world champion to sixth behind Grönholm’s GRX-SET team-mate Krisztián Szabó and Enzo Ide in the second KYB EKS JC entry.

BELEVSKIY TAKES TITLE IN STYLE IN EURO RX3
Yury Belevskiy was crowned FIA European Rallycross Champion in the Euro RX3 category at Montalegre today, almost exactly 12 months on from topping the points table but not getting to hold the trophy.

Due to the shortened season last year, no title was officially awarded in 2020, but this time around, Belevskiy was not to be denied and he sealed the deal in fine style, dominating the qualifying stages before winning both his semi-final and the final in emphatic fashion.

Yury Belevskiy, 2021 FIA Euro RX3 Champion, said:
“This feels awesome! What a perfect weekend. I felt pretty relaxed coming here as I had a fairly big lead, and to secure the title by winning my last event in Euro RX3, I couldn’t be happier.”

Belevskiy’s Volland Racing team-mates Marat Knyazev and Kobe Pauwels finished second and third in Portugal, with the latter doing just enough to hold onto the runner-up spoils in the end-of-season standings by a single point.

Following a six-week break, the 2021 World RX campaign will conclude at Germany’s Nürburgring on 27/28 November, with an eagerly-anticipated double-header to determine the destiny of the coveted World Championship crown and the identity of the inaugural FIA RX2e Champion.

FINAL RESULT
1. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX-SET World RX Team 6 laps
2. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 0.537s
3. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 1.977s
4. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 2.270s
5. Enzo IDE (BEL) KYB EKS JC + 3.762s
6. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC + 5.754s

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-10-14 Montalegre returns as World RX title race hots up in Portugal
Only three rounds remain on the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship tour and Hansen World RX Team still lead both championships heading to a returning venue on the calendar this weekend – Montalegre in Portugal.

Three rounds across two circuits in Latvia and Belgium that didn’t perfectly suit the Peugeot 208 WRX’s underlying setup philosophy meant Timmy Hansen’s lead in the drivers’ title race has narrowed to 12 points over Johan Kristoffersson.

But hopes are high of a strong rebound in Portugal, where the team has finished on the podium three times previously.

Reigning Nitro Rallycross champion Kevin Hansen is also still in the thick of the World RX title fight, only 15 points behind his older brother with 90 points still available to score in the last three rounds of the season.

While the action is hotting up in Montalegre, the weather is not. Intermittent rain is forecasted for the weekend, which could lead to some interesting plot twists as the season reaches its most critical point.

9
Kevin Hansen
“Montalege's a great track. The gravel section is awesome and the long straight at the start of the lap is interesting too.”

“Montalege's a great track. The gravel section is awesome and the long straight at the start of the lap is interesting too; we don't have many long stretches of road like that in the championship. It really is like a proper drag race down to turn one here.

“I haven't scored a World RX podium at this circuit yet but I'm still feeling good. I won here in TitansRX back in 2019 and I have experience here from previous years, where the speed was good even if I didn't get a chance to stand on the podium in this championship. It'll be great to be there and race in front of the fans again.”

21
Timmy Hansen
“I feel like we should have a good chance this week with it being a lower-grip circuit where more traction is needed.”

“I'm feeling great heading to Montalegre. This is one of my favourite tracks on the calendar – it's got a lot of gravel and the layout gives you a very nice rhythm of driving. You have to be able to drive over the big kerbs in the gravel section smoothly for maximum pace, which presents a big set-up challenge – as does finding traction in that deep gravel.

“There's only three races to go now and of course we want to end in the best possible way. I feel like we should have a good chance this week with it being a lower-grip circuit where more traction is needed. Aside from getting the car where it needs to be, the most important thing this weekend will simply be keeping it clean, getting to the finish and standing on the podium at the end of the weekend.”

The track: Montalegre
Montalegre has been part of World Rallycross since the first season in 2014, though has been on a two-year hiatus since its last appearance on the schedule in 2018. It’s a classic rallycross track, featuring a full-commitment first corner joker, flowing left-right combinations and plenty of loose, slippery gravel in the latter half of the lap.

Expect to see the cars sideways a lot this weekend – the track’s non-stop sequence of fast, flowing corners encourage the drivers to pitch their cars in sideways and hit the gas to zip out of the turns.

THE BIG NUMBERS
300
Montalegre has one of the longest straights in World RX, with the run from the grid to turn one being approximately 300 metres long. Given the average length of a rallycross track, that’s a big number; the whole circuit is barely more than one kilometre in length!

32
Hansen Motorsport will have been on the road for 32 days straight once World RX Montalegre ends, pulling off back-to-back rounds in both World RX and Nitro RX. While most of the crew will get to head back to Sweden for some rest, Timmy and Kevin still have one more race before they get a week off; round four of Extreme E takes place one week after Montalegre.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
Joker merge drama
Montalegre features an especially awkward joker merge, as drivers taking their joker lap fly out onto the regular lap racing line at full throttle. Any close battles for position on strategy are likely to be settled with a handful of door-banging as the drivers jostle for position heading into turns two and three.

How much kerb?
There’s a risk versus reward balance to riding the kerbs around Montalegre. Hit them just right and you can shave tenths of a second off lap time. But hit them wrong and it can cause a multitude of problems, from unsettling the car and putting drivers off-line, to picking up a puncture or even rolling the car over completely.

EVENT TIMETABLE
All times CEST
Saturday, October 16th
Free Practice 10:30
Qualifying 1 13:00
Qualifying 2 16:00

Sunday, October 17th
Warm-up 11:00
Qualifying 3 12:00
Qualifying 4 15:30
Red Bull TV Pre-Show 17:45
Semi-Finals
Final 18:00

21-10-14 World RX warriors primed for action in Portugal
The chase for the crown in the FIA World Rallycross Championship races into Portugal this weekend (16-17 October), with a thrilling fight in prospect at Cooper Tires World RX of Montalegre – round seven of the 2021 season.

Montalegre hosted the very first World Championship event during the series’ inaugural campaign back in 2014, and following a three-year hiatus, World RX returns to the undulating and challenging Vila Real track this weekend.

With six rounds in the books so far in 2021, the hunt for honours is hotting up nicely. After a troubled start to his title defence, three-time world champion Johan Kristoffersson (KYB EKS JC) has closed to just 12 points adrift of the top of the table courtesy of back-to-back victories in Latvia and Belgium, and the Swede – the most successful driver in rallycross’ modern era – has twice reached the highest step of the rostrum at the Circuito Internacional de Montalegre.

It is Kristoffersson’s countryman Timmy Hansen, however, who continues to lead the way. The 2019 title-holder came out of the blocks flying with two wins and a second-place finish from the opening three outings, and he is confident his Peugeot 208 will be a potent package in Portugal.

Younger brother Kevin Hansen is similarly firmly in contention. Since winning the Catalunya curtain-raiser back in July, the 23-year-old has been a consistent front-runner and podium-finisher, and second place at Spa-Francorchamps kept his title bid on-track.

Niclas Grönholm opened his 2021 victory account in Riga, but a disappointing weekend in Belgium means the flying Finn needs a big score if he is to maintain his championship aspirations. Grönholm’s GRX-SET World RX Team stablemate Krisztián Szabó, by contrast, celebrated his maiden rostrum finish last time out and is one of only three drivers to have progressed through to the final at every event to-date this season, so he is sure to be a leading protagonist once more.

Unkorrupted’s Kevin Abbring had the hardest luck story to tell at Spa, topping the intermediate classification only to find himself tipped out of the lead of the first semi-final, while ex-GT racer Enzo Ide in the second KYB EKS JC Audi S1 is going from strength-to-strength in his first full campaign of World RX competition and will have been buoyed by a fifth-place finish on home soil. Former British Rallycross Champion Ollie O’Donovan completes the Montalegre entry list, and is certain to put on a show in his distinctively-liveried Ford Fiesta.

CHAMPION TO BE CROWNED IN EURO RX3
The FIA European Rallycross Championship’s fiercely-disputed Euro RX3 class has been the proving ground for a number of future World Championship stars, and this weekend, the series’ 2021 champion will be crowned at Montalegre.

Having won three of the opening four rounds, last year’s highest scorer Yury Belevskiy arrives holding a 23-point advantage at the summit of the standings – but the Russian will face stiff opposition, not least from his own Volland Racing team-mates.

Kobe Pauwels turned the tables on Belevskiy to triumph at Lohéac in his maiden campaign of car racing competition, and the talented Belgian teenager has given the championship leader a real run for his money this season. Similarly, Marat Knyazev in another Audi A1 pushed Belevskiy right to the chequered flag last time out at Spa-Francorchamps to close in on second position in the title chase.

In order to spray the champagne, however, the Euro RX3 regulars will need to get the better of an eight-strong contingent of local specialists, spearheaded by national championship pace-setter João Ribeiro – raising hopes of a home celebration this weekend.

Racing is set to get underway at 12:00 CET on Saturday, 16 October. Entry tickets are still available to purchase here, or for those that can’t make it in person, all of the action across the board will be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production grants subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of just €10,99 and guarantees access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Cooper Tires World RX of Montalegre is available for €7,99. For more information or to subscribe, click here

Event entry lists can be found here:
World RX: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-portugal-/world-rx-entry-list/
Euro RX3: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-portugal-/euro-rx3-entry-list/

21-10-10 Home hero De Ridder holds off Kallio to win at Spa and extend FIA RX2e championship advantage
De Ridder claims victory at Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps
Belgian joined by Kallio and Sjokvist on Round 4 podium
Debutant Andersson shines as rookies make their mark
All-electric series finale at Nürburgring, Germany (November 27-28)
Guillaume De Ridder held off FIA RX2e Championship title rival Jesse Kallio to claim a superb victory at the Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps, putting the Belgian in control of the title fight ahead of the season finale at the Nürburgring next month.

De Ridder battled back from a tough Saturday to seal a popular win and extend his lead in the Drivers' Standings to nine points, while the ever-improving Swedish ace Isak Sjökvist came home third as the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship served up spectacular action at the iconic Ardennes circuit.

Meanwhile, Klara Andersson impressed hugely on her RX2e debut with the Swedish racer setting third-fastest times in Q2 and Q3 on her way to a fourth-place finish.

Elsewhere, Patrick O'Donovan secured his first-ever qualifying race win in Q4 before suffering a nasty crash in the semi-final while rookies Christine GZ, Laia Sanz and Filip Thorén all showed dramatic improvement throughout their maiden electric rallycross event – with the latter even making the showpiece final.

Sjökvist was fastest out the blocks in Q1, posting the quickest time of the opening session ahead of Kallio and Andersson as De Ridder struggled to find clear air.

The top two then switched positions with Kallio taking the Q2 spoils – subsequently handing the Finn the overnight lead in the intermediate standings – while Pablo Suárez showed great pace to come third in the session.

Sat fifth at the start of Sunday, De Ridder had plenty of ground to make up but got his weekend back on track with consecutive victories in Q3 and Q4 under intense pressure from Kallio, who claimed Top Qualifier honours.

Both title protagonists won their respective semi-finals (although Kallio’s race was red-flagged following O’Donovan’s high-speed crash) to set up a mouthwatering face-off in the final, and it was De Ridder who won the sprint to turn one and held his nerve for a well-deserved second victory of the campaign.

Sjökvist completed the podium after a consistent weekend while Andersson just missed out on some debut silverware, having mixed it with the series regulars throughout the event.

Suárez capped a fine display with fifth in the final while Thorén kept out of trouble to record sixth on his international rallycross bow.

O'Donovan moves up to third in the overall standings despite his semi-final exit, having shown flashes of real promise throughout the weekend, while Christine 'GZ' Giampaoli Zonca demonstrated her versatility and off-road expertise by rapidly adapting to the demands of RX2e on her way to eighth.

Conner Martell endured another luckless meeting as the American was caught up in several incidents which again prevented him from showing his true pace and left him down in ninth overall, while motorcycle star Laia Sanz impressed with her steady improvement throughout the weekend and rounded out the 10-strong field.

Guillaume De Ridder said: “I was in trouble on Saturday, being held up in traffic during Q1 and Q2, but we won every heat today. The start was key in the final; I have been working hard on the set-up trying different things, and it paid off.

“It’s a really tough championship. These guys are really fast and we usually have roughly the same pace at every race, so it’s a matter of small details. It’s not done yet and I expect a big fight at the Nürburgring.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win at Spa-Francorchamps. Every win is special but I have no words to describe this one. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but it was amazing winning in front of all the Belgian fans at the most iconic track in the world. It’s a childhood dream come true.”

Jesse Kallio said: “It’s been a really enjoyable weekend. In the final Guillaume got a better start, and I tried my best to make the overtake but it’s really hard at this track.

“I’m a bit disappointed. I tried everything but it is so hard to overtake without the other driver making a mistake. The drivers make the difference, and a good start is really key in this class.”

Isak Sjökvist said: “It has been a really good weekend. To take P1 in Q1 felt great, but this time around both Guillaume and Jesse were just a little bit faster than me. All three of us have set the pace this weekend, but Guillaume found that extra tenth.

“It feels really great to come here as a rookie and score a podium. My development curve has been really steep this season, but I am actually a bit impressed with myself actually! It has always been a dream to compete among the best drivers in the world and this class is showing off the pace all the drivers have. It’s no longer about not making one mistake in a lap, it’s about not making a mistake all weekend.”

The FIA RX2e Championship reaches its dramatic conclusion at the Nürburgring next month (November 27-28). You can watch every single race live on RX+, the new FIA World Rallycross Championship broadcast platform.

21-10-10 Kevin Hansen back on World RX podium after Spa comeback
A determined fightback from Kevin Hansen extended Hansen World RX Team’s season-long run of podium finishes, climbing from fifth in qualifying to second in the final to keep both Hansens in the title fight.

A fourth place finish for Timmy Hansen ensured the 2019 World Rallycross Champion kept top spot in the championship standings, though it was Kevin’s battle-scarred Peugeot 208 WRX that made it to the podium.

Kevin had a tricky start to qualifying that left him well down the standings after Saturday’s two sessions, Undeterred, he pushed on to go third-fastest in Q3, right behind his brother Timmy, and banked a third placed grid slot for the first semi-final.

Battling hard to defend third place from Timo Scheider, Kevin braked late at the Raidillon hairpin to try and defend his position. That resulted in contact with Timmy’s car directly ahead, which in turn left Timmy with nowhere to go except the rear quarter of race leader Kevin Abbring’s car.

Timmy, who had been unlucky to miss out on the top qualifier spot by a single intermediate point and had lined up second behind top qualifier Abbring, raced on to take the win ahead of Kevin. He didn’t get to keep it though as a penalty would demote him to third and hand Kevin the win.

It had been a hard-fought result for Kevin. He was lucky to continue unharmed after unavoidable contact with Abbring’s stricken car, which had allowed the chasing Scheider past. But Kevin, keen to make amends, pounced on a mistake by his rival at the final turn, getting up the inside of Scheider has he ran wide on the long gravel left-hander at the end of the lap.

Starting in second place alongside fellow title rival Johan Kristoffersson, Kevin tried his best to contend for the lead but ultimately couldn’t quite get the start he needed to make it happen.

A series of six quick laps ensured Kevin wrapped up second place well clear of the battling pack behind, in which Timmy was trying to fight his way through to the podium places from last place.

Timmy wasted little time in picking his way through the field, starting off with an inspired pass on Anton Marklund at the Raidillon hairpin on lap one. Two cars stood between him and the podium – Krisztián Szabó and Enzo Ide.

He quickly closed up on Szabó and took his joker lap for free air – but Szabó’s team responded by sending him to the joker one lap later to cover off Timmy’s attack. His strategy had worked to get past Ide but he ultimately had to settle for fourth place.

Hansen World RX Team’s hopes for the teams’ championship title were strengthened by another strong weekend from both drivers, increasing the lead over GRX-SET to 56 points with three rounds remaining.

Both Hansens remains in the thick of the title fight, with Timmy still atop the drivers’ standings. Kristoffersson is now second and 12 points behind Timmy, while Kevin is third and 15 points off the top.

There’s no rest for the team yet as World RX moves on to Portugal next weekend, visiting the Montalegre circuit in the far north of the country.

9
Kevin Hansen
“This weekend has been like the track – a rollercoaster! [...] And that is what it felt like results-wise too. ”

“This weekend has been like the track – a rollercoaster! Whether it's the run-up to Raidillon and back down the hill to Eau Rouge, or the weather being all over the place, everything is up and down here. And that is what it felt like results-wise too.

“We had really good speed at the beginning of the weekend when the track was a bit more green. Our penalty in Q2 was unfortunate but starting on the outside, you have to take chances to move up. The initial contact from behind meant it was impossible to avoid Abbring which is a shame.

“The first couple of laps in our semi-final were hectic and it's really unfortunate that it turned out the way it did for a couple of guys. But this is rallycross – the luck can be both for and against you. We got through and were able to convert our front-row gridslot into a podium finish. That's what matters most.

“Our hope is the remaining circuits are a bit more in our favour. Montalegre is not the same style as here so we need to be on top of those changes and get the next week of preparation spot on. Points on the board are what matter now.”

21
Timmy Hansen
“I was so close to passing Szabo but his defensive driving was excellent and we just didn't quite have enough to make it happen.”

“I did my best to come from the back row in the final and aim to finish on the final step of the podium – and we nearly got there. I was so close to passing Szabo but his defensive driving was excellent and we just didn't quite have enough to make it happen.

“I feel sorry for Kevin Abbring and our contact in the semifinal. He did not deserve to have his race end like that. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to avoid what happened, given all the contact going on between the cars behind me pushed me into him.

“The end of the championship fight will be exciting. I'm looking forward to Portugal where the circuit should suit our car a bit better. And I don't have to wait long either which is great!”

THE
BOSS Kenneth Hansen
“While our car was quite good, across the course of the weekend it suited some of the other cars on the grid a little better.”

“This event didn't quite pan out the way we had expected it to. But we had a feeling it might not go exactly as we had hoped before the weekend began, as the track characteristics were different from the last time we were here in 2019.”

“The gravel surface had been changed as it was sealed underneath with concrete – so it was much more like the hard, compact gravel in France and Latvia than the deep, loose gravel that we had here previously. That meant that while our car was quite good, across the course of the weekend it suited some of the other cars on the grid a little better.”

“What happened in the semifinal was really unfortunate. It's a racing incident – Timmy braked very hard into this corner, was already committed, and then the cascade effect from behind meant our Kevin bumped him forward into Abbring. It can happen sometimes in first-corner racing. Abbring deserved to be in the final with the pace he showed and it's a shame this race unfolded the way it did.”

“In the end, we are pleased to come away from Belgium with another podium and our focus has already turned to our preparations for Portugal.”

World RX of Spa-Francorchamps:
Results
2nd
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 4th
Qualifying 2 10th
Qualifying 3 3rd
Qualifying 4 5th
Semi-Final 1 1st
Final 2nd

4th
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 5th
Qualifying 2 2nd
Qualifying 3 2nd
Qualifying 4 3rd
Semi-Final 1 3rd
Final 4th

21-10-10 Kristoffersson turns up the wick with sparkling Spa success
Johan Kristoffersson continued his FIA World Rallycross Championship fightback at Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps today, celebrating a second consecutive triumph as fans’ favourite Andreas Bakkerud was crowned FIA European Rallycross Champion.

Three-time world champion Kristoffersson had never competed around the challenging Ardennes circuit prior to this weekend, but the KYB EKS JC ace did not let that hold him back. Second in the intermediate classification after the qualifying stages, he proceeded to win his semi-final before sprinting away from his pursuers in the all-important final to cap a near-perfect score that has carried him to just 12 points adrift of the summit of the Drivers’ standings.

Compatriot Kevin Hansen kept his own title aspirations on-track with a solid run to second in his Hansen World RX Team Peugeot 208, with a delighted Krisztián Szabó claiming the maiden podium finish of his World RX career in third. The Hungarian has reached the final in every round to-date this season, and produced a defensive masterclass behind the wheel of his GRX-SET World RX Team Hyundai i20 to keep Timmy Hansen, Enzo Ide and Anton Marklund at bay right to the chequered flag.

Championship leader Hansen won the first semi-final, but was penalised for contact at the hairpin that eliminated Top Qualifier Kevin Abbring. The Dutchman was on outstanding form at his ‘local’ track and deserved far more for his efforts than a DNF, but he proved that both he and Unkorrupted will be a force to be reckoned with over the remaining three rounds.

Ide celebrated a fifth-place finish on home soil, ahead of Marklund on his debut in Hedströms Motorsport’s Hyundai i20. There was disappointment, however, for Riga winner Niclas Grönholm – forced wide at the start of the second semi-final – and Timo Scheider, whose ill-fortune persisted as suspension damage curtailed his charge.

Johan Kristoffersson, KYB EKS JC, said:
“It feels fantastic to win here. I was comfortable pretty much from the start, and having not been to Spa before, I think it probably helped me that the track surface was a bit different compared to 2019 as it meant the others didn’t have so much of a headstart.

“Our pace in both the semi-final and final was mega and every time you’re on the top step of the podium, you just want to enjoy the moment because you never know when you’ll be there again. Overall, we’ve made a good points gain in the championship so I’m very happy.”

BAKKERUD CROWNED EUROPEAN CHAMPION ON 30TH BIRTHDAY
On his 30th birthday today, Andreas Bakkerud was crowned FIA European Rallycross Champion for the third time in his career – and the first time in the headlining Euro RX1 category.

Bakkerud and Fabien Pailler have waged a nip-and-tuck duel for supremacy season-long, and the pair entered the final in Belgium separated by just a single point in the Norwegian’s favour. A lights-to-flag victory – his first of the campaign – cemented a hugely popular title triumph for Bakkerud, as Pailler followed him home to seal the runner-up spoils and Janis Baumanis in the second ESmotorsport Škoda Fabia completed the top three in both the event and the championship standings.

Andreas Bakkerud, 2021 Euro RX1 Champion, said:
“This is absolutely crazy! I owe ESmotorsport a big ‘thank you’ for giving me the opportunity to compete in Euro RX1 this year – it really didn’t look like that would be happening before the start of the season. Everybody in the team has done such a great job. I’m very proud of them all, and there’s more to come. Hopefully we have an even brighter future together.”

DE RIDDER EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH HOME SOIL SUCCESS
In the FIA RX2e Championship, Guillaume De Ridder sent the partisan fans home happy with his second victory of the season after a hard-fought battle with chief title rival Jesse Kallio. The Finn was fastest on day one, but the Belgian hit back on day two, and a better launch in the final saw him grab a lead that he would not subsequently surrender.

The win has increased De Ridder’s advantage over Kallio in the title standings to nine points with only one round left to run. Isak Sjökvist rounded out the rostrum in third ahead of impressive newcomer Klara Andersson.

BELEVSKIY CLOSES IN ON EURO RX3 LAURELS

Yury Belevskiy has placed one hand on the Euro RX3 trophy following his third triumph of the 2021 campaign at Spa, as his closest competitor, Volland Racing team-mate Kobe Pauwels, endured a troubled weekend on home turf, enabling the Russian to extend his championship lead to 24 points with just 30 remaining to play for. Marat Knyazev and Damian Litwinowicz joined Belevskiy on the Belgian podium.

There is no rest for competitors in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, with round seven of the season – Cooper Tires World RX of Montalegre – coming up next weekend (16-17 October).

Copyright-free images are available for media download via the World RX Newsroom on the Red Bull Content Pool.

FINAL RESULT
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC 6 laps
2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 2.601s
3. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 5.338s
4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 5.663s
5. Enzo IDE (BEL) KYB EKS JC + 6.119s
6. Anton MARKLUND (SWE) Hedströms Motorsport + 6.648s

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-10-10 Seger för Johan Kristoffersson i Spa – KYB EKS JC avancerar i mästerskapet
Ny seger för svenska KYB EKS JC och Johan Kristoffersson i belgiska Spa – som efter helgen ligger tvåa i rallycross-VM. Samtidigt slutade teamets Enzo Ide femma på hemmaplan.
– Det blev en fantastisk helg för oss i Belgien. Det känns såklart riktigt bra att få ta en seger igen direkt efter Riga och vi har också kunnat knappa in flera poäng i tabellen, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Den sjätte deltävlingen av FIA World Rallycross Championship (rallycross-VM) gav bra utdelning för KYB EKS JC. Förutom en seger och en femteplats på belgiska Spa, avancerar teamet även i mästerskapstabellen.

För Johan Kristoffersson blev det en lyckad helg, där viktiga mästerskapspoäng kunde samlas. Han slutade tvåa i grundomgången och segrade därefter i semifinalen. Väl i final tog han täten direkt i starten, och kunde ohotad köra hem sin andra raka seger. I och med det tar han över andraplatsen i mästerskapet och plockar även in åtta poäng på VM-ledaren Timmy Hansen. Efter helgen skiljer det tolv poäng mellan ledaren och Kristoffersson – med tre deltävlingar kvar.

Även för hemmaföraren Enzo Ide blev det en lyckad helg, som i och med sin femteplats gjorde ett av sina bästa resultat i VM. Belgaren visade ett genomgående högt tempo i grundomgången, som bland annat resulterade i två heatvinster och en tredje snabbaste tid i en av omgångarna. Genom en tredjeplats i semifinalen kvalificerade sig han till final. Där det räckte till en femteplats i tävlingen, samtidigt som han behåller åttondeplatsen i VM-tabellen.

Nästa deltävling körs redan till helgen i Portugal. Fullständigt resultat för World RX finns här: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB EKS JC:
”Det blev en fantastisk helg för oss i Belgien. Det känns såklart riktigt bra att få ta en seger igen direkt efter Riga. Johan hade riktigt hög fart i semifinalen och finalen, men fram tills dess hade vi det lite tufft. Vi gjorde en bra första omgång, men sedan fick vi kämpa hårdare och hittade inte den klockrena farten. Men lagom till semin kom den igen, vilket var en riktig skön känsla för hela teamet. Vi har också kunnat knappa in flera poäng i tabellen, så det är ett glatt gäng som åker till Portugal till helgen för nästa race.

Både jag och teamet är jättenöjda över Enzos prestation här på Spa. Han har gjort ett riktigt bra jobb, och enligt mig är det hans bästa rallycrosshelg någonsin. Han har vunnit både starter och heat, och haft hög fart på banan. Att komma till final på hemmaplan inför alla belgiska fans, vänner och familj är såklart extra kul. Vi är stolta, och ser fram emot tävlingen i Montalegre med honom.”

Johan Kristoffersson, World RX:
”Det här var en lyckad helg och en seger känns riktigt bra. Jag tror att det det passade oss bra att de har gjort om banan och gruset till ett hårdare underlag, för även fast jag inte kört här tidigare kände jag mig komfortabel redan på träningen. Därifrån hade vi en väldigt bra lördag. Den enda plumpen i protokollet är väl att jag inte fick till den bästa starten i Q3, vilket var det som gjorde att vi inte kunde vinna grundomgången.

I semifinalen och finalen fick vi en otrolig fart, då kom bilen till liv på riktigt och det kändes riktigt bra. Så i semifinalen fick jag en bra start, och kunde hålla ledningen hela vägen. Även i finalen var det en otroligt bra start, och därifrån var det bara att kontrollera det hela vägen in i mål. Sen tog vi åtta poäng på Timmy, så nu är det bara tolv kvar. Det är klart roligt att det tightar till saker i mästerskapet också.”

Enzo Ide, World RX:
”Jag är väldigt glad efter helgen och nöjd med resultatet. Final var hela tiden målet för mig. Så att köra den på hemmaplan, och höra all belgisk publik på läktarna, var en härlig känsla. På den här banan har det varit väldigt viktigt att hålla sina linjer, glider du ut för mycket blir det dammigt och greppet försvinner. Jag gjorde några misstag med mina inbromsningar i början av helgen, men lärde mig allt eftersom. Totalt tog jag två racesegrar och en tredjetid, och i slutändan är jag nöjd med att köra final här. Mitt bästa rallycrossminne hittills har varit min fjärdeplats under VM i Höljes, nu är det här med på den topplistan.

Såklart hade det här aldrig varit möjligt utan KYB EKS JC. Mekaniker, ingenjörer och hela teamet kämpade hårt i helgen, och det känns skönt att det hårda arbetet gav resultat. Såklart stort grattis till Johan, som tog sin andra seger. Han förtjänar det här mer än allt annat. Med tre tävlingar kvar kommer det bli många hårda kamper i mästerskapet, och allt kan hända.”

21-10-08 Business end of World RX season begins at Spa-Francorchamps
Two FIA World Rallycross Championship rounds over the next two weekends marks a critical phase in the 2021 championship, as Hansen World RX Team heads to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium defending its lead in both title races.

Timmy Hansen arrives at round six of the season with a 17-point lead over younger brother and reigning Nitro RX champion Kevin Hansen, with the two combining to build a commanding 48-point lead in the teams’ championship race.

While the previous World RX event at Latvia was the first round of the season where the Hansens didn’t pick up a round win, the team has already bounced back with a winning start to its season in the US-based Nitro RX series.

A win for Timmy in Utah and two podiums in a row for Kevin in the past two weeks has kept both drivers sharp as they return to Europe to resume their primary campaign in the world championship.

The nex two weeks will shape the World RX championship finale, as Belgium will be swiftly followed by a visit to Montalegre in Portugal one week later, the penultimate event of the season before a double-header finale at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany.

Kevin Hansen
“This track is one of the best of the new generation circuits we have in rallycross; it has a nice flow with the rise up towards Raidillon, and then also this amazing banked gravel corner.”

“It’s great to be back at Spa-Francorchamps again after not being able to race there in 2020. This track is one of the best of the new generation circuits we have in rallycross; it has a nice flow with the rise up towards Raidillon, and then also this amazing banked gravel corner. This final corner is super cool because you have so many options for how to drive it – back it in at full send or try to be clever if you are fighting someone and try to cut to the inside, being patient on the throttle.

“Racing at ERX Motor Park in Nitro RX last week is actually quite good preparation for this weekend in the world championship. This deep gravel we had there has some similarities to the last half of the lap here at Spa – maybe there are some small things we can take from the last couple of weeks in America to improve our performance here relative to 2019.”

Timmy Hansen
“Our experience from Minneapolis last week should come in handy – I believe we’ve learned a couple of things which we can bring to Spa.”

“I really enjoyed this track when we were here in 2019. I remember vividly the battle I had with Timur Timerzyanov in one of the races that year, where we ran side-by-side for an entire lap battling for position. This track allows for some great racing.

“Even though we've been to old-school rallycross tracks like Höljes and Lohéac, this one has the most gravel of any in the world championship so far this year. Our experience from Minneapolis last week should come in handy – I believe we’ve learned a couple of things which we can bring to Spa.”

The big numbers
1
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the one and only returning venue on the 2021 World RX calendar that Hansen World RX Team is yet to win a race at. We’re hoping that changes by this Sunday!

12
While the Hansen squad is still seeking World RX silverware at the recently-introduced Spa rallycross circuit, its track record in Belgium is one of the best in the business. Sébastien Loeb won World RX of Belgium at Mettet in 2018, 10 Euro RX wins were scored at Duivelsbergcircuit between 1991 and 2012, plus Kevin Hansen scored a win at Mettet on his way to the Euro RX title in 2016.

What to look out for
The final corner
The track width opens up for the long banked left-hander which ends the lap. A surface transition from asphalt to gravel, combined with a much wider track width, encourages drivers to throw their cars in sideways.

There’s also scope for different racing lines, making it a fantastic place to either throw it in full send and try to pass on the way in, or try to cut back and drive past your opponent on the way out of the turn.

The weather
Spa-Francorchamps is located in the middle of the vast Ardennes forest, putting it in the centre of an unpredictable microclimate. Conditions can go from sun to rain at the drop of a hat which, if the timing is right, could impact drivers running in earlier or later sessions during qualifying, or force teams into last-second set-up and tyre changes on the pre-grid.

Event Timetable
All times CEST
Saturday, October 9th
Free Practice 10:20
Qualifying 1 14:00
Qualifying 2 16:30

Sunday, October 10th
Warm-up 10:15
Qualifying 3 12:00
Qualifying 4 14:30
Red Bull TV Pre-Show 16:45
Semi-Finals
Final

21-10-05 KMS kliver in i framtidens VM
Rallycross-VM tar ett stort kliv in i framtiden och Kristoffersson Motorsport följer med. 2022 är det el som är drivkraften i kampen om mästerskapstiteln.
-Vårt team har ett VM-guld hittills. Att få utmana om första guldet med elbilar är en saftig morot, säger KMS-chefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Kristoffersson Motorsport slog sig in i dåvarande rallycross-EM redan på 1980-talet. Stallchefen själv toppade sin egen karriär med ett brons i europamästerskapet 1993. När KMS återvände till rallycross under 2010-talet var det med Johan Kristoffersson vid ratten och 2020 erövrade teamet sitt första VM-guld på egna ben. Fler titlar kan det bli när rallycross-VM nu lämnar förbränningsmotorernas tid bakom sig. Tommy Kristoffersson ser möjligheter:
-Det är mycket inspirerande. Utvecklingspotentialen är stor, med större effekt i bilarna. Det kommer att gå extremt fort, rena raketerna.

För KMS var det inte självklart att det skulle bli en satsning på rallycross-VM 2022, eller någon satsning överhuvudtaget.
-Vi har fått bekanta oss med flera scenarier, ett av dem var att avveckla. Jag var inte intresserad av dra igång något om jag inte skulle kunna göra det fullt ut.

Men nu finns förutsättningarna att göra en rejäl attack mot ännu ett VM-guld. FIA World Rallycross Championship offentliggjorde förra veckan ett fjorton bilar stort startfält. KMS har beställt tre av enhetspaketen som elbilarna ska byggas runt.
-Våra nya investerare tror på framtiden med elbilar i rallycross och har därför möjliggjort för oss att göra den här satsningen. Vi gjorde beställningen precis före deadline så det är fortfarande mycket som är oklart.

Viktiga pusselbitar behöver komma på plats under den närmsta tiden.
- Nu återstår att hitta ett fabrikat som vi kan tävla för och förarna som ska göra det.

Och förstås att sätta ihop de bilar som ska bjuda på spektakulär underhållning.
-Jag har stor tilltro till promotorn. Nu gäller det för oss i teamen att göra något riktigt bra. Vi har väldigt kort tid på oss, men jag är helt övertygad om att vi kommer att skapa en produkt som får fansen att höja ögonbrynen och tappa hakan.

För Tommy Kristoffersson är den stora tryggheten att ge sig in i detta nya stora projekt med det egna rutinerade teamet.
-Vi har bra historik inom rallycross. Det här är vad vi kan allra bäst. Detta i kombination med ett teamwork som jag anser vara unikt för KMS gör att jag känner mig helt trygg. Det var helt enkelt en möjlighet som var alldeles för bra för att säga nej till.

21-10-05 Marklund kör tre VM-deltävlingar
- Inleder på Spa tillsammans med Anders Michalak.

Det är dags för årets sjätte deltävling i VM för rallycross. Hedströms Motorsport är redan på rull mot Belgien och ställer två bilar på startlinjen. Ruggigt kvalsnabbe Anton Marklund gör sin första VM-styrning för säsongen och Anders Michalak gör sin tredje start denna säsong i Euro RX1.

Legendariska Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps runt 5 mil sydost om Liege i östra Belgien, banan där det körts mängder med F1 och långlopp i racing, står som värd för nästa deltävling i EM och VM för rallycross nu till helgen.

Anton Marklund var enormt snabb i VW Polon i senaste styrningen för teamet i Höljes. Han dominerade de tre första kvalen, innan han klippte en curb för hårt i fjärde kvalet och rullade Polon brutalt inför hemmapubliken. Han klev oskadd ur bilen och siktar nu på revansch för det snöpliga slutet i Höljes, där bilen blev skrot, men han själv klarade sig oskadd.
- Jag är jätteglad att jag får chansen igen att köra efter det som hände i Höljes, det var verkligen inte sättet jag ville avsluta min säsong, erkänner Marklund.
Anton gör VM-debut för teamet och tävlingsdebuterar i Hedströms Motorsports nya Hyundai i20, bilen som tog Peter Hedström till prispallen nu senast i Riga.
- Vi vet redan att bilen är en toppbil i VM och Anton är ung och hungrig, själv har jag ju kört bilen lite med hängslen och livrem, så jag ser verkligen fram mot att sätta Anton i den här bilen under tre VM-deltävlingar, säger Peter Hedström.

Både Anton och Anders kommer väl förberedda efter test i bilarna, där Michalak testade lite tuffare setup på bilen med andra diffinställningar och så kallad releasekoppling på centerdiffen.
- Anders gjorde tillsammans med Anton ett toppentest i Strängnäs föregående vecka, där han verkligen visade fart och mognad i bilen, han har imponerat stort de senaste deltävlingarna så jag skulle inte alls bli förvånad att se Anders på pallen i Belgien, berättar Peter.

Anders Michalak är laddad och ser fram mot att köra med Anton i teamet på Spa, där han tidigare kört med Supercar Lites.
-Kändes riktigt bra det första intrycket med nya setupen i bilen, fränt och fin atmosfär på Spa där man kör i de legendariska kurvorna på delar av F1-banan, berättar Anders.
Målsättningen då?
- Final är målet, det var ju inte långt ifrån vare sig i Höljes eller Riga, så bara bollen studsar lite rätt så ska jag vara med där, avslutar Michalak.

Deltävlingen i EM och VM för Rallycross i Belgien körs den nu till helgen, den 9 och 10 oktober på Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Anders Michalak är ende svensk i EM-startfältet, medan Anton Marklund görs sällskap i VM av bröderna Hansen och Johan Kristoffersson.

21-10-05 RX2e title rivals set for key weekend at Spa as new faces join series ahead of Round 4
FIA RX2e Championship contenders to face off in Belgium
Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps hosts Round 4 of 2021 campaign
Andersson, Thorén, Sanz and Christine GZ join grid
Every race available live on RX+ platform

The FIA RX2e Championship heads to Belgium this weekend (October 9-10) for the penultimate round of the 2021 season, and there is sure to be plenty of action when the stars of the pioneering series take to the track at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Guillaume De Ridder currently leads the Drivers' Standings in the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, but the home hero is just seven points ahead of closest rival Jesse Kallio and the pair will go wheel-to-wheel once more at the legendary Ardennes venue.

And there will be even more interest in the lead support category on the Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps undercard thanks to four new drivers joining the fray for Round 4 of the inaugural campaign.

The upcoming event represents just the second time the FIA World Rallycross Championship has visited Spa-Francorchamps, with the 2020 meeting falling foul of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the fixture gained instant popularity among fans and drivers on it's 2019 debut and more electrifying action can be expected this time around.

In addition to De Ridder and Kallio, RX2e regulars Patrick O'Donovan – the youngest competitor in the field at just 17 – and Pablo Suárez return for another weekend as they continue to build on promising maiden seasons of international rallycross competition.

They are joined by Swedish sensation Isak Sjökvist, who is eyeing third in the overall standings after backing up a podium finish on debut at Höljes with a run to the final last time out in Lohéac, and American ace Conner Martell.

The first-ever ARX2 champion will be looking to build on a frustrating weekend in France, where he showed plenty of pace but incurred two separate penalties which scuppered his chances of victory.

Klara Andersson became the first female driver confirmed to race in RX2e when the 21-year-old Swede’s participation at Spa was announced last week, and she has high hopes of impressing off the back of a title-winning campaign in the Swedish Rallycross Championship.

Compatriot Filip Thorén is another eyeing the next step up the rallycross ladder with the Hallsberg native having cut his teeth in folkracing before also entering into the Swedish National Championship during the past two seasons.

The final two names on the entry list already have electric racing experience, with Christine Giampaoli Zonca - better know as Christine GZ – and Laia Sanz both currently competing in Extreme E.

GZ will be making her rallycross event debut so the 27-year-old faces a steep learning curve at Spa, but her off-road experience – not least on the FIA World Rally Championship stage – will stand her in good stead for the demands of RX2e.

Motorcycle star Sanz does have an RX Lites appearance to her name back in 2015, but the 14-time FIM Women’s Trial World Championship winner and Dakar Rally regular is still building up her track time on four wheels – although it would be foolish to rule out such a naturally talented racer.

Guillaume De Ridder said: “I will not drive any differently despite leading the Drivers’ Standings, because I have learned in the past that the best thing to do in order to win a championship is to try and win races.

"That is the best way to score points and extend a lead. I will do everything I can to win in Spa, and it is also my home event so it gives me extra motivation to be on the top step!”

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "The FIA RX2e Championship has already delivered three weekends of superb racing action this season, and I am confident we can continue that trend at the Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps.

"We have a thrilling title fight on our hands and a closely-matched field that generates breathtaking wheel-to-wheel battles while a number of exciting new faces from varied motorsport backgrounds are set to race in Belgium, demonstrating the accessibility of the series."

Where to Watch
Racing is set to begin at 1215 CET on Saturday, 9 October, with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of €19,99, representing a 60% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Benelux World RX of Sp-Francorchamps is available for €7,99. For more information or to subscribe, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

Tickets to Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps can be purchased here: https://www.spa-francorchamps-events.com/fr/wrx

RX2e official entry list – Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps

NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT
5 Pablo Suárez ESP Monlau Compéticion
12 Klara Andersson SWE Olsbergs MSE
13 Patrick O’Donovan GBR Patrick O’Donovan
22 Christine Giampaoli ESP XITE Energy Racing
28 Filip Thorén SWE Olsbergs MSE
44 Laia Sanz ESP ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Jesse Kallio
82 Isak Sjökvist SWE Isak Sjökvist
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Guillaume De Ridder
121 Conner Martell USA Olsbergs MS

21-10-04 Chase for the crown intensifies in the Ardennes
The battle for glory in the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship is hotting up as the series speeds into Spa-Francorchamps this weekend (9-10 October), after the title fight was blown wide open in Riga last time out.

The first three rounds of the campaign all went the way of the Hansen brothers, but victories for Niclas Grönholm and Johan Kristoffersson in Latvia mean just 23 points blanket the leading four protagonists arriving in Belgium for Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps.

Spa joined the World Championship calendar in 2019 and instantly captured the hearts of competitors and fans, incorporating as it does significant elevation changes and one of the most iconic corners in international motorsport. The spectacular ascent of the Raidillon and its 15% gradient is followed by a tight hairpin bend, before cars hurtle back downhill towards Eau Rouge. There is also a stadium section that features an extra-wide, banked corner, and parallel jumps in the standard and ‘Joker’ laps.

TITLE FIGHT TIGHTENS UP IN BELGIUM
Having not finished lower than third so far this year, former world champion Timmy Hansen is still the man at the top of the table, holding a 17-point advantage over his younger brother, Kevin. The Hansen World RX Team siblings are also the only two of the title-chasing quartet to have previously raced at Spa; Kristoffersson was absent in 2019, while Grönholm was ruled out of participating by appendicitis.

It would be foolish, however, to dismiss either driver’s chances this weekend. KYB EKS JC star Kristoffersson is a three-time title-winner at the pinnacle of the discipline, and but for persistent ill-fortune, his current points total would be significantly greater. GRX-SET World RX Team’s Grönholm, meanwhile, was the highest scorer in Riga – form he is bidding to carry with him into the second half of the campaign.

There are a number of dark horses in the field, too. Grönholm’s team-mate Krisztián Szabó has been a model of consistency as one of just three competitors to progress through to the final in every round to-date in 2021, and Kevin Abbring has shown flashes of scintillating speed in Unkorrupted’s Renault Mégane. Hailing from Son en Breugel less than two hours away in the Netherlands, the flying Dutchman can count Spa as something of a ‘home’ circuit.

Enzo Ide in the second KYB EKS JC Audi S1 will carry Belgium’s hopes, while Timo Scheider is overdue a change of fortunes after proving to be on the pace but out of luck behind the wheel of his ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport SEAT Ibiza.

An intriguing addition to the World RX ‘regulars’, finally, is Anton Marklund. The 2017 FIA European Rallycross Champion rejoined the fray in Euro RX1 at Höljes and set the pace until he spectacularly rolled in Q4. The Swede returns this weekend in a Hedströms Motorsport Hyundai i20 and is sure to put up a fight.

HOME HEROES PRIMED TO SHINE IN SUPPORT SERIES
Former World RX ace Guillaume De Ridder arrives at Spa-Francorchamps sitting at the top of the table in the all-electric FIA RX2e Championship and the Belgian is determined to extend his advantage with a home soil celebration, as talented female racers Klara Andersson, Christine GZ and Laia Sanz make their debuts.

In the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s headlining Euro RX1 category, a sensational showdown is in prospect as the destiny of the coveted crown is finally decided – with French duo Fabien Pailler and Andréa Dubourg set to face off against Esmotorsport pairing Andreas Bakkerud and Janis Baumanis for title glory.

In Euro RX3, meanwhile, Belgian teenage prodigy Kobe Pauwels will be aiming to maintain the momentum sparked by his Lohéac triumph as he strives to usurp Volland Racing stablemate Yury Belevskiy at the summit of the standings.

Racing is set to get underway at 12:15 CET on Saturday, 9 October. Entry tickets are still available to purchase here, or for those that can’t make it in person, all of the action across the board will be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production grants subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

21-10-04 Megennis stars in Nitro RX Minneapolis with heroic three-wheeled drive
A heroic drive from 16-year-old George Megennis bagged a second-place finish on the road for #YellowSquad at ERX Motor Park, which hosted rounds three and four of Nitro Rallycross’ Next feeder series.

Megennis followed up his round two win at the season-opening Utah Motorsports Campus with another trip to the podium in Minneapolis, pulling off a sensational performance that led to a podium finish despite carrying a puncture for most of the round four final.

However Megennis wouldn’t get to keep his silverware, as a stewards’ decision removed him from the final results and with it his podium medal.

Round four hadn’t started in the best way for Megennis, as contact exiting turn two in his heat race sent him towards a barrier that he only narrowly avoided hitting. The subsequent time loss consigned him to finishing third, putting him into the semi final race.
A great start to the semi gave Megennis the lead for most of his semi, though an undercut joker strategy by Casper Jansson ultimately demoted George to second place, putting him in fourth place on the grid for the all-important final.

Facing a tough start on the outside line Megennis had to get his launch off the line absolutely spot on – which he did with skill that belied his young years.

Stringing his Supercar Lites machine around the outside line, Megennis avoided a three-way jostle for position to his right and blasted straight past a spinning Sage Karam to take second place. By the exit of turn two, he was already applying pressure on Martin Enlund for the lead.

Undeterred by his lack of rear-left tyre, Megennis refused to back down and held off both Enlund and Lane Vacala, the latter of whom still had the benefit of four inflated tyres, to lock down second place across the finish line – albeit a podium result he wouldn’t get to keep after a stewards’ decision removed him from the final classification.

Round three on Saturday had initially looked promising, winning a hard-fought heat race to put himself on the front row for the final.

A broken left-rear wheel for Karam led to him pushing Megennis wide at turn one at the start of the final but, with Megennis unable to see Karam was carrying damage, he followed him down towards turn two before further contact left Megennis stranded at turn two.

George Megennis
#YellowSquad Driver
“That final was a great race – so much passing and action. Travis always talks about wanting to put on a show in Nitro and I think we delivered that this weekend! The track was amazing and they did a great job with it; there was less dust than in Utah and the jumps were really big.

“Missing the back-left tyre in the final made turn one really sketchy but I had fun driving regardless – that's how good this track is. It was a bit stressful as the car could snap in one direction but to run the whole race flat-out like that was still fun.

“I was learning so much as I went along. For example, I had to completely change my technique for the starts during the weekend because of how slick the asphalt surface was on the grid. And this is where being part of #YellowSquad is so useful – I was in all the same engineering debriefs as Kevin, Timmy and Kenneth Hansen, plus had all of Eric Färén's knowledge and experience to pour through the data and improve my driving through each session.”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“George did well on what was a tough weekend. The driving style needed here at ERX is very different to both Arvika in Sweden and also the Utah track last week, so he was learning as he went all weekend.

“His performance in the round four final showed how quickly he learned. He did an amazing job to be challenging at the front and found the speed he needed to fight for the win. When an opportunity arose to get himself back to the front of the pack after a difficult run in the earlier races he took it.

“We're a bit surprised at the decision to disqualify him from the final as George was doing the same kind of moves I had been doing in the Supercar races, and I had no warnings or penalties all weekend. It's a shame to end his weekend like that as he deserved his second place. He had earned it on merit.

“On the bright side, George has shown strong pace, had some great battles, and accrued lots of rallycross experience. This is only his third weekend as a rallycross driver after all, so his rate of development is already exceptional.

“As always our mechanics did a brilliant job to keep the car running in every session and George also avoided getting involved in any major incidents, so we have to give credit to the whole team for a well-executed weekend on the reliability front.”

It didn’t take long for Megennis to pounce, slipping down the inside of Enlund at the last two corners and taking the lead. But his time at the front of the field was short lived, as a rear-left puncture allowed John Holtger to move into first, despite Megennis’ best efforts to defend the lead on the second lap.

21-10-04 Podium finish keeps Hansens in Nitro Rallycross title fight
Kevin Hansen’s hopes of retaining his Nitro Rallycross title were boosted by a podium finish at ERX Motor Park, plus Timmy Hansen continues to hold the top spot in the championship with a fourth place finish for Red Bull Hansen NRX Team.

Round two of the Nitro series took place at a brand new track, ERX Motor Park, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The circuit, which was entirely gravel bar the starting grid, presented a unique challenge for the team’s Peugeot 208 rallycross vehicles, with both cars coping extremely well with the huge jumps and deep gravel turns.

A strong launch off the start propelled Kevin from third to second out of turn one, though ultimately Kevin wasn’t able to fend off the challenge of Travis Pastrana behind and dropped back to third after a brief battle for position.

Timmy Hansen meanwhile had a much better start than fellow row three starter Steve Arpin to take fourth place. A mistake by Andreas Bakkerud out of turn two, where he clipped a barrier on the inside, allowed him to slip past the Subaru for position, though the delay dropped him behind Pastrana and left him fourth.

Both drivers were able to pick up more valuable points on their way to the final, with impressive performances on the first day of l

Timmy repeated his impressive one-lap pace from Utah – where he had gone fastest in solo qualifying – to go second-fastest at ERX, beaten only by Pastrana.

While Timmy was eliminated at the second round of Battle Brackets, Kevin made it all the way to outright victory in the eliminator format, adding a valuable four points to his championship total.

A good run in his heat race allowed Kevin to go straight through to the finals with a second-place finish but Timmy had to go the long way, as fourth place in the same race sent him to the semi finals.

But a stunning start by Timmy in the second semi put him to the lead on the run towards turn two, a position he would lock down for the rest of the four-lap race to book his row three slot for the final.

After two rounds out of five Timmy remains in the lead of the NRX standings, tied with ERX final winner Scott Speed on 87 points. Kevin is also in the thick of the title fight, only two points behind the 2019 World Rallycross Champion in third overall.

A five-week break now beings in the Nitro calendar but, like the start of the season, a double-header of two rounds in two weeks beckons. Red Bull Hansen NRX Team will visit Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Arizona on November 13-14, followed one week later by another new rallycross venue in Glen Helen Raceway, Southern California.

9
Kevin
“To get the top qualifier spot was amazing and it makes a difference overnight, giving everyone a positive feeling to the whole team.”

“This weekend has been really good. Our pace has been strong from the beginning and we found a good feeling after a few laps of practice. I was really happy with the car's handling, how we approached the set-up and how we understood the way we needed to race at this track.

“To get the top qualifier spot was amazing and it makes a difference overnight, giving everyone a positive feeling to the whole team working on the cars knowing we are competitive. We had some small technical issues in our heat but we still got second place anyway which is fantastic considering the circumstances.

“We had some great speed in the final and challenged Speed throughout the first few laps, though we didn't quite pick up on how much speed the inside line had gained towards the end on Sunday. That line had been much slower in the rain on Saturday. That allowed Pastrana to get past for second place and from that point, the important thing was to bring home the podium. It's a long season and there is a fine balance between risk and reward.”

21
Timmy Hansen
“I'm really happy with my two outings in NRX with a win and fourth place. They've been two very good races.”

“I didn't quite have as much speed as Kevin this weekend – his set-up was maybe a little better suited to the track than mine – but my solo qualifying lap was really good! I gave that everything I had. The problem was I couldn't do four of those laps one after the other. But it was a good weekend regardless; fourth position is a good result here.

“Subaru definitely had the car to beat this weekend. Travis was probably the absolute fastest driver and they were hard to run with but we do have a few points we can pursue to narrow that gap on this type of surface.

“I'm really happy with my two outings in NRX with a win and fourth place. They've been two very good races and it's quite an achievement that the car is still in one piece. With the circuits we have here in NRX that was never a given!

“It's been lots of fun coming over here and doing these races; a big thanks to the NRX crew for building and putting on these incredible races. Now it's back to the world championship and Spa-Francorchamps, where I'm looking forward to defending my lead in the title race.”

The
Boss Kenneth Hansen
“We're really happy to have scored third and fourth place, given how new this track is for our team and how radically different it is from what we see elsewhere in the world.”

“This was a tricky weekend for our team as we're not used to the conditions this track presents. We're really happy to have scored third and fourth place, given how new this track is for our team and how radically different it is from what we see elsewhere in the world.”

“While we weren't completely free of issues, we are still satisfied with how we performed. Subaru had done lots of testing at this circuit so we knew they'd be the strongest team here this weekend. Despite this, we're still in the championship lead and Kevin is only two points off the top of the standings, so it's been a good weekend overall.”

Minneapolis State Flag Nitro RX Minneapolis: Results
3rd
Kevin Hansen
Solo Qualifying 5th
Battle Brackets 1st
Heat 1 2nd
Final 3rd

4th
Timmy Hansen
Solo Qualifying 2nd
Battle Brackets QF
Heat 1 4th
Semi-Final 2 1st
Final

Next round: Wild Horse Pass
Nitro RX's next stop is back in the desert, as the circus moves on to Arizona for round three on November 13-14.

The Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park will be a total unknown to the Nitro field, as it's one of four circuits never previously featured in rallycross. That means the teams have no data from past events to rely on.

That's great news for the fans, as no-one knows what to expect and there's no ability to fine-tune the smallest details before reacing the track.

But before our Nitro season resumes there's a World RX double header starting next week, starting with Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and followed by Portugal's iconic Montalegre rallycross venue.

21-09-30 The future starts here: 14-car grid to electrify World RX action in 2022
The FIA World Rallycross Championship has announced a 14-car grid for its eagerly-anticipated 2022 campaign – the first stage of an exciting new era as the series goes fully electric.

The electrification of rallycross is set to revolutionise the sport, and interest has been growing inexorably. Electric cars bring electric performance levels, with the state-of-the-art new RX1e machine sprinting from 0-100km/h in just 1.8 seconds – faster even than Formula 1.

The car has been developed and produced by pioneering Austrian firm Kreisel Electric, in close collaboration with Rallycross Promoter GmbH and governing body, the FIA. The 500kW delivered to the twin motors is the equivalent of 680bhp and is complemented by 880Nm of instant torque, while the battery has been specifically designed for optimum weight distribution.

Green energy recharging will be managed by GCK Energy via a bespoke solution comprised of containers and mobile charging points. The containers will arrive at each event fully charged, having collected 900kWh back at base in France through a combination of solar panels and the local green energy network.

Fourteen kits have been reserved by new and existing teams, whose identities will be revealed in due course. While bodywork designs and liveries will be different, all cars will use the same electric powertrain. The best drivers in the world in the fastest cars in rallycross history is an irresistible combination.

The race format is also under review by Rallycross Promoter together with the FIA, World RX teams and event organisers, with the aim of generating increased overtaking opportunities and even closer racing – all with the emphasis on providing competitors and fans with an unrivalled electric racing experience.

Indeed, the whole concept of events has been re-evaluated, and over the coming years, Rallycross Promoter plans to engage with and entertain spectators both on and off-site like never before, preserving rallycross’ rich history and DNA while exploring new opportunities and diversifying in every area.

The future for World RX is bright. Electrifying, even.

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“We are delighted to be heading full-speed into 2022 with an electrified World RX. As promoter, we have a responsibility to nurture and grow this wonderful sport to ensure it continues to thrive for many generations to come – and teams and drivers have been enthusiastic in their support for our exciting new electric, more sustainable era. We are additionally in positive discussions with a number of manufacturers, who share our vision and our commitment to fully embrace the key pillars of sustainability – from economic to environmental and social.

“Not only that, but rallycross’ short, sharp races lend themselves perfectly to electric propulsion. With no need for energy conservation, drivers will have more power at their disposal than ever before and they can exploit it to the max at every moment. I’ve been lucky enough to go for a ride in the RX1 car myself and I can confirm, it is an absolute rocket!

“Since its inception in 2014, World RX has always been the absolute pinnacle of international rallycross, and there is tremendous prestige in being crowned an FIA World Champion – only five drivers receive that honour every year.

“Moving forward, we want to ensure that World RX remains the series that brings together the best drivers, the best teams, the best circuits and the best racing, and we have analysed and assessed every single aspect to ensure that ‘Generation Alpha’ rallycross is the very best version of the sport it can possibly be.”

21-09-30 Sanz signs up for Spa with motorcycle star set for RX2e debut
Sanz added to FIA RX2e Championship roster for Round 4
Multiple motorcycle world champion continues car racing development
Spaniard to make electric rallycross debut at Spa-Francorchamps

Laia Sanz will broaden her already-impressive motorsport skillset when the decorated motorcycle star makes her electric rallycross debut in Round 4 of the FIA RX2e Championship at the Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps (October 9-10).

The Spaniard, who is a 14-time FIM Women's Trial World Championship winner, recently increased her focus on four-wheeled competition with an Extreme E entry and now the talented off-road racer is set to make her bow in the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

Joining the fledgling series in Belgium, Sanz will have plenty to learn as she gets up to speed with the frenetic nature of RX2e and goes wheel-to-wheel with drivers boasting much more experience in the discipline.

However, the 35-year-old has her own vast pool of motorsport knowledge to fall back on with the multiple FIM Women's Trial World Champion having also claimed five FIM Women's Enduro World Championships (and is currently in contention for a sixth) while also banking 11 consecutive Dakar Rally finishes during her career to date.

Sanz first rode a bicycle at the age of two and began her motorsport career just five years later, demonstrating an early aptitude for racing that flourished into a prodigious talent.

She registered her first victory against male opposition in an 80cc category in 1997 and won the inaugural (then unofficial) edition of the Women's Trial European Championship a year later. Victory in the 2000 Spanish Cadet Championship, racing as the only female rider, caused the motorsport world to take notice and a host of titles – including seven consecutive Women's Trial World Championships from 2000 to 2006 – followed.

In addition to her Trial exploits over the past two decades, Sanz achieved a childhood dream in 2011 by making her Dakar Rally debut – finishing in 39th and winning the Female Trophy – and further appearances were crowned by a 9th-place finish in 2015; the best-ever result of a woman in the motorbike class.

Sanz also made her rallycross debut in RX Lites at Barcelona in 2015, while most recently she has been competing in Extreme E alongside World Rallycross Championship legend Carlos Sainz for the ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team and is now looking to add another string to her bow with a maiden venture into electric rallycross.

Laia Sanz said: "It is really nice to have the chance to compete in rallycross and the FIA RX2e Championship. I am a beginner in this four-wheeled world, so it will be very interesting!

"It will be a nice experience, and it will also be a learning experience – back to school for me – because I need to learn how to fight with other cars at the same time. I am not used to contact with opponents, so it will be the perfect opportunity to learn and gain experience.

"I need to get fast quickly, as we won't have a lot of laps to learn. It's a similar format to Extreme E, while driving an electric car will be really interesting. The goal in Belgium is to learn and to enjoy it.

"I have some good memories of Spa – I have raced some trial races there, and it's a nice place. It's an iconic venue so it will be really great to compete there."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "Laia has enjoyed a truly astonishing career to date, winning a staggering number of Women's Trial World Championships and impressing in the Dakar Rally, and it has been fascinating to watch her turn her talents to car racing in recent years.

"We are delighted that she has chosen to make her international electric rallycross debut in Round 4 of the FIA RX2e Championship, and the event at Spa will be an important step in her ongoing motorsport development. Laia faces a tough task to compete against drivers who have raced in rallycross for their entire careers, but we are confident she will give a good account of herself."

21-09-28 Thorén looking to make step-by-step progress as Swede set for maiden RX2e appearance
Thorén joins FIA RX2e Championship grid for Round 4
Swedish youngster to utilise folkrace background in Belgium
Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps runs next month (October 9-10)

Filip Thorén is relishing the challenge of competing in the FIA RX2e Championship, with the Swede set to join the fray for Round 4 of the inaugural season at the Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps (October 9-10).

Thorén is one of several fresh faces on the RX2e grid for the upcoming event, with the first-ever electric FIA rallycross championship set to deliver another bumper dose of wheel-to-wheel action as the FIA World Rallycross package returns to the iconic Formula 1 venue.

The Hallsberg native, who cut his teeth in folkracing before stepping up to rallycross in 2019, will hope to get to grips with the cutting-edge RX2e technology swiftly in order to be competitive at Spa.

However, Thorén will be up against a number of series regulars as well as fellow new arrivals and the 19-year-old has realistic expectations ahead of his series bow.

Having started karting at the age of seven, the Swedish youngster raced in national events until the age of 15 but then took a break from motorsport before returning to the traditional Swedish folkracing circuit in 2018.

This taste of competition led to Thorén catching the racing bug once more, and a full-time entry into the 2020 Junior Swedish Rallycross Championship followed. His first season in the category, driving at the wheel of his BMW E36, resulted in a sixth-place finish and 2021 started off with a podium at Höljes, but a campaign of differing fortunes ultimately led to eighth overall.

Now Thorén is looking to broaden his motorsport experience by joining the RX2e championship, and the promising teenager is eyeing gradual progression when the electric action gets underway in Belgium.

Filip Thorén said: "I am very much looking forward to my RX2e debut at Spa.

"It is a great challenge for me to go from my rear-wheel drive BMW to electric four-wheel drive, with all that power and torque available.

"My target for the weekend is to make step-by-step progress each time I am out on track, and then we will see what the results will bring after that!"

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "Filip is yet another exciting young talent putting his skills to the test in the inaugural FIA RX2e Championship.

"It is greatly encouraging to see drivers from all motorsport backgrounds wanting to gain experience racing in our pioneering new series, and it is gratifying to see these promising stars already identifying our all-electric technology as the future of rallycross. We wish Filip the best of luck at Spa."

21-09-27 Klara Andersson kör rallycross-VM i Belgien
I slutet av augusti körde hon hem SM-guldet i rallycross i 2150-klassen. Nu tar landslagsföraren Klara Andersson nästa steg i karriären när hon kör VM-deltävlingen i Belgien i den nya elbilsklassen, RX2e.
- Det känns jättespännande och jag ser verkligen fram mot att får köra rallycross igen, säger Klara Andersson.

I mitten av oktober, helgen 9-10, körs den sjätte deltävlingen av årets VM-serie i rallycross på klassiska Spa i Belgien. Samtidigt genomförs den fjärde av fem deltävlingar i supportklassen, den nya elbils-serien i VM, RX2e. En enhetsklass med fyrhjulsdrivna bilar där 21-åringen från Löberöd nu planerar sitt nästa steg i rallycrosskarriären.
- Det ska bli så roligt att komma till Belgien och VM-tävlingen och jag är så glad att kunna stå på startlinjen, säger Andersson och fortsätter.
- Jag vill vidare i min satsning mot den absoluta toppen i rallycross och framtiden för rallycrossen och bilsporten i stort är elbilar där rallycrossen med just RX2e redan är långt framme med en supportklass i VM. Och nästa år planeras det för att den största klassen i mästerskapet, Supercar också ska köras med elbilar. Att jag nu har den här möjligheten med hjälp av mina partners. Och det fortsatta stödet av Svensk Bilsport och landslagets paket för oss förar som har hjälpt mig fram mot guldet i SM, menar Andersson.

Andersson som i år klev upp i seniorklassen i 2150 i den nationella rallycrossen har målsättningen att åka internationellt i framtiden där VM är slutmålet. Tävlingen i Belgien blir första tävlingen i en fyrhjulsdriven bil.
- VM är det största du kan köra. Att kämpa om en VM-medalj är målet och nu får jag chansen att köra fyrhjulsdrift och dessutom i elbil, vilket är ett stort steg från min tvåhjulsdrivna BMW som jag kört i SM, förklarar Klara Andersson som har målsättningen klar för sig med den kommande VM-tävlingen i Belgien.
- Jag är tävlingsmänniska så självklart vill jag vinna, men det är enormt duktiga förare med mycket erfarenhet som är med och kör och för mig ligger fokus på att ta chansen att själv skaffa mig så mycket erfarenhet och lärdom som jag kan kring den nya bilen.

Mästerskapet i rallycross avslutas i november på Nürburgring. Om Klara Andersson kommer till start då också återstår att se.
- Det är inget som är klart nu. Vi tar tävlingen i Belgien först så får vi se sen vad som händer. Jag håller många dörrar öppna, det pågår mycket i rallycrossen just nu, avslutar Klara Andersson.

Mer om VM i rallycross på, www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-09-27 Megennis wins on debut Nitro RX weekend in Utah
George Megennis demonstrated his potential as the United States of America’s next big hope in rallycross by winning his first ever Nitro Rallycross race weekend, crossing the line in first place in the second round of a double-header at Utah Motorsports Campus.

A dominant lights-to-flag victory in Megennis’ heat race in round two gave him pole position for the all-important final, where he engaged in a tooth-and-nail battle with Martin Enlund for the win.

After reaching the final in his first ever car race at the RallyX Nordic round at Arvika, Megennis followed up on his prodigious drive in Sweden with an equally impressive US debut in Salt Lake City.

Victory in his heat race on Saturday banked Megennis pole position for the round two final, which he used to great effect.

While Supercar Lites rival Martin Enlund got a slightly better drive off the grid as the lights went green, smart positioning heading through turn one ensured Megennis held the lead in the opening exchanges. As much as Enlund tried to find a way past in the opening laps. Megennis was simply too strong and defensively attuned to risk losing the lead.

Round one on Friday wasn’t quite as fruitful an endeavour. A tough run to the final meant he lined up near the back of the grid and while he certainly got stuck in and fought to move up the order, two punctures on the first lap stunted his progress.

There was a dramatic moment soon after over the tabletop jump where Megennis went on two wheels but the moment while running on those punctures. But showing his excellent car control, Megennis landed the car back on four wheels and continued on before parking up for safety.

After two rounds Megennis is already in title contention, a mere 10 points off dual championship leaders Casper Jansson and Enlund. And their battle resumes in only one week, as the series moves on to Minnesota to race at a brand new rallycross track – ERX Motor Park in Minneapolis.

George Megennis
#YellowSquad Driver
“I felt quick the entire weekend! The key to winning on Saturday was a mix of speed and caution; I focused on ensuring we didn't pick up any punctures or damage in the berms and that consistency paid off. You can't really see them coming so you've just got to be patient through there and go flat out everywhere else – and it worked!

“I came here hoping to place in the top five. I'd achieved that kind of speed back in Arvika for my rallycross debut and a lot of those guys are here for NRX NEXT, so it felt like a sensible aim. But as soon as I went out for practice and saw the speed I had, I felt like a podium finish was realistic. Winning my heat race to grab pole and then fending off Enlund at the start meant I could focus on going as fast as I could, which was a big help. Enlund kept me on my toes but we got the job done.

“Eric Färén was a huge help as ever, giving me great calls over the radio and keeping the car running nicely. A big thanks to DirtFish for coming onboard for my NRX campaign too and of course the Hansens for their help throughout the weekend – it was an amazing experience to work so closely with Timmy and Kevin, sharing information between us on track conditions and so forth. I was the only NRX NEXT car in the field for #YellowSquad but it still felt like I had teammates.”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“George's determination to come back from the disappointment on Friday was truly amazing. The speed he's shown, the ability to soak up pressure while leading in the final and winning his third ever rallycross round shows we've got a real star of the future in our hands. I'm so happy for him.

“It's also a great credit to all the guys that keep #YellowSquad running. This is their first event outside Europe and they've pulled off a winning start to life in the States. We're finding working with George really straightforward and productive so we can't wait to see what we can manage in Minneapolis next weekend.

21-09-26 Timmy Hansen leads double podium at Nitro season opener
Red Bull Hansen NRX Team continued its winning record in the Nitro Rallycross series, as Timmy Hansen repeated his 2018 success by winning the 2021 edition of Nitro RX at Utah Motorsports Campus, while Kevin Hansen pulled off a stunning run from the back of the grid to third place.

After a tricky Friday, where Timmy was spun into a barrier and sustained a broken oil cooler during the Battle Brackets segment, the current 2019 World Rallycross Champion rebounded with a sublime strategy during his heat on Saturday.

Starting from row two, he dived into the alternate tabletop route and took the lead, which he would hold until the finish to clinch a front-row start for the final.

A smart move on the inside of turn two on Travis Pastrana gave Timmy the lead on the first lap of the final, then proceeded to pull away from the field behind to clinch his fourth win of the season across all championships – two in World RX, one in Extreme E and now a victory in Nitro RX.

Reigning Nitro RX champion Kevin Hansen had an even tougher start to the season opener, his late road order in the solo qualifying putting him at a disadvantage due to track evolution making the track slower for those running later.

That meant a less-than-ideal grid slot for the heats, where he finished fourth after picking up a puncture and proceeded onto the semi final races. Again luck was not on his side, as he was spun off the track at the turn nine hairpin at the back of the circuit on the opening lap.

Faced with a Last-Chance Qualifier to make it into the final, Kevin put the hammer down and pulled off a convincing victory, lining up ninth for the final.

Despite his lowly grid position Kevin was on a flyer, staying out on the same long strategy as Timmy and taking his joker on the final lap.

Avoiding the rough and tumble that had afflicted the midfield, Kevin held the third place he’d worked his way up to in the first five laps after taking his joker, ensuring Red Bull Hansen NRX Team had two cars on the podium at the finish.

Both Hansens will now head for ERX Motor Park for round two of Nitro RX, which takes place next weekend on October 2-3.

21
Timmy Hansen
“I've been involved since the very beginning in 2018 and it feels great to be back on the top step again.”

“This event is always crazy but this year's edition was extra tough. In my second Battle Brakcets race I suffered quite big damage after an incident and the mechanics and engineers had to work so hard to get the car back out. The chassis was damaged and the engine was leaking oil – there were several things that weren't working quite right yet somehow they got it working and to the start line today. They're really miracle workers.

“I was able to take the lead in the final with a switchback move but there were people all over the back of me for the next few laps, so I had to be very careful as the track was so tough and really easy to pick up a puncture on. Track evolution was tricky to manage too but we got that right; switching from the tabletop line to the gap jump route at the mid-point helped me pull a gap on the guys behind and that's what ensured I came out of the last-lap joker with a solid gap.

“It was an incredible race and winning here means a lot to me. I've been involved since the very beginning in 2018 and it feels great to be back on the top step again. Now I'm looking forward to the next round at ERX Motor Park and it looks like it could be just as good – maybe even better – than this round with how wide the track is. All the tracks we race on in NRX are incredibly challenging so I can't wait to try the next one.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“I kept at it, never stopped fighting, and got back to the podium.”

“Today was great. We had good speed throughout even if we didn't get the right breaks in the first few races. But the final went well obviously, especially considering there was so much carnage! I just put my head down and focused on my own driving as there were cars all over the place and a load of hanging dust too, which made visibility difficult during the first few laps. So my focus was keeping my driving clean and tidy, and that's what mattered today. I kept at it, never stopped fighting, and got back to the podium.

“I'm stoked to have this reward of a podium finish after all the hard work we had to put in to fight back from a difficult position. It's great points for the championship and it's also great for the team to get this victory with Timmy – the mechanics worked so hard to get his car up and running again after his impact with the barrier on Friday. We're having an amazing season and I'm happy we've been able to keep it going here.

“Yes, I'd have liked to get a break, not have to fight against bad luck, and have some nice clean races to show my ultimate pace but I'll keep pushing. There's another four rounds to go in Nitro and I've heard a lot of great things about the ERX track we're going to next week, so I can't wait to get stuck in.!”

The Boss
Kenneth Hansen
“We also have to give credit to Pastrana – during their battle on Friday there were six clean passes for the lead. That kind of rallycross is what we are here for and why we do the work we do.”

“I'm really pleased with the recovery we made over the course of the weekend. Friday was a tough day; Kevin didn't quite have the speed at the right moments, picked up a puncture at the wrong moment, and so on. And while Timmy had a great fight with Travis Pastrana, a puncture slowed him down and contributed to being rear-ended and sent into the barrier during the joker lap. It wasn't deliberate of course – that's just rallycross sometimes.”

“We had to work during the night and the next morning to get Timmy's car back up and running and even manufactured some new parts at the track to make it happen. Even when the situation didn't look promising, we never gave up. We tried four different fixes for the broken parts we had to fix – we were extremely determined to stay on the grid no matter how many times we had to try a different solution.”

“The recovery from Kevin from ninth to third to ensure the team had a double podium finish was a fantastic effort from him. And we also have to give credit to Pastrana – during their battle on Friday there were six clean passes for the lead. That kind of rallycross is what we are here for and why we do the work we do. I loved watching it. It was a demonstration of how you give space to the other driver; you don't push them off but you fight with them and give them space. I hope we see more battles like this as the season goes on.”

Nitro RX Utah: Results
1st
Timmy Hansen
Solo Qualifying 1st
Battle Brackets QF
Heat 1 1st
Final 1st

3rd
Kevin Hansen
Solo Qualifying 10th
Battle Brackets QF
Heat 1 4th
Semi-Final 2 4th
Last-Chance Quali 1st
Final

MN, USA Next round:
ERX Motor Park
All the drivers and teams on the Nitro RX are heading to brand new territory, as the series makes its first ever stop outside Utah with a visit to ERX Motor Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

While there’s no showpiece three-way track split like at Utah, ERX is still a dramatic sweeping gravel circuit, featuring a wide track that allows a multitude of racing lines to be used and should facilitate plenty of overtaking.

NRX fans won’t have long to wait for their next dose of high-octane action, with round two taking place next weekend.

21-09-21 Hejapriset till årets SM-vinnare i Rallycross 2021
Årets SM i Rallycross är över. En säsong där sex klasser tävlat om SM-medaljerna. Fyra av dem med en serie på sju deltävlingar och två av klasserna i en direkt avgörande tävling. Allt avgjordes på Westombanan i Arvika där MK Team Westom stod för ett mycket väl genomfört arrangemang. Sex glada SM-vinnare fick sen även ta emot Hejapriset efter tävlingen.

Simon Tiger i klassen Open 2 wd, Kalix Motorklubb
Johan Kristoffersson i klassen Supercar, MK Team Westom
Jim Jansson, i klassen 2400, MK Team Westom
Oskar Hellström i JSM-klassen, Strängnäs AMS
Nils Andersson i Suoercar Lites-klassen, MK Team Westom
Klara Andersson i klassen 2150, SMK Hörby

I årets SM i Rallycross delas Hejapriset ut i samarbete med Svensk Bilsports partnerskap med Svenska Spel. Priset innebär att vinnarna får 10.000kr vardera varav 5000kr doneras till valfri bilsportklubb till förmån för den utvalda klubbens barn och ungdomsverksamhet. Resterande 5000kr erhålls som träningsbidrag till vinnarna

21-09-19 Kristoffersson lights up title fight in Latvia with first victory of season
Not since 2017 had Johan Kristoffersson gone four consecutive rounds without winning in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. In Latvia today, he put his barren run to bed in fine fashion with a superb first victory of the season at Ferratum World RX of Riga.

Having been out of luck in the opening three outings of the 2021 campaign, Kristoffersson’s misfortune struck again yesterday in the first leg of the Latvian double-header around the technical and demanding Bikernieki trase, when he was sent spinning at the start of the final.

Twenty-four hours later, the Swede was not to be denied. Despite uncharacteristically failing to top the timesheets at any stage during the qualifying phases, Kristoffersson was always there or thereabouts to secure P2 in the intermediate standings – and with it, pole position for the second of the day’s semi-finals, which he led from lights-to-flag.

Lining up alongside Saturday winner Niclas Grönholm on the front row of the grid for the final, Kristoffersson got the quicker start and braved it out around the outside of the first corner to assume a lead he would never relinquish.

The result marked the KYB EKS JC star’s 25th career triumph at the international pinnacle of the discipline – and it has carried him to just 20 points shy of the summit of the Drivers’ standings, setting the scene for a sensational second half to the season.

Just three points further back is GRX-SET World RX Team ace Grönholm, the highest scorer of the weekend after backing up his Saturday success with the runner-up spoils today. The flying Finn went fastest in two of the three qualifiers to take TQ honours and then chased Kristoffersson right the way to the chequered flag in the final.

Championship leader Timmy Hansen got the better of ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport rival Mattias Ekström for the last remaining spot on the podium. Hansen World RX Team struggled to unlock the ultimate pace from its two Peugeot 208s in Riga, but 2019 World Champion Hansen had just enough speed in the final to see off fellow former title-winner Ekström by a tenth-of-a-second.

On his series return, Ekström won Q1 today but was unable to start Q3 due to propshaft failure on the pre-grid – with a similar issue afflicting team-mate Timo Scheider ahead of the final. Having been forced to retire from second place yesterday, the German was once again out of luck on a weekend when he was a consistent front-runner.

Kevin Hansen finished fifth ahead of GRX-SET’s Krisztían Szabó, who was promoted to the final by Scheider’s ill-fortune, maintaining his run of reaching the last six in every round to-date in 2021.

Johan Kristoffersson, KYB EKS JC, said:
“We’ve had a tough start to the season – we’ve been right on the pace but things just haven’t gone our way – so to finally get the win is fantastic for the whole KYB EKS JC team. Everybody has been working incredibly hard and last night was another long one for them, so they really deserve this victory. We haven’t had the margins on our side so far this year, but today was our day and it feels great. It’s been a long time coming.

“I got a very good start in the final and took a risk into Turn One to get the lead. There was a lot going on inside the cockpit through the first few corners and I had a big power steering lock-up into Turn Two and thought I was going to spin, but I was fine with that because that would have been pretty normal for 2021! Afterwards, our pace was good, and we can definitely still win this championship. You have to fight for every point you can get, and that’s what we’ll do right to the end.”

HOME HERO CELEBRATES POPULAR VICTORY IN EURO RX1
Janis Baumanis might only have occupied fifth position overnight in the FIA European Rallycross Championship battle, but the Latvian was on fire today on home soil, setting the pace in Q3 in his Esmotorsport Škoda Fabia to vault to the top of the table – a position he maintained by posting the second-quickest time in Q4.

From that moment on, the multiple World RX podium-finisher was never headed, dominating both his semi-final and the final with a commanding performance that brought the partisan crowd to its feet and that has elevated him into championship contention.

It was his closest pursuer Fabien Pailler, however, who has assumed control in the title chase, as the Frenchman finally quashed the bad luck that has plagued him so far this season to finish second on his maiden appearance at Bikernieki trase, producing a spectacular save at the beginning of Q4 along the way.

Peter Hedström rounded out the rostrum in third – the Swede on typically fast and feisty form throughout – but there was heartbreak for former championship leader Andreas Bakkerud, who was eliminated from the reckoning at the start of the semi-final when a coming-together with Hedström sent him into the tyre stack.

Janis Baumanis, ESmotorsport, said:
“I can’t find the words to describe what this means to me. We had a difficult start to the season, so to then come to my home circuit, win the semi-final and final and score full points feels just great. We put a real focus on our starts ahead of the weekend, and that definitely paid off.

“There’s a lot of pressure when you race at home. The cameras were pointing at me all the time and in the past, I’ve not always dealt so well with that, but this weekend I was able to fully concentrate on my driving and analysing the data back in the paddock. Honestly, the fans here have been amazing and the team really deserves this result – this win is for all of them too.”

The 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship resumes in three weeks’ time at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium (8-10 October), with a full bill of World RX, RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 action.

FINAL RESULT
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC 6 laps
2. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 0.920s
3. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 2.149s
4. Mattias EKSTRÖM (SWE) ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport + 2.274s
5. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 5.525s
6. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 8.161s

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-09-19 Second Riga podium for Timmy Hansen mantains tittle lead
FIA World Rallycross Championship points leader Timmy Hansen added another trophy to his 2021 collection with third place in the second round in as many days at Latvian capital Riga.

Timmy had a tough time in qualifying, starting from the outside grid slots in all three sessions which compromised his ability to go flat out. Fastest lap in Q2 and a brilliant run from fourth on the grid in Q3 to go second-fastest showed signs of what he was capable of in the second day of action at Bikernieki.

While Timmy lost ground at the start of his semi-final, a smart strategy gave Timmy room to put in two rapid laps at the end of his race to nick second place off Timo Scheider at the last corner of the race, banking a row two start for the final.

He pulled the same trick again in the final against Scheider’s team-mate Mattias Ekström, falling behind at the start to fourth but hounding him for the final podium spot immediately after. Ekström took his joker on lap four, giving Timmy another opportunity to put the hammer down and make up the time needed to seal third place at the final corner.

Kevin’s route to the final was a little tougher. Like Timmy he also found himself starting on the outside line often and it cost him dearly in Q1, as contact from Juha Rytkönen at turn one sent him into a spin that left him ninth.

After qualifying Kevin found himself in battles with GRX-SET’s Krisztián Szabó more than once. Kevin had been pushed wide exiting turn two but found himself back in third place almost immediately, as Szabó’s car swung back around off-line and dropped back.

Sixth on the final grid had become fifth when Timo Scheider’s car broke on pre-grid, which had allowed Szabó to line-up alongside in sixth. Szabó got his elbows out at the start once more but Kevin would get his fifth place back, taking a lap one joker and putting in quick enough laps to stay ahead of the GRX-SET car after it had peeled in for its joker lap.

Timmy’s gap over Kevin at the head of the World RX drivers’ standings has now increased to 17 points, while the pair’s results were enough to ensure Hansen World RX Team’s lead over GRX-SET in the teams’ championship remained at 48 points.

21
Timmy Hansen
“I’m happy with three podiums for the team in these two rounds; it’s a good result considering where we were.”

“It’s been a long weekend, a lot of racing and it’s been difficult for us with our pace lacking that edge you need. I’m happy with three podiums for the team in these two rounds; it’s a good result considering where we were.

“High grip tracks like this one have been difficult for us this season but for the rest of the championship there’s more gravel and that should suit our 2021 car better. That said we did have some good pace today; there were some sessions where we had the pace but we’d started from the outside and that held us up a little bit. There were flashes of pace but we needed it to be more consistent.

“I’m looking forward to the next three events and fighting at the very top, challenging for wins again. That’s what I’m here for – I’m not satisfied to finish on the podium and not be fighting for first place.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“Our damage limitation efforts were reasonably good, especially as we are still in a really strong position with the teams standings.”

“This race weekend has been really tough for us. We struggled to find ultimate pace and we realised quite quickly that our overall car philosophy we chose for this season doesn’t suit this circuit. But we also learned a lot as to why that is, which will be very helpful for the future.

“I was maybe a little bit unlucky in Q1 with the contact turning me towards the wall but other than that we did what was possible with the pace we had. Our damage limitation efforts were reasonably good, especially as we are still in a really strong position with the teams standings. I’m looking forward to going to some tracks that suit myself and the car a bit more. There’s still four rounds to go and I plan to make up for this weekend later in the season!”

THE BOSS
Kenneth Hansen
“We don’t believe in luck with this championship and we’ve done well in other ways compared to our rivals, even if our pace was not perfect this weekend.”

“I don’t think we achieved the maximum we could have done this weekend as we had some very fast lap times. But that’s the difficulty of rallycross, it depends on more than just ultimate lap time. If we’d started on the inside in our races it could have been a different story. We weren’t far off and we definitely had podium-worthy pace. But we’d have needed things to go our way to get a win today and that didn’t happen.”

“We don’t believe in luck with this championship and we’ve done well in other ways compared to our rivals, even if our pace was not perfect this weekend. Sometimes we have technical problems but you never see them – we have a very robust and comprehensive system in place to find these issues and fix them before reaching the grid.”

“The cars go through a lot of stress with general use, with hard landings from jumps and so forth. Things break sometimes. But our crew are extremely aware, have a great eye for troubleshooting and have great experience. So in that way I don’t believe that we're lucky – we are doing a good job and reaping the benefits of our team’s diligence.”

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

5th
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 9th
Qualifying 2 5th
Qualifying 3 5th
Semi-Final 2 3rd
Final 5th

21-09-19 Vinst för Johan Kristoffersson i Riga – KYB EKS JC knappar in i VM-tabellen
Äntligen kom den efterlängtade segern för Johan Kristoffersson, och teamets oturssvit är bruten.
– Vi har jobbat så hårt i år, och varit nära att vinna så många gånger. Så det känns riktigt bra för mig, Johan och hela KYB EKS JC att äntligen få sätta segern, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Fjärde och femte deltävlingarna av FIA World Rallycross Championship (rallycross-VM) har precis avslutats i lettiska Riga. För KYB EKS JC avslutades helgen på topp med en seger, samtidigt som teamet klättrar i tabellen och tightar in avståndet.

Under helgens andra tävling kunde Johan Kristoffersson äntligen ta säsongens första seger. Efter en andraplats i grundomgången och seger i semifinalen kunde han korsa mållinjen som vinnare i finalen. Även helgens första tävling var inledningsvis en succé, och Kristoffersson segrade i både grundomgången och semifinalen. Men i finalen fick tävlingen ett abrupt slut. Efter en kanonstart gjorde en smäll bakifrån att han snurrade av banan. Incidenten kostade både tid och skadade bilen – och han slutade femma i tävlingen. Trots missödet i lördagens final plockar han viktiga mästerskapspoäng, som gör att han klättrar till en tredjeplats i World RX och tar in 8 poäng på Timmy Hansen samt 15 poäng på Kevin Hansen.

Trots bitvis högt tempo kämpade Enzo Ide en del med att hitta rätt i bilen och på banan. Helgens första tävling slutade redan i semifinal, där en startsmäll gjorde att han tvingades bryta. Även under söndagens deltävling avslutades tävlingen i semifinal, där han slutade fyra med endast 0.015 sekunders marginal. Efter helgen ligger Ide på åttonde plats i mästerskapet.

Fullständigt resultat för World RX finns här. https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB EKS JC:
”Äntligen! Fram tills idag har vi nästan funderat om någon har kastat in en svart katt i trailen. Vi har jobbat så hårt i år, och varit nära att vinna så många gånger. Så det känns riktigt bra att äntligen få sätta segern med Johan. Det var en stor press att komma hit efter Frankrike, där vi tvingades bryta i ledning i semifinalen, och med vetskapen att vi behövde vinna för att inte tappa mästerskapet helt. Vi fick en perfekt tävling igår, men så blev det kontakt i finalen och chanserna på vinsten försvann. Det sänkte såklart humöret för teamet. Men vi laddade om under natten och kom in i söndagen med ny energi och en lagad bil. Att ta den här vinsten känns så bra för mig, Johan och hela KYB EKS JC.

För Enzo har det varit en utmaning här i Riga. Det är en svår bana, inte minst för den som kommer hit och aldrig har kört på den innan. Men enligt mig har han gjort ett bra jobb och kunde ge flera av grabbarna fighter på banan. Vi hittade inte den allra sista farten som hade behövts för hans del, men vi kommer göra mer tester och fortsätta jobba på det framöver. Att sluta fyra i semifinalen idag tycker jag är ett resultat han ska vara nöjd med. Nu gör vi oss redo för nästa tävling i Belgien.”

Johan Kristoffersson, World RX:
”Äntligen blev det en seger. Det kändes riktigt skönt att få ta vinsten här i Riga, och samtidigt kunna vinka till alla fans på läktarna. Jag är så glad över det här, även för teamet skull. De har jobbat så hårt ända sedan allra första dagen vi började testa inför säsongen. Igår blev det en väldigt lång natt för dem, så det är en stor lättnad för mig att kunna ge det här till teamet.

Men det var också en tuff helg måste jag säga. Vi hade återigen farten med oss, men igår kunde vi inte kliva högst upp på pallen trots att tempot fanns för det. Även idag hade vi hög fart, samtidigt som vi hade en rätt aggressiv däckstrategi för att spara däcken till semifinal och final.Jag hade en bra semifinal och i finalen gjorde jag den bästa starten på hela helgen, så jag hade väl sparat på den tills det betydde allra mest. Därifrån var det svårt att veta hur vi skulle göra rent taktiskt gentemot Niclas [Grönholm], men i slutändan tog vi rätt beslut. ”

Enzo Ide, World RX:
”Det var en tuff helg för mig. Banan i Riga var helt ny för mig, och när jag först såg banan tyckte jag att den inte såg så svår ut. Men jag hade fel. Det var en stor utmaning för mig att hitta rätt på banan, och jag hade lite problem med bilen under lördagen som jag fick anpassa körningen utefter. Men som jag alltid säger så är detta ett läroår för mig, och jag har lärt mig mycket på den här banan. Av misstag och mer körning blir jag mer bekväm på banan, och i takt med det kan också bättre resultat komma.

Jag vill tacka teamet för deras hårda jobb den här helgen. Jag hade endel närkontakter, så mina mekaniker var sysselsatta. Även ingenjörerna gjorde ett bra jobb med att hela tiden försöka få bilen dit jag ville. Och såklart tack till Johan för alla tips. Nästa tävling blir hemmaplan för mig i Spa, där jag också gjorde min allra första rallycrosstävling. Det kommer bli en speciell känsla att få tävla inför min familj, vänner och alla sponsorer ig

21-09-18 Grönholm charges into championship contention with victory in Riga
Flying Finn races to first World RX win in more than 12 months
Hansen brothers maintain title bid with another podium double
Pailler heads championship leader Bakkerud in Euro RX1 battle

Niclas Grönholm has made it a four-way fight for glory in the FIA World Rallycross Championship as the season reached its midway point at Ferratum World RX of Riga today, with the flying Finn soaring to the top step of the podium in an action-packed opening leg of the Latvian double-header.

Right from the outset, Grönholm was one of the leading contenders around the technical and demanding Bikernieki trase, setting the pace in free practice and posting the fastest lap in Q1 behind the wheel of his GRX-SET World RX Team Hyundai i20. That, however, was merely the appetiser – the main course was still to come.

A superb run in Q3 saw Grönholm win the session to vault up to second in the intermediate standings behind defending world champion Johan Kristoffersson – in so doing, earning pole position for the second semi-final. After repelling an early attack from Kevin Hansen, he proceeded to stretch his legs to secure a front row grid slot for the all-important final alongside pole-sitter Kristoffersson, who had fended off the other Hansen – championship leader Timmy – in the first semi-final.

The battle came to a head at the start of the final, as contact between Kristoffersson and Grönholm sent the Swede spinning. There was further drama later around the lap, when Timo Scheider – up into second after a lightning launch – stuttered to a standstill just before the entry to the joker, delaying his pursuers and gifting Grönholm a healthy advantage. From that moment on, the GRX-SET star was never troubled, and his first victory in more than a year has fired him firmly into the title reckoning.

Kristoffersson and Scheider’s misfortune opened the door for early-season pace-setters Timmy and Kevin Hansen to join Grönholm on the podium, after both overhauled Krisztián Szabó in the sister Hyundai – the Hungarian a beneficiary of the first lap incidents – with an earlier joker tactic.

Maintaining his record of reaching the final at every event to-date in 2021, Szabó took the chequered flag fourth, ahead of the luckless Kristoffersson and retiree Scheider.

On his eagerly-anticipated return to the fray, former World Champion Mattias Ekström’s challenge ended at the semi-final stage due to a puncture caused by contact. Earlier in the day, the Swede – who had never previously finished lower than second in Latvia – topped the timesheets in Q2 on his debut for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport, and he will assuredly be a threat once again in round five of the campaign tomorrow (19 September).

Niclas Grönholm, GRX-SET World RX Team, said:
“It feels good to win and I’m happy with today. We had good speed right from the start, and whilst Q2 didn’t go our way, we turned it around, although – I’ve got to be honest – I didn’t feel like the final was my best drive. The incident at the start was just one of those things that happens sometimes, but I struggled a bit after that. I was surprised to have such a big gap behind after taking the joker, but Jussi [Pinomäki – Team Principal] told me to take it easy.

“It was a tough start to the season for us with bad weekends in Spain and Sweden. Our pace and the podium in France represented a step in the right direction, and our luck finally changed for the better here. Tomorrow marks another chance to score more good points.”

FRENCHMEN TO THE FORE IN TIGHT EURO RX1 TUSSLE
Having been on the pace but out of luck in the opening two FIA European Rallycross Championship outings of the season, Fabien Pailler is hoping for third time lucky in Latvia this weekend, and the Frenchman got off to a strong start by topping the intermediate classification at the end of the opening day.

Q2 pace-setter Pailler is just two points clear of championship leader Andreas Bakkerud, who claimed Q1 honours by more than two-and-a-half seconds but was delayed by an energetic scrap between Esmotorsport stablemate Janis Baumanis and Höljes winner Thomas Bryntesson in the second session.

Andréa Dubourg completes the overnight top three behind Bakkerud, as only five points blanket the leading five protagonists. Two more Euro RX1 qualifying rounds as well as the all-important semi-finals and final follow tomorrow.

Racing is set to begin at 11:00 local time (10:00 CET), with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production grants subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of €19,99, representing a 60% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Ferratum World RX of Riga is available for €7,99, covering both days of competition. For further details or to subscribe, click here

FINAL RESULT
1. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX-SET World RX Team 6 laps
2. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team +4.641s
3. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 6.034s
4. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 7.209s
5. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC + 1 lap
6. Timo SCHEIDER (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport + 5 laps

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-09-18 Podium streak continues for Hansens at first Riga round
Timmy and Kevin Hansen continued their unbroken run of podium finishes in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, finishing second and third in the first of two rounds at World RX of Riga.

A smart drive in the final by both drivers ensured the pair moved up from third and sixth on the grid of the final to bag podium finishes. They steered clear of early drama as Johan Kristoffersson spun off at turn one and Timo Scheider’s car conked out near the end of the first lap, providing a chance to move further up the order.

With a championship lead to protect Timmy had been careful at turn one, avoiding the collision between Kristoffersson and Grönholm up front. But that had allowed both Timo Scheider and Krisztián Szabó to throw their cars around the outside and demote him to fourth.

Timmy immediately took the joker at the end of lap one to attempt an undercut strategy on Szabó, followed a lap later by Kevin who had also found himself running right behind the second GRX-SET car.

Thanks to his rapid pace Timmy came out well ahead of Szabo to assume second place, while Kevin bravely flung his 208 WRX around the outside of Szabo exiting the final corner to take third place.

It was a fantastic result for the Hansen brothers given their less than ideal positions on the final starting grid.

Qualifying had been tricky as neither car had quite the pace to match fellow World RX regulars Kristoffersson and Grönholm, or returning rival Mattias Ekström.

There had been a stunning Q1 race win for Timmy, as he went from fourth on the grid in full send mode around the outside of everyone to take the lead at turn one. But his pace had only been good enough for fourth overall, both in that session and the overall qualifying order.

It was a similar story for Kevin; while he’d picked up a race win in Q1 of his own he hadn’t been able to top the times, then finished fourth and sixth in the next two sessions.

The tide began to turn in the semi-finals for both drivers. Timmy’s semi-final began with a great run to turn one, passing Ekström for second place and applying pressure on Kristoffersson for the lead until the finish.

Kevin meanwhile had to fight his way into the final. Contact at turn one with Grönholm knocked his car off-balance and allowed Juha Rytkönen to slip past and demote Kevin to fourth. But the fightback began quickly, as Kevin took a lap one joker and then caught up to the back of Rytkönen once more.

Facing pressure from Kevin Abbring right behind, our Kevin muscled his way past Rytkönen at turn four, moving up to third to seal his passage to the final.

Timmy’s championship lead has been extended slightly to 11 points over Kevin, with Kristoffersson now a further 15 points behind in third. Hansen World RX Team’s advantage over GRX-SET in the teams’ championship is now 48 points.

21
Timmy Hansen
“I’m very happy with the result and the season is continuing to go our way but we’re hungry to do even better tomorrow.”

“Second is a great result and sharing a podium with Kevin for the fourth time this year is fantastic. However, it has been quite a difficult day. We struggled with the pace initially but found it towards the end with some very quick lap times. Our set-up window here appears to be quite narrow so the engineers have been doing a great job to help me fine-tune everything and unlock that pace. I also believe there’s still a little more speed to gain tomorrow as well.

“While we’ve been working hard to improve lap time our starts have been fantastic all day. That’s a big reason why we’ve been able to end up in the podium positions at the end of the day. We also avoided taking any big risks and focused on staying out of trouble. That can sometimes cost big results but over time it’s proven to be a worthwhile approach, so I’m continuing with that in mind.

“I’m very happy with the result and the season is continuing to go our way but we’re hungry to do even better tomorrow.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“There’s definitely performance in our car available to extract and we have some ideas on how to progress tomorrow.”

“Today was not my best day; I struggled a bit with the car setup. Saturday started out OK but it wasn’t quite the strong start I really needed to capitalise on the grid draw. I’m not satisfied with my speed today but that’s rallycross, you have to be clever and deal with the scenario you’re given.

“For tomorrow we’re already working very hard to adjust. There’s definitely performance in our car available to extract and we have some ideas on how to progress tomorrow. Our mechanics and engineers are already working flat out to implement some changes.

“Tomorrow is a new start and there are still opportunities to make further adjustments. We’re hungry to find that extra pace and I want to be faster. Timmy found some good pace later in the day and it was the other way around in France, where I’d found some speed and Timmy had struggled initially. So between us I believe we’ll find the required solutions to pick up the pace tomorrow.”

The
Boss Kenneth Hansen
“We’ve learned lots today that will benefit us tomorrow and I’m confident we’ll be able to close the gap”

“We worked really hard today. It’s been quite tricky; in some areas we had great speed from the beginning but there were other areas where still searching for performance. But we’ve learned lots today that will benefit us tomorrow and I’m confident we’ll be able to close the gap.”

LVA World RX of Riga I:
Results
2nd
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 4th
Qualifying 2 3rd
Qualifying 3 4th
Semi-Final 1 2nd
Final 2nd

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

21-09-15 Six rounds in five weeks for the Hansens kick off in Latvia
Timmy and Kevin Hansen are heading to Latvia for rounds four and five of the FIA World Rallycross Championship this weekend, with two title leads to defend after a trio of one-two finishes to start the season.

An arduous schedule begins this week with the most action-packed event of the season thus far, World RX of Latvia. Unlike the first three rounds of the year this one is a double-header, with a full championship round taking place on each of the two days.

Timmy Hansen is on a roll, winning the last two events in Sweden and France. But younger brother Kevin is hungry for more wins, having stood on the top step of the podium at the season opener in Spain. And Kevin’s still got the world title firmly in his sights, with only a 10-point deficit to Timmy ahead.

9
Kevin Hansen
“We’ve had three good weekends but with this double-header, a quick car will be rewarded even more than normal, while mistakes will be punished twice as hard.”

“Preparations for this event have gone really well for me. We’re getting quite deep into the championship now, hitting the halfway mark, so it’s really important to continue our hard work and not rest on our results so far this season.

“We’ve had three good weekends but with this double-header, a quick car will be rewarded even more than normal, while mistakes will be punished twice as hard. We’ll have to be on our toes as there’s one less qualifying session to make up lost ground.

“I think this format suits me and I’m looking forward to it. Riga is a really fun track; in terms of the circuit layout it’s a little bit like Monaco, being a narrow track with lots of walls everywhere. But it’s also a track I want to step up at and do better at. I have some ideas on how to do improve here compared to years past and I hope my new way of working applies well to this style of track. ”

21
Timmy Hansen
“It’s another high-grip circuit, so taking what we learned from the last round in Lohéac into this one will be crucial.”

“This is a track that I enjoy and has been good to me in the past. It’s another high-grip circuit, so taking what we learned from the last round in Lohéac into this one will be crucial. As a double header it presents an extra challenge for myself, for the mechanics and the whole team. That’s especially true of the mechanics, who will be pushing to keep the car in top condition from start to finish.

“A double-header means a lot more time spent competing on the track than on a regular race weekend, so we have to be on it from the beginning, start in a good way and carry on from there. After that it’s a case of learning and improving every time – but we have been really strong in this area in all three rounds so far so I’m feeling good.

“It’s great to see Mattias Ekström coming back to the championship too, even if it’s only a one-off. We all know how fast he is and it’s great to have another world champion back on the grid to compete against. We saw in Spain that the car he’s driving is capable of being at the front, so I’m looking forward to competing against another of the strongest rallycross drivers out there this weekend.”

The Boss
Kenneth Hansen
“We always keep our feet on the ground, not forgetting that things don’t always go our way, and that we must start from scratch every weekend.”

“There’s no denying we’re on a great run right now with the one-two finishes in the first three rounds but we’re staying grounded. When we scored the first of them in Barcelona we were amazed we’d managed to repeat our result from 2019. We wondered if it would ever happen again – our sport is so competitive that such results are extremely rare. When it happened again, we were equally shocked as with the first.

“This is important – we always keep our feet on the ground, not forgetting that things don’t always go our way, and that we must start from scratch every weekend. You make your own luck; if you are well prepared and practice well, you will likely have more luck!”

The track:
BIKERNIEKI
Latvia is one of the newer venues on the world championship tour, making its debut in 2016 and becoming a permanent fixture ever since. It’s also the longest circuit of the season, with the lap record currently set at 48.099 seconds.

Like many of the modern-era tracks, Bikernieki is a fast, high-grip circuit featuring a mix of smooth asphalt and packed gravel. There’s little margin for error due to a lack of run-off areas; barriers lining the edge of the track for most of the lap provide a similar experience to driving on a street circuit.

The big numbers
11
Riga has been a fruitful location for Hansen World RX Team in years past. The combination of Timmy Hansen and Sébastien Loeb scored 11 session victories at Bikernieki between 2016 and 2019 – we're hoping to increase that number in 2021!

1.295
From one of the shortest tracks on the calendar with Lohéac to the longest in Riga: at 1.295km, World RX circuits don't come lengthier than Bikernieki.

What to look out for
Turn one
Turn one is rather unusual at Riga, as it’s effectively a left-right chicane rather than a single corner. This tends to cause trouble, with the drivers attempting to funnel themselves into the racing line and getting their elbows out to win track position. Cars often end up in the tyre barriers and on occasion even roll over and land on the roof.

Timmy Hansen was the victim of first corner shenanigans in 2019, being fed into the inside tyre barrier by a rival. It broke his car's suspension in Qualifying 2 but all was well in the end – he surged back from his Q2 DNF to win the event!

Tyre strategy
Bikernieki is no ordinary rallycross circuit. Tyre wear is a constant issue due to the surface. Not only is the asphalt high-grip in nature but the gravel isn't really gravel at all – it's more like loose cement.

That makes a big difference as the tyres don't get a rest on a looser surface during the lap. Instead they're working flat out from start to finish, with drivers leaning on them for grip. Preserving tyres and knowing when to save a new set for later will make a big difference here.

Watch World RX on Red Bull TV
Every round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be broadcast on Red Bull TV free of charge. An exclusive pre-race show is followed by live coverage of the semi-finals and final. Download the Red Bull TV app for the best World RX viewing experience!

All qualifying and finals races can also be viewed live with the new RX+ subscription service: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

Watch World RX on Red Bull TV: https://www.redbull.com/in-en/events/fia-world-rallycross-championship-latvia
Download the Red Bull TV app: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/apps

Saturday, September 18th
Free Practice 09:30
Qualifying 1 11:00
Qualifying 2 13:00
Qualifying 3 14:30
Red Bull TV Pre-Show 15:45
Semi-Final
Final 16:00

Sunday, September 19th
Warm-up 09:00
Qualifying 1 10:00
Qualifying 2 12:00
Qualifying 3 14:00
Red Bull TV Pre-Show 15:45
Semi-Final
Final

21-09-14 High-stakes showdown in Riga: Double points on offer in Latvian capital
Two chances to reach the top step of the rostrum in Riga this weekend
Former champion Ekström rejoins fray at scene of past successes
Bakkerud targeting champagne celebration after French frustration

The FIA World Rallycross Championship races into Latvia this weekend for Ferratum World RX of Riga (18-19 September) – and with double points on offer at the midway stage of the 2021 campaign, the stakes could scarcely be higher.

The opening three rounds of the season have witnessed some sensational action, with Hansen World RX Team currently leading the way following victories for 2019 champion Timmy Hansen at Höljes and Lohéac and a curtain-raising triumph for younger brother Kevin Hansen in Catalunya.

The Swedish siblings have not had things all to themselves, though, with KYB EKS JC rival Johan Kristoffersson matching them for pace at every event so far – if not for luck. The triple title-winner had to fight back to finish third in Barcelona after being disqualified from Q1 when his data-logger was found not to have been connected, and to rub salt into the wounds, he has failed to reach the final since, picking up a double puncture on home soil in Sweden and falling victim to transmission woes in France.

Kristoffersson does, however, boast a stellar record around the challenging Bikernieki trase just outside the Latvian capital, having won at the circuit three times since 2017. He is chasing more silverware this weekend as he endeavours to kick-start his pursuit of a fourth Drivers’ crown at the international pinnacle of the discipline.

“We have not had the margins on our side so far this year,” acknowledged the 32-year-old. “That makes it tough in the championship table now, but we will continue to focus on the future, reload and be ready to fight in Riga.”

Niclas Grönholm opened GRX-SET World RX Team’s podium account in France, and having been convinced he had the speed to win at Lohéac, the flying Finn is another surefire contender this weekend around a track where he clinched the runner-up spoils two years ago.

Krisztián Szabó in the sister Hyundai i20 is one of only four drivers in the championship to have reached the final in every event to-date this season, and the Hungarian’s commendable consistency sees him arrive in Latvia sitting third in the Drivers’ standings. Not only that, but he is a former Bikernieki winner, having triumphed at the circuit on his way to lifting the FIA European Rallycross Championship Super1600 (now Euro RX3) laurels in 2017.

Kevin Abbring, meanwhile, has arguably been the revelation of the campaign so far, unleashing race-winning pace in Sweden only for his bid for glory to be foiled by traffic. With the form that both the Dutchman and his Unkorrupted Renault Mégane are showing, it is surely a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ he secures his maiden World RX victory.

FORMER CHAMPION RETURNS TO ACTION IN RIGA
Two-time DTM title-winner Timo Scheider is another driver who can certainly not be discounted, and the rapid German will be partnered at ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport for the event by an intriguing addition to the entry list – series returnee Mattias Ekström.

The 2016 World Rallycross Champion has never finished lower than second in five previous appearances in Riga, including a trip to the top step of the podium last year. Although the Swedish star will be adapting to a new team and car, it would take a brave man indeed to bet against another champagne celebration for ‘Eki’ this weekend...

“I’m very excited to go to Riga,” enthused the 43-year-old, a double DTM Champion himself and three times a winner of the Race of Champions. “The car has been performing well lately, I really like the circuit and the fact that it is a double-header means there will be a lot of track time. With 600 horsepower and nearly 1,000Nm, these are the fastest cars to drive and to keep myself race-ready.

“I will do everything I can to get a trophy for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport, because they have been fighting for a long time and really deserve it. We have two chances this weekend to achieve that goal.”

BAKKERUD LEADS EURO RX1 CONTENDERS INTO BATTLE
Despite being denied a popular victory in France last time out by an engine issue almost within sight of the chequered flag, fans’ favourite Andreas Bakkerud nonetheless leads the 22-strong FIA European Rallycross Championship field into Latvia, as two local heroes bid to shine.

Multiple World RX event-winner Bakkerud was an 11th-hour entry into the Euro RX1 curtain-raiser at Höljes last month, but he immediately achieved a rostrum finish for ESmotorsport and was on course for an even better result at Lohéac until technical troubles intervened on the penultimate lap of the final.

The Norwegian was a podium visitor in Riga two years ago and returns as the pre-weekend favourite, but he will face fierce opposition from a number of quarters – not least his own team-mate, Latvia’s Janis Baumanis. Countryman Edijs Ošs joins the fray in another Škoda Fabia and will similarly be sure to receive plenty of enthusiastic support.

Höljes winner Thomas Bryntesson returns with his sights set on reclaiming the championship lead after skipping Lohéac, Tamás Kárai is riding the crest of a wave off the back of his third-place finish in France and Marcin Gagacki is increasingly turning heads in Oponeo Motorsport’s Ford Fiesta.

Fabien Pailler and compatriot Andréa Dubourg, meanwhile, will spearhead the French challenge in Latvia. Pailler in particular is hoping it will be third time lucky, after an errant wheel robbed him of a front row starting spot for the final in Sweden and a battery problem forced him out of second place on home turf.

Racing is set to begin at 12:00 local time (11:00 CET) on Saturday, 18 September, with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production grants subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of €19,99, representing a 60% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Ferratum World RX of Riga is available for €7,99, covering both days of competition. For further details or to subscribe, click here https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

Tickets to Ferratum World RX of Riga can be purchased here https://www.rigarx.com/en/tickets-3/

Event entry lists can be found below:
World RX https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-riga-latvia-/world-rx-entry-list/
Euro RX1 https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-riga-latvia-/euro-rx1-entry-list/

21-09-13 Former World Champion Ekström rejoins the fray for Riga
2016 title-holder completes entry list for Ferratum World RX of Riga
Swede will partner Timo Scheider at ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport
12-time event-winner aiming to extend his stellar success record in Latvia

Former FIA World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekström will return to the field with ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport this weekend, for the eagerly-anticipated Ferratum World RX of Riga double-header (18-19 September) – rounds four and five of the 2021 campaign.

A driver with 58 World RX starts under his belt, Ekström clinched the coveted crown in 2016 and has finished as runner-up in the standings on three other occasions. The Swede is a 12-time event-winner at the international pinnacle of the discipline, making him statistically the second-most successful competitor in World Championship history – and the most recent of those victories was achieved in Latvia last season.

Indeed, with no finish lower than second in his five previous appearances at Bikernieki trase, Ekström is a master of the circuit’s challenging nature – and after a year away from the frantic cut-and-thrust of World RX action, he is looking forward to renewing battle with his old sparring-partners this weekend.

“I’m very excited to go to Riga with ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport for several reasons,” explained the 43-year-old, a double DTM Champion and three-time winner of the Race of Champions, who will be reunited for the event with ex-DTM team-mate Timo Scheider. “Firstly, I think the car has been performing really well lately and Rene´ [Münnich] proved that with a Euro RX1 win in France.

“Secondly, I really like the Riga track, and the fact that it will be a double-header weekend means there will be a lot of track time. And most importantly, driving a World RX Supercar is the best preparation possible for the racing activities that I do. With 600 horsepower and nearly 1000Nm, these are the fastest cars to drive and to keep myself race-ready.

“I will do everything I can in Riga to get a trophy for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport, because they have been fighting for a long time and really deserve it. We have two chances this weekend to achieve this goal.”

Indeed, the German outfit has impressed this season by competing consistently right up at the sharp end of proceedings, with Scheider vying for the podium in both Spain and France and Münnich racing to his and the team’s maiden European Championship triumph last time out at Lohéac. Team Manager Dominik Greiner believes ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Riga recruit can spur the squad on to even greater success.

“We warmly welcome Mattias to our team,” he said. “Everybody in the team is looking forward to this weekend with Mandie, Timo and Mattias behind the wheel. After René’s great success in France, we are all highly motivated for the Latvian event.”

Racing is set to begin at 12:00 local time (11:00 CET) on Saturday, 18 September, with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production grants subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of €19,99, representing a 60% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Ferratum World RX of Riga is available for €7,99, covering both days of competition. For more information or to subscribe, click here https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

21-09-05 The Lion roars in France: Hansen brothers race to third consecutive one-two
Timmy and Kevin Hansen maintain early-season momentum with top two lockout at Lohéac
Niclas Grönholm races to first rostrum finish of 2021 for GRX-SET World RX Team
Popular support series victories for Dorian Deslandes, René Münnich and Kobe Pauwels

For the third time in as many FIA World Rallycross Championship rounds, Timmy and Kevin Hansen delivered Hansen World RX Team a commanding one-two finish at Bretagne World RX of Lohéac today, as the ‘Lion’ roared on home soil in front of 25,000 enthusiastic fans and Johan Kristoffersson once again found himself out of luck.

The Hansen brothers struggled for outright pace in their Peugeots on the opening day in France, sitting just fourth and fifth overnight but a change of set-up and shrewd tyre strategy paved the way to a much more competitive day on Sunday.

Timmy Hansen – who entered the weekend holding a six-point advantage at the summit of the championship standings – produced a demon start and a scintillating turn-of-speed in Q4 to top the timesheets and launch himself onto the front row of the starting grid for the first semi-final alongside arch-rival Kristoffersson.

Two fastest times out of four secured the KYB EKS JC ace Top Qualifier honours, but driveshaft failure while leading the semi-final spelt disaster for the three-time world champion, allowing Hansen and ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Timo Scheider to sneak past on the last lap.

Kristoffersson narrowly fended off Kevin Abbring for third place, but was then unable to take up his spot in the final as the gearbox in his Audi was also found to be damaged. Despite a herculean effort by his team to replace it, he unfortunately did not make it to the grid within the specified time limit.

That set up a Hansen front row lockout, after Kevin had outgunned GRX-SET World RX Team star Niclas Grönholm at the start of the second semi-final to assume a lead he would never relinquish. Following a textbook getaway in the final, the brothers then sped away from their pursuers to extend their winning run, with Kevin shadowing Timmy right the way to the chequered flag for a third consecutive one-two.

Behind the Hansen pairing, Q1 pace-setter Grönholm overcame his slow semi-final start to achieve his first podium of the campaign and a strong points haul – a welcome tonic for the Finn following a difficult season to-date – with Abbring going well again for fourth, despite having to contend with a slipping clutch that hampered his hopes of a rostrum result on Unkorrupted’s home turf.

Krisztián Szabó maintained his record of progressing through to the final at every event so far in 2021 in fifth position for GRX-SET, with Scheider completing the top six.

Timmy Hansen, Hansen World RX Team (1st), said:
“What an amazing season we are having! I think this is a time in my career and our lives that we will always remember, with one-two finishes for the team in each of the first three events – it’s just magic.

“I must say I was lucky in many ways to get the win – it was a shame that Johan [Kristoffersson] had his technical issue – but that’s the way it goes sometimes and today it went my way. Rallycross is about much more than just being quick, and there have been many races in my career where I have had the speed but not come away with the result.

“Kevin was super-fast in the final – he was on my bumper the whole time, so I had to keep pushing as hard as I could. To share the result with him once again is fantastic, and this victory is 100 per cent for the team, who worked so hard to get us back on-track after yesterday. I’m super grateful to each and every one of them.”

Kevin Hansen, Hansen World RX Team (2nd), said:
“The competition seemed closer than ever this weekend, with a lot of drivers battling for the top times, but I felt really good in the car throughout. I must admit, Timmy and I didn’t plan to be side-by-side for quite so long at the start of the final, but we sorted it out pretty nicely!

“We both had good pace and good tyres left, and I felt really fast so the team told me over the radio to stick with him. We never really got the chance to break free and try something – Niclas [Grönholm] was just a bit too close for us to take that risk – so in the end, we focussed on bringing home another one-two finish, which I think is quite incredible. Now, we need to continue working hard to extract more pace, and our car should suit Riga well, so I’m really excited to go there next and try to win.”

Niclas Grönholm, GRX-SET World RX Team (3rd), said:
“I’m a bit disappointed, because we had the opportunity to win today. I felt we were up there with the top guys at last, after a difficult first couple of rounds where our pace has been quite up-and-down. This weekend, we were on it right from Q1 and whilst we maybe made some bad choices in Q2 and Q3, after that we found a good set-up in the car and I felt comfortable to push.

“I really thought we could go all the way, but unfortunately the stall at the start of the semi-final ruined the weekend, because you really need a good grid position in the final if you want to win. I did what I could and tried to fight back, and I guess third place from the last row is ok, but I’m here to win. We have the pace in the car – we just need a little bit of luck, and then the results will come.”

DESLANDES DAZZLES WITH VICTORY ON RX2e DEBUT
Dorian Deslandes was an 11th-hour addition to the high-quality FIA RX2e Championship field at Lohéac, but the teenage French prodigy starred from the outset on his maiden appearance in the all-electric single-make series, stunning his more experienced rivals to win the first two qualifiers and top the intermediate classification.

From there, Deslandes produced a peerless performance in both the semi-final and final, converting pole position into victory on both occasions to cement a stunning success on his four wheel-drive debut – defeating a number of former World Championship stars in the process.

Two of them joined the 18-year-old on the podium. On his return to the paddock, Reinis Nitišs – the youngest World RX event-winner in history – went from strength-to-strength over the course of the weekend, leading the way in Q3 and ultimately going on to overhaul championship leader Guillaume De Ridder in the final for the runner-up spoils. The Belgian’s chief title rival Jesse Kallio finished fourth, ahead of American Conner Martell and Sweden’s Isak Sjökvist.

Cyril Raymond – who clinched the RX2 Series crown at Lohéac in 2017 – similarly showed sufficient speed to reach the final on his RX2e bow, but several wheel-banging duels at the semi-final stage saw him narrowly miss out.

MÜNNICH RACES TO MAIDEN EURO RX1 TRIUMPH
René Münnich emerged from a dramatic Euro RX1 final to claim a maiden triumph for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport ahead of Andréa Dubourg and Tamás Kárai. The German was on the leading pace throughout to place fourth in the intermediate standings and seal a front row starting spot for the second semi-final.

A sensational start propelled the SEAT Ibiza into an immediate lead that Münnich would retain to the end, and from the front row again in the final, he looked set for a podium finish in second – until that podium turned into victory when leader Andreas Bakkerud suddenly slowed and stopped with barely a lap left to run.

Münnich duly raced past to take a popular first win in the European Championship, followed home by fans’ favourite Dubourg, whose brother Jean Baptiste – second in the title chase arriving at Lohéac – exited proceedings before the semi-final stage after a Q4 clash with DA Racing team-mate Romuald Delaunay left him with a broken arm.

Kárai celebrated his own milestone result in third to cap an excellent weekend, while Bakkerud managed to get his ESMotorsport Škoda re-started to take fourth – a result that has elevated the Norwegian to the top of the points table – ahead of team-mate Janis Baumanis and Fabien Pailler, who was on-course to finish second at his home track before retiring due to a battery problem.

IRREPRESSIBLE PAUWELS IGNITES EURO RX3 TITLE DUEL
Kobe Pauwels has been threatening to depose Volland Racing team-mate Yury Belevskiy from the highest step of the podium since the beginning of the campaign, and in France today, the Belgian teenager finally succeeded to truly ignite the Euro RX3 championship battle.

Pauwels had never raced at Lohéac before this weekend, but he is nothing if not a quick learner and after posting the fastest time in Q3, he proceeded to dominate the second semi-final and duly line up on the front row of the grid for the final.

Following an early joker, the 16-year-old – one of the youngest and least experienced drivers in the Euro RX3 field – hunted down pole-sitter Belevskiy and seized the initiative following the Russian’s own joker. He subsequently held on to the chequered flag to secure a hugely popular breakthrough victory, with the Russian placing second to retain the championship lead and Timur Shigabutdinov rounding out the rostrum to complete a Volland top three lockout.

Marat Knyazev finished fourth, with Jan Cerný and local specialist Maximilien Eveno leading the Škoda charge in fifth and sixth respectively.

The 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign resumes in a fortnight’s time at Riga in Latvia on 18-19 September, featuring a double bill of World RX action and round three of the Euro RX1 season.

FINAL RESULT
1. Timmy Hansen (SWE) Hansen World RX Team 6 laps
2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 0.652s
3. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 2.235s
4. Kevin ABBRING (NLD) Unkorrupted + 4.729s
5. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 4.968s
6. Timo SCHEIDER (FIN) ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport + 12.702s

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-09-05 Lions roar in France with a Hansen one-two victory
Hansen World RX Team has continued its unprecedented winning run in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, racking up a third consecutive one-two finish with Timmy and Kevin Hansen at the famous Lohéac circuit in France.

After a strong start to the season with one-two finishes in Spain and Sweden – with Kevin and Timmy winning one event each – the team kept its unprecedented winning streak going in France with another formation finish at the third round of the World RX season.

The brothers had started first and second on the grid in the final after stellar runs in their respective semi-finals, taking a win apiece in the lead up to the Lohéac decider.

Timmy’s excellent start off the grid in his semi-final wasn’t quite enough to get past Johan Kristoffersson and he found himself looking behind to defend from Timo Scheider. But a pass on the last lap as Kristoffersson nursed a mechanical problem to the finish line bagged Timmy pole position for the final.

That semi-final win marked a superb recovery after a difficult start to qualifying. With a strategy geared towards having fresh tyres for qualifying four and the finals, Timmy pulled a stunning time out of the bag when it mattered most to top qualifying four and give himself a critical front-row start for his semi-final.

It was a similar story for Kevin in the early sessions, with some strong pace leading to a string of top four times but no session wins, placing him fourth in qualifying and on the outside of the front row for the second semi-final.

A blistering start off the grid launched Kevin into the lead of his semi-final race, vanishing into the distance to bank six points and a spot alongside Timmy on the front row for the final.

From there the brothers worked together to maximise the team’s result, running side-by-side through the first two turns at the start of the final before Kevin pulled in behind at the turn three hairpin.

Timmy’s second victory of the season has extended his championship lead over Kevin to 10 points, who in turn has a 17-point advantage over nearest challenger Krisztián Szabó in third.

Hansen World RX Team’s tally in the teams’ championship has already hit the 160-point mark, extending their lead over GRX-SET to 51 points after three rounds.

21
Timmy Hansen
“The effort, the energy, the knowledge from our mechanics and engineers made all the difference today.”

“Even though I am the guy in the driver’s seat, I have to give credit for this victory to my team. The effort, the energy, the knowledge from our mechanics and engineers made all the difference today. The car wasn’t there in the first few qualifying sessions, not only in terms of raw pace but also the feeling it was giving me. A new set of Öhlins dampers and set-up changes before Q4 made the 208 come alive and made a huge difference.

“In terms of teamwork, we have to speak about Kevin as well. We had a plan going into the final and we executed it perfectly. At this stage of the season we need to get as many points on the board as possible for the team – the Hyundais found more pace this weekend and Johan was as fast as ever, so when opportunities appear for us to take maximum scores, we have to take them. It's a shame Johan had an issue but this is the game.

“Last month’s victory at home in Höljes was the best feeling after winning the title in 2019 but a victory in Lohéac is always close behind! It is absolutely magic to have another 1-2 finish. The fans here are great and getting the chance to take another win in front of them is always a fantastic experience.”

9
Kevin Hansen
“It’s crazy to think we have four one-two results now across both World RX and Extreme E, after our podiums in Greenland a week ago.”

“This is another great result and it shows what my real pace was throughout the weekend. I feel I was a bit unlucky in not being able to show my pace throughout qualifying as I felt fast and the car was great – but we kept working hard and we got the front by the end.

“I’d like to go out and win the final but we had an equal chance to be the leader – pole position goes to the winner of the faster semi-final, and this time around that was Timmy. If it had been the other way around then he would be supporting me. It’s our job to get the team the best result possible and we can only achieve that by working together. And in fairness, I had to be on my maximum pace to keep up with Timmy in the final! Maybe there was a chance or two for me to dive down the inside but ensuring the one-two result is more important.

“It’s crazy to think we have four one-two results now across both World RX and Extreme E, after our podiums in Greenland a week ago. This run could end in Latvia of course but let’s see what happens – if we keep getting all the details right and continue with the right mindset, who knows what comes next?”

The Boss
Kenneth Hansen
“Even when we didn’t have the fastest car out of the box we kept working away to find improvements and make some breakthroughs on pace.”

“This was a tough one and in some ways, we are fortunate to score this result. But it also shows the professionalism and strength of our team. Even when we didn’t have the fastest car out of the box we kept working away to find improvements and make some breakthroughs on pace. And when we got to the 'business end' of the weekend, we got our cars to where they needed to be.

“I think our strategy calls were the right ones regardless of what happened to our rivals. That was especially important because of how much of a difference fresh tyres make at Lohéac. We had to put Timmy on a fresh set of tyres for Q4 instead of saving them for the semi-finals to get him a slot on the front row and it worked out perfectly. It put him under a lot of pressure from Scheider on fresh rubber in the first semi-final of course but Timmy is a world champion and knows how to deal with that.

“We would like to be the fastest team from the first time our cars turn a wheel on Saturday morning, of course. But we are doing everything else right at the moment and for that, I’m extremely proud of everyone in our team.”

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

2nd
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 4th
Qualifying 2 4th
Qualifying 3 3rd
Qualifying 4 5th
Semi-Final 2 1st
Final

21-09-05 Deslandes enjoys dream electric debut as French teenager triumphs on home turf
Youngster takes FIA RX2e spoils with sensational maiden display
18-year-old causes major shock on international rallycross bow
Nitišs second on return to World RX programme, De Ridder third
All-electric series continues at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (October 9-10)

Dorian Deslandes stunned the rallycross world with a spectacular victory on his FIA RX2e Championship debut at the Bretagne World RX of Lohéac.

The 18-year-old took two qualifying session wins and a semi-final triumph before keeping his cool to hold off fellow series newcomer Reinis Nitišs and current Drivers' Standings leader Guillaume De Ridder on his international bow.

Jesse Kallio came home fourth ahead of the impressive Conner Martell while Isak Sjökvist rounded out the top six on a hugely-entertaining weekend of action produced by the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

The result sparked emotional scenes at the iconic Brittany circuit, with Deslandes jumping onto the roof of his car and taking in the adulation of the partisan crowd while a visibly-emotional Cyril Raymond, mentor to the young French prodigy, looked on.

It wasn't Deslandes but Martell who initially caught the eye in Q1 on Saturday morning, rocketing into the lead from pole position. However, a radio fault meant the American failed to take his obligatory joker and was handed a 30-second penalty.

That saw De Ridder inherit the win ahead of Raymond, but neither driver could match Deslandes’ time in the second race of the session as the youngster held off Nitišs and Kallio to get his weekend off to a perfect start.

Deslandes then doubled up with a lights-to-flag victory and the fastest time in Q2, while there was more misery for Martell as the 2018 ARX2 title-winner – who posted the third-fastest time in the session – was disqualified for driving with non-homologated race boots.

At the start of Q3 Raymond, who has helped nurture and develop Deslandes throughout his fledgling career, put a forceful move on his protege and then pulled away at the front of the field to claim victory.

However, the 2017 RX2 champion was not fast enough to beat a scorching time set by Nitišs in the other race and the Latvian's session win helped elevate the youngest-ever FIA World Rallycross Championship race winner into the top three overnight.

Standings leader De Ridder set the pace in Sunday's warm-up and converted that potential into a Q4 session win, utilising an early joker to avoid traffic before hunting down Nitišs and taking the lead when his rival took his own compulsory longer tour.

Deslandes was third fastest after the French teenager executed his joker strategy perfectly to hold off Kallio in the other race, securing the Top Qualifier spot for the home hero.

And things got even better for the 18-year-old in the semi-finals when he beat Nitišs off the line and kept his nose clean to book a spot on the front row for the main event while Kallio was third.

Meanwhile, De Ridder fended off an audacious all-or-nothing move from Raymond into turn one – which left the Frenchman ploughing through the gravel trap – and proceeded to comfortably manage the pace on his way to a semi-final victory.

Martell profited from Raymond's ambition to finish second on the road and complete an impressive comeback after his Saturday troubles, while Sjökvist withstood a hard-charging Raymond to also make the final.

Lining up on pole in the last race of the weekend, Deslandes once again made the perfect start to lead into turn one while De Ridder found himself shuffled out wide by Nitiss.

Kallio took his joker from fourth on lap one in order to get out of traffic, but De Ridder covered off the undercut attempt soon after and that in turn triggered Nitišs to follow suit. Deslandes took advantage of the clear air out front to stretch his legs, and the teenager duly completed his joker lap on the final tour to emerge in front of Nitišs and claim an immensely popular victory.

De Ridder's podium sees him stretch his championship standings lead over Kallio to seven points, while fifth-place Martell will be encouraged by his pace on debut in all-electric machinery.

Sjökvist was quick all weekend but struggled to make an impact in the final while local hero Raymond finished seventh ahead of Swedish ace Nils Andersson, who was caught in traffic on numerous occasions.

Meanwhile, Patrick O'Donovan showed flashes of pace but suffered an unfortunate spin during the joker lap in his semi-final which put paid to hopes of repeating his Barcelona rostrum appearance.

However, the youngster remains fourth in the overall standings while Pablo Suárez is fifth as the Spaniard continues to demonstrate dramatic improvement during his first season of international rallycross with another quietly impressive weekend against a high-quality field.

Dorian Deslandes said: "This was an amazing weekend, although I am very disappointed not to share the final race with my friend Cyril [Raymond]!

"Yesterday was amazing, and today is a dream. It is not easy to race at home, or to keep these guys [Reinis Nitišs and Guillaume De Ridder] behind me, but I stayed strong in my head and did the job.

"I am really, really happy. I want to thank all the FIA RX2e team and Olsbergs MSE. It is thanks to them that I am sitting here today."

Reinis Nitišs said: "It is nice to be back! I have been in and out of this paddock since 2013 and I have always been fighting with the top guys to win races. I have had a bit of a break to do some rallying and crosscar, but I am back in business now so this weekend was nice.

"I soon got into a rhythm and realised that not much has changed – you have to give your maximum in order to be at the top. These cars are so similar so a lot depends on the driver.

"Dorian drove brilliantly, and it was really tight but he did well. I did everything I could with the car before the final, and we were ready to fight. It was a weekend full of emotions."

Guillaume De Ridder said: "I had a slight disadvantage compared to the newcomers, as they had four new tyres, but they used it very well!

"Hats off to Dorian because he drove perfectly while Reinis was also a very strong competitor this weekend. It was tough, and a matter of being patient during the qualifying sessions while trying to run on old tyres. In the final we had the pace to win, but the start was quite difficult on the wrong side of the grid.

"When I'm racing, I am racing to win – not to finish second or third – but these are good points for the championship. In Spa I want to finish on the top step!"

Result
1. Dorian DESLANDES (FRA) 6 laps
2. Reinis NITIŠS (LAT) +0.334
3. Guillaume DE RIDDDER (BEL) +0.730
4. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) +1.353
5. Conner MARTELL (USA) +4.037
6. Isak SJÖKVIST (SWE) +6.348

Championship Standings
1. Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) 76pts
2. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) 69pts
3. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) 49pts
4. Patrick O'DONOVAN (IRL) 45pts
5. Pablo SUÁREZ (ESP) 41pts
6. Isak SJÖKVIST (SWE) 33pts
7. Dorian DESLANDES (FRA) 30pts
8. Nils ANDERSSON (SWE) 29pts
9. Reinis NITIŠS (LAT) 24pts
10. Damien MEUNIER (FRA) 23pts
11. Ole Henry STEINSHOLT (NOR) 21pts
12. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 19pts
13. Cyril RAYMOND (FRA) 16pts
14. Conner MARTELL (USA) 14pts
15. José Luis GARCÍA MOLINA (ESP) 13pts
16. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) 13pts
17. Mark FLAHERTY (GBR) 10pts
18. Jan Oscar ORTFELDT (SWE) 9pts

21-09-05 KYB EKS JCs Kristoffersson fick inte starta i finalen under rallycross-VM i Lohéac

KYB EKS JC inledde helgen starkt under helgens VM i franska Lohéac. Men tekniska problem blev kostsamma för Johan Kristoffersson, och efter att ha anlänt till startområdet en minut för sent fick missade han finalen.
– Det känns såklart riktigt tufft, men vi är ett team som aldrig ger upp, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Årets tredje deltävling av FIA World Rallycross Championship (rallycross-VM) har precis körts i franska Lohéac. För svenska teamet KYB EKS JC, som är JC Racetekniks och EKS gemensamma VM-satsning, fick den annars lyckade helgen ett tungt avslut.

Johan Kristoffersson briljerade inledningsvis i tävlingen, och vann grundomgången. I semifinalen ledde han, och såg ut att gå mot en seger. Men på sista varvet fick han problem med drivaxeln och tappade ner till tredjeplats. I depån upptäcktes det att även växellådan var skadad och behövde bytas. Mekanikerna jobbade hårt för att få bilen klar för final och lyckades efter en heroisk insats byta växellåda och drivaxel på sexton minuter. Men tyvärr räckte det inte. Eftersom bilen kom till startområdet en minut för sent nekades Kristoffersson start i finalen.

Enzo Ide hade en bitvis tuff tävling, och han kämpade med att hitta rätt i körningen på banan och utmaningarna med däcken. I semifinalen såg han ut att gå mot en tredjeplats. Men efter att ha hamnat i trafik förlorade han för mycket tid, och blev förste föraren utanför final.

Efter helgen ligger Kristoffersson fyra i mästerskapet, följt av Ide på sjunde plats. Fullständigt resultat för World RX finns här: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef KYB EKS JC:
”Låt oss säga såhär – motorsport är en tuff sport och det känns riktigt, riktigt tufft när man förlorar. Ännu en gång hade vi en väldigt bra tävlingshelg inledningsvis, där vi vann grundomgången och ledde semifinalen med Johan. Men efter växellådsproblem tappade vi till tredjeplatsen i semin. Innan bilen kom in i depån visste vi inte vad felet var, och vi hade bara sexton minuter på oss att byta växellådan. När vi kom fram till startområdet hade de precis låst grinden, och vi missade finalen med ungefär trettio sekunder.

Jag är så stolt över mekanikerna som lyckades göra det där bytet på så kort tid. Men det känns såklart riktigt tufft att det här händer precis när vi började plocka tillbaka poäng i mästerskapet. Det känns lite som att någon har sparkat undan benen för oss i slutet av varje tävling, men vi är ett team som aldrig ger upp. Det är också många tävlingar kvar och jag lovar att vi ska ge vårt allt i Riga. Både Johan och teamet gillar den banan, och ser verkligen fram emot tävlingen.

När vi kom hit trodde vi att vi skulle ha bra fart med Enzo här på banan, och vi har gjort några tester i Lohéac med honom tidigare. Men samtidigt är den här banan riktigt tuff med däcken och vi kämpade med det. I semifinalen hade vi helt nya däck och Enzo visade ett riktigt hög tempo. Tyvärr missade vi precis tredjeplatsen och finalen. Men vi kommer preparera bilen och se till att vi är hundra procent redo inför Riga.”

Johan Kristoffersson, World RX:
”Vilken helg här i Lohéac. Det började bra, vi var snabba och jag kände mig bekväm i bilen. Vi hade en bra taktik för våra däck. I Q4 testade vi lite nya inställningar för att vara redo för semifinal, och när greppet blir annorlunda på banan. Och vi var väldigt nöjda med det. Vi valde att gå in i semifinalen med fyra nya däck. Jag hade en bra start, tog ledningen och bilen kändes riktigt, riktigt bra. Jag höll farten bra i semin för att spara på däcken till finalen. Men på sista varvet, i utgången av den första kurvan, gick drivaxeln sönder. Jag försökte överleva genom sista varvet, och klarade av att komma i mål som trea och gick vidare till final.

Inför finalen behövde vi byta drivaxeln, och eftersom även växellådan var skadad tog teamet beslutet att även byta den. Det var väldigt kort om tid, och borde egentligen vara omöjligt att byta en växellåda på den tiden. Men grabbarna gjorde ett fantastiskt jobb och lyckades byta den på den korta tiden. Men när vi kom fram till startområdet var vi sekunder för sent, och vi fick inte starta i finalen. Det var såklart riktigt synd. Vi har inte haft marginalerna på vår sida hittills den här säsongen, och även om säsongen är lång så är det tufft i mästerskapstabellen nu. Men vi kommer såklart bara fortsätta fokusera framåt, ladda om och vara redo att kämpa i Riga.”

Enzo Ide, World RX:
”Min helg har varit riktigt tuff. Vi behövde ändra inställningarna mycket för att få bilen att passa mig här på banan, och till en början fick jag det inte dit jag ville. Jag gjorde några misstag, och det var också en tuff utmaning att inte köra slut på däcken för snabbt. Men jag lärde under tävlingens gång och kunde i slutet av helgen anpassa min körning efter bilen och banan. I semifinalen var bilen en raket, men tyvärr räckte det inte till final.

Mitt mål den här säsongen, och inför varje tävling, är som sagt att lära mig så mycket som möjligt. Det kanske låter lite konstigt, men jag uppskattar de misstag som jag gör på banan. Jag anser att det är mina små och stora misstag som gör att jag utvecklas som förare. Så jag är glad över att ha lärt mig väldigt mycket i helgen tillsammans med teamet, och kommer fortsätta jobba framåt. Jag ser verkligen fram emot att komma till Riga tillsammans med Johan och EKS JC.

21-09-01 FIA RX2e title race heats up as World RX talents enter the fray for Round 3 at Lohéac
FIA RX2e Championship continues at Bretagne World RX of Lohéac
De Ridder and Kallio separated by single point in Drivers' Standings
Nitišs, Raymond, Martell and Deslandes join grid for Round 3 in France
Every race available live on RX+ platform

The FIA RX2e Championship battle continues at the Bretagne World RX of Lohéac this weekend (September 3-5), with just one point separating the top two drivers ahead of Round 3.

Guillaume De Ridder currently leads the way in the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, but the French-speaking Belgian has the slimmest of margins over Jesse Kallio following the Finn's spectacular victory at Höljes last time out.

And as if the next instalment of a tantalising title fight wasn't enough, several new faces including a pair of ex-FIA World Rallycross talents will join the grid for RX2e's maiden visit to France.

Local hero and 2017 RX2 series champion Cyril Raymond is hoping to utilise home advantage at the iconic Lohéac circuit – and get one over former World RX team-mate De Ridder – while Latvian star Reinis Nitišs is also on the grid and looking to add more silverware to his impressive trophy cabinet.

Additionally, 2018 ARX2 champion Conner Martell is back on the World RX programme and will be sure to pose a threat while French teenager Dorian Deslandes is one to watch when he makes his international rallycross debut in Brittany.

It's tight at the top of the Drivers' Standings after two rounds of the inaugural RX2e campaign, with De Ridder – who works as a Power Unit Performance Engineer for Alpine F1 Team – still leading the way thanks to his clean sweep at the Catalunya curtain-raiser.

However, Kallio is just a point further back after winning a weekend-long battle with Fraser McConnell in Sweden – who in turn is another point behind and sits third in the table.

The Jamaican is not racing in Round 3, but fourth-placed Patrick O'Donovan will hope to build on a promising campaign so far when he takes to the track at Lohéac. The teenager has notched consecutive final appearances in his debut international rallycross campaign and will have the added incentive of racing on the same programme as his father, 2007 British Rallycross Champion Ollie O’Donovan, who will be competing in World RX this weekend.

Pablo Suárez is another promising star making his third appearance of the season so far, with the Spanish rallying ace – currently fifth in the Drivers’ Standings – demonstrating consistent improvement at every event as he gets to grips with the unique demands of rallycross.

Isak Sjökvist is set for a second RX2e outing after the Swede secured a brilliant podium on his series bow at Höljes, while compatriot Nils Andersson is also a welcome returnee after miserable luck last time out – the Kristoffersson Motorsport youngster having been well-placed in his semi-final before a stone from the car in front hit a switch in his vehicle and caused a loss of power.

The arrival of Raymond, a winner at Lohéac in the Euro RX Supercar (now RX1) category in 2018, is a major boost for RX2e while similarly Nitišs – still the youngest driver ever to win a World RX round – immediately strengthens the entry list.

Meanwhile, Martell bagged second at Silverstone on just his second RX2 appearance in 2018 and the American is relishing the chance to renew old rivalries on track. As for Deslandes, the 18-year-old is sure to enjoy vocal support from the partisan French crowd as he looks to upset his more experienced rivals.

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: “The FIA RX2e Championship has already produced plenty of exhilarating action in the opening two rounds of the inaugural season, and we expect more of the same at Lohéac.

"It is a privilege to be part of the FIA World Rallycross Championship package as it makes its return to such an iconic venue, and we are delighted to field a truly elite driver line-up this weekend as our series continues to go from strength to strength.

"The title battle is heating up as we reach the halfway stage of the season, and it will be fascinating to see how the new faces on the grid – and the more established competitors – adapt to our cutting-edge all-electric RX2e car around another world-famous circuit."

Where to Watch
Racing is set to begin at 1100 CET on Saturday, 4 September, with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of €19,99, representing a 60% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Bretagne World RX of Lohéac is available for €7,99. For more information or to subscribe, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

Tickets to Bretagne World RX of Lohéac can be purchased here: https://www.rallycrossloheac.com/billetterie-2021/

RX2e official entry list – Bretagne World RX of Lohéac
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT
5 Pablo Suárez ESP Monlau Compéticion
11 Dorian Deslandes FRA Dorian Deslandes
13 Patrick O’Donovan GBR Patrick O’Donovan
14 Nils Andersson SWE Kristoffersson Motorsport
15 Reinis Nitišs LAT RN Kapersky Racing Team
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Jesse Kallio
82 Isak Sjökvist SWE Isak Sjökvist
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Guillaume De Ridder
113 Cyril Raymond FRA Cyril Raymond
121 Conner Martell USA Olsbergs MSE

21-08-31 Title fight set to intensify in front of French faithful at Lohéac
Popular Breton circuit set to stage third round of compelling World RX campaign
Rivals ready to fight back in France after consecutive Hansen triumphs
Home heroes primed to shine in FIA RX2e Championship, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3

Following a two-year absence, the FIA World Rallycross Championship will return to one of the sport’s most iconic venues for Bretagne World RX of Lohéac this weekend (3-5 September) – with dazzling doorhandle-to-doorhandle duels in prospect in front of the faithful French fans.

Rallycross has been a feature of the small Breton village of Lohéac since 1976, and the current 1,070m circuit calls for commitment and precision in equal measure. A characteristic of all French tracks is the heavily stabilised unsealed sections, which offer comparatively high grip levels in the dry but can be extremely slippery in the wet – and the forecast suggests competitors will have to conquer both conditions this weekend.

Whatever the weather, an infectious atmosphere is guaranteed – and with good reason. Not only is the battle for World Championship glory heating up nicely heading into the third of nine rounds on the 2021 schedule, but all three support series will similarly be in attendance – the FIA RX2e Championship, FIA Euro RX1 and FIA Euro RX3.

HANSEN RIVALS PLOTTING REVENGE
The opening two outings have each resulted in a Hansen World RX Team one-two – with Kevin Hansen triumphing in the Catalunya curtain-raiser, and elder brother Timmy returning the favour on home soil at Höljes just over a week ago.

That means the 2019 World Champion arrives at Lohéac holding a six-point championship lead over his younger sibling, with the pair piloting French-built cars in the shape of the potent Peugeot 208. Timmy Hansen has already won the event twice, while Kevin reached the rostrum there two years ago, and both are firmly focussed on maintaining their current momentum.

Their closest rival on pace so far this season has been Johan Kristoffersson, but the Swede – three times a title-winner at the international pinnacle of the discipline – was out of luck in Spain and Sweden, being disqualified from Q1 in Catalunya after his data-logger was found not to have been connected and falling victim to a double puncture at the semi-final stage at Höljes.

That means he is playing catch-up in his maiden campaign with KYB EKS JC, but Kristoffersson went unbeaten at Lohéac from 2016 to 2018, so if anybody can turn the tide this weekend, it is him.

Another driver that truly took the fight to the Hansens last time out is Kevin Abbring, who unleashed race-winning pace in Sweden behind the wheel of Unkorrupted’s Renault Mégane. Only traffic prevented the Dutchman from launching a bid for victory, leaving him fired-up to fulfil his potential on his team’s home turf.

GRX-SET World RX Team duo Niclas Grönholm and Krisztián Szabó have encountered contrasting fortunes over the first two rounds. The Finn has been fast but – like Kristoffersson – has rarely enjoyed the rub of the green, while his Hungarian team-mate has bagged back-to-back fourth-place finishes to get his season off to a solid start in the sister Hyundai i20.

Two-time DTM Champion Timo Scheider rejoins the fray in ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s SEAT Ibiza, and will be looking to convert the impressive form he displayed in Barcelona last month into a strong finish in France.

Enzo Ide in the second KYB EKS JC Audi S1 continues to improve with every appearance following his switch from sportscar racing in 2019, while there are new entries for 2007 British Rallycross Champion Ollie O’Donovan in a Ford Fiesta and French veteran Hervé Knapick in his trusty Citroën DS3.

ELECTRIFYING DUEL FOR THE RX2e CROWN
The inaugural campaign of RX2e – the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship – has already delivered some exceptional action, not to mention a compelling title tussle. Barcelona winner Guillaume De Ridder and Höljes winner Jesse Kallio are separated by just a single point at the summit of the standings, setting the scene for a scintillating showdown in Brittany, where the French-speaking Belgian – who works as a Power Unit Performance Engineer for Alpine F1 Team – is sure to enjoy enthusiastic support.

De Ridder will have to compete for the crowd’s affections, however, as former RX2 Series Champion Cyril Raymond – a winner at Lohéac in the Euro RX Supercar (now RX1) category in 2018 – and highly-rated teenage hope Dorian Deslandes similarly take to the track.

Reinis Nitišs – still the youngest driver ever to win a World RX round – is another intriguing new entrant, while Nils Andersson, Patrick O’Donovan and Isak Sjökvist will be bidding to build upon the potential they have shown so far, the latter pair both ascending the podium on their respective debuts. The field is completed by fast-improving Spaniard Pablo Suárez and America’s Conner Martell, who starred on these shores three years ago in RX2, notably taking the chequered flag fourth in France.

FRENCH STARS TO THE FORE IN EURO RX1
In the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s headlining Euro RX1 series, a battle of brothers awaits – the Dubourgs against the Paillers, all sons of famous fathers. The quartet showed excellent speed in Sweden, with Jean Baptiste ‘JB’ Dubourg leading the way as he raced to second position, barely half-a-second shy of the laurels.

“That was a very good performance for us,” acknowledged the 34-year-old, a podium-finisher in World Championship competition at Lohéac in 2015. “French drivers and cars have not always been particularly successful at Höljes, but we were on the pace and it was a great result to kick-start the season. It was important to score big points in the first event, and I’m sure we will be quick in France so the plan is definitely to go one place better at our home track!”

Dubourg is primed for further success on home soil, but he will face stiff opposition from younger brother Andréa as well as Fabien and Jonathan Pailler, all four doing battle in Peugeot 208s. Fabien Pailler will have particular motivation to fight back at Lohéac, having been denied a front row starting spot in the final at Höljes when his right-front wheel parted company with his car while dominating the second semi-final.

Nine more homegrown heroes populate the Euro RX1 entry list – accounting for half of the 26-strong field in total – whilst World RX stars Andreas Bakkerud and Janis Baumanis will return in ESMotorsport’s brace of Škoda Fabias, the former aiming to continue his rostrum run and the latter eager to quickly bounce back from a troubled curtain-raiser. René Münnich, finally, is enjoying a stellar season, and can certainly be counted upon to produce a committed performance.

BELEVSKIY’S PURSUERS CLOSING IN
Yury Belevskiy is two-from-two in Euro RX3, as last year’s highest scorer seeks to clinch the crown denied to him by the Covid-shortened campaign in 2020. He has come under threat in both events, however, from young Volland Racing team-mate Kobe Pauwels, the architect of an eye-catching charge from the back of the grid to the runner-up spoils in Sweden.

Although the Audi A1 has unquestionably been the car to beat thus far in 2021 – with podium finishes also for Timur Shigabutdinov, Marat Knyazev and Zsolt Szíjj ‘Jolly’ – Jan Cerný and Janno Ligur put up a good fight in their Škodas at Höljes and are sure to figure prominently once again.

There will be no shortage of support, meanwhile, for promising French prospects Maximilien Eveno – who invariably shines at Lohéac – and Dylan Dufas, who impressed with his pace and racecraft on his series bow in Sweden.

Racing is set to begin at 11:00 CET on Saturday, 4 September, with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is on offer for the special price of €19,99, representing a 60% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Bretagne World RX of Lohéac is available for €7,99. For more information or to subscribe, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

Tickets to Bretagne World RX of Lohéac can be purchased here: https://www.rallycrossloheac.com/billetterie-2021/

21-08-31 Martell ready to make his mark in RX2e at Bretagne World RX of Lohéac
Martell set for European return in FIA RX2e Championship
US racer joins all-electric series ahead of Round 3 at Lohéac
First-ever ARX2 champion to reignite old rivalries

Conner Martell is eager to test his skills in pioneering new electric technology when the 24-year-old makes his FIA RX2e Championship debut at the Bretagne World RX of Lohéac this weekend (September 3-5).

The American racer is one of several new faces set to line up for Round 3 of the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, and the 2018 ARX2 title-winner will hope to be on the pace immediately in France.

Martell, who also has a full season of RX2 (RX2e's predecessor) under his belt, is considered one of the most promising talents on the US rallycross scene and strengthens a compact but highly impressive entry list.

"I am so excited to get back over to Europe and race rallycross again," Martell said. "I’m also so stoked to be able to try out the RX2e car because I’ve never driven an electric car before.

"They look incredible and I can’t wait to compete with old friends from when I did the RX2 championship a few years ago! I’m part of an amazing team and I know we will be able to make our mark yet again!"

Martell began his racing career in motocross but injury forced a switch to four wheels, and the Vermont native soon showed his class with three wins and a total of six podiums on his way to fourth overall in the 2017 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship.

A second-place finish in the Rally of the Tall Pines also demonstrated Martell's versatility, before the youngster turned his sole focus to rallycross and was rewarded with a spectacular 2018 campaign.

Three event wins were enough to claim the inaugural Americas Rallycross Championship ARX2 crown, while second at the World RX of Great Britain was the highlight of an encouraging RX2 campaign.

Martell went up against the likes of current RX2e Drivers' Standings leader Guillaume De Ridder and youngest-ever FIA World Rallycross Championship winner Reinis Nitišs throughout the 2018 RX2 season, and the US ace will be keen to see how he stacks up against the pair when they renew their rivalries this weekend.

The 2019 campaign yielded two more event wins and a third-place overall finish in the Americas Rallycross Championship, despite Martell missing several events, and the Vermont Sportscar test and development driver has most recently been competing in the F4 Western Championship Series while waiting for a return to the rallycross stage.

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We are delighted to welcome Conner to the FIA RX2e Championship, as his skill and expertise ensures the standard of competition is raised even further for Round 3 of our inaugural season.

"He has proved his ability with a hugely impressive ARX2 title and consistent displays both in Europe and America. We are looking forward to seeing how he adapts to our pioneering new car as RX2e continues to blaze a trail for the future of rallycross."

21-08-31 Deslandes determined to do France proud on RX2e debut at Lohéac
Deslandes the latest driver added to FIA RX2e Championship grid
French youngster hoping for home success at Bretagne World RX of Lohéac
18-year-old looking to maximise potential of all-electric machinery

Dorian Deslandes will be hoping to make home advantage count when the teenager joins the FIA RX2e Championship at the Bretagne World RX of Lohéac this weekend (September 3-5).

The 18-year-old is the most recent addition to a compact but high-quality field for Round 3 of the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, and the Frenchman is looking to impress in front of what is sure to be a partisan crowd.

Joining compatriot and friend Cyril Raymond on the grid for the upcoming event, Deslandes will seek to utilise his experience in both rallycross and rallying to get up to speed in RX2e – although the pioneering electric technology is sure to test his skills to the maximum.

The Cherbourg native began his motorsport career in karting, picking up a pair of regional titles then going on to compete in several French championships before turning his attention to rallycross in 2019.

Aged just 16, Deslandes entered the fourth division of the French Rallycross Championship behind the wheel of a Peugeot 208 and became the youngest driver to win a race in the series on his way to third in the overall standings.

The COVID-19 pandemic briefly halted Deslandes' momentum but the French prodigy still kept his eye in with a one-off appearance in the S1600 class, finishing an impressive second.

Having secured his driving licence in December, Deslandes has most recently been competing in rallying – also at the controls of a Peugeot 208 – but is now looking to broaden his skillset further with an RX2e appearance.

Dorian Deslandes said: "To have a round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at home is good, but to participate in is even better! This weekend I will have the chance to take part in the new FIA RX2e championship thanks to Olsbergs MSE, and I'm looking forward to discovering the potential of this car.

"On top of that, it's the first time I'll be racing against my friend Cyril Raymond. We worked together this summer at the Karting Circuit Paul Ricard, so we know each other very well. We will be the only two Frenchmen on the RX2e grid, but you can count on us to represent our colours in the best possible way!"

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We are all extremely excited to be racing in France this weekend, and the addition of a second native driver to our RX2e line-up is sure to interest the local fans!

"Dorian is a young talent with heaps of potential, and we all hope he can continue his positive upward trajectory as he gets to grips with the all-electric RX2e machinery. We wish him the best of luck at Lohéac."

21-08-30 Hansens aiming to maintain winning streak at home away form home
Hansen World RX Team rolls into northern France this week on a never-before-seen winning streak, aiming for another victory after becoming the first team ever to take two consecutive one-two finishes in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

A near-perfect start to the season has brought two wins to start the 2021 season. Championship leader Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen have one win apiece, while the team is already 40 points ahead of its nearest rival in the teams’ standings.

But there’s no time for the team or its drivers to rest on its laurels – less than two weeks since the last round in Sweden, they’re back at the team’s second-home in Lohéac to try and keep the winning streak going.

Hansen has exclusively used French cars at the top level of rallycross – both in World RX and Euro RX before it – since the 1993 season, forming a permanent bond with La République and its rallycross fans ever since. All of the team’s 17 World RX victories and three world titles have been achieved with the Peugeot 208 WRX, a testament to our French car’s longevity.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions the iconic parade through Lohéac town centre, a highlight of the pre-event build-up, has sadly been cancelled this year. However 10,000 fans have been allowed to spectate at the circuit, bringing some of the event’s legendary atmosphere back in a COVID-safe fashion.

While our 208s have had a two-week break from action, Timmy and Kevin have not. They took on the Arctic X-Prix in Greenland and continued their incredible podium streak that began in Barcelona six weeks earlier, finishing first and second for their respective teams ahead of World RX title rival Johan Kristoffersson in fifth.

Just as he'd done in World RX of Sweden, Timmy was able to lead from the front to grab his first Extreme E win with team-mate Catie Munnings, while Kevin mounted a stunning comeback from a 30-second penalty to book his place in the final, going on to take second with the help of team-mate Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky.

Two consecutive one-two finishes by a single team is already a World RX record – can the brothers make three in a row for the team and four for themselves?

9 Kevin Hansen
“I feel like the circuit suits me and suits the car but as we saw in Sweden, the grid draw makes such a huge difference.”

“My goal this weekend is clear – I want to get the lead of the championship back. I feel like the circuit suits me and suits the car but as we saw in Sweden, the grid draw makes such a huge difference. It's the main reason I am not tied on points with Timmy right now. And annoyingly this is the one thing I can’t control. So I will cross my fingers, my toes, my arms, my eyes if I have to, everything – my grid positions in qualifying last time were terrible and I don’t want to go through that again!

“It’s best to focus on the positives though and we have lots of those. Our speed at Höljes shows that our car seems to be competitive everywhere on all surfaces. And my confidence is really high – not only from the feeling the 208 has given me so far this year but also the result in Extreme E last weekend.

“It’s a busy schedule for me and Timmy but I’m coming here feeling incredibly fired up after my podium in Greenland. When you come from a position where all looks lost and still get a good result, it feels almost as good as winning. It felt a bit like Höljes, coming from a difficult qualifying to finish second! But it would be nice to start from pole in qualifying, win that session, win the semi and win the final. That would feel even better, I’m sure.”

21 Timmy Hansen
“It is easy to focus on how fast each team and driver is but what has really made a difference so far this year is reliability and consistency.”

“This is one of my favourite tracks on the calendar – maybe it helps that our car has always performed well here but it’s a nice circuit regardless. It’s really old-school but also quite a fast track – there’s not many technical corners on the lap aside from the final couple of turns, where lacking precision with your inputs costs a lot of lap time.

“It is easy to focus on how fast each team and driver is but what has really made a difference so far this year is reliability and consistency. It’s important we don’t lose sight of that. Getting to the finish line is not always a guarantee but everyone in the team has done a superb job of making sure we’ve finished every race without problems so far this season. I believe that will end up being a key factor when we get to the end of the season.

“I am the reigning winner here so of course the target has to be to go out and do the same thing again. Let’s wait and see what happens but I’m optimistic that I will be competitive this weekend.”

The
Boss Kenneth Hansen
“After the start to the season we have had, there is a target on our back, of course. That’s normal when you manage to finish first and second two events in a row.”

“It is always a special feeling to return to Lohéac, our second home in rallycross. We missed it last year so we’re really glad to becoming back, even if it’s not with quite as many fans as normal.

“After the start to the season we have had, there is a target on our back, of course. That’s normal when you manage to finish first and second two events in a row. But it is important that we stay grounded, not get carried away, and apply the same discipline, precision and dedication to our work as a team as we have in the first two rounds.”

The track: LOHÉAC
Timmy Hansen leading at the 2019 World RX of France
Photo: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool

Along with the previous round at Höljes, Lohéac is widely considered one of the two ‘crown jewel’ events of World Rallycross. Unlike Höljes though, it’s less technical and less undulating.

That doesn’t mean the 1.07-kilometre track lacks a punch – rather the track is not forgiving for those who stray even slightly off-line or brake a little too late. And if it rains, all bets are off – the second half of the lap will become highly unpredictable.

The big numbers
35.843
Timmy Hansen holds the lap record around Lohéac, setting a 35.843s lap time on World RX’s last visit to France in 2019. Hansen World RX Team had also held the record previously, with Sébastien Loeb setting a then-record time of 36.095s back in 2017.

3
The Hansen brothers have scored three consecutive one-two finishes in the last six weeks – two in the opening rounds of World RX and another in Extreme E’s Arctic X-Prix last weekend!

What to look out for
Turn one. The run to turn one at Lohéac is one of the shortest on the calendar and transitions into a 90-degree right-hander, which usually leaves the pack bunched up and prone to jostling at the first corner. That played out to our advantage in 2019 – the top two ran each other wide battling for the lead, allowing Timmy to cleanly sneak up the inside to take the lead and eventually win.

Turns five and six. This is the most difficult corner sequence on the track, with the drivers hitting top speed before turning in for a very long and sweeping right-hander. It’s even harder in the wet, with grip on the gravel surface inconsistent as the car travels over the bumps.

The joker merge then takes place to the right of those on the regular lap, as the drivers swing their cars in the other direction for a slow left. Get the exit wrong and speed is compromised all the way to turn one at the start of the following lap.

World RX of France:
When and where
Watch World RX on Red Bull TV

Every round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be broadcast on Red Bull TV free of charge. An exclusive pre-race show is followed by live coverage of the semi-finals and final. Download the Red Bull TV app for the best World RX viewing experience!

All qualifying and finals races can also be viewed live with the new RX+ subscription service.

Event Timetable
All times CEST
Saturday, September 4th
Free Practice 09:00
Qualifying 1 14:00
Qualifying 2 17:00
Sunday, September 5th
Warm-up 08:30
Qualifying 3 10:30
Qualifying 4 14:30
Red Bull TV Pre-Show 16:45
Semi-Final
Final

21-08-27 Nitišs brings more star quality to Lohéac line-up as Latvian added to FIA RX2e roster
Nitišs to make FIA RX2e Championship bow at Bretagne World RX of Lohéac
Youngest-ever World RX winner bolsters competitive field in France
Double European rallycross champion ready for electric challenge

Reinis Nitišs has today been announced as the latest addition to the FIA RX2e Championship prior to Round 3 of the series at the Bretagne World RX of Lohéac next week (September 3-5).

The Latvian is the most recent star name to commit to the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship as the pioneering category continues to gather pace in its inaugural season.

Nitišs boasts considerable experience in the FIA World Rallycross Championship and remains the youngest-ever winner in the headlining class after victory at Hell, Norway in 2014 – achieved at the age of 18 on just his third start at the highest level.

The Jekabpils native began his career in karting, claiming several national championship honours before graduating to the FIA European Rallycross Championship Super1600 class in 2012 and taking overall honours a year later at the wheel of a SET Promotion-run Renault Clio.

Nitišs stepped up to the World RX stage with Olsbergs MSE in 2014, claiming a podium on his debut in Portugal before his historic victory in Norway. Three more rostrum appearances followed as the Latvian star secured third in the Drivers' Standings at the end of a stunning debut season.

The 2015 campaign also started brightly with second in Round 2 at Hockenheim backed up by third at the Circuit Jules Tacheny Mattet in Belgian, but that impressive beginning proved difficult to maintain and Nitišs ended the year seventh in the table.

Two more seasons at the top tier failed to yield any further silverware but a move to the Supercar class of Euro RX – and a reunion with SET Promotion – led to another title after three wins from five outings.

Nitišs returned to World RX again in 2019, making three appearances and finishing third at Höljes, while he has been keeping his eye in this season with appearances in the RallyX Nordic CrossCar/Crosskart category and simultaneously claiming Baltic Rallycross Champion honours.

Now the 25-year-old is looking to test his skills in the all-electric RX2e series and will hope to be on the pace from the first session when the action gets underway at Lohéac.

Reinis Nitišs said: "I had a chance to test the new RX2e car at Nysum in Denmark after Round 2 of the RallyX Nordic Championship, and it was a lot of fun.

"A completely different driving style is required, while the feeling inside the car is a big change from that experienced in an internal combustion engine vehicle. You're sitting in silence waiting for the start, while you only have two pedals and no gear lever (which feels a bit funny!) but when you race you race, its fast…

"When I watched the World RX of Sweden at Holjes, RX2e produced some of the most interesting races with the top guys battling. All the cars are really, really equal so it will be good fun to fight against old rivals in a new series."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "Reinis has consistently demonstrated his impressive skills on the international stage and it is fantastic to have an FIA World Rallycross Championship race winner on our grid.

"This announcement is a significant endorsement for our cutting-edge series, with world-class drivers such as Reinis looking to get behind the wheel and prove their ability against our existing field packed full of promising young talent. We are excited to see how well he can adapt to the all-electric technology, and we hope he will be fighting at the front at Lohéac."

21-08-26 Raymond joins RX2e fight with French ace primed for success in Round 3 at Lohéac
Raymond the latest talent added to FIA RX2e grid
Two-time World RX support category champion hunting more silverware
French star hoping to make home advantage count at Lohéac (September 3-5)

Cyril Raymond is looking to test his abilities against some of the best young drivers around when the Frenchman makes his FIA RX2e Championship debut at the Bretagne World RX of Lohéac next week (September 3-5).

The 28-year-old is the latest exciting name added to the RX2e grid as the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship continues to catch the eye in its inaugural campaign.

Having watched the opening two events of the pioneering new series from the sidelines, Raymond – who has stood on the top step at Lohéac more than once during his career – is eager to join the fight and see just what he can achieve in cutting-edge machinery against a stellar line-up of talent.

The Saint-Raphaël native already has FIA World Rallycross Championship experience, having raced alongside current RX2e Drivers' Standings leader Guillaume De Ridder in a GCK Academy-run Renault Clio R.S in 2019.

Raymond impressed at the highest level, outscoring the Belgian and securing three top-ten finishes across the campaign – which included a season-high fifth in Barcelona – on his way to 13th in the table.

The French ace also has plenty of silverware in his trophy cabinet, having claimed consecutive domestic Rallycross titles in 2013 (Twingo Cup) and 2014 (Super 1600) before stepping up to the international stage.

Raymond was immediately at home on the World RX programme, coming second in his only RX2 event of 2015 before bagging the 2016 championship after two wins from seven races. This was followed by a dominant display in 2017, with six victories from seven outings (including a Lohéac triumph) ensuring he retained the crown.

A move into the FIA European Rallycross Championship Supercar class followed, and despite missing the opening round he still challenged for the overall honours and picked up a win at Lohéac before eventually finishing the 2018 season third – paving the way for his maiden World RX campaign a year later.

Raymond also has experience in electric vehicles, having claimed a ProjektE victory in Latvia with STARD's Citroën C3ERX last year, and the Circuit Paul Ricard driver coach will be desperate to show off his talents when the RX2e championship arrives in Lohéac.

Cyril Raymond said: "I’m really happy to be back on track, and especially in the new RX2e championship. I will be driving with the best drivers of the moment, and I would like to see my potential behind the wheel.

"Lohéac is always special for a French Rallycross driver. I love the circuit and the atmosphere around the track. Of course, I will be racing for the win!"

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "Cyril is a fantastic talent and we are delighted that he has decided to test his skills in the FIA RX2e Championship.

"His motorsport CV speaks for itself, with his RX2, Euro RX and World RX experience adding to an already highly-talented grid, and it will be exciting to see how he stacks up against our current frontrunners while behind the wheel of unfamiliar machinery."

21-08-23 Hansen brothers hit rivals with the old one-two on home soil
Timmy Hansen celebrates first home soil victory to snatch World Championship lead
Kevin Abbring showcases scintillating raw speed on way to maiden World RX podium
Thomas Bryntesson triumphs in Euro RX1 as Andreas Bakkerud stars on series return

Timmy Hansen led a second consecutive Hansen World RX Team one-two finish at Swecon World RX of Sweden today (22 July), as fans’ favourite Andreas Bakkerud celebrated his return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship bill with a popular podium finish in the Euro RX1 curtain-raiser.

Hansen and fellow world champion Johan Kristoffersson fought it out for honours during the qualifying stages, with the former getting the better of his countryman in a crowd-pleasing duel that pushed both drivers right to the limit around the legendary Värmland circuit.

That earned the pair a pole position apiece for their respective semi-finals, but whilst Hansen converted his into a lights-to-flag victory, Kristoffersson’s effort to do likewise was scuppered by a double puncture that brought an early end to the KYB EKS JC star’s weekend.

His misfortune opened the door for Kevin Hansen in the sister Peugeot 208 to join his brother on the front row of the grid for the final, having had to battle back from a difficult run through the qualifiers. From there, the brothers were on imperious form as they sped to the top two steps of the podium, with Timmy – who had never previously triumphed at Höljes – turning the tables on the Barcelona winner to usurp the lead of the World Championship standings.

They did not go unchallenged, however, as they were pushed hard indeed by Unkorrupted’s Kevin Abbring, who claimed his maiden rostrum finish in only his sixth World RX start. The Dutchman was impressive from the outset in Sweden, overcoming Q1 contact that pitched him into a spin to top the timesheets in Q3 and unleash a scintillating turn-of-speed in the final.

An early joker tactic ultimately left Abbring stuck behind Krisztían Szabó until the last lap, and whilst that prevented him from mounting a bid for victory, he nonetheless laid down a marker for future events.

Enzo Ide offered KYB EKS JC some consolation with a fourth-place finish, as the Belgian – who continues to show improvement with every outing – progressed through to the final for the first time in his fledgling World RX career.

Szabó finished fifth to move up to third in the title table, but GRX-SET World RX Team stablemate Niclas Grönholm missed out on the final due to a penalty for hitting a course marker in this semi-final following contact with Peter Hedström. Juha Rytkönen took the chequered flag sixth.

Timmy Hansen, Hansen World RX Team (1st), said:
“It’s been a fantastic weekend. I’ve been trying to win here for a long time and came super close on a number of occasions, and now finally we did it! This is a magic moment and I’m super happy.

“It was a shame to see Johan [Kristoffersson] not make the final because I was looking forward to continuing the battle, but from our side, every session went smoothly and I’m very happy with the pace we’ve had – it shows that all our hard work over the winter has paid off. The first two rounds of the season have gone perfectly for us, and now we need to continue to focus and keep on working hard.”

Kevin Hansen, Hansen World RX Team (2nd), said:
“We had a tough time of things in the qualifiers, and whilst I tried my best to break that pattern, nothing seemed to work. When I got the opportunity in the semi-final, I had to grab it, and to extend our lead in both championships is just awesome – I don’t think two brothers have ever achieved back-to-back one-two finishes in World RX before.

“Now, I’m already looking forward to Lohéac. The competition will clearly be tough, but our car suits the track well and we will go there with some great momentum. It’s the home of the Lion (Peugeot), and I’m excited to return after a couple of years away.”

Kevin Abbring, Unkorrupted (3rd), said:
“First of all, congratulations to Timmy and Kevin. I would love to be able to share a podium with my brother, but unfortunately I don’t have a brother, and my sister is really slow... Being serious, though, I think we should be very pleased. We were consistently quick right the way from free practice through to the final and didn’t make many mistakes.

“We obviously had to fight back after Q1, and we stayed out of trouble, if not out of traffic! I really believe we could have pushed for the win if we hadn’t got stuck behind Szabó in the final, but I’m still happy to score my first podium and I think we put on a good show for the spectators.”

FLYING FINN KALLIO SOARS TO THE TOP STEP
If Saturday was the Fraser McConnell show, then Sunday was all about Jesse Kallio in the second round of the FIA RX2e Championship, as he produced a peerless performance to claim his maiden victory in the all-electric single-make series.

McConnell looked to be on-course for glory as he dominated Q1 and Q2, but today, Kallio well and truly turned up the wick. The pair lined up alongside one another on the front row of the grid for the final, with the Jamaican on pole, but it was the Finn who made the better start to seize the initiative, and from that point on, he was never headed.

McConnell took the chequered flag second, with the result meaning there are now just two points covering the leading three drivers in the championship chase. Catalunya winner Guillaume De Ridder was unable to replicate quite the same pace in Sweden and picked up a puncture in the final, but fourth place nonetheless keeps the Belgian at the top of the table, a single point ahead of Kallio, with McConnell a further point in arrears in third.

On his RX2e bow, Isak Sjökvist turned heads with a strong run to the podium, while fellow newcomer Isak Reiersen and British teenager Patrick O’Donovan also caught the eye.

BRYNTESSON RISES ABOVE THE DRAMA IN EURO RX1
Thomas Bryntesson was already a winner ahead of the weekend, with the Swede’s Gulf Oil-liveried Volkswagen Polo roundly voted the best-looking car on the grid for the 2021 Euro RX1 curtain-raiser at Höljes. When the chequered flag fell at the end of the final, he was a winner on-track, too.

Bryntesson was there or thereabouts throughout the qualifiers, setting the pace in Q4 and gratefully inheriting the top spot in the intermediate standings following dramas for countryman Anton Marklund and Fabien Pailler.

After fending off Jean Baptiste ‘JB’ Dubourg for victory in the first semi-final, Bryntesson then repeated that result in the final in an inch-perfect display. Fans’ favourite Andreas Bakkerud fought back from a driveshaft failure in Q3 to round out the rostrum from the rear of the grid on his debut for ESMotorsport, posting fastest lap along the way as the top three flashed across the finish line blanketed by barely a second.

For much of the weekend, Marklund – reunited with his 2017 title-winning VW Polo – looked to be unbeatable, but a spectacular barrel-roll after clipping the kerb at the joker merge in Q4 left the Swede with a distinctly second-hand chassis and ruled him out of the remainder of the competition.

Similarly out-of-luck was two-time French champion Pailler, who was denied Top Qualifier status by a track marker penalty and then lost a wheel while firmly on-course to win the second semi-final.

BELEVSKIY REMAINS UNBEATEN IN EURO RX3
Yury Belevskiy was on commanding form once more in Euro RX3, although last year’s highest scorer was again pushed hard by young rookie Kobe Pauwels, who battled back from misfortune in a similar Volland Racing Audi A1.

Belevskiy secured a clean sweep of the qualifying stages, won his semi-final and led from lights-to-flag in the final, but that failed to tell the full story, as Pauwels recovered from an engine-related retirement in Q4 to make a demon start from the back row of the grid in the final and haul himself into contention.

The Belgian teenager’s quest for a remarkable victory was foiled by late joker Jan Cerný, leaving him half-a-second adrift of Belevskiy at the close, but his performance was nevertheless another indicator that he will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Marat Knyazev completed the rostrum finishers in third, with Škoda ace Cerný the top non-Audi driver in fourth.

The 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign resumes in a fortnight’s time at Lohéac in France on 3-5 September, for another full bill of World RX, RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 action.

Copyright-free images are available for media download via the World RX Newsroom on the Red Bull Content Pool.

FINAL RESULT
1. Timmy Hansen (SWE) Hansen World RX Team 6 laps
2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 1.049s
3. Kevin ABBRING (NLD) Unkorrupted + 1.645s
4. Enzo IDE (BEL) KYB EKS JC + 3.154s
5. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 3.696s
6. Juha RYTKÖNEN (FIN) JUHA RYTKÖNEN + 4.636s

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-08-22 Kallio takes the spoils at Höljes in thrilling showdown with McConnell as title battle heats up
Kallio claims stunning victory in Round 2 of FIA RX2e Championship
Finn flies into title contention with spectacular comeback in Sweden
McConnell impresses in second as debutant Sjökvist completes podium
All-electric series continues at Lohéac, France (August 3-5)

Jesse Kallio emerged triumphant after an enthralling battle with Fraser McConnell as Round 2 of the FIA RX2e Championship at the World RX of Sweden produced scintillating action at Höljes.

The Finnish ace bounced back from a disappointing Saturday to storm into contention with consecutive qualifying session wins before showing blistering pace in both the semi-finals and final to claim the overall spoils.

McConnell was a narrow second after impressing throughout the weekend at the iconic Värmland circuit, while Isak Sjökvist notched third on his RX2e debut after a frenetic final.

Guillaume De Ridder remains top of the Drivers' Standings after finishing fourth, but the Belgian is just a point ahead of Kallio and two clear of McConnell as the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship now turns its attention to Lohéac in France for Round 3.

Kallio started the weekend in fine fashion, winning his Q1 race and posting the third-fastest time of the opening session behind McConnell and De Ridder.

However, things unravelled in Q2 as a slow puncture saw him slip down the order while McConnell doubled up – holding off the rapid Swedish duo of Linus Östlund and Nils Andersson to take control at the end of Saturday.

Sat fifth at the halfway stage of qualifying, Kallio had it all to do in order to catch McConnell but a blistering display in Q3 produced the fastest time of the weekend so far and set the 22-year-old on the comeback trail.

He backed that up with a dominant Q4 win, getting the holeshot and putting the hammer down to cover an early joker from McConnell – although victory was still not enough to prevent the Jamaican from claiming Top Qualifier honours.

While Kallio and McConnell were pushing the pace at the front, standings leader De Ridder was having a tougher time after a dream clean sweep in Barcelona and could only manage fourth in the intermediate standings following damage and a puncture on a frustrating Sunday.

McConnell laid down a marker in the opening semi-final, taking victory ahead of Östlund and the ever-entertaining Patrick O'Donovan after Andersson suffered a mechanical failure which dashed his hopes of a home victory.

Kallio responded to McConnell in his semi-final, leading from turn one to the flag while De Ridder took second and Sjökvist booked his spot in the final with third – making the most of a half-spin from rapid EKS JC youngster Isak Reiersen on the opening lap.

That put the two old RX2 rivals on the front row for the final, and it was Kallio who reached turn one first while pole-sitter McConnell slotted in behind and De Ridder headed for the joker.

Östlund followed suit on the next tour but couldn't leapfrog the Belgian, while a combative O'Donovan was snapping at McConnell's heels before taking his own compulsory joker.

Kallio continued to stretch his lead at the head of the pack and, while McConnell and Sjökvist both went for an alternative joker strategy, there was no stopping the Finn as he pumped in consistency rapid lap times to secure his first win in the pioneering new RX2e category.

McConnell and Sjökvist, who showed consistent improvement throughout the weekend as he continues to adapt in his maiden season of rallycross competition, completed the rostrum while De Ridder suffered a late puncture but still finished fourth and Östlund came out on top in a robust final-lap battle with O'Donovan.

It was a frustrating day for the local driver, who posted the third-quickest times in both Q2 and Q3, and fellow new-boys Andersson and Reiersen were also left thinking what might have been after their semi-final misfortunes.

Damien Meunier will be desperate for another chance to realise his potential after the pacy Frenchman produced a competitive display on an unfamiliar circuit, while it was a similar story for Pablo Suárez as the popular Spaniard lodged improving times with every session around Höljes – having never raced at the legendary venue before.

A haul of 29 points for Kallio leaves him just one behind Drivers' Standings leader De Ridder ahead of Round 3, while McConnell's 27 puts him a solitary point further back. O'Donovan moves into fourth after another strong display while Suárez and Meunier complete the top six in the table.

Jesse Kallio said: "Today has been a perfect day. Yesterday wasn't so good, but today has been brilliant. It is so tight when everyone is in the same cars. The driver makes all the difference, and that makes it really enjoyable. I am trying to find the budget to do more races, as I am hungry for more success."

Fraser McConnell said: "It's all down to the drivers in these cars, and I think Jesse figured out the launch settings just a little bit better than me all weekend! That's what it all comes down to, because the driving is so spot on from everyone.

"Jesse has done a really great job and should be really proud of his driving. I tried to put him under pressure as much as I could, and the championship standings are really tight now. I hope sponsors can see the value of a championship with such great drivers."

Isak Sjoökvist said: "It's been a really tough weekend with such great drivers who are all really fast. It feels really great to be up on the podium, and I couldn't have imagined that at the beginning of the week.

"These electric cars are absolute fire. It's been hard at times to adapt my driving style but I have enjoyed the learning curve. I have tried every solution to find extra speed, and this is a huge result for me."

The FIA RX2e Championship continues with Round 3 at Lohéac, France next month (September 3-5). You can watch every single race live on RX+, the new FIA World Rallycross Championship broadcast platform.

Result
1. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) 6 laps
2. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) +1.605
3. Isak SJÖKVIST (SWE) +4.472
4. Guillaume DE RIDDDER (BEL) +7.210
5. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) +7.59
6. Patrick O'DONOVAN (IRL) +10.552

Championship Standings
1. Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) 51pts
2. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) 50pts
3. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) 49pts
4. Patrick O'DONOVAN (IRL) 34pts
5. Pablo SUÁREZ (ESP) 31pts
6. Damien MEUNIER (FRA) 23pts
7. Ole Henry STEINSHOLT (NOR) 21pts
8. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 19pts
9. Isak SJÖKVIST (SWE) 17pts
10. Nils ANDERSSON (SWE) 16pts
11. José Luis GARCÍA MOLINA (ESP) 13pts
12. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) 13pts
13. Mark FLAHERTY (GBR) 10pts
14. Jan Oscar ORTFELDT (SWE) 9pts

21-08-22 Timmy Hansen takes first home win in another Hansen one-two World RX finish
FIA World Rallycross Championship leaders Hansen World RX Team scored its first one-two finish on home soil, as Timmy Hansen led home younger brother Kevin at World RX of Sweden in Höljes.
Wins for both drivers in their respective semi-finals set up an all-Hansen front-row for the final, with Timmy leading away from pole position and holding the top spot all the way to the chequered flag in typically unflappable style.

Only a second behind across the line was Kevin, who briefly went side-by-side with Timmy through turn one in the final before ceding track position into the tight second turn.

Timmy’s run to victory had been a confident and assured one, finishing as top qualifier for the second consecutive race weekend ahead of Johan Kristoffersson. His performance in the first semi-final was similarly controlled, putting in an assured lights-to-flag win to bag a maximum 30-point haul from his home race.

Second place was a testament to Kevin’s perseverance, as being one of the last drivers selected for the grid draw on Friday made qualifying a difficult endeavour.

Kevin had found himself starting on the far side of the grid throughout qualifying and, finding himself stuck in traffic in every race, struggled to show his true pace and could only manage sixth place in the final intermediate standings.

Starting third in the second semi-final, Kevin followed up a strong start with an early joker strategy, which paid dividends as he leapfrogged Krisztián Szabó for the win. His progress up the order was also aided by Johan Kristoffersson pulling off with car trouble, sealing a front-row slot alongside Timmy in the final.

Victory for Timmy ends an eight-year wait for Hansen World RX Team to secure its first home win at world championship level. Timmy had previously won on the road in 2015 before a post-race penalty demoted him to second – but this time around no last-lap pass was needed to cross the line in first place.

After his win in Barcelona, Kevin had started the year leading the World RX standings but the brothers have now switched places, as Timmy’s perfect 30-point score jumped puts him six points up on Kevin in second overall.

Hansen World RX Team also further strengthened its lead in the teams’ championship, building its advantage over GRX SET to 40 points.

21
TIMMY HANSEN
“The real magicians in our team are the engineers and mechanics – I’ve never felt so good in a car around this track as I did on Sunday.”

“I am so happy, so excited, maybe even a little bit relieved, to finally have my first home win in World RX – one that’s mine to keep this time! This has been the one race more than any I’ve wanted to win. I think every racing driver gets a special feeling to win in front of their home crowd and even though Höljes wasn’t quite as packed as it normally is with the restricted number of spectators, it’s still an amazing feeling.

“It’s hard to believe we even managed this result – scoring a 1-2 is an amazing feat. To pull it off two rounds in a row seems impossible. And to do it here in Sweden is magical. But the real magicians in our team are the engineers and mechanics – I’ve never felt so good in a car around this track as I did on Sunday. The reliability we have is all thanks to them – it’s sad that we didn’t get to race against Johan in the final but it also shows how critical every member of the team is to our success on the track.

“It’s my best start to the season ever – 57 points from a possible 60 – and before I get back in the 208 at Lohéac in two weeks, I still have an Extreme E race to do in Greenland. My schedule is extremely busy but not for the first time – it was a bit like this in 2019 as well, when we were competing in three series at once. That year went quite well, so maybe a busy schedule is a good thing!”

9
KEVIN HANSEN

“If it had been any other driver I would have sent it up the inside at turn two, as there was maybe enough space to try and squeeze through.”

“Today we showed everyone why we are the leading team in the championship. We have a strong car, great engineers and mechanics and fast drivers – but when myself and Timmy are together on the track, we can score amazing results like these. We have waited so long to take a first place trophy home from Höljes and it’s a great feeling to have finally pulled it off, especially in this style and even though it wasn’t myself scoring the win today.

“I had two great starts in the finals but in the end Timmy had just enough to stay ahead in the last race race. If it had been any other driver I would have sent it up the inside at turn two, as there was maybe enough space to try and squeeze through. But if I’d done that here, it would have compromised Timmy and, as we showed in Barcelona, the priority is always to score the best combined result for the team.

“It’s a shame I lost some points with qualifying but with my grid positions, there wasn’t much more I could do. Grid draws have rarely been good for me – I changed my number last year specifically to try and break my bad luck streak! – but even number nine couldn’t save me for Q1. But what matters is that when an opportunity to use my full pace came up, I pulled it off and got the result I needed.”

THE
BOSS KENNETH HANSEN
“Our second one-two finish in a row really shows the strength of our team and how much we are focused on the details.”

“I feel really pleased for Timmy – he has worked hard for many years to get a home victory and now he finally has it. Kevin’s development over the course of the weekend was also great to see; he struggled a lot with his positions in qualifying but he rebounded in excellent style with his semi-final performance.

“Our second one-two finish in a row really shows the strength of our team and how much we are focused on the details. Our strategy was executed perfectly by Timmy and Kevin, while the car performance at this circuit was much improved on last year’s two rounds in Höljes. We didn’t necessarily have the most raw pace – Kevin Abbring was showing some great speed in the Mégane, and Johan was quick like always – but everyone in our team used their experience and knowledge to bring the maximum out of what we have.”

SWE WORLD RX OF SWEDEN:
RESULTS
1st
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 2nd
Qualifying 2 1st
Qualifying 3 2nd
Qualifying 4 2nd
Semi-Final 1 1st
Final 1st

2nd
Kevin Hansen
Qualifying 1 4th
Qualifying 2 9th
Qualifying 3 5th
Qualifying 4 5th
Semi-Final 2 1st
Final

21-08-22 Enzo Ide fyra i under rallycross-VM i Höljes – besvikelse för Johan Kristoffersson
För EKS JCs Johan Kristoffersson fick helgen ett abrupt slut, och han tvingades bryta i semifinal. Samtidigt gjorde teamkompisen Enzo Ide sin bästa tävling hittills i World RX. För 17-årige Isak Reiersen avslutades RX2e-debut i semifinal.
– Det är mixade känslor, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Den andra deltävlingen av FIA World Rallycross Championship (rallycross-VM) har under helgen körts i svenska Höljes. För EKS JC och regerande världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson gick inte helgen som planerat. Helgen innehöll två omgångssegrar för Kristoffersson, och han kvalade in sig som tvåa till semifinal. Han tog ledningen och såg ut att gå mot en vinst i semifinalen. Men på tredje varvet landade han snett i ett hopp, vilken resulterade i en dubbelpunktering och han tvingades bryta. I och med det tappar han två placeringar i mästerskapstabellen och ligger efter helgen på en delad fjärdeplats.

Bättre gick det för teamkompisen Enzo Ide, som gör sin första fulla säsong i World RX. Efter en åttondeplats i grundomgången kunde han i semifinalen, från fjärde startspår, köra hem en tredjeplats – trots punktering. I final gjorde bland annat ett smart jokerbeslut att belgaren kunde avsluta på fjärde plats i tävlingen. Förutom sitt bästa resultat i World RX hittills, lämnar även Ide Höljes med att ha avancerat till en sjundeplats i mästerskapet.

I elbilsklassen RX2e debuterade regerande RallyX Nordic-mästaren i Crosscar Isak Reiersen. Tävlingen, som var 17-åringens första i en fyrhjulsdriven bil, räckte till semifinal. Reiersen imponerade direkt med en andratid på träningen och kom snabbt in i bilen. Under grundomgången kämpade han bitvis med trafik på banan, men lyckades bland annat köra hem en heatseger och sluta sexa i grundomgången. I semifinal var tonåringen bra med i starten – men i första kurvan blev det trångt. Han tvåhjulade på curbsen och lyckades precis förhindra en rullning. Istället gled han ut i gruset, tappade tid och missade därmed finalen efter en femteplats i semin.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef EKS JC:
”Vi avslutade precis tävlingen i Höljes med mixade känslor. För Johans del började tävlingen starkt, sedan kämpade vi med farten under Q2 och Q3. I Q4 kunde han ta en snabbaste tid igen, och inför semifinalen tycker jag att vi hade hittat helt rätt. Han låg i ledning och det såg mer eller mindre klart ut, när en dubbelpunktering stoppade oss. Riktigt tråkigt såklart, vi hade sett fram emot en bra fight i finalen och att kunna plocka mästerskapspoäng efter ett par förlorade poäng i Barcelona. Men vi ger inte upp utan blickar framåt till Lohéac om två helger, teamet och Johan är redo för revansch.

Enzo fick ett fantastisk avslut på sin helg med fjärdeplatsen. Han hade hög fart i finalen och gjorde ett riktigt bra race. Jag vet hur många testdagar och hur mycket hårt arbete det ligger bakom hans utveckling, så hela teamet är glada för hans skull.

Det här var den första elektriska rallycrosstävlingen för både EKS JC och Isak, och även hans debut i rallycross på en så här hög internationell nivå. Så med tanke på det är jag väldigt nöjd med hans insats och tempo, och det tycker jag även att han ska vara. Tyvärr gjorde en incident i semifinalen att han inte kunde fightas om en finalplats. Men vi var här för att lära, och det har vi definitivt gjort. Förhoppningsvis kan vi göra något liknande med Isak i framtiden.”

Johan Kristoffersson, World RX:
”Helgen började riktigt bra, med en snabbaste tid i Q1. Sen i Q2 och Q3 hade vi inte riktigt farten vi ville, men så ändrade vi lite i inställningarna och kom in i Q4 med bra fart. Det kändes riktigt bra inför semifinalen, och jag kände mig mer komfortabel i bilen igen. I semifinalen gjorde jag en bra start och kom ut först. Men på varv tre gled jag ut lite för mycket i kurva två och landade på curbsen efter hoppet. Vi fick dubbelpunktering, och så var det slut...

Hittills har vi kört två av nio deltävlingar, så det är ännu tidigt i mästerskapet. Samtidigt blir marginalerna mindre, och vår situation lite svårare. Men det är som det är, och ingenting jag kommer tänka på nu. Vi alla vet hur fort saker kan hända i motorsport. Det här är de första två tävlingarna jag har kört i den nya bilen, och jag lär mig fortfarande. Så vi får ta med oss lärdomarna härifrån, och helt enkelt försöka göra det bättre nästa gång.”

Enzo Ide, World RX:
”Det har varit roligt att köra i Höljes igen och med tanke på resultatet är jag riktigt, riktigt glad. Helgen har gått lite upp och ner för min del, men EKS JC har gjort ett bra jobb för att få bilen dit jag vill. Jag är väldigt tacksam över att tävla med det här teamet, som hela tiden hjälper mig att bli bekväm i bilen, utvecklas och pusha framåt.

Efter semifinalen hade jag endel mixade känslor, och jag lider med Johan. Samtidigt som hans punkteringar gjorde att han tappade ledningen kunde jag, trots en punktering, ta mig till final. I finalen valde jag att dyka in i jokern direkt, och det gjorde att jag kunde hålla ett bra tempo och plocka placeringar. Jag tappade lite fokus ett tag, men min spotter ropade åt mig att fokusera och jag lyckades hålla ihop. Jag satte några bra varvtider och att komma fyra, före två väldigt snabba förare, känns riktigt bra.”

Isak Reiersen, RX2e:
”Såklart var inte det här resultatet som jag ville ha, och jag har inte kunnat hålla tempot som jag velat eftersom vi kämpat med trafik på banan. Men jag är ändå nöjd med min fart hela helgen, och hur pass snabbt jag kom in i bilen. Jämfört med crosskart har det varit som två skilda världar. Dels är det en fullstor bil, med fyrhjulsdrift. Så till skillnad mot vad jag är van vid har jag inte kunnat attackera lika hårt, utan fokusen har varit på en lugnare körning och att hålla bra linjer ut ur kurvorna. Sen var det såklart en ny upplevelse att köra en elbil, utan växling och med all fokus på gas och broms.

Jag vill såklart säga tack till EKC JC, mina sponsorer och alla de som gjorde tävlingen möjlig. Det har alltid varit en dröm att köra VM här på hemmaplan i Höljes, så nu kan jag checka av det. Det är en kul erfarenhet att ha fått tävla i en elbil, och jag ser stor potential för det i framtiden.”

Fullständigt resultat för World RX och RX2e finns här: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/

21-08-21 Official World RX app launches for mobile devices
Watch RX+ anytime and anywhere on new World Championship app
Content includes news, videos, results, live timing and detailed driver bios
Available on both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets

he first-ever FIA World Rallycross Championship app has been launched ahead of this weekend’s second round of the 2021 campaign, Swecon World RX of Sweden (21 - 22 July) – enabling fans to watch RX+ anytime and anywhere.

The free application is available on iOS and Android devices (both mobile phones and tablets), and will provide access to all the latest premium content from World RX, the new RX2e series and European championships Euro RX1 and Euro RX3.

Registered RX+ subscribers can sign in with their account details to watch hundreds of hours of exclusive rallycross action, live or on-demand and in glorious HD quality. This premium production includes all races live as well as highlights, previews and replays, plus in-depth expert analysis, special features and interviews with the stars of the show – not to mention an unprecedented choice of viewing angles via on-board cameras that put viewers right in the driving seat.

With simple navigation, users can read all the latest news, follow race results live, check the championship standings and enjoy free video clips. Fans can find out all about their favourite drivers and teams thanks to detailed career information, while delving into the discipline’s rich history and check out upcoming events.

The free World RX app can be downloaded for iOS devices here, and Android devices here.

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:

“We are delighted to launch the new FIA World Rallycross Championship app. We know how big a part of the whole World RX experience this is for fans, and we have been working extremely hard behind-the-scenes to make it happen.

“The app is immersive, intuitive and informative, and will keep fans fully up-to-date with everything going on in the championship, ensuring they are first in the know for all breaking news and driver announcements, while having live action and results and ultra-cool video content right at their fingertips. This game-changer further enhances the premium service we are committed to delivering to all of our fans, and ensures they can access World RX anywhere and anytime.”

Detailed World RX app content description:

Get right to the heart of the action with the official FIA World Rallycross Championship App. Stay fully up-to-speed with the latest World RX videos and news while following all of the races LIVE!

Everything you need at your fingertips:

LIVE – ALL RACES
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21-08-18 Hansen leads the pack into its home World RX round
Hansen World RX Team is heading to its home event of the FIA World Rallycross Championship defending its lead in both the drivers’ and team’s title races, visiting the Höljes circuit in Sweden on August 20-22.

A one-two finish at the opening round of the season in Spain was led by Kevin Hansen, taking his first on-the-road victory at world championship level ahead of his brother and 2019 World RX champion Timmy Hansen.

The team’s incredible result in the World RX of Catalunya final gave Kevin and Timmy nine and seven-point advantages respectfully over reigning World RX champion Johan Kristoffersson, while Hansen World RX Team is 22 points ahead of GRX in the teams’ standings.

Now the pair have their shortest journey of the year, heading only a few hundred miles north from the team’s base in Västra Götaland to the edge of the Sweden-Norway border to visit the most famous rallycross circuit in the world, Höljes.

It’s the last time this season the team will have such a comfortable commute – World RX of Sweden marks the beginning of an arduous schedule across multiple championships.

There are 13 championship rounds in 11 locations on the itinerary for Hansen Motorsport across the next 16 weeks, covering both the world championship and Nitro Rallycross. Timmy and Kevin will also compete in Extreme E's Arctic X-Prix next week, keeping them even busier still.

9
Timmy Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team
“This year would also be a better year than the last to get a first win in Sweden, given spectators are back!”

“Coming to my home race as championship leader is an amazing feeling. And what’s better is I know we have the pace to be competitive. I came so close to winning in 2019, right on the bumper of Sebastian Eriksson across the line, and I hope I can bring this kind of pace to Höljes again this year.

“This year would also be a better year than the last to get a first win in Sweden, given spectators are back! Happy Street is not so happy when it’s empty. It’s great to have them back, even if for safety it’s not quite as many people as before. I want to take advantage of having the proper Höljes atmosphere back by finishing on the podium this Sunday.”

21
Timmy Hansen
“It’s not the traditional Magic Weekend – it’s quite late in the year compared to when we would usually be here – but it still has all the same elements that make it special.”

“This race is a highlight of my year every year – it’s always special to race at home. The last few years have maybe been a little difficult for us on the ‘classic’ gravel circuits but all the work the team has put in over the winter should pay off, I believe. I hope we’ve taken a step closer in that area.

“It’s not the traditional Magic Weekend – it’s quite late in the year compared to when we would usually be here – but it still has all the same elements that make it special. It’s about much more than just driving fast; because of how technical the circuit is there’s a delicate balance between the driver, car and track. And the dynamics of race strategy are different compared to Spain with how the joker lap is placed – an early joker usually isn’t that effective here so we need to get the starts absolutely perfect.”

The
Boss Kenneth Hansen
“We didn’t get the result we wanted at Höljes last year and we want to make up for it this time around.”

“One of the areas we spent the most time and effort working on during the off-season was improving our car performance on more traditional-style rallycross circuits. The result in Spain was a great validation of the work we’d put in, especially by ORECA on our engine, but now some other areas we’ve worked on will come into greater focus.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted at Höljes last year and we want to make up for it this time around. We had one podium finish here with Kevin during the double-header in 2020 but we believe we can do better this time. While the Audi is a fast car around Höljes – and we anticipate that the Hyundai will be faster than at the last round too – we still expect to be at the front and in the running for victory.”

The track:
HÖLJESBANAN
Kevin Hansen, 2018 World RX of Sweden

Höljes is one of the oldest and most famous rallycross circuits on earth, hosting its first race back in February 1976 and being a permanent fixture on the world championship calendar since its formation in 2014.

It’s a stark departure from the smooth and grippy Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya that hosted round one of the World RX season. The first half of the lap is filled with low and medium speed turns that are highly technical, while the second half is a fast blast down a hill and through a sweeping right-hander towards the final hairpin.

It’s a track of many characteristics – making it one of the toughest on the calendar to find the right balance.

The big numbers
56
Hansen World RX Team picked up a perfect score for the teams’ championship standings in Spain, taking all 56 points available with a 1-2 in qualifying, two semi finals wins and a 1-2 in the final. It’ll be hard to repeat that performance – but we’ll be trying our hardest!

8
Kenneth Hansen scored eight Euro RX wins in Sweden as a driver. We’re still looking for our first victory in World RX (that we get to keep!) at home – will this be the year?

What to look out for
Joker lap entry. The joker split on lap one can get messy – very, very messy. The drivers come through the sweeping turn one right-hander side-by-side and are still jostling for position into turn two. The problem? Those taking the regular lap need to slam on the brakes early, while those going for the joker keep their foot on the throttle and send it towards the outside. Read your opponents’ intentions wrong and you can end up rear-ending someone, or being rear-ended by someone else!

The Velodrome. The Velodrome, a banked asphalt turn at the far end of the circuit, is one of the best overtaking zones on the track – and it’s been a favourite passing place of Timmy Hansen’s for many years now. Exit speed is crucial as it’s almost entirely flat out from here to the final corner of the lap. But that presents a quandary for drivers – the fastest line keeps the door open for someone to dive down the inside and try to steal your position.

The Final Corner. Timmy Hansen won on the road back in 2015 only for his victory to be taken away by a post-race penalty, after a bold last-lap dive at the final corner on the final lap. It was a brilliant move but Timmy had taken slightly too much inside kerb by smallest of margins, leading to a two second penalty. Despite that near miss, this slow, long-left hander that comes after a hard braking zone, presents another golden passing opportunity for the drivers – so long as there’s just enough room to squeeze down the inside.

World RX of Sweden:
When and where
Timmy Hansen, Pre-Season Testing, 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship

Watch World RX on Red Bull TV
Every round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be broadcast on Red Bull TV free of charge. An exclusive pre-race show is followed by live coverage of the semi-finals and final. Download the Red Bull TV app for the best World RX viewing experience!

All qualifying and finals races can also be viewed live with the new RX+ subscription service.
Watch World RX on Red Bull TV
Download the Red Bull TV app https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/fia-world-rallycross-championship-sweden

Event Timetable
All times CEST
Saturday, August 21st
Free Practice 09:00
Qualifying 1 14:30
Qualifying 2 17:00
Saturday, August 22nd
Warm-up 09:00
Qualifying 3 11:00
Qualifying 4 14:30
Red Bull TV Pre-Show 16:45
Semi-Final
Final

21-08-17 ‘Having to watch Höljes from home would have been unthinkable…’ Look who’s Bakk!
Andreas Bakkerud says that having to watch this weekend’s FIA World Rallycross Championship event at Höljes in Sweden (20-22 August) from his sofa ‘would have been unthinkable’. Thankfully, he won’t have to, after inking an 11th-hour deal to join the grid in the Euro RX1 category with ESMotorsport.

Bakkerud is one of the biggest names in international motorsport. Two times an FIA European Rallycross Champion at Super1600 (now Euro RX3) level, since stepping up to the World Championship stage in 2014, the Norwegian has triumphed on seven occasions and finished inside the top three in the title standings in 2016, 2018 and 2019 – in the last of those seasons, tying on points with eventual champion Timmy Hansen.

The 29-year-old looked destined to sit the 2021 campaign out after struggling to put the budget together, but when the opportunity presented itself to pilot ESMotorsport’s second Škoda Fabia at Höljes alongside fellow World RX podium-finisher Janis Baumanis – taking the place of Hungary’s ‘Luigi’, who has withdrawn from the event – he explains that he did not need to think too hard...

“Having to watch one more race weekend from the sofa would just have been unthinkable,” Bakkerud revealed, “and especially Höljes – my stomach wouldn’t have stood for that! I really enjoyed the new RX+ broadcast in Barcelona and all the on-board camera angles are really cool, but the bottom line is that I’m a racer and I want to be out there racing!

“I’m over the moon to be back on the grid, and this is such a special circuit for me. I went to school in Torsby when I was growing up, so I’m very familiar with the area around Höljes and it really feels like a home track.

“I’ve been competing there since 2009, with some amazing races and a lot of great memories – including my first Euro RX Supercar (now RX1) win in 2013 and a World Championship event win three years later – so to sit at home this weekend was simply not an option. There has been a huge amount of hard work behind-the-scenes with my partners and the team to get to this point, and now it’s time to enjoy it and go racing!

“My expectations are always high – whenever my name is on the entry list, I’m there to win – but I also need to be realistic given that I haven’t done many laps in the Fabia. Results come over time, so I can’t expect to go out there and be the fastest straightaway, but this is a great opportunity to get to know the team and car.

“Höljes is a one-off for now, but I’ve definitely got one eye on the future and I’ve always regarded ESMotorsport as a team with real potential in rallycross. Who knows, maybe I can be the driver who breaks the ice and steps onto the podium with them...”

Bakkerud’s past form at Höljes is certainly impressive, with five straight podium finishes there in World Championship competition from 2014 to 2018. ESMotorsport Team Manager Robertas Maneikis is hopeful that his new recruit will help to drive the Lithuanian outfit – which achieved a brace of top four finishes with Kevin Abbring in World RX in 2019 – to new heights.

“We’re delighted to welcome Andreas to the team for Höljes,” Maneikis acknowledged. “He is somebody that really doesn’t need any introduction – he has achieved so much in this sport, and every time he races, he puts his absolute heart and soul into it. He is unquestionably one of the most talented drivers of the current generation with a first-class attitude and approach, and we have no doubt that he will give the whole team a boost as we seek to establish ourselves on the Euro RX1 scene.

“With two drivers of the calibre of Andreas and Janis [Baumanis] in our pair of Škoda Fabias in Sweden, we are confident of being amongst the front-runners from the outset. We’re excited to get to the track and do battle!”

All of the action from Höljes will be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is still on sale for the special launch price of €29,99, representing a 40% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Swecon World RX of Sweden is currently available for €4,79 (using promo code RXPLUS40), again representing a 40% saving on the regular price of €7,99. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-08-17 Swedish quartet enter fray as FIA RX2e Championship heads to Höljes
FIA RX2e Championship continues at World RX of Sweden
Rising stars strengthen Round 2 entry list at Höljes
De Ridder holds advantage after Catalunya clean sweep
Every race available live on RX+ platform

The FIA RX2e Championship continues at Höljes this weekend, with an exciting squad of local stars joining the grid for Round 2 of the pioneering series' debut season.

Four native drivers have joined the field for the second outing of RX2e's inaugural campaign, with the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship reprising its role as lead support category on the FIA World Rallycross Championship undercard.

Nils Andersson, Isak Reiersen, Isak Sjökvist and Linus Östlund are all on the hunt for success at the World RX of Sweden but the quartet will have their work cut out catching Guillaume De Ridder if the Belgian replicates his form from the curtain-raiser at Catalunya.

De Ridder completed a dominant clean sweep at the Circuit de Catalunya, claiming victory in every single session to become the maiden RX2e race winner and take an early lead in the Drivers' Standings.

The 28-year-old was pushed all the way by Fraser McConnell and Jesse Kallio, but an eagerly-anticipated three-way showdown failed to materialise after the former RX2 sparring partners came together in the first corner of the final.

The trio will renew their rivalry at Höljes this week, while Patrick O'Donovan will be doing his best to reproduce his impressive third-place finish in Round 1 – achieved on his international rallycross debut.

Popular Spaniard Pablo Suárez is another returning face, having just missed out on the rostrum at his home event in Barcelona, and pacy Frenchman Damien Meunier will be hoping for better luck after a frustrating opening weekend – the former RX2 finalist having shown the potential to challenge for a podium before suffering consecutive qualifying DNFs which halted his momentum.

While the majority of the grid have already got one event under their belt driving the cutting-edge RX2e cars, the new Swedish contingent will be looking to utilise home advantage to make up for lost time.

None of the quartet know Höljes better than Östlund, with the 21-year-old having grown up at the famous Värmland circuit, while his RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites rival Andersson won at the legendary venue earlier this term.

Meanwhile, Sjökvist has shown rapid improvement throughout his first full season after graduating from karting and Reiersen – a junior member of leading World RX outfit EKS JC – arrives with an impressive career résumé and will be looking to make waves on his international debut just one week after clinching the RallyX Nordic CrossCar/Crosskart crown.

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: “The inaugural FIA RX2e Championship got us off to an electrifying start in Barcelona, and we are confident that the high-octane action will continue in Höljes.

"We have a world class line-up of promising young talent assembled for the World RX of Sweden, with a number of native drivers out to prove their worth on home turf, and we cannot wait to see the highly-competitive field push the RX2e car to its limit around one of the most iconic venues in rallycross history."

Where to Watch
Racing is set to begin at 1130 CEST on Saturday, 21 August, with all of the action across the board to be live-streamed in HD via the new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is still on sale for the special launch price of €29,99, representing a 40% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Swecon World RX of Sweden is currently available for €4,79 (using promo code RXPLUS40), again representing a 40% saving on the regular price of €7,99.

Tickets to World RX of Sweden can be purchased here: https://secure.tickster.com/sv/h7d4akguaun2uud/selectevent

RX2e official entry list – World RX of Sweden

NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT
5 Pablo Suárez ESP Monlau Competición
13 Patrick O’Donovan GBR Patrick O’Donovan
14 Nils Andersson SWE Kristoffersson Motorsport
18 Linus Östlund SWE Linus Östlund
21 Damien Meunier FRA Damien Meunier
35 Fraser McConnell SWE Fraser McConnell
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Jesse Kallio
82 Isak Sjökvist SWE Isak Sjökvist
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Guillaume De Ridder
170 Isak Reiersen SWE EKS JC

21-08-16 Hansen Motorsport becomes first rallycross team to achieve FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation
Hansen Motorsport has become the first team in the rallycross discipline of motorsport to achieve a Three-Star Environmental Accreditation from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), reaffirming its commitment to transforming into a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly organisation.

Having joined the United Nations Sports For Climate Action Framework earlier in 2021, attaining FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation was the next critical goal for Hansen Motorsport, working together with key stakeholders in motorsport to set a gold standard for sustainability in our industry.

The FIA’s Environmental Accreditation programme is designed to ensure stakeholders in motorsport competitions measure and improve their environmental performance. A strong focus on continual improvement to reduce consumption of raw materials, lower emissions from our operations, and encouraging a sustainability-first mindset from all members of the Hansen Motorsport organisation forms the core of this commitment.

Hansen has already introduced a number of initiatives to further reduce waste, recycling more of its materials and lowering emissions.

Our headquarters in Götene have been converted to run on 100% renewable energy. Single-use plastic and paper consumption has been greatly reduced, with reusable metal bottles introduced to reduce waste. Together with team partner Red Bull, Hansen Motorsport also collects and recycles aluminium drinks cans consumed by the team.

We are also continuing our work with partner TotalEnergies, as energy plays a key role in mitigating climate change. TotalEnergies is working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions associated with its activities, in line with our team’s own push for improved sustainability.

Susann Hansen
Team Manager, Hansen Motorsport
Kenneth Hansen (Team Principal) and Susann Hansen (Team Manager) stands behind the team's new environmental policy and encourage others to take action.

“Setting the standard for environmental awareness and commitment to sustainability is a vital goal for Hansen Motorsport, so to be the first team in rallycross to have achieved the highest level of Environmental Accreditation from the FIA marks a huge milestone for our organisation.

“It is important for everyone in our sport to do their part and we applaud the FIA for pushing its stakeholders to meet their own respective minimum levels of Environmental Accreditation. We are seeing every day how climate change is affecting our lives, and even a round of our world championship in Germany was postponed due to a climate catastrophe taking place in the region. The recent IPCC report on climate change has further highlighted the need for urgent action.

“We therefore felt it was important to aim directly for the highest possible level of accreditation available, ensuring that we leave no stone unturned in the quest to make our activities as environmentally friendly as possible and take the lead in the race against climate change.”

“With the FIA World Rallycross Championship converting to fully electric cars in 2022, we must set an example within motorsport, the wider automotive industry and to the general public. This accreditation from the FIA shows we have made a big step in the right direction – now we must continue to work and push to improve our team’s performance in this regard even further.”

Jean Todt, President, FIA
Jean Todt supports Hansen Motorsport's push towards greater sustainability.

“The Hansen family and Hansen Motorsport have been pioneers in their commitment to sustainability and caring for the environment. I am delighted that they are the first rallycross team to be recognised with Three-Star FIA Environmental Accreditation.”

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH
RX Promoter recognises Hansen Motorsport's commitment to its wider sustainability goals as the series moves towards electrification.

“Congratulations to Hansen Motorsport on gaining Three-Star FIA Environmental Accreditation. It is no secret that as a championship, we are striving hard for a more sustainable future – the advent of electric technology in World RX next year is a major step in this direction – and the support of our teams is essential in this.”

“We applaud Hansen Motorsport’s commitment in this area and look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with all of our key stakeholders to reduce our environmental impact.”

21-08-16 Megennis stuns rallycross elite on his #YellowSquad debut
Up-and-coming 16-year-old rallycross talent George Megennis stunned the field on his rallycross debut, taking a race win and scoring sixth overall in the RallyX Nordic Superfinalen in his first ever rallycross event.

#YellowSquad’s newest signing was an immediate threat to the front-runners in the highly competitive RallyX Nordic series despite his young years, winning his Qualifying 1 race in wet conditions despite having never tested his new car in the rain beforehand.

Another strong run in the second qualifying session drew him level at the top of the qualifying order with newly crowned series champion Tommi Hallmann, before going on to secure fifth overall in qualifying.

Showing off his racecraft from over a decade of karting experience, Megennis then put in a masterful defensive drive to hold off Linus Östlund for second place in his semi-final race. Knowing he needed a top-three finish to book a place in the final, Megennis masterfully blocked Östlund’s path as the Swede scrabbled for a way past to no avail.

The New York native also staved off Östlund’s undercut strategy masterfully, exiting the joker loop on the final lap while squeezing between Östlund and the barriers to take second by a mere 0.191s in a stunning last-lap finish.

While reaching the Lites final in his first ever rallycross event was an amazing achievement, unfortunately there was no fairytale ending for his incredible debut. Megennis found himself squeezed between two rivals at the start of the final, which briefly sent him airborne and damaged the front of his car. He went on to finish fifth in the race but was given a penalty for the first lap contact.

#YellowSquad is now packing up its gear and will ship out to the United States of America next week, where Megennis will compete in NRX NEXT, the support category of the Nitro Rallycross series founded by action sports legend Travis Pastrana.

NRX NEXT begins with an opening event in Salt Lake City on September 24-25, followed by another four events elsewhere in the US in the following 10 weeks.

George Megennis
#YellowSquad Driver
“I am so stoked after my first taste of Supercar Lites action – this weekend was incredible, and the results were so much better than I thought they would be. RallyX Nordic is super competitive and if you look at the history of this Lites category, some of the best drivers in the world championship started out here. So to be fighting for race wins and qualifying for the final at my first attempt is unbelievable.

“Now I know what my pace is like against the best drivers in Europe, I’m going back home to the US feeling really confident about the season ahead in NRX NEXT – especially as I’m guessing some of the guys I raced this weekend might show up over there! I know that my level is already strong, but also that I’ve got so much more learning to do and can be even faster with more experience.

“I’m so grateful for all the work the #YellowSquad guys are putting in – Eric Färén and the crew gave me an amazing car all weekend, and all the years of knowledge Kevin Hansen has helped me improve so quickly. I wouldn’t have been able to pull off such a mega weekend without their help. I can’t wait for Nitro Rallycross to start and get back in this car!”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“We knew George had a lot of potential and has been working so hard to maximise everything. But we have still been blown away by how good his performance this weekend has been. To win that first qualifying race in the rain, when we hadn’t had any opportunity to give him test miles in wet conditions, was something very special. And his pace for the rest of the weekend was just as good.

“While we didn’t quite have the luck we would have hoped for the final, what matters is that George has already shown such a high level so early in his rallycross career. We can see the progression he is making every day he is in the car, and he still has room to improve and go even faster than this weekend.

“The amount you learn from completing your first race weekend in rallycross is huge. Now George can go into the Nitro season full of confidence, with better knowledge of the car and how it behaves, and knowing he has the speed to compete at the front. We can’t wait to get started in the US next month – George is a super cool, fast and professional guy with a bright future in this sport.”

21-08-15 RallyX Nordic delivers thrilling final day of action as Kristoffersson and Hallman lift titles
Kristoffersson claims Supercar title at Arvika
Hallman crowned Supercar Lites champion
Reiersen victorious after CrossCar/Crosskart thriller
Tiger, Andersson take Open 2WD, CrossCar Junior honours

Johan Kristoffersson and Tommi Hallman lifted the major honours in Supercar and Supercar Lites respectively as the thrilling 2021 RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Championship reached its dramatic conclusion at Arvika.

Kristoffersson picked up his third race victory of the season to cap a dominant campaign, while Hallman finished second in the Supercar Lites final behind Casper Jansson but was officially crowned champion at the Intermediate Standings stage after entering the weekend with an unassailable lead.

The CrossCar/Crosskart championship battle went right down to the wire, with Isak Reiersen, Jimmie Österberg and Patrik Hallberg entering the final separated by just a single point, and it was Reiersen who emerged victorious – pipping Hallberg on the line by just 0.042 – following a breathtaking wheel-to-wheel battle.

Simon Tiger was made to work hard for his sixth victory of the season but comfortably secured the Open 2WD title, while Alex Gustafsson beat Lukas Andersson in the CrossCar Junior final but the latter lifted the championship by a point.

Supercar
Johan Kristoffersson was the class of the Supercar field despite a highly-competitive entry at Arvika, with the three-time FIA World Rallycross Champion holding off Fraser McConnell to secure yet another race win and add a maiden RallyX Nordic title to his trophy cabinet.

Fastest times in Q1 and Q3 resulted in Top Qualifier honours and set the Swede up for a drama-free Sunday, with victory in the semi-final followed by a win from the front in the showpiece event for the Kristoffersson Motorsport ace.

McConnell showed a blistering turn of pace to claim his semi-final and lock in a front-row start for the final, which the Jamaican subsequently converted into a second-place finish – securing second in the overall standings in the process after Sondre Evjen could only manage sixth on the day.

Anton Marklund, who produced a stunning time to win Q4, steered his Hedströms Motorsport VW Polo to third while Enzo Ide was fourth for EKS JC despite topping the standings in Q2 and Olsbergs MSE wildcard entry Kevin Eriksson came home fifth after a successful weekend of testing in his Honda Civic.

Johan Kristoffersson said: "It's always nice to pick up another trophy! I have won the Swedish Championship once before, here in Arvika last year at my home track, and it is good to keep that winning streak going.

"I love this sport, and it is down to Volkswagen Sweden and Bauhaus that we are actually here. The competition throughout the year has been very tough. Niclas Grönholm has been competing in a few races this year and the other guys have also put up a proper fight. It's always very important to be in a competitive mode, and we have had to squeeze everything out of our car as no two races are the same.

"I love driving my VW Polo, and I like to compete as much as possible. I don't like to be away from home so much, but you want to race as much as possible! I started motorsport quite late – at 20 years old – so I always felt like I had to catch up with championships!"

Supercar Lites
Tommi Hallman entered the weekend with an unassailable lead in the Supercar Lites standings, so the champion-elect could have been excused of taking things easy at Arvika.

However, the Finn was keen to end the season on a high and was among the pacesetters throughout the event as he hunted his fifth win of the campaign – although he ultimately failed to find an answer for an inspired Casper Jansson.

The Enlunds Motorsport youngster was quickest in Q3 and Q4 to secure Top Qualifier status then led from the front in both his semi-final and final, highlighting the huge improvement he has demonstrated since the start of the year.

Nils Andersson was third in the final, securing a second-place finish in the overall standings, and Linus Östlund pipped Martin Enlund on the road to claim third in the Drivers' Championship while George Megennis' stunning rallycross debut ended with a disqualification after the #YellowSquad teenager was involved in contact at turn one.

Tommi Hallman said: "This feels really good. I'm a bit disappointed with the second place today but it's been a really good season for me and we haven't really had any big issues all year. I haven't had a second place before this season, so I have taken one and completed the set now!

"I didn't match Casper's pace in qualifying – I was maybe missing a bit of pace in the early stages – but it gradually got better and I was really close in the final. The mechanics have done an amazing job, so huge thanks to them. We have had a couple of new mechanics come on board in the last few rounds, so more people make it easier for everyone.

"It's been a mega job from all of them, and I have to thank them and all my partners – every single one of them is important. It's been a really nice year, and I will enjoy this."

Supporting Cast
The CrossCar/Crosskart category produced arguably the most scintillating race of the entire season as the championship contenders faced off in a winner-takes-all final, with Reiersen pipping Hallberg on a last-lap dash to the line.

Hallberg had progressed through to the semi-finals as top qualifier but only booked his place in the final by crossing the finish line backwards after contact with Österberg on the last corner. Starting on the back row for the final race of the weekend, the Swede shot into third and proceeded to hunt down Österberg and set his sights on Reiersen.

Reiersen enjoyed a cleaner passage from pole but was gradually closed down by the hard-charging Hallberg and the EKS JC youngster had to scramble out of the joker on the final lap to beat his opponent by the finest of margins.

The result saw Reiersen claim the championship by a single point ahead of Hallberg, while Österberg was another point further back as the Power RX driver heartbreakingly missed out on the title for a third consecutive season.

Isak Reiersen said: "That was mental – I felt how close Patrik was! I kept hearing 'push, push, push' and I braked a little bit too late into the joker. I wasn't sure if I should go left or right on the way out, but I chose the right way. There was just enough room and I kept it full throttle!

"Patrik was very fair in that race, and I couldn't have had two better competitors in this title fight. Jimmie and Patrik have been awesome. We have been racing so close all season and it has always been clean. I want to thank them for being such good sports.

"My mechanics worked so hard last night – they finished with the engine at 4am this morning, while I had clutch and gearbox issues – so big up to them. I want to thank my parents, and my sponsors… everyone!"

Simon Tiger reinforced his status as the dominant force in the Open 2WD category, seeing off a strong challenge from Emil Öhman to win his sixth event of the season, with Michael Janson completing the Arvika podium while Mathias Jansson and Marcus Norman claimed second and third in the overall standings despite suffering disappointing weekends.

Finally, Lukas Andersson endured a drama-filled event but eventually claimed the CrossCar Junior title ahead of reigning champion Alex Gustafsson.

The pair were evenly matched throughout qualifying, although Erik Nilsson topped the Intermediate Standings, and both leading contenders won their semi-finals to set-up a mouth-watering shoot-out – with Gustafsson in particular catching the eye as he stormed from the back of the field and executed several stunning passes to progress.

Andersson entered the final holding a four-point advantage over Gustafsson in the Drivers' Standings, meaning second would be enough to claim the overall honours even if the pole-sitter won. A three-second penalty for moving from his starting lane too early put his title hopes in doubt, but a tenacious drive sticking to Gustafsson's tail ensured enough of a gap to the chasing pack and saw Andersson claim the title by solitary point.

The RallyX Nordic Presented by Cooper Tires Championship has produced thrilling racing and nail-biting title battles throughout 2021, cementing its place as one of the most entertaining motorsport series in the world. We would like to thank all our drivers, teams, officials, organisers, sponsors and fans for their support throughout the year, and we look forward to yet more success in 2022.

Results
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Kristoffersson Motorsport 5 laps
2. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) Olsbergs MSE +2.238s
3. Anton MARKLUND (SWE) Hedströms Motorsport +3.749s
4. Enzo IDE (BEL) EKS JC +5.111s
5. Kevin ERIKSSON (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +5.544s
6. Sondre EVJEN (NOR) EKS JC +7.561s

Supercar Lites
1. Casper JANSSON (SWE) Enlunds Motorsport 5 laps
2. Tommi HALLMAN (FIN) SET Promotion +0.207s
3. Nils ANDERSSON (SWE) Kristoffersson Motorsport +1.289s
4. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +2.010s
5. Martin ENLUND (SWE) Enlunds Motorsport +2.766s
6. George MEGENNIS (USA) #YellowSquad EXC

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) EKS JC 5 laps
2. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) Max RPM +0.042s
3. Jimmie ÖSTERBERG (SWE) Power RX +1.034s
4. Tommie SVÄRD (SWE) Tommie Svärd Motorsport +2.979s
5. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) Carcontrol + 3.620s
6. Pasi PENTTINEN (FIN) Team Speedweekend +9.096s

Open 2WD
1. Simon TIGER (SWE) TeamTigerRX 5 laps
2. Emil ÖHMAN (SWE) Emil Öhman +0.262s
3. Michael JANSON (SWE) Michael Janson +6.522s
4. Urban BERGSTRÖM (SWE) Urban Bergström +1 lap
5. Thomas ÖHMAN (SWE) Thomas Öhman +3 lap
6. Linus WESTMAN (SWE) Linus Westman +5 lap

CrossCar Junior
1. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) EKS JC 5 laps
2. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) Lukas Andersson +3.243s
3. Erik NILSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +4.355s
4. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +4.606s
5. Lauri HALONEN (FIN) Lauri RX +5.666s
6. Joonatan YLILAMMI (FIN) Team Ylilammi +7.982s

Championship Standings
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) 167 points
2. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) 126 points
3. Sondre EVJEN (NOR) 125 points
4. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) 110 points
5. Enzo IDE (BEL) 98 points
6. Andreas CARLSSON (SWE) 79 points

Supercar Lites
1. Tommi HALLMAN (FIN) 165 points
2. Nils ANDERSSON (SWE) 129 points
3. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 114 points
4. Martin ENLUND (SWE) 114 points
5. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) 108 points
6. Casper JANSSON (SWE) 95 points

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) 146 points
2. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) 142 points
3. Jimmie ÖSTERBERG (SWE) 141 points
4. Ronalds BALDINS (LVA) 95 points
5. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) 93 points
6. Jarkko ARONEN (FIN) 73 points

Open 2WD
1. Simon TIGER (SWE) 160 points
2. Mathias JANSSON (SWE) 115 points
3. Marcus NORMAN (SWE) 76 points
4. Morten B BERTELSEN (DNK) 71 points
5. Lars ENGLUND (SWE) 66 points
6. Mikael PERSSON (SWE) 63 points

CrossCar Junior
1. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) 154 points
2. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) 153 points
3. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) 125 points
4. Erik NILSSON (SWE) 124 points
5. Joonatan YLILAMMI (FIN) 114 points
6. Lauri HALONEN (FIN) 106 points

21-08-15 3 medaljer för EKS JC – Isak Reiersen RallyX Nordic-mästare
0,042 sekunder. Det var med den marginalen som 17-årige Isak Reiersen tog guld i RallyX Nordic. Samtidigt tar EKS JCs Alex Gustafsson silver i Crosscar Junior, och Sondre Evjen brons i Supercar.

Den sjunde och sista deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic kördes under helgen i Värmländska Arvika. För EKS JC, som hade fyra förare på plats, räckte det till medalj i tre klasser.

Crosscar bjöd på en riktig rysare, där tre förare låg på samma poäng inför den avslutande tävlingen. Trots växellådsproblem under lördagen kunde Isak Reiersen, Torsby, sätta en andraplats i grundomgången. Efter en seger i semifinalen ledde 17-åringen mästerskapet med blott en poäng, vilket gjorde att först över mållinjen i finalen kniper guldet. Väl i final var det en tight kamp mellan de tre förarna i toppen, där Reiersen drog det längsta strået och segrade med 0,042 sekunders marginal. I och med det vinner han även RallyX Nordic 2021.

Även i Crosscar Junior var det en spännande sista tävling där Alex Gustafsson, Arvika, låg 5 poäng bakom ledaren. Gustafsson satte flera snabba tider i grundomgången, och kunde plocka in en poäng. I semifinalen blev han stående på startplattan, men lyckades komma iväg och göra en enastående uppkörning till en förstaplats. I finalen segrade 14-åringen i tävlingen, och det räckte till en andraplats i RallyX Nordic – endast en poäng bakom vinnaren.

I Supercar resulterade det i en medalj för teamet. För Sondre Evjen har årets säsong bjudit på både med- och motgång. Genom stabil körning och flera pallplatser kunde han plocka poäng som vägde upp för deltävlingarna med missöden i final och semifinal. Under avgörande deltävlingen gjorde hans sjätteplats i finalen att han slutar trea i mästerskapet, med enbart en poäng upp till silvret. Teamkompisen Enzo Ide kör full säsong i rallycross-VM, och har kört RallyX Nordic med syfte att samla erfarenheter. I Arvika visade han högt tempo med snabbaste tid i Q2 och bäst varvtid i tre av omgångarna. Han slutade trea i grundomgången och en andraplats i semifinalen, men missade pallen precis och slutade därmed fyra i tävlingen. Han kommer även på femte plats i mästerskapet.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef EKS JC:
”Till och börja med är vi väldigt tacksamma och glada över Isaks seger. Det var nog det tightaste avgörandet på ett mästerskap som jag någonsin sett, men 0,042 sekunder räckte för att ta guldet. Alex gjorde allt han kunde och vann tävlingen, men det hade behövts en poäng till för att vinna mästerskapet. Jag är jättestolt över hans silver och det är skönt avsluta sin sista Crosscar Junior-säsong så här för hans del.

I Supercar har Enzo och Sondre båda haft en bra helg, med hög fart. Sondre tappade lite tempo på slutet, men har under hela säsongen visat vad han går för i en Audi. Tyvärr tappade vi andraplatsen med Sondre, men jag är ändå nöjd med tredjeplatsen. Enzo har verkligen imponerat i helgen, med bland annat en kvalseger. Det är kul att se hur han hela tiden utvecklas, och vi ser fram emot VM med honom.”

Isak Reiersen, Crosscar:
”Jag svävar på moln nu, det känns helt fantastiskt. Efter två tredjeplatser i RallyX Nordic kom jag in i säsongen med ny crosskart och fick då en nytändning. Jag har alltid vetat att jag är snabb, så det känns perfekt att ha beviset nu svart på vitt.

Finalen var rätt spännande… Jag ledde hela tiden, och när jag gick in på sista varvet hör jag min spotter säga ”push”. Det gör han sällan, och jag hörde på hans röst att nu är det verkligen bråttom. När jag går in i jokern bromsar jag på mig och tappar lite fart, men får ändå med mig ett högt tempo ut. Jag valde att gå på [Patrik] Hallbergs högra sida, och det gick precis. Jag kände direkt att jag hade kommit före honom över mållinjen, men såhär i efterhand syns det att marginalen inte var så stor.

Vi har varit tre förare som fightats om guldet in i det sista, och jag hade inte kunnat tänka mig två bättre konkurrenter. Patrik Hallberg och Jimmie Österberg är väldigt schyssta förare på banan. I en klass med så här hög lägstanivå, och där du alltid måste köra precis på gränsen, har det varit bra att haft dem för att hela tiden pusha varandra. Jag vill såklart tacka teamet och mina sponsorer, som tillsammans gjorde det här möjligt. Och kanske ett extra stort tack till mina mekaniker som jobbade till fyra imorse med växellådan, vi fick ett bra pris för det.”

Alex Gustafsson, Crosscar Junior:
”Att avsluta säsongen med en vinst på hemmaplan, och med publik för första gången, är en skön känsla. Såklart känns det lite tungt med en andraplats i mästerskapet. Men Lukas är en jättebra chaufför som förtjänar guldet. Jag är ändå stolt över att ha jobbat mig upp från en femteplats efter Danmark, till tvåa med bara en poäng upp. Det har blivit totalt fyra vinster och den riktigt tuffa konkurrensen i år har gjort att jag har utvecklats mycket.

Tävling började tufft med regn, dåliga tider och trafik på banan. Men jag kunde tända om till idag och sätta bra tider. I semifinalen var det en hel del nerver, och i starten dog i crosskarten. Jag kunde komma igång snabbt och plocka placering för placering till en första plats. I finalen var jag riktigt laddad, och lyckades ta vinsten.

Jag tar med mig många framsteg från den här säsongen, och är väldigt tacksam över den hjälp jag fått av både EKS JC och Landslaget. Tack till mina sponsorer, teamet för grymt arbete och alla som hjälpt mig att nå hit. Och såklart grattis till Isak som vann guldet i sin klass.”

Sondre Evjen, Supercar:
”Den här tävlingen har varit väldigt upp och ner, och jag har inte varit helt överens med bilen på den här banan. Men allt som allt så löste det sig ganska bra I semifinalen gällde det egentligen bara köra stabilt och säkert. Jag och Enzo hade en liten kamp om andraplatsen, men han ville ha den där placeringen lika mycket som jag så jag var tvungen att backa tillbaka. Det gav mig startspåret från tredje led i finalen, och därifrån var det bara att köra så jämnt som möjligt.

Överlag är jag såklart nöjd med en tredjeplats i mästerskapet, även om vi kämpade om andraplatsen hela vägen till slutet. Jag har haft lite stolpe ut under vissa tävlingar, och samtidigt satt många bra resultat. Chansen att konkurrera med Johan [Kristoffersson] om titeln försvann efter tävlingarna i Höljes, men en medalj är alltid en medalj. Vi har ändå visat att vi varit i toppen genom hela säsongen, och det är en skön känsla. Jag är väldigt nöjd med EKS JC och mekanikerna, som hela säsongen kämpat hårt för att ha en bra bil och hjälpa mig framåt.”

Enzo Ide, Supercar:
”Tävlingen började sådär, med tekniska problem på första träningen och ingen perfekt Q1. Men i Q2 satte jag en bästa tid, och även snabbaste varvtiderna i Q2, Q3 och Q4. Så det var en bra känsla att farten fanns. Sedan gjorde jag tyvärr lite misstag, och jag missade pallen den här helgen. Jag vet att farten är bra och att min högstanivå är hög. Men jag måste jobba på att höja min lägstanivå, undvika misstag och knyta ihop säcken. Jag är fortfarande relativt ny i sporten har flera läxor kvar att lära, men tack vara RallyX Nordic har vi kommit en bra bit framåt. Känslan inför World RX är bra, och vi är redo inför Höljes nästa helg. Jag vill passa på att tacka varje sponsor, Joel, EKS JC och alla människor som är involverade i rallycrossvärlden och som på olika sätt hjälpt mig under RallyX Nordic.”

Fullständigt resultat finns här https://www.rallyx.se/poang/

21-08-15 Två titlar för Kristoffersson
Inte bara en titel utan två! Det blev en mycket framgångsrik helg för Johan Kristoffersson hemma på Westombanan när RallyX Nordic och SM avgjordes.
-Mitt andra SM-guld och det första i Nordic. Extra kul att få vinna hemma, säger en mycket nöjd Kristoffersson.

Men det var sannerligen ingen enkel resa fram till triumferna i tredagarstävlingen i Arvika.
-Vi hade en del strul. Det var mycket som pågick i bakgrunden. Allt har inte varit helt optimalt, men lyckligtvis är det här en teknisk bana som jag dessutom kan mycket bra, så jag har kunnat hävda mig ändå.

Teamchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson, förtydligar om alla vedermödor som har lagts ner för att ro i land en lycklig avslutning.
-Våra mekaniker har jobbat outtröttligt med justeringar och ändringar. Och vi har också haft bra service från våra leverantörer. Mats Karlsson från Säffle dök till och med upp här i hamnen i Arvika med reservdelar. Leverans via båt har vi aldrig varit med om förut!

Att Johan skulle ta hem RallyX Nordic-titeln var, trots problemen, ingen skräll. Hans försprång var näst intill ointagligt. Däremot krävde SM-titeln en helg på toppen av kapaciteten för teamets Volkswagen Polo GTI RX KMS.
-Det är en materialsport och det fanns bilar på plats här som är mer uppdaterade än vår gamla bil, men vi visar att vi är duktiga på att plocka ut det bästa av materialet. Det här är en stor lagseger för KMS-konceptet: våra partner, mekar och chaufför, påpekar Tommy.

SM för Supercar avgjordes i form av en så kallad superfinal.
-Det är vanskligt när allt ska avgöras i bara en deltävling, men det är skönt när det går vägen, summerar Johan.

Det var många om budet och bataljerna ute på banan var fysiskt närgångna. Johan slapp undan de flesta närkamperna genom att komma snabbt iväg.
-Bra starter hela helgen. Det är ett problem vi har fått bukt med sedan Höljes. Och kommer man bara genom första kurvan och över första hoppet, så blir allt mycket lättare.

Kristoffersson var snabbast i kvalet, tog hem semifinalen utan problem och ledde klart från start till mål även i finalen. Det var ingen tvekan om vem som var den rättmätige vinnaren, något som stallchefen också ville påpeka.
-Man ska inte heller glömma Johans roll utanför banan, hans kommunikation med mekarna och allt arbete som han lägger ner på utveckling för att få ut maximalt av materialet. Det är inga vanliga dagar och arbetspass han gör, säger Tommy, som fick en släng av känslosvall efter att säsongen nu är över för teamet.
-Vi har haft en otrolig vilja att leverera till våra trogna partner Volkswagen och Bauhaus, men nu efteråt känns det lite sentimentalt eftersom framtiden är så oviss. Vi vet inget i nuläget, men hoppas förstås hitta lösningar för att plocka upp nya trådar.

För Johan Kristoffersson fortsätter dock tävlandet, närmast redan till helgen med VM i Höljes.
-Det blir lite firande med teamet nu först, därefter några dagar på hemmaplan innan det är dags igen. Det var bra att få komma in i tävlingsmodus efter ett ganska långt uppehåll.

21-08-15 Nils Andersson säkrade SM-titeln
Nils Andersson säkrade SM-titeln i Lites-klassen redan i kvalomgångarna på Westombanan.
-Fantastiskt! Äntligen! Jag har jagat den titeln många gånger och att få ta den på hemmaplan känns ju extra bra.

Andersson kom till finalen med bra förutsättningar, som tvåa i RallyX Nordic och med 20 poängs ledning i SM. Några poäng till behövdes för att säkra titeln och dessa plockade Kristoffersson Motorsport-föraren ihop genom att lägga beslag på femteplatsen i kvalet. Tolv poäng in på kontot och därmed kunde nervpressen släppa inför semifinal och final. För nervöst var det.
-Absolut bitvis! Jag vaknade fem i morse och räknade på tabellen. Jag kom fram till att det var bäst att gå för att vinna.

Den offensiva inställningen vädrade han i sista kvalomgången, när han stack in nosen i första kurvan för att ta sig fram till en bättre position.
-Jag gjorde ett tappert dykförsök där, men det gick inte så bra, medger Nils.

Nu blev det ingen större komplikation av den missen. SM-titeln säkrades redan där i alla fall och Andersson kunde gå för att göra bästa möjliga resultat i semifinalen från andra ledet.
-Jag gjorde det jag kunde och tog en tredjeplats för att ta mig till finalen.

Från femte startrutan i finalen gick han än en gång med hög energi in i startböjen.
-Det var superhändelserikt där. Jag kom in som femma och ut som trea. Jag var glad att kunna hänga med i tempot trots en halvstukad bil.

En pallplats i sista tävlingen var i princip det bästa som gick att få ut av utgångspositionen och tillsammans med SM-guldet och en andraplats i RallyX Nordic så blev det en bra helg. Nordic-titeln var egentligen inte inom räckhåll.
-Ett stort grattis till Tommi Hallman, en värdig vinnare där, säger Andersson.

Vad har då varit framgångsreceptet under den här säsongen?
-Det kan sammanfattas med: Kristoffersson Motorsport! De har lagt ner fantastiskt mycket tid på bilen och att få jobba med Johan som mentor har varit ovärderligt. Jag har växt mycket som förare och på det mentala planet.

Stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson kan inte annat än att returnera berömmet.
-Jättekul att vi lyckas ta hem titeln redan första året med Lites och Nils har gjort ett fantastiskt jobb. Han har haft öron stora som paraboler och lyssnat på alla råd i kombination med en otrolig vilja. Härligt att han fick sy ihop det här på hemmaplan.

Även för teamets andre Lites-förare blev det en helg med framsteg. Visserligen räckte det inte till semifinal för Gustav Bergström, men han fick avrunda sin debutsäsong inom rallycross med en stilfull heatseger.

21-08-13 Östlund 'couldn't say no' to FIA RX2e opportunity ahead of Round 2 at Höljes
Östlund excited to join RX2e grid at World RX of Sweden
Local favourite one of four new faces in all-electric series
Swede to utilise Supercar Lites experience at Höljes

Linus Östlund is looking to take the latest exciting step in his motorsport career when the promising youngster makes his FIA RX2e Championship bow at the World RX of Sweden next week (August 20-22).

The 21-year-old is one of four drivers set to make their debut in the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship at Höljes as the series continues to attract some of the most exciting talent around.

Östlund will be keen to make local knowledge count, with the Sysslebäck native having grown up learning his trade at the iconic Värmland track which is the setting for Round 2 of the inaugural RX2e season.

However, he will have to get up to speed with the all-electric technology quickly if he is to match early pacesetter Guillaume De Ridder – who secured a clean sweep in the curtain-raiser at the World RX of Catalunya – and the Belgian's fellow frontrunners.

Östlund has all the tools to be competitive, having honed his skills competing in various Crosskart categories – and claiming six Swedish championships – before making the transition to RX2 machinery.

Making his series debut at Höljes in 2018, Östlund secured a stunning second-place at the same circuit a year later and followed that up with fifth at the 2019 season finale in South Africa.

The Swede simultaneously put together an impressive title challenge in the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites class, eventually finishing second to Ben Philip Gundersen despite wins at Finnskogbanen and Tierp.

He was then fourth in 2020, and sixth in the truncated RX2 series held as a double-header showdown at Nysum, while he is in the mix for another top-three finish in the Supercar Lites standings this season despite a frustrating campaign.

Östlund undoubtedly has proven quality on home turf, winning the Swedish Championship element of RallyX Nordic in both 2019 and 2020, but he's not the only local driver looking to use RX2e's visit to Höljes as a springboard to bigger things with compatriots Nils Andersson, Isak Reiersen and Isak Sjökvist also joining the grid for Round 2 of the lead support series on the World RX package.

Linus Östlund said: "I was lucky to get the chance to test the RX2e car when QEV brought four machines over for demonstration runs during Rounds 3 and 4 of RallyX Nordic at Höljes earlier this year.

"I have always wanted to drive at Höljes again on the World RX programme, and when the opportunity came up to compete in RX2e I just couldn’t say no!

"The new RX2e car is super-fun to drive and the track is the best. I can't wait to get started."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "Linus is yet another exciting addition to the FIA RX2e field. He has been a consistent frontrunner in the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites category and it is a natural fit that he should want to test his skills in the next generation of rallycross machinery.

"He is vastly experienced around Höljes and we are sure he can give our talented grid of drivers a run for their money at his home circuit."

21-08-13 Home heroes lead the field into Höljes for seconds out, round two
Kevin Hansen, Timmy Hansen and Johan Kristoffersson top the points table arriving on home turf for the second round of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship at Höljes, as a legend of the sport returns in Euro RX1.

SWEDISH STARS SETTING THE PACE
A trio of homegrown heroes are setting the pace in the FIA World Rallycross Championship after the opening round of the 2021 campaign in Barcelona, and following their commanding podium lockout on Spanish soil, they are now aiming to maintain that momentum in front of the enthusiastic Swedish fans in round two at Höljes next weekend (20-22 August).

One of the world’s most iconic rallycross tracks, Höljes is nestled deep in the Värmland forest not far from the Norwegian border and has been a popular World Championship fixture ever since the series’ inception in 2014.

Kevin Hansen leads the field into Swecon World RX of Sweden, having overcome elder brother Timmy and Johan Kristoffersson in the final at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last month for a second career success at the international pinnacle of the sport.

The Hansen World RX Team star is a multiple winner at Höljes at European level and has been a podium-finisher in the World Championship event held at the circuit in each of the past two seasons, taking the chequered flag second on both occasions. He will be targeting the very highest step next weekend as he bids to extend his advantage.

“I’m really excited for Höljes, and having the fans back trackside will be incredible – we missed them so much last year and we’re super pumped to put on a good show for them all!” enthused the 23-year-old.

“Our development over the winter was focussed more on tracks like Höljes rather than Barcelona, so we are hopeful of having made a solid improvement from last year’s event. We know we have a good car, and we have a good feeling right now. For sure, the competition is going to be extremely tough and it’s going to be the usual suspects at the front so it will all come down to getting a good start to the weekend and then maintaining that form. It’s heads down and all about the details from this point on.”

The championship leader will not have it easy, however. For starters, his two closest pursuers are both world champions – Timmy Hansen in 2019 and Kristoffersson in 2017, 2018 and 2020. The former is just two points adrift of his younger sibling, and having not reached the rostrum at Höljes since 2016, will be particularly fired-up to turn the tables and seize the initiative in the chase for the coveted crown.

Kristoffersson, by contrast, knows just what it takes to triumph around the challenging 1,210m Höljesbanan circuit, having done so in each of his title-winning years. After a Q1 disqualification left him playing catch-up in Catalunya, the KYB EKS JC ace will be determined to score his first victory in the team’s potent Audi S1.

In only his second full campaign in the World Championship, Krisztían Szabó occupies fourth spot in the Drivers’ standings for GRX-SET World RX Team following a solid season-opener, and the Hungarian was a podium-finisher at Höljes on his way to the Super1600 (now Euro RX3) laurels in 2017.

Team-mate Niclas Grönholm, meanwhile, needs a good result after his Spanish charge ended at the semi-final stage when he came off worst in a first corner collision. The flying Finn should have been in the World RX title hunt in 2019 only for an early-season bout of appendicitis to cause him to miss two events and dash his chances, so his raw speed is certainly not in doubt.

Countryman Juha Rytkönen will be bidding to replicate the scene-stealing performance he produced on his dazzling World RX debut at Kouvola last summer, when he took the fight to Kristoffersson in the final, while former rally star Kevin Abbring displayed flashes of real form in Barcelona behind the wheel of Unkorrupted’s striking Renault Mégane.

The darkest of dark horses, however, is undoubtedly Peter Hedström. Three times a podium-finisher at Höljes in European Championship competition, the World RX regulars would do well to keep an eye out for the Swede who – with a GRX-SET prepared Hyundai i20 at his disposal – reckons he has the best chance of his career to-date to cause a stir, particularly if the heavens open.

RX2e: AN ELECTRIFYING PROSPECT
The FIA RX2e Championship – the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship – is similarly Höljes-bound for the second outing of its inaugural campaign after serving up some spectacular action in Barcelona, with a quartet of highly-rated young Swedish hotshots set to join the fray on home soil.

RX2e’s debut around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya electrified the international rallycross landscape, with former World Championship star Guillaume De Ridder claiming a commanding clean sweep as he raced to the top step of the rostrum. The Belgian was pushed hard by fellow ex-RX2 Series front-runners Jesse Kallio and Fraser McConnell, but a first corner clash in the final meant the eagerly-anticipated three-way showdown unfortunately never materialised.

Four weeks on, the Finn and Jamaican have their chance to redress the balance, but they will be far from the only threats to De Ridder’s early dominance. British teenager Patrick O’Donovan will be eager to reproduce his podium-finishing form from the season-opener, while Spaniard Pablo Suárez narrowly missed out on a top three result in front of his home fans.

Damien Meunier was rapid but out-of-luck in Barcelona and has prior experience of competing at Höljes, but nobody knows the challenging Värmland circuit better than Linus Östlund, who by his own admission practically grew up driving around the track. The Swede took the chequered flag a close second there in RX2 in 2019, so will undoubtedly be a contender.

Much the same can be said for countryman Isak Reiersen, who arrives with an impressive career résumé and is a junior member of leading World RX outfit EKS JC. Nils Andersson will also benefit from high-level support – his mentor is three-time World Champion Kristoffersson – and karting graduate Isak Sjökvist has been going from strength-to-strength in his maiden campaign in the discipline in RallyX Nordic.

EURO RX1: SCANDINAVIAN SPECIALISTS MEET FRANCE’S FINEST
A 24-car grid will assemble at Höljes for the curtain-raiser in the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s headlining Euro RX1 series – and a fierce fight is firmly in prospect, as a cluster of Scandinavian specialists take on France’s finest.

Arguably the highest-profile entrant is former Euro RX champion and regular World RX front-runner Anton Marklund in a Volkswagen Polo, the Swede having won at Höljes in 2017 on his way to clinching the Supercar (now RX1) crown.

Two-time event-winner Thomas Bryntesson rejoins the fray in a similar car, Sivert Svardal will enter the weekend with a spring in his step having recently won the Norwegian Rallycross Championship and 1999 European champion Per Eklund returns to action at the age of 75 in his beloved VW Beetle. The Swede – an indisputable legend of the sport – is clearly looking forward to measuring himself against the cream of rallycross’ current crop.

“I’ve spent a lot of time at Höljes during my career,” Eklund acknowledged. “I helped to build the circuit almost 50 years ago and then won the first rallycross event to be held here, so it’s somewhere that holds a lot of very fond memories for me and I feel a real connection with the place. It might not be my closest circuit, but it’s like a second home – for me, quite simply, Höljes is rallycross.

“It’s this wonderful little track in the middle of nowhere that never fails to produce exciting, high-quality action. It was a strange experience racing in front of empty grass banks last summer, because the fans are such a huge part of the whole Höljes appeal – their enthusiasm creates that unmistakeable atmosphere that makes it all so special, and it’s fantastic to have them back again this year.”

The French contingent will be spearheaded by a pair of brothers – Jean-Baptiste (JB) and Andréa Dubourg, and Fabien and Jonathan Pailler, who between them boast 16 rostrum appearances in European competition.

JB Dubourg is the best-placed returning driver in the field from last year, and having finished as runner-up in each of the past two seasons, the five-time Trophée Andros ice-racing champion and former World RX podium-finisher has his sights solidly set on the main prize in 2021. Fabien Pailler, meanwhile, is a two-time French Rallycross Champion in his own right, and is now bidding to follow in the footsteps of his famous father Jean-Luc, who lifted the European laurels back in 1993.

EURO RX3: THE KING AND THE PRETENDER TO HIS CROWN
The new Euro RX3 campaign is already shaping up to be a mouthwatering duel for honours between last year’s highest-scorer and this season’s standout rookie. In Barcelona, Yury Belevskiy picked up from where he had left off seven months earlier, registering maximum points from the weekend to get his title bid off to the perfect start, but he was pushed hard by impressive newcomer Kobe Pauwels in another Volland Racing Audi A1, as the Belgian excelled on his international debut in top-flight rallycross.

Belevskiy is very much the benchmark in Euro RX3 in 2021, but any fears that he would run away with the championship were instantly quashed in Spain, as a number of competitors put the Russian under serious pressure.

Teenage prodigy Pauwels found himself out-of-luck in the final after a first corner tag sent him sideways and dropped him to the tail of the field, but he – along with fellow Audi aces Timur Shigabutdinov, Zsolt Szíjj ‘Jolly’, Marat Knyazev and Damian Litwinowicz – proved that Belevskiy will not have things all his own way.

Škoda star Jan Cerný was one of the few drivers to truly threaten the all-conquering Audis until mechanical issues struck at the semi-final stage when he was on-course to reach the final, while Janno Ligur – a podium-finisher at Höljes in 2017 – rejoins the grid in a similar car following a year’s absence.

Racing is set to begin at 1130 CET on Saturday, 21 August, with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is still on sale for the special launch price of €29,99, representing a 40% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for Swecon World RX of Sweden is currently available for €4,79 (using promo code RXPLUS40), again representing a 40% saving on the regular price of €7,99. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.fiaworldrallycross.com

Tickets to Swecon World RX of Sweden can be purchased here: https://secure.tickster.com/sv/h7d4akguaun2uud/selectevent

Event entry lists can be found below:
World RX: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-sweden-/world-rx-entry-list/
RX2e: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-sweden-/rx2e-entry-list/
Euro RX1: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-sweden-/euro-rx1-entry-list/
Euro RX3: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-sweden-/euro-rx3-entry-list/

21-08-13 Påminnelse: Medlemserbjudande – se SM-finalerna i Rallycross live på sbfplay.se
Superfinal i Arvika. Det är vad som väntar i helgen för SM-förarna i rallycross när det nu är dags att avgöra var medaljerna ska hamna. All action kan ses live på Svensk Bilsports egen kanal sbfplay.se med start nu på fredag.

Det är uppdukat för en riktigt spännande helg i Arvika där varje poäng är fortsatt viktig i kampen om medaljerna. I 2400 har nykomlingen i klassen och hemma föraren, Jim Jansson, haft en bra säsong och har inför helgen ena handen på pokalen med sina totala 182 poäng där närmast jagande Rasmus Olsson står på 156.

Jämnare är det i 2150-klassen där Klara Andersson klev upp i serieledning efter tävlingarna i Västerås.
- Säsongen i år har varit en resa för mig och teamet. Efter en tung start i Höljes där vi inte hittade rätt med inställningen på bilen låg vi efter andra deltävlingar på fjortonde plats. Men vi slog tillbaka och efter stabila insatser i Piteå och Västerås med topp fyra-placeringar i alla deltävlingar har vi nu klättrat till en SM-ledning inför finalen i Arvika, summerar Klara Andersson säsongen fram till finalen.

Andersson som till i år tagit steget från juniorklassen för att köra 2150 med seniorerna har nu en knapp ledning på fyra poäng före tvåan David Hjertberg.
- Det känns otroligt kul att få köra om guldet i helgen, men jag kommer ta det sväng för sväng och varv för varv. Inget är klart förrän finalen är körd på söndag och det är otroligt jämnt i tabellen.
Att få köra om ett guld är något vi alla förare drömmer om, och jag längtar efter att stå på startlinjen i Arvika. Jag är otroligt tacksam över all support från mitt team, mina partners, Svenska Landslaget med flera. Oavsett hur utdelningen blir är jag stolt över vår resa och prestation i år, men jag och teamet kommer ge det allt vi har en sista gång i år, avslutar Klara Andersson.

Bland juniorerna är fighten mellan fjolårssegraren Filip Martinsson och årets utropstecken, Oskar Hellström, där Hellström är i ledning med 13 poäng. I ledning är även Nils Andersson i Supercar Lites där han toppar med 20 poäng före Martin Enlund.

Kristoffersson vill försvara guldet från 2020
Medan de övriga klasserna har kört en serie under året med flera deltävlingar avgör två klasserna Open 2 WD/Supernationell och Supercar, sitt SM under en tävling. Trefaldige världsmästaren och Arvika-sonen Johan Kristoffersson kommer till Superfinalen för att försvara guldet från 2020 i Supercar.
- Jag gillar banan. Den är körtekniskt intressant, men det är en trång bana, så det gäller att få till starterna och hålla sig undan problem. Det är ett bra startfält så det blir till att kämpa, säger Johan Kristoffersson som kommer till start med teamets egen Volkswagen Polo, som har fått en hel del uppmärksamhet sedan senaste tävlingen i Uleåborg.

Under helgen avslutas även årets Rally X Nordic. Även där kan Johan Kristoffersson försvara en seger.
Alla tre dagars tävlande från Superfinalen i rallycross i Arvika kan ses live på Svensk Bilsports egen kanal, www.sbfplay.se
Kommentatorer för sändningarna är Christian och Johan Holmudd.

Dagpasset kostar 99 kronor.
All access för medlemmar är 179 kronor.

Här hittar du sändningarna: https://solidsport.com/login

I köpt all access ingår även att kunna se Dragracing från Tierp Arena där Summit Racing EDRS Series och EDRS PRO, med finalen av SM i Pro Modified körs.

Tider under helgen för Superfinalen i rallycross från Arvika.
Fredag
13:50 Studio
14:00 Q1 RallyX
15:45 Studio, summering och intervjuer
16:10 Q1 Rallycross SM
17:40 Avrundning av sändningen

Lördag
10:50 Studio
11:00 Q2 Rallycross SM
12:20 Studio, summering och intervjuer
12:30 Lunch
13:05 Q2 RallyX
14:50 Studio, summering och intervjuer
15:10 Q3 Rallycross SM
16:30 Studio, summering och intervjuer
16:50 Q3 RallyX
18:35 Studio, summering och intervjuer

Söndag
09:50 Studio
10:00 Q4 Rallycross SM
11:20 Studio, summering och intervjuer
11:40 Q4 RallyX
13:25 Studio, summering och intervjuer
13:35 Lunch
14:10 Semifinaler Rallycross SM
15:00 Semifinaler RallyX
16:40 Final Crosscar junior
17:00 Finaler Rallycross SM
17:25 Finaler RallyX
17:50 Studio, summering och intervjuer

21-08-11 Medlemserbjudande – se SM-finalerna i Rallycross live på sbfplay.se
Superfinal i Arvika. Det är vad som väntar i helgen för SM-förarna i rallycross när det nu är dags att avgöra var medaljerna ska hamna. All action kan ses live på Svensk Bilsports egen kanal sbfplay.se med start nu på fredag.

Det är uppdukat för en riktigt spännande helg i Arvika där varje poäng är fortsatt viktig i kampen om medaljerna. I 2400 har nykomlingen i klassen och hemma föraren, Jim Jansson, haft en bra säsong och har inför helgen ena handen på pokalen med sina totala 182 poäng där närmast jagande Rasmus Olsson står på 156.

Jämnare är det i 2150-klassen där Klara Andersson klev upp i serieledning efter tävlingarna i Västerås.
- Säsongen i år har varit en resa för mig och teamet. Efter en tung start i Höljes där vi inte hittade rätt med inställningen på bilen låg vi efter andra deltävlingar på fjortonde plats. Men vi slog tillbaka och efter stabila insatser i Piteå och Västerås med topp fyra-placeringar i alla deltävlingar har vi nu klättrat till en SM-ledning inför finalen i Arvika, summerar Klara Andersson säsongen fram till finalen.

Andersson som till i år tagit steget från juniorklassen för att köra 2150 med seniorerna har nu en knapp ledning på fyra poäng före tvåan David Hjertberg.
- Det känns otroligt kul att få köra om guldet i helgen, men jag kommer ta det sväng för sväng och varv för varv. Inget är klart förrän finalen är körd på söndag och det är otroligt jämnt i tabellen.
Att få köra om ett guld är något vi alla förare drömmer om, och jag längtar efter att stå på startlinjen i Arvika. Jag är otroligt tacksam över all support från mitt team, mina partners, Svenska Landslaget med flera. Oavsett hur utdelningen blir är jag stolt över vår resa och prestation i år, men jag och teamet kommer ge det allt vi har en sista gång i år, avslutar Klara Andersson.

Bland juniorerna är fighten mellan fjolårssegraren Filip Martinsson och årets utropstecken, Oskar Hellström, där Hellström är i ledning med 13 poäng. I ledning är även Nils Andersson i Supercar Lites där han toppar med 20 poäng före Martin Enlund.

Kristoffersson vill försvara guldet från 2020
Medan de övriga klasserna har kört en serie under året med flera deltävlingar avgör två klasserna Open 2 WD/Supernationell och Supercar, sitt SM under en tävling. Trefaldige världsmästaren och Arvika-sonen Johan Kristoffersson kommer till Superfinalen för att försvara guldet från 2020 i Supercar.
- Jag gillar banan. Den är körtekniskt intressant, men det är en trång bana, så det gäller att få till starterna och hålla sig undan problem. Det är ett bra startfält så det blir till att kämpa, säger Johan Kristoffersson som kommer till start med teamets egen Volkswagen Polo, som har fått en hel del uppmärksamhet sedan senaste tävlingen i Uleåborg.

Under helgen avslutas även årets Rally X Nordic. Även där kan Johan Kristoffersson försvara en seger.
Alla tre dagars tävlande från Superfinalen i rallycross i Arvika kan ses live på Svensk Bilsports egen kanal, www.sbfplay.se
Kommentatorer för sändningarna är Christian och Johan Holmudd.

Dagpasset kostar 99 kronor.
All access för medlemmar är 179 kronor.

Här hittar du sändningarna: https://solidsport.com/login

I köpt all access ingår även att kunna se Dragracing från Tierp Arena där Summit Racing EDRS Series och EDRS PRO, med finalen av SM i Pro Modified körs.

Tider under helgen för Superfinalen i rallycross från Arvika.
Fredag
13:50 Studio
14:00 Q1 RallyX
15:45 Studio, summering och intervjuer
16:10 Q1 Rallycross SM
17:40 Avrundning av sändningen

Lördag
10:50 Studio
11:00 Q2 Rallycross SM
12:20 Studio, summering och intervjuer
12:30 Lunch
13:05 Q2 RallyX
14:50 Studio, summering och intervjuer
15:10 Q3 Rallycross SM
16:30 Studio, summering och intervjuer
16:50 Q3 RallyX
18:35 Studio, summering och intervjuer

Söndag
09:50 Studio
10:00 Q4 Rallycross SM
11:20 Studio, summering och intervjuer
11:40 Q4 RallyX
13:25 Studio, summering och intervjuer
13:35 Lunch
14:10 Semifinaler Rallycross SM
15:00 Semifinaler RallyX
16:40 Final Crosscar junior
17:00 Finaler Rallycross SM
17:25 Finaler RallyX
17:50 Studio, summering och intervjuer

21-08-11 SVT sänder upplösningen av SM i Rallycross
Till helgen avgörs årets SM i Rallycross i Arvika. Fyra SM-klasser ska kora sina medaljörer samt två direktavgörande SM. Samtidigt avslutas årets serie av Rally X Nordic. SVT sänder semifinaler och finaler på söndag med start 14:00.

Värmland och Arvika är ett stort rallycrossfäste inom svensk bilsport med bland annat trefaldige världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson som en son från bygden. Kristoffersson som kommer till tävlingen för att försvara sitt SM-guld från 2020 i Supercar-klassen. En klass som avgörs under endast en tävling till skillnad från övriga som körts som en serie.

Till helgen kommer medaljer av nationell glans att utdelas när SM-serierna ska avgöras på den 1150 meter långa rallycrossbanan. Tävlingen pågår med kvalheat under fredag till söndag förmiddag. Från klockan 14:00 börjar semifinalerna och finalerna köras. Semifinaler och finaler som sänds live i SVT.
- Rallycross är en actionfylld sport som med sitt tävlingsupplägg med snabba heat passar TV-formatet väldigt bra. Vi såg efter fjolårets sändning av finalerna då att det lockade många tittare och skapade ett bra engagemang framför TV-skärmarna. Så det känns verkligen bra att vi även i år kan bjuda på bra motorsport när vi tar både Rally X Nordic och SM i mål, säger Ulf Nilsson ansvarig projektledare på SVT Sport.
- Vi har ett bra samarbete med SVT och att vi kan arbeta ihop med att få till livesändningar från årets finalhelg, känns också riktigt bra. Vi har under hela året haft bra tittarsiffror på förbundets egen TV-kanal, att vi nu når ut till en betydligt bredare målgrupp blir ett perfekt avslut för årets nationella rallycross-säsong, säger Jörgen Ekwall, marknadschef Svensk Bilsport.

Att det väntar tuffa fighter under finalhelgen råder det ingen tvekan om. Det är långt ifrån avgjort i de flesta klasserna. I 2150 leder Klara Andersson bara fyra poäng före David Hjertberg och där bakom jagar fjolårets segrare i klassen, Björn ”Putte” Alvarsson.
En spännande eftermiddag väntar i SVT på söndag med star klockan 14:00.

Rallycrossen från Arvika ses live i SVT.
SVT play söndag 15 augusti kl. 14.00- 17:55. och i SVT 1 från 17:00 till 17:55.

www.sbf.se

21-08-10 Kristoffersson jagar guld på hemmabanan
Det är finalhelg på Westombanan i Arvika och hemmaföraren Johan Kristoffersson har chansen att ta hem två titlar - i RallyX Nordic och SM.
- Jag gillar banan. Den är körtekniskt intressant, men det är bra startfält så det blir till att kämpa, säger Kristoffersson.

Att det kan bli heta dueller på Westombanan visade förra årets final i RallyX Nordic, där det gick över stock och sten när Johan tog hem segern före Oliver Eriksson.
- Det var en av de bästa finalerna förra året när jag och Oliver hade den fighten, minns Johan.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren har hittills samlat ihop 155 poäng i Nordic-serien. Med sämsta tävlingen borträknad återstår 137, vilket är 27 bättre än tvåan Niclas Grönholm, som inte kommer till start i Arvika. Det gör däremot trean Sondre Evjen, som har 108. Det krävs ett par poäng till för att Kristoffersson ska säkra titeln.
- Men vi siktar väl högre än så, föreslår han.

Vid förra årets tävling i Värmlands-metropolen tog den numera trefaldige världsmästaren hem sin första SM-titel. Målet är förstås att säkra en andra på raken under helgens tävling.
- Det är en trång bana, så det gäller att få till starterna och hålla sig undan problem.

Förutom VM-premiären i Spanien för några veckor sedan har det varit en tävlingsfri sommar för Kristoffersson, men nu varvar det upp med VM i Höljes helgen direkt efter Arvika.
- Bra att få komma igång nu, även om det inte är med samma bil som jag ska köra i Höljes, säger Johan.

Han kommer till start med teamets egen Volkswagen Polo GTI RX KMS, som har fått en hel del uppmärksamhet sedan senaste tävlingen i Uleåborg.
- Det gick ju bra i Finland. Vi får se hur vi har fått till det nu, säger Johan, som har ägnat semesterveckorna åt diverse aktiviteter med familjen.
- En del dagsutflykter med husbilen har det blivit.

Och så en del fysisk träning naturligtvis. Den tidigare elitskidåkaren förnekar sig inte när det ska motioneras.
- Jag har tränat rätt bra på sistone, cyklat till Torsby två gånger och åkt rullskidor till Charlottenberg.

Det handlar då om nio respektive tre mil, så nog är kroppen trimmad alltid.

Lite OS-tittande har han också ägnat sig åt, där Johan särskilt imponerades av kompisen Daniel Ståhls uppvisning i diskus.
- Fränt! Mäktigt! Och allra mest imponerad är jag av att se att han redan är tillbaka i träning igen. Den disciplinen!

Tommy Kristoffersson, teamchef i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, är också i farten igen efter semesteruppehållet.
- Ska bli roligt att komma igång efter det här brejket och särskilt att få göra det med en hemmatävling och publik på plats dessutom.

Att titlar står på spel gör förstås inte saken sämre. Mästerskapstabellen pekar på att Johan tar hem Nordic-titeln, men i SM är det Superfinal som gäller, en enda tävling där allt avgörs för RX1, som supercar-klassen kallas.
- Det blir dubbelt viktigt den här helgen då, påpekar Tommy Kristoffersson.

Kanske till och med trefaldigt viktigt. Kristoffersson Motorsport har också två ekipage till start i Lites-klassen, med Nils Andersson och Gustav Bergström vid spakarna. Andersson leder SM med 20 poängs marginal.
- Vi hoppas att Nils ska hålla undan och ta hem guldet och för Gustav är en final inom räckhåll. Han gjorde ett riktigt bra test i Strängnäs förra veckan.

Tävlingen på Westombanan börjar med första kvalomgången på fredag eftermiddag och går i mål på söndag eftermiddag. RallyX TV finns med under hela helgen och SVT sänder under sista tävlingsdagen.

21-08-10 Sjökvist embarks on FIA RX2e Championship journey at World RX of Sweden
Sjökvist latest addition to FIA RX2e grid
Karting sensation continues rallycross education on World RX package
Swede joins Höljes entry list brimming with talent

Isak Sjökvist is the latest rising star to enter the FIA RX2e Championship with the Swede preparing to make his series bow on home turf at Höljes later this month (August 20-22).

The 19-year-old has joined a burgeoning grid of promising young talent for Round 2 of the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, which is set to support the headlining FIA World Rallycross Championship at the World RX of Sweden.

Racing at the legendary Höljes circuit, Sjökvist will look to take the fight to a compact but high-quality field of rivals - many of whom hold the advantage of already having participated in the season-opener at the Circuit de Catalunya in July.

The unique demands of RX2e, which sees cutting-edge cars able to deliver 250kW (335bhp) of power instantly and generate up to 510Nm torque, will test Sjökvist's abilities to the limit but the Uppsala native has already proved incredibly versatile during his fledgling motorsport career.

Sjökvist was a leading protagonist on the world karting stage and competed in international events with Energy Corse, contesting the top-level KZ2 gearbox class as one of the Italian outfit's few factory drivers. Starting in 2012, Sjökvist gradually progressed to the upper echelons of the sport and was eventually ranked among the best 10 drivers in the world.

After eight years in karting, he then made the switch off-road at the start of 2021 and entered the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites category with Olsbergs OMSE - a founding partner of RX2e.

Sjökvist quickly found his feet and made the semi-finals during just his second-ever race in the ultra-competitive class at Nysum, before backing that up with further semi-final appearances at Höljes.

He then enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at OuluZone in Finland, reaching the final during both rounds of the double-header and converting that pace into a pair of fourth-place finishes.

While relatively inexperienced in the rallycross arena compared to some of his peers, this rapid improvement is an encouraging sign ahead of Sjökvist's first foray into electric rallycross and he has high hopes of competing at the front from the off.

Isak Sjökvist said: "Ever since I started my career, it was a goal of mine to be an all-round driver such as Mattias Ekström and Kenny Bräck. I see my RX2e debut at Höljes as a huge opportunity to develop my driving skills, and also put my name on the map.

"I am super eager to get into this type of car and takes this chance, because of course it will be an advantage over my opponents in the future that I am among one of the first drivers to try the next generation of rallycross cars."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We are delighted to be able to welcome Isak to the grid for Round 2 of the inaugural RX2e season at Höljes. He has demonstrated natural pace and an impressive ability to learn and adapt during his short rallycross career to date, while his karting records speak for themselves, so his participation in Sweden will only strengthen our driver line-up ahead of what promises to be a fiercely competitive event."
Click the images to download in high-resolution

21-08-09 Elektrisk debut för EKS JC – Isak Reiersen kör rallycross i Höljes
Nästa helg körs rallycross-VM i Höljes. Där kommer Isak Reiersen till start i den helt nya elbilsklassen RX2e, vilket även blir 17-åringens tävlingsdebut i Supercar Lites.

Rallycross-VMs andra deltävling körs i värmländska Höljes 20-22 augusti, där EKS JC kommer till start med regerande världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson och Enzo Ide. Nu är det klart att teamet även kommer ha en förare i den helt nya, elektriska klassen RX2e – instegsklassen för Supercar. Bakom ratten finns den värmländske motorsporttalangen Isak Reiersen.

Sedan 2017 har Reiersen tävla för teamet, som en av två förare i JC Raceteknik Juniorteam. I år blev 17-åringen en del av EKS JC, och är nu med i guldkampen i RallyX Nordic – där vinnaren i klassen Crosscar ska krönas redan till helgen. Trots sin unga ålder har han en gedigen meritlista i crosskart, med bland annat tre bronsmedaljer i RallyX Nordic, två SM-guld och ett SM-silver. Han har även flera segrar i ungdomsrally i bagaget, och körde som 14-åring rallycross i klassen RX Academy.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef EKS JC:
”Det ska bli riktigt kul att få sätta Isak i en fyrhjulsdriven bil och den nya klassen RX2e. Vi har jobbat med honom i många år nu inom crosskart, så det ska bli fantastiskt att se honom i rallycross och se vad han kan göra där. Det är debut i en Supercar Lites-bil och såklart kommer det bli tufft för honom att komma direkt från crosskarten och utan erfarenhet av fyrhjulsdrivna bilar, men han har kört en del rally och jag tror vi kan prestera bra fart på banan. Det blir också spännande för EKS JC i och med att det här blir vår elbilspremiär, och att få känna på det här nya formatet som är på väg in i rallycrossen.”

Isak Reiersen, RX2e:
”Den här helgen kommer vara någonting att minnas för resten av mitt liv. Att få chansen att köra dessa bilar under VM-helgen i Höljes är något jag drömt om sedan jag som 5-åring besökte tävlingen. Detta kommer att vara första gången jag sitter i en fyrhjulsdriven tävlingsbil och att den är elektrisk kommer nog inte göra det enklare. Det är en erfarenhet som jag verkligen kommer att bära med mig framåt i karriären.

Mina förväntningar inför helgen är att göra mitt bästa. Jag vet att jag snabbt kan komma in i en bil, och när jag väl står på startplattan så vill jag alltid komma så högt som möjligt. Jag har tillbringat större delen av sommaren i en rallybil, så den största utmaningen kommer nog vara att bli vän med elmotorn och utnyttja den maximalt. Jag vill tacka EKS JC för denna möjlighet, och de sponsorer som ställt upp för att jag ska kunna köra.”

21-08-08 George Megennis joins #YellowSquad for maiden Nitro Rallycross campaign
#YellowSquad has taken on 16-year-old American driver George Megennis as its newest rallycross protege, with the New York-born driver taking on the 2021 Nitro Rallycross season in the series’ support category, NRX NEXT.

After winning both the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites and RX2 Series titles last season with Henrik Krogstad, #YellowSquad is now targeting success across the Atlantic in the US. Megennis will pilot one of the team’s Supercar Lites machines, which are one step below the top division of Nitro Rallycross.

The newly expanded NRX series visits tracks in California, Florida, Utah, Minnesota, and Arizona, all of which have been designed from the ground up by extreme sports legend Travis Pastrana. Featuring spectacular jumps, huge banked turns and multiple routes, these five tracks are the perfect training ground for young drivers to test their limits at a high level.

Before his NRX campaign begins, Megennis will start his 2021 season off with a warm-up event at the RallyX Nordic season finale in Arvika, Sweden, on August 13-15.

Taking place on a circuit featuring an even mix of asphalt and gravel, Megennis’ first event with #YellowSquad at Arvika will provide an opportunity to hone his skills in the Supercar Lites machine further before his NRX campaign begins.

Megennis has already started his pathway to the top level of off-road racing, sampling CrossCar racing after a promising karting career.

Thanks to a bespoke development programme curated by Kevin Hansen – who currently leads the FIA World Rallycross Championship standings – and driver coaching from 2019 World RX champion Timmy Hansen, Megennis is already hard at work preparing for his rallycross debut.

A pre-event test at Strängnäs circuit in central Sweden, with further testing taking place elsewhere in the run-up to his maiden Lites outing at Arvika.

Megennis will make his highly-anticipated NRX debut at Salt Lake City, UT on September 23-25.

George Megennis
#YellowSquad Driver
“I’m pumped to be working with #YellowSquad and the Hansen Motorsport family! It gives me a lot of confidence knowing I have the best guys in the rallycross business handling all my preparation – I’m able to just get in the car, take on board all the great advice and input they’ve given me so far and try to go as fast as I can.

“Coming to Sweden has been a really interesting experience so far, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to come over and do this RallyX Nordic race before my Nitro season begins. The track isn’t quite the same as the NRX tracks – it’s a bit flatter and the jumps aren’t so big – but it’s a good chance to practice my technique, make sure I’m hitting my marks and be in the best possible position heading to Utah next month.”

“I'd like to thank my family and Chris Duplessis of Monticello Motor Club for getting me here. Most importantly, I'd like to thank Kevin Hansen, Eric Färén, and everyone at #YellowSquad and the wider Hansen Motorsport organisation. I couldn't be more excited and grateful for the opportunity.”

Kevin Hansen
Team Principal
“We’re really excited to bring George into the Hansen family, so to speak. It’s not been long that we’ve been working together but I can already see his professionalism and dedication – he’s going to work hard to climb up the ladder in rallycross. We have all the tools here in #YellowSquad to provide a platform for him to grow – a fast car, top engineers, and a really detailed development plan that covers his driving technique, fitness and diet.

“It’s also super cool to see George taking the same path I did! I came straight from karts to junior rallycross, won the RX Lites title in 2015 and then went straight to Supercars. I’m still the youngest driver to win the European Championship and make their World RX debut, so we know this pathway works. Now we’ll work with George and see if we can help him break some records of his own.”

21-08-05 Nils Andersson toppar en framgångsrik säsong med VM i Höljes
Efter en mycket framgångsrik säsong med stora chanser till SM-guld och silver i RallyX Nordic inför finalen i Arvika, kommer Nils starta i RX2e klassen under VM i Höljes.

Redan som liten stod Nils vid sidan av banan i Höljes när VM och EM kördes här. Då var han 5–6 år gammal och med största säkerhet iklädd Kenneth Hansen keps och t-shirt då Västgöten var den största idolen. Nu i årets upplaga av VM i Höljes den 20–22 augusti är han 21 år gammal och byter ut keps och t-shirt mot hjälm och overall.

21-åringen kommer göra ett inhopp i den andra deltävlingen av det första FIA-mästerskapet i rallycross på el i form av RX2e. I och med det blir Nils den fösta svenska föraren att köra Elbil i ett Rallycrossmästerskap. Bilarna drivs av två elmotorer, en bak och en fram, där de tillsammans levererar 250 kW (335 hk) och 510 Nm vridmoment. Serien klassas som den näst högsta klassen efter huvudklassen RX1 (tidigare supercar).

Med konkurrenter som redan kört en tävling i klassen har Nils en utmaning i att skaffa erfarenhet av bilen så snabbt som möjligt.
- ”Det kommer bli en kul utmaning, men jag tror att det kommer passa mig perfekt”, säger Arvika-sonen.

Pere Gonzalez, Projektledare för FIA RX2e:
- ”Att ha Nils som en inhoppare i FIA RX2e mästerskapet är otroligt kul för oss då han anses som en av de mest talangfulla unga förarna i rallycross just nu. Nils har visat sig som en jämn toppåkare i RallyX Nordic och han ger extra krydda till det redan konkurrenskraftiga mästerskapet. Vi ser förväntansfullt fram emot vad han kan åstadkomma i vår nya helt elektriska rallycrossbil”, säger den Spanske Projektledaren.

Innan VM i Höljes har Nils möjligheten att ta hem ett SM-guld och Silver i RallyX Nordic på hemmaplan i Arvika. Den 13–15 augusti körs Superfinalen i Rallycross på Westombanan i Arvika. Där kommer alla rallycrosstitlar i RallyX Nordic samt SM avgöras. I RallyX Nordic har Nils chans att nå andraplatsen i mästerskapet där finländaren Tommi Hallman redan säkrat mästerskapstiteln innan den sista deltävlingen. Med 11 poäng ner till trean Linus Östlund och 12 poäng ner till fyran Simon Olofsson blir det en jämn kamp om pallplatserna i mästerskapet bland de tre värmlänningarna.

I SM-tabellen leder Nils med 20 poäng före tvåan Martin Enlund och 33 poäng före Trean Casper Jansson. Det innebär att det blir minst ett SM-silver för Andersson under finalen i Arvika. Andersson som tidigare inte har något SM-guld kommer ladda hårt för att ta det på hemmaplan.

21-08-03 RallyX Nordic title decider draws bumper entry list as fans return for finale showdown at Arvika
Championship battles go down to the wire at Arvika
Huge entry lists across every RallyX Nordic category
Tickets on sale as fans back for first time in 2021
Action to be broadcast live and free-to-air on RallyX TV

The 2021 RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Championship will reach its dramatic conclusion with a spectacular weekend of racing at Arvika, Sweden (August 13-15).

Fans will be welcomed back trackside for the first time this season with Round 7 set to produce some truly exhilarating action at the popular Värmland circuit (see ticket information HERE).

A hugely impressive entry list has been lodged prior to the final event of the campaign, with a high-class Supercar field and an unprecedented number of competitors expected in Supercar Lites and the fan-favourite Open 2WD class.

There is also a three-way tussle to decide the CrossCar/Crosskart title and a head-to-head battle in the CrossCar Junior category, meaning there is plenty for supporters to look forward to – both on site and via the live, free-to-air broadcast on RallyX TV.

Supercar
Johan Kristoffersson heads into the final round of the season top of the Supercar standings and set to claim a maiden RallyX Nordic title in his Kristoffersson Motorsport-run VW Polo.

The three-time FIA World Rallycross Champion is 27 points clear of his nearest rival - fellow World RX ace Niclas Grönholm, who will not be competing at Arvika - and a further two ahead of EKS JC's Sondre Evjen, with the Norwegian the only driver mathematically capable of denying Kristoffersson the title.

Meanwhile, fourth-placed Fraser McConnell will be looking to add to his first Supercar victory secured in the season-opener at Nysum but the Olsbergs MSE star is just one of several other potential race-winning contenders on the entry list.

Hedströms Motorsport are fielding a formidable squad at Arvika, with Anders Michalak and Peter Hedström joined by World RX regular Anton Marklund and Swede Dan Öberg – who recently stepped up to the top tier after impressing in RallyX Nordic and Euro RX last year. Elsewhere, Philip Gehrman will be behind the wheel of an Audi S1 for the first time and Kevin Eriksson is making a guest appearance for Olsbergs MSE in a Honda Civic.

One-off outings for Patrick Guillerme, Daniel Thorén and Stene Johansen further bolster the Supercar category while regulars Enzo Ide and Andreas Carlsson complete a fiercely competitive line-up in the flame-spitting headline class.

Supercar Lites
Tommi Hallman holds an unassailable lead in Supercar Lites, having won four out of six events so far during his stunning debut season in the category. The Finn also claimed third in his other two appearances this term, and is all-but-certain to secure the title – notwithstanding any unforeseen dramas.

But that doesn't dilute what promises to be a thrilling weekend of action, with series frontrunners Nils Andersson, Linus Östlund and Simon Olofsson set to go all-out for the minor honours in the overall standings.

They will be joined by the usual cast of Supercar Lites regulars, including the rapidly improving Isak Sjökvist and the impressively consistent pair of Martin Enlund and Martin Jonsson, while a host of new faces are hoping to make their mark at Arvika.

Mikael Ringström, Emil Persson, Tony Sormbroen and George Megennis are all entering the fray for the season finale while Lars Erik Haug is also on the grid alongside the returning Ida Törnhult, Grégory Fosse, Mats Oskarsson and Nathalie Petersson.

Gustav Bergström, Mattis Janssom, Casper Jansson, Lane Vacala and Niklas Aneklev complete the bumper line-up, which arguably looks set to produce the most competitive Supercar Lites meeting of the season.

Supporting Cast
The CrossCar/Crosskart championship battle is on a knife-edge heading to Arvika, with Patrik Hallberg, Isak Reiersen and Jimmie Österberg level on points after each driver's worst scores are dropped.

The trio have set the pace throughout the campaign and are now preparing for a winner-takes-all shootout at the final round of the season.

The title fight is almost as close in CrossCar Junior, with Lukas Andersson holding a slim five-point advantage over reigning champion Alex Gustafsson, while Simon Tiger is the overwhelming favourite to claim Open 2WD honours.

The Swede is 29 points clear of Mathias Jansson but faces his toughest test of the campaign so far with a staggering 20 entries lodged for the season finale – including series returnee Mats Öhman – aided in part by the Swedish National Championship concurrently running at Arvika alongside the RallyX Nordic programme.

Where to Watch
The high-octane action across all five classes will be broadcast live, free and in high-definition at tv.rallyx.se, with the racing set to get underway on Friday, 13 August and concluding on Sunday, 15 August.

Official Entry Lists
Supercar
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
1 Johan Kristoffersson SWE Kristoffersson Motorsport VW Polo
7 Anders Michalak SWE Hedströms Motorsport VW Polo
8 Peter Hedström SWE Hedströms Motorsport Hyundai i20
17 Dan Öberg SWE Hedströms Motorsport VW Polo WRX
33 Enzo Ide BEL EKS JC Audi S1
35 Fraser McConnell JAM Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta MK8
44 Stene Johansen NOR Stene Johansen Ford Fiesta
61 Andreas Carlsson SWE ACRX Renault Clio RS
69 Sondre Evjen NOR EKS JC Audi S1
83 Patrick Guillerme FRA PGRX Hyundai i20
88 Daniel Thorén SWE TiKRX VW Polo
92 Anton Marklund SWE Hedströms Motorsport VW Polo
95 Philip Gehrman SWE Team First Stop Sweden Audi S1
96 Kevin Eriksson SWE Olsbergs MSE Honda Civic

Supercar Lites
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
4 Ida Törnhult SWE Olsbergs MSE 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 Kristoffersson Motorsport Supercar Lites
17 Gustav Bergström SWE Kristoffersson Motorsport Supercar Lites
18 Linus Östlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
22 Mattis Janssom SWE KJ.S RX Supercar Lites
23 Mikael Ringström SWE Team Bernt Gundersen Graveservice Supercar Lites
28 Emil Persson SWE Emil Persson RX Supercar Lites
29 Eirik H. Berget NOR EHB Motorsport Supercar Lites
36 Casper Jansson SWE Enlunds Motorsport Supercar Lites
43 Tony Sormbroen NOR Team Bernt Gundersen Graveservice Supercar Lites
52 Simon Olofsson SWE STS RX Supercar Lites
55 Lane Vacala USA STS RX Supercar Lites
60 Martin Enlund SWE Enlunds Motorsport Supercar Lites
80 George Megennis USA TBA Supercar Lites
82 Isak Sjökvist SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
87 Tommi Hallman FIN SET Promotion Supercar Lites
91 Niklas Aneklev SWE Team Ramudden / Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites

CrossCar/Crosskart
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
1 Tommie Svärd SWE Tommie Svärd Motorsport Casmat
2 Timo Laapotti FIN Team Speedweekend Speedcar
5 Riku Huuhka FIN Team Speedweekend Speedcar
8 Pasi Penttinen FIN Team Speedweekend Speedcar
10 Per Goodison SWE Per Goodison Speedcar
11 Jimmie Österberg SWE Power RX Speedcar
30 Erik Andersson SWE Power RX Speedcar
67 Isac Egonsson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
77 Timmy Sakariassen SWE Team Sakariassen Edge Extreme 04
80 Tomi Rakkolainen FIN Team Speedweekend Speedcar
81 Ronalds Baldins LVA Baco Racing 81 Speedcar
84 Jarkko Aronen FIN Team Speedweekend Speedcar
85 Petter Hane SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
88 André Bendixen SWE Bendixen Motorsport Kamikaz
161 Patrik Hallberg SWE Max RPM EDGE
170 Isak Reiersen SWE EKS JC Speedcar
183 Oskar Andersson SWE Enlunds Motorsport EDGE

Open 2WD
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
0 Joakim Evertsson SWE Joakim Evertsson BMW M3
1 Simon Tiger SWE TeamTigerRX BMW E30 M3
2 Marcus Norman SWE Odin Target Mazda RX8
5 Lars Englund SWE Lars Englund Porsche 911
7 Emil Öhman SWE Emil Öhman Volvo S40
8 Linus Westman SWE LIWE RX BMW E82
10 Rami Kauttio FIN Rami Kauttio Ford Escort
11 Roland Larsamo SWE Roland Larsamo BMW M3
16 Crazy Mike FIN Crazy Mike Stunt Team Toyota Yaris Mini WRC
17 Mats Öhman SWE Mats Öhman Lexus
46 Mathias Jansson SWE Mathias Jansson Volvo S40
60 Thomas Öhman SWE Thomas Öhman BMW E82
68 Urban Bergström SWE Öhmans Motorsport Volvo V40
78 Michael Janson SWE Michael Janson BMW E30
114 Stefan Åeng NOR Stefan Åeng Toyota Corolla
122 Joacim Rollving SWE Sweway Racing Ford Fiesta
123 Fredrik Tiger SWE Fredrik Tiger Porsche
313 Stefan Kristensson SWE TEAM SKÅAB Ford
323 Mikael Persson SWE Mikael Persson VW Golf 4
327 Morten B. Bertelsen SWE Bertelsen-Motorsport Skoda Fabia

CrossCar Junior
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
10 Joakim Lund Olander SWE Joakim Lund Olander Speedcar
11 Pontus Oskarsson SWE MORX Speedcar
21 Rasmus Persson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
32 Josefin Holmkvist SWE Katalysatoråtervinning Speedcar
34 Erik Nilsson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
57 Lauri Halonen FIN Lauri RX Ydrefalk
99 Lukas Andersson SWE LACK 99 Speedcar
111 Isak Hatanmaa FIN Isak Hatanmaa Casmat
128 Oliwer Lidman SWE Vissboda Allservice Speedcar
150 Joonatan Ylilammi FIN Team Ylilammi Speedcar
184 Elias Kalliokoski FIN Kallikoski Racing Speedcar Xtreme
199 Alex Gustafsson SWE EKS JC Speedcar

21-07-27 Red Bull Hansen NRX Team returns to defend its American crown
ed Bull Hansen NRX Team, the winner of the last two editions of Nitro Rallycross, is coming back to the newly revamped series with Kevin Hansen and Timmy Hansen to defend its status as reigning champions.

Hansen has scored back-to-back Nitro wins in 2018 and 2019 at Utah Motorsports Campus, with Timmy Hansen taking victory before Kevin Hansen scored top honours a year later in the standalone event.

After a one year hiatus due to COVID-19, Nitro Rallycross is back and bigger than ever, expanding from a one-off winner-takes-all event to a five-round series.

Kevin Hansen, who currently leads the FIA World Rallycross Championship thanks to a victory at the opening round last weekend, will defend his status as the reigning champion in NRX with a full campaign to take the top spot.

Timmy Hansen will also return for the opening round at Salt Lake City, driving a second Peugeot 208 WRX at the same track he took victory three years earlier.

Nitro Rallycross features some of the most extreme and adrenaline-fuelled rallycross tracks on the planet, with high-banked corners and 30-metre (100 feet) jumps the norm.

Utah Motorsports Campus in Salt Lake City, USA, previously hosted standalone Nitro Rallycross events but has been joined by four new purpose-built tracks for the expanded 2021 calendar: ERX Motor Park in Minneapolis, MN; Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, AZ; Glen Helen, CA; and The Firm, FL.

The five-stop US tour compliments Hansen’s activities in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, where it currently leads both the drivers’ and teams’ championships.

Kevin Hansen
“Now there’s going to be five of these insane tracks! How could I not come back and try to win it again?”

“Coming back to the US to take on Nitro Rallycross again is going to be mega. Utah Motorsports Campus is a circuit unlike anything I’ve driven elsewhere in the world – and now there’s going to be five of these insane tracks! How could I not come back and try to win it again? Travis Pastrana has done a super job with the original Nitro track, so I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us at the other locations.

“I want to win NRX again this year, of course, but it’ll be more difficult than ever before. There are some quality teams and drivers in this series so it will be a big ask to finish on top. But we are relishing the challenge; we’ve got a slightly different spec of car for NRX compared to the world championship, so all the hard work the team has been putting in to perfect my US 208 will hopefully put me in a great position to compete at the top.”

Timmy Hansen
“Going over the jump in Utah was unlike anything I’d experienced before...and to be in history as the first ever winner of an NRX event is a really cool achievement.”

“I am so happy to be coming back – I have such great memories of Nitro Rallycross from 2018 and 2019. Going over the jump in Utah was unlike anything I’d experienced before; this track is a rollercoaster with its big air and banked turns. And to be in history as the first ever winner of an NRX event is a really cool achievement. I can’t wait to go back”

“I’d love to do the whole championship but it’s a bit tricky to know if that is possible – between NRX, World RX and Extreme E I have a lot of driving and travelling to do! So I’m going to go to Utah aiming to win, and then hoping I can come back and do some more races. It would be awesome to try out the new tracks.”

The Boss Kenneth Hansen
“We have been hard at work preparing a car that is perfectly suited to the big jumps and slippery gravel the circuits have.”

“I would say there are only two premier categories in rallycross right now – the world championship, of course, and Nitro Rallycross. Since we packed up our container in Utah two years ago, we’ve wanted to come back and race here again, so we’re very happy to have made it back onto the grid.

“We are pushing as a team to bring the best package possible to the US. With the drivers we have the best line-up possible; they are currently the top two drivers in the world championship and the only past winners of NRX after all! But also on the technical side, we have been hard at work preparing a car that is perfectly suited to the big jumps and slippery gravel the US circuits have. We want to give Kevin and Timmy the best tools to go out and win more races here – hopefully we’ll achieve that with this version of the 208.”

Nitro Rallycross
2021 Calendar
1 Utah Motorsports Campus September 24-25, 2021
2 ERX Motor Park October 2-3, 2021
3 Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park November 13-14, 2021
4 Glen Helen Raceway November 20-21, 2021
5 The Firm December 4-5, 2021

21-07-25 Klara Andersson i SM-ledning i rallycrossen inför Superfinalen i augusti
Det blev både omkastning och utökning i serietabellerna när den sjätte deltävlingen av rallycrossens SM-serie avgjordes i Västerås under söndagen. Tuffa fighter är att vänta när allt ska avgöras med superfinalen i Arvika 13-15 augusti.

I den klassen med störst startfält, 2150 som i år har SM-status, var det två erfarna herrar i Björn ”Putte” Alvarsson och Erno Antikainen i delad serieledning inför dagens tävling. Men när den värmande solen så sakta började gå ner efter söndagens tävling var det en ny ledare. Både Antikainen och Alvarsson hade en tuff helg i Västerås och ingen av dem lyckades ta sig till final idag. De båda gick ut i samma semifinal och hade redan in i första sväng en häftig kamp, men där slog också Antikaninen på sig en punktering när han gick upp i ledningen. Något som ledde till att han gjorde en halv piruett ut ur målkurvan på första varvet. Då var Alvarsson precis bakom och fick Antikaninen som en plog framför sig innan han lyckades passera. En manöver som renderade i en svart flagga för fjolårsvinnaren Alvarsson.

Men redan innan semifinalerna var det Klara Andersson som gjort mest avtryck i 2150-klassen genom att placera sig överst som kvalvinnare och därefter segrare i sin semifinal.
- Det känns bra med bilen och körningen. Jag försöker vara i min bubbla och köra mina race och minimera misstagen, sa Klara Andersson efter segern i Q3.

Andersson tog sen efter segern i sin semifinal även starten i finalen före David Hjertberg. Men ut mot andra varet missade Andersson lite i startkurvan samtidigt som jagande Hjertberg prickade en optimal linje och kunde ta sig förbi i kurva två, den tighta hårnålen. Andersson försökte jaga ifatt, men kom aldrig tillräckligt nära för att hota Hjertberg. Men med en andra plats och många poäng inkörda leder nu Klara Andersson SM-serien på 152 poäng inför den avslutande finalen i Arvika.

Även dagens segrare, David Hjertberg klättrade uppåt i den totala tabellen och parkerar med segern och totala 148 poäng, som tvåa i mästerskapet bakom Klara Andersson.
- Det här var riktigt roligt. Det har varit lite upp och ner hela helgen men nu slutade det på upp i alla fall. Så nu känns de hundra milen hem lite lättare, säger David Hjertberg och summerar finalen.
- Jag kom i väg bra i starten och kunde lägga mig i rygg på Klara sen såg jag en lucka och fick till ett perfekt spår, som jag inte hittade på något annat varv, och då kunde jag passera, sen lyckades jag hålla undan.

Alla resultat från samtliga klasser i deltävling sex finns här.

Nästa tävling av Rallycrossens SM-serie är Superfinalen i Arvika 13-15 augusti då kampen om SM-medaljerna ska avgöras och där även Rally X Nordic avslutar sin säsong. Allt kommer kunna ses på Svensk Bilsports webb-tv kanal, www.sbfplay,se

21-07-25 Andersson i ledning inför finalen
Trots en strulig helg i Västerås så tar Nils Andersson med sig en ledning på 20 poäng till SM-finalen i Arvika.
- Skaplig poängutdelning ändå, sammanfattar KMS-föraren efter en andra- och en fjärdeplats under helgens dubbeltävling i Supercar Lites.

Rallycross-SM drog vidare till Västmanland under helgen. Nils Andersson åkte dit med en klar ledning i Lites-klassen och kunde i bästa fall i praktiken ha säkrat SM-guldet. Riktigt så bra blev det nu inte utan Andersson fick kämpa för varje poäng i ett adrenalinspäckat startfält.

Lördagens kval blev en kämpig historia och 21-åringen från Arvika fick nöja sig med att stå i andra ledet i semifinalen. Där tog han en tredjeplats och därmed sista rutan i finalen.
- Struligt kval, men stolpe in i finalen, summerar Andersson, som körde upp sig till en andraplats efter kompisen Linus Östlund.

Söndagen började också med en motgång i form av en punktering i första kvalomgången.
- Oturlig Q1, men därefter två bra kvalomgångar och en bra semifinal.

Med två andraplatser i de sista kvalrundorna så startade Nils i pole position i andra semifinalen där det blev seger.

Därmed var det slut på flytet för den här helgen. I finalen tappade han placeringar på grund av tekniska problem.
- Redan när jag släppte upp kopplingen i finalen märkte jag att motorn inte gick som den skulle.

Med sämre effekt än konkurrenterna kunde han inte kämpa om en pallplacering, men tog sig i mål som fyra, trots tuff uppvaktning bakifrån.
- Jag fick en smäll på sista varvet, så vi har en del jobb att göra på bilen nu, förutom motorproblemet.

Tre veckor har Nils och Kristoffersson Motorsport på sig att få Lites-bilen i toppskick igen. Då vankas SM-final hemma på Westom-banan.
- Det är ju en bana jag kan i alla fall, men allting kan hända. Det såg vi inte minst den här helgen.

20 poängs ledning är en rejäl marginal med bara en tävling kvar, men Martin Enlund har chans att ta sig förbi om Andersson skulle få stora problem.
- Minst silver är säkrat, men teamet har gjort ett så bra jobb hittills, så jag tycker vi är värda att få ta hem en guldmedalj till Arvika, avslutar Nils Andersson.

21-07-25 Kevin Hansen leads home one-two victory for Hansen World RX Team in Spain
Kevin Hansen scored his first ever win on the road in the FIA World Rallycross Championship with victory at the World RX of Catalunya, leading home team-mate Timmy Hansen in a 1-2 finish for Hansen World RX Team.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has proven a happy hunting ground for Hansen World RX Team in years past, with Timmy Hansen taking wins here for the last two years running.

A steely performance from Kevin ensured he held off Johan Kristoffersson to win his semi-final while under immense pressure, giving him a front row start for the final alongside Timmy.

An early joker for the 2019 World Rallycross Champion in the final ensured Timmy stayed ahead of Kristoffersson, but a later joker lap from Kevin allowed him to run side-by-side with his brother through the long, sweeping turn six on the fourth lap, going on to take the lead around the outside at the next turn.

From there, Kevin and Timmy held firm in first and second, crossing the line to secure a second 1-2 finish for the team at the track, following on from its 2019 success where Timmy had led Kevin home.

It was also the first win for Kevin on the road at world championship level, as his first official race victory had come via a post-finish stewards’ decision at the 2019 World RX of Abu Dhabi.

Semi-final wins for both drivers, and Timmy topping qualifying ahead of Kevin in second, means that Hansen has also accrued a perfect score in the teams’ championship in Barcelona.

Kevin’s round one win means he leads the drivers’ championship with 29 points, two points ahead of Timmy on 27.

Following the postponement of World RX of Germany earlier this week, the next round of World RX will be the team’s home event in Höljes, Sweden, next month.

9
KEVIN HANSEN
Timmy Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team
“I saw the opportunity and took it, knowing that between myself and Timmy we always race fair.”

“Myself and Timmy managed a brilliant run to turn one in the final, the strategy was perfect. After that we just kept our heads down, I kept on Timmy's bumper and felt I had some great pace. Once Timmy jokered and I picked up clean air, I had a good feeling with Graham [Rodemark, spotter] on the team radio that we had something good going. He did say the joker exit would be tight – and it was! But I saw the opportunity and took it, knowing that between myself and Timmy we always race fair and think of the team.

“I've worked so hard in the off-season, working on a new approach, and I'm really pumped to have this validation that it's working. We have to keep working stay at the top though; we saw how competitive Johan is, and we have to improve further. But at the end of the day we're leading both championships, so we're on the right track.”

21
TIMMY HANSEN
Timmy Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team
“We had to focus on ensuring we finished 1-2, and the plan worked perfectly. We definitely made the right choice”

“Maybe with a different strategy I could have won the race today. I had some issues with understeer on Friday but we kept working on the set-up, making changes, and eventually dialled it out. And on the new tyres at the end our car felt the fastest it had been all weekend. So the speed was there towards the end, but we had to focus on ensuring we finished 1-2, and the plan worked perfectly. We definitely made the right choice.

“We have to play the team game – sometimes you get to be the one taking, and sometimes you have to be the one giving. The margins were so small today that spending a lap behind Krisztián Szabó, who hadn't jokered, changed the race from my side. But the overall strategy worked, Kevin got the space he needed and it was super even between us after the strategy played out. The important thing is that I knew we as a team would win; getting a maximum score at the start of the year is a huge boost. ”

THE BOSS KENNETH HANSEN
Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Hansen World RX Team
“We had decided to put our eggs in a single basket strategy-wise early on, taking a gamble aimed squarely at winning the later races.”

“We didn't quite have the ultimate pace during the whole weekend – Kristoffersson was extremely quick in the Saturday qualifying sessions. But we had good tyres for the semi-finals and very good tyres for the finals – we had decided to put our eggs in a single basket strategy-wise early on, taking a gamble aimed squarely at winning the later races.

“We had to take additional risks to win those races too, especially with the joker lap. We did a really good job in that area today, it couldn't have gone better. The situation we faced in the opening laps of the final was Kevin potentially dropping to third, but we were able to read the race and ensure we took a 1-2 and maximum points for the championship.

“Our technical team has done a fantastic job all weekend, and we especially need to thank ORCEA for their hard work on engine upgrades. Our starts were consistently strong this week, which is a great reward for all the work that's been put in since last year's season finale.

nd
Timmy Hansen
Qualifying 1 1st
Qualifying 2 2nd
Qualifying 3 2nd
Qualifying 4 2nd
Semi-Final 1 1st
Final 2nd

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

21-07-25 De Ridder completes Catalunya clean sweep as sparks fly in first-ever FIA RX2e event
De Ridder claims victory in Round 1 of inaugural RX2e Championship
Belgian wins every session in Catalunya as McConnell and Kallio collide
Teenagers Steinsholt and O'Donovan complete maiden podium
All-electric series continues in Höljes, Sweden (August 20-22)

Guillaume De Ridder produced a masterful display to dominate the maiden FIA RX2e event at the Circuit de Catalunya, becoming the first-ever winner in the all-electric championship.

The Belgian was fastest in all four qualifying sessions and battled to victory in his semi-final before taking advantage of an incident involving his main rivals Fraser McConnell and Jesse Kallio in the showpiece race.

That left the way clear for Ole Henry Steinsholt to claim second, with the Norwegian bouncing back after two significant crashes earlier in the day, while fellow teenager Patrick O'Donovan completed the rostrum.

The 17-year-old enjoyed a redemption story of his own after a disappointing DNF in Q2 left him playing catch up on Saturday, and the youngster showed his potential with a mature performance on the debut race weekend for the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

RX2e, a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialists QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse OMSE, has the honour of being the leading support series to the FIA World Rallycross Championship this season.

And the brand new category, based on an 'arrive-and-drive' concept with the intention of creating an accessible pathway to the top of the sport, certainly delivered plenty of action.

De Ridder was quickest out of the blocks on Friday, setting the pace in practice before going on to post the fastest times in both Q1 and Q2 with a couple of superb drives.

However, the 28-year-old was pushed all the way by McConnell and Kallio as the pair of former RX2 sparring partners picked up a second and third each to leave them level in the overnight standings.

Steinsholt and Frenchman Damien Meunier, who also boasts RX2 experience, were four and fifth midway through qualifying while local driver Pablo Suárez sat sixth after securing a very popular victory in his Q2 race.

As for O'Donovan, the youngest driver in the 10-car field started positively on his 4WD debut with sixth in Q1 but contact at the start of Q2 resulted in retirement and left him with a mountain to climb on Saturday.

The second day in Barcelona started with drama as heavy watering of the track caused treacherous practice conditions and resulted in a number of accidents - most notably a heavy shunt for Steinsholt while Suárez, Meunier and José Luis García also picked up damage.

The RX2e crew of engineers and mechanics went to work on the stricken machine, in full view of the live cameras belonging to the new RX+ broadcast platform, and pulled off a heroic repair job in time for Q3.

That gave Steinsholt a chance to line up in the quicker qualifying race, but the Norwegian soon found himself in trouble again - clipping the tyre barrier on the way into the final complex while chasing De Ridder.

The Norwegian rebounded into the centre of the track and collected Kallio, who in turn was hit by McConnell. The Jamaican was fastest to get going again, finishing a distant second while Kallio came home third and Steinsholt dragged his car around for fourth, with Meunier having come unstuck at the first corner after an ambitious move around the outside.

Suárez won the other race in Q3 comfortably while O'Donovan caught the eye, jumping from fifth to third in turn one before later pulling a tidy move on García to secure second and lift him up the intermediate standings.

De Ridder had his toughest challenge yet in Q4, going doorhandle-to-doorhandle with McConnell into turn one while Kallio and O'Donovan were hung out wide and opted to take early jokers. The Belgian was unruffled by the close attention though, and kept his cool to notch his fourth session win of the weekend.

In the other Q4 race, Steinsholt finally enjoyed a trouble-free run and showed his true pace to take the chequered flag while the unfortunate Meunier suffered mechanical issues, leaving the way open for Garcia to seal second ahead of Oscar Ortfeldt - a late replacement for Spanish ace Pepe Arqué - and British veteran Mark Flaherty.

The first semi-final was a showdown between De Ridder and Kallio, with the Finn noticeably more aggressive in his driving style as he looked to hustle is rival into a mistake, but De Ridder did not put a wheel wrong and claimed yet another victory while Steinsholt finished third.

McConnell was untroubled out in front of the second semi-final, although the action was fast and furious behind as O'Donovan passed Meunier thanks to an alternative joker strategy before the RX150 star also found a way past Suárez when the Spaniard got out of shape exiting the hairpin.

Those results teed up a mouthwatering final involving De Ridder, McConnell, Kallio, Steinsholt, Suarez and O'Donovan, set to play out under the setting sun as the live crowd took advantage of cooler temperatures thanks to the unusual evening format.

However, the contest was effectively over before it began with McConnell losing out to De Ridder in turn one and suffering contact in the pack which turned the nose of his car into Kallio's.

McConnell hit the barriers and was out on the spot while Kallio limped around for a lap before parking up, opening the way for Steinsholt and O'Donovan to profit.

Oblivious to the carnage behind, De Ridder cruised around to complete a historic clean sweep and lay down a marker for the rest of the season. Steinsholt was a comfortable second while O'Donovan displayed excellent race craft to resist the attentions of Suárez and claim an unexpected podium.

Guillaume De Ridder said: "I'm speechless - I can't describe the weekend. There are so many great drivers in RX2e, so to take the first win and make history is just an amazing feeling.

"It has been a perfect weekend, winning every session and getting a clean sweep. This is a new series with a lot of fast guys so I didn't exactly know what to expect, but we were obviously aiming to fight for the win. It couldn't have gone better.

"The RX2e car has been even better than I could have expected. It is brand new technology, so you could expect some small failures, but it was absolutely flawless all weekend. The guys at QEV and OMSE have made a great product, it is a great piece of engineering and nice to drive so I have really enjoyed it."

Ole Henry Steinsholt said: "It is amazing to stand on the podium at the end of such an up-and-down day. Yesterday our pace was okay but today I struggled a lot so I have to say a big thank you to the team and mechanics who made the car ready for both qualifying sessions today.

"It has been a lot of fun. I'm really happy. In the final, everything happened in front of me and suddenly I was second. I went to the inside to follow Guillaume, and then when I got to the gravel section I saw cars flying in front of me!"

Patrick O'Donovan said: "This is crazy. I had a really bad start to the weekend, and was really unlucky. I got held up in my first heat and never got to show my pace then I had a DNF at turn one in the second qualifying race, which really set us back.

"Today was a redemption day. I started every race but one on the outside and in last! Before the final I made a plan, with my spotters David Mansfield and Kevin Eriksson, that we were going to brake early and get the cut back in turn one. It worked as I got up into P4, then I saw Fraser and Jesse coming together… I kept my foot in through the dust and it was a sensational result. I had a lot of pressure from behind in the last two laps but it was really good fun."

The FIA RX2e Championship continues with Round 2 at Höljes, Sweden next month (August 20-22). You can watch every single race live on RX+, the new FIA World Rallycross Championship broadcast platform.

Results
1. Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) 6 laps
2. Ole Henry STEINSHOLT (NOR) +4.195
3. Patrick O'DONOVAN (IRL) +6.057
4. Pablo SUÁREZ (ESP) +6.515
5. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) +5 laps
6. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) +6 laps

Championship Standings
1. Guillaume DE RIDDER (BEL) 30pts
2. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) 22pts
3. Ole Henry STEINSHOLT (NOR) 21pts
4. Pablo SUÁREZ (ESP) 21pts
5. Jesse KALLIO (FIN) 21pts
6. Patrick O'DONOVAN (IRL) 19pts
7. José Luis GARCÍA MOLINA (ESP) 13pts
8. Damien MEUNIER (FRA) 12pts
9. Mark FLAHERTY (GBR) 10pts
10. Jan Oscar ORTFELDT (SWE) 9pts

21-07-25 Kevin Hansen beats the champions for first victory of 2021 in captivating Catalunya curtain-raiser
Kevin Hansen leads Hansen World RX Team one-two in World RX season-opener
Swede prevails in thrilling battle with team-mate Timmy Hansen and Johan Kristoffersson
Guillaume De Ridder makes history as first-ever winner in FIA RX2e Championship

Kevin Hansen beat the world’s best in Barcelona today (24 July), as the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship got underway in spectacular style in Spain with sensational racing across the board and a breathtaking battle for World RX honours.

Hansen was already a winner in the series arriving at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but his previous success – in Abu Dhabi in 2019 – came as a result of a penalty for the on-track winner. This time, the Swede triumphed entirely on merit after a pulsating performance for the family-run Hansen World RX Team.

For the majority of the weekend, Hansen closely shadowed elder brother Timmy as the two Peugeot 208s topped the intermediate classification at World RX of Catalunya. Behind them, however, a threat was lurking – a threat in the shape of three-time world champion Johan Kristofferson.

Entering the season as the defending title-holder, the KYB EKS JC ace was left on the back foot yesterday as a Q1 disqualification – after his data-logger was found not to have been connected – left him down in an uncharacteristic 15th position.

Proving just why he is the most crowned competitor in World Championship history, however, the Swede went on to win all three subsequent qualifiers to haul himself up to sixth place after Q4 – and back in the hunt.

That set the scene for a dazzling duel in the second semi-final, as Kristoffersson tried every which way to pass the younger of the Hansen brothers over the last two laps in a phenomenal fight, but the Peugeot driver stuck stubbornly to his guns and refused to yield, setting up an all-Hansen front row for the final following Timmy’s victory in the first semi-final.

After gaining a spot to third at the start, Kristoffersson then deployed an early joker tactic to try to get the undercut on the Hansen duo but found himself covered off by Timmy.

The pair both emerged from the joker behind GRX-SET World RX Team’s Krisztián Szabó, though, and the subsequent delay – allied to a rapid turn-of-speed from Kevin Hansen – enabled the latter to sweep around the outside of his two countrymen on lap four to assume a lead he would not subsequently relinquish.

Showing just how much the result meant to him, the winner fought back tears after exiting his car in parc fermé, while Timmy Hansen withstood the pressure of Kristoffersson all the way to the chequered flag to seal a one-two for the Swedish outfit and get Hansen World RX Team’s season off to the perfect start.

Although Kristofferson was disappointed not to win, the pace he showed throughout the weekend proved that the Audi driver will once again be a force to be reckoned with this year, while Szabó’s fourth-place finish brought some consolation to GRX-SET, after team-mate Niclas Grönholm found himself spat off-track at the beginning of the second semi-final.

René Münnich reached the final for the first time in his World RX career and ultimately wound up fifth for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, but there was less fortune for team-mate Timo Scheider, who was fast and feisty during the qualifying stages and sat third in the intermediate standings only to be squeezed into the barriers on the opening lap of his semi-final. At the start of his first full season in World RX, meanwhile, Kevin Abbring showed flashes of real form in UNKORRUPTED’s Renault Mégane on his way to sixth.

Kevin Hansen, Hansen World RX Team (1st), said:
“This means so much to me – my first proper World RX win. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time and I’m so, so happy. I knew from pre-season testing that I had a great car underneath me and I’ve worked so hard to up my game, and that has paid off. Johan put up a big challenge this weekend and really made us fight for it, but I got my chance and knew I had to take it. Keeping him behind me in the semi-final was absolutely key.

“When I was standing on the podium, I looked to my left and to my right and thought, ‘these guys have won four world championships between them, and I’ve just beaten them both’ – that was such a cool feeling. What an amazing way to start the season! This isn’t the first time I’ve led the world championship, but this year, I don’t plan to let it go...”

Timmy Hansen, Hansen World RX Team (2nd), said:
“I’m super proud of Kevin – I know how hard he is working and how much he is improving, and he did a fantastic job. Both of us kept our cool through qualifying, and we had a plan for how we wanted to come out of the first corner in the final, which we executed perfectly.

“Johan has been incredibly fast all weekend, and to hold position, we knew we had to cover off his joker strategy. Unfortunately, I then lost some time behind Szabó and it was so close between Kevin and me when he emerged from the joker, but from that point on, I had his back. This is a team victory, and a one-two finish is a fantastic result at the beginning of the season – a big win for our family.”

Johan Kristoffersson, KYB EKS JC (3rd), said:
“If you had offered me a podium after the penalty in Q1, I would definitely have taken it, but with the pace we have shown here, of course we were hoping for a bit more. I didn’t want to risk too much in the semi-final and final, so I tried to drive aggressively while remaining fair, and ultimately, there was no way through.

“The team has done a great job and the car has been fantastic, which is obviously encouraging looking forward, so we just need to keep our heads up and make sure we stay on our toes, because this weekend has proven once again that anything can happen in rallycross. The fightback begins at Höljes!”

DOMINANT DE RIDDER MAKES HISTORY IN RX2e
Guillaume De Ridder was the dominant force in the all-new FIA RX2e Championship, as the Belgian – three times a top three championship finisher in the series’ RX2 predecessor – won every race he started in Barcelona.

After completing a clean sweep through the qualifiers, De Ridder fended off Jesse Kallio in the first semi-final and then simply drove away from his pursuers in the final, aided by an opening lap tangle that delayed Kallio and took out fellow front-runner Fraser McConnell. Ole Henry Steinsholt secured the runner-up spoils, with Patrick O’Donovan an elated third from the back of the grid, just ahead of local hero Pablo Suárez.

PRE-SEASON FAVOURITE PREVAILS IN RX3
Yury Belevskiy picked up from where he left off in Barcelona nine months ago, as he took the opening honours in the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s RX3 category. Last year’s highest scorer registered maximum points from the weekend to get his title bid off to the perfect start, but he was pushed hard by hugely impressive newcomer Kobe Pauwels in another Volland Racing Audi A1, as the Belgian excelled on his international debut in top-flight rallycross.

Pauwels found himself out-of-luck in the final, however, after a first corner tag sent him sideways and dropped him to the tail of the field. Timur Shigabutdinov gratefully picked up second place having battled back from an accident on the first day, with Zsolt Szíjj ‘Jolly’ rounding out the rostrum in third – by some margin the finest result of the Hungarian’s career – following a penalty for Marat Knyazev for the early contact with Pauwels.

The 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign next moves on to the iconic Höljes circuit for World RX of Sweden on 20-22 August, which will feature a bumper bill of action with all four series – World RX, RX2e, Euro RX3 and the seasonal debut of Euro RX1.

FINAL RESULT
1. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team 6 laps
2. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 1.141s
3. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC + 2.394s
4. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) GRX-SET World RX Team + 3.499s
5. René MÜNNICH (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport + 7.259s
6. Kevin ABBRING (NLD) Unkorrupted + 9.782s

21-07-24 Pallplats för EKS JC och Johan Kristoffersson under VM-premiären i Barcelona
World RX inleddes med en spektakulär upphämtning för KYB EKS JCs Johan Kristoffersson, som trots första omgångens missöde slutade trea i tävlingen. Samtidigt visade teamkompisen Enzo Ide högt tempo.

Den inledande deltävlingen av FIA World Rallycross Championship har precis avslutats i spanska Barcelona. Regerande teammästarna KYB EKS JC representeras i år av värmländske Johan Kristoffersson och belgiske Enzo Ide.

För trefaldiga världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson är det första tävlingen tillsammans med teamet, och han visade direkt sitt tempo med snabbast tider genom i hela grundomgången. Men ett problem med en kabel till dataloggsystemet gjorde att Kristoffersson i efterhand diskvalificerades från Q1 och han rasade till sista plats efter Q2. Men högt tempo gjorde att han kunde avancera till sjätteplats i grundomgången, och avsluta tvåa i semifinalen. Efter en actionfylld final avslutade han trea i tävlingen och ligger även trea i mästerskapet, nio poäng bakom ledaren.

Enzo Ide, som gör sin första fullständiga säsong i World RX, hade ingen problemfri tävling. Han höll ett högt tempo och tog även en heatseger. Dessvärre blev en krasch i Q4 väldigt kostsam för hans del, och trots att bilen kunde komma till start i semifinalen tvingades han bryta på grund av skadorna. Efter helgen ligger belgaren på tionde plats i mästerskapet.

Nästa deltävling körs i svenska Höljes 20-22 augusti. Fullständigt resultat för VM finns här.

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef EKS JC:
”En tredjeplats var ingenting vi hade hoppats på med tanke på farten vi haft hela helgen. Men efter det som hände i Q1 igår så får vi vara jättenöjda. Vi blev av med femtio poäng i grundomgången, men kämpade oss från femtonde plats till tredje plats i tävlingen. Johan har varit ostoppbar på banan i grundomgången och det känns väldigt tråkigt att inte kunna fightas om segern. Även om det inte var någonting vi kunde styra över så är vi såklart ansvariga för vad som hände och får ta konsekvenserna. Det känns riktigt bra att ha visat farten såhär i inledningen och Johan känner sig mer och mer hemma i bilen. Nu har vi lite grejer att slipa på, och kommer vara redo att kämpa vidare i Höljes.

Enzo har haft bra fart och satt flera snabba tider. Han hade en jättekrasch i Q4, och mekanikerna gjorde ett kanonjobb och lyckades laga bilen till nästa race. Men tyvärr så gick någonting sönder i semifinalen på grund av skadorna efter kraschen, så han kunde inte fullfölja semin. Men semifinal var hans mål i helgen, så vi får såklart vara nöjda med det. Både Johan och Enzo har visat att de är snabba, och hela teamet längtar verkligen till Höljes.”

Johan Kristoffersson, Supercar:
”Det här var första tävlingen för mig med KYB EKS JC, och vi avslutade precis tävlingen på tredje plats. Jag hade en stor fight tillbaka efter gårdagens straff, men vi var snabbast i alla omgångar och satte snabbaste varvtiden i finalen. Teamet har jobbat riktigt hårt och bilen har varit en dröm att köra. Tyvärr kunde vi inte avsluta på topp den här gången, men vi hade hög fart och jag njöt verkligen av att köra Audin.

Nu måste vi bara fortsätta att pusha. Även om du är snabb på banan så är det mycket som kan hända i rallycross, vilket vi såg idag. Det här var första tävlingen och även om vi var väldigt snabba nu så gäller det att fortsätta jobba på varje detalj och alltid utvecklas. Saker ändras fort, och jag kommer behöva mer tid i bilen för att tillsammans med teamet kunna hitta exakt rätt inställningar för alla förutsättningar på banan. Men jag märker redan nu att bilens prestanda är väldigt, väldigt bra och vi ser fram emot Höljes.”

Enzo Ide, Supercar:
”Det har inte varit en enkel tävling för mig. Jag hade en del tekniska problem under Q1 och Q2, som teamet fixade till Q3. I Q4 kraschade jag hårt. Jag körde lite för aggressivt, laddade för hårt över hoppet och någonting i bilen gick sönder. Grabbarna gjorde ett otroligt jobb med att fixa de stora skadorna i fronten och jag kunde starta i semifinalen. Men i semifinalen tappade bilen effekt efter några varv, troligen på grund av skadorna från Q4, och jag var tvungen att bryta.

I det stora hela är jag nöjd med farten, men jag kämpar fortfarande med att få ihop alla bitarna. Det är svårt att jämföra sig med Johan, han är enligt mig den bästa rallycrossföraren vi någonsin haft och får alla detaljerna att sitta – alltid. Så att ha honom som teamkompis är en dröm som slagit in. Trots att det var hans första tävling i bilen är han ofattbart snabb, och han hjälper mig att utvecklas och känna mig mer bekväm i bilen.”

21-07-24 Jansson behåller SM-ledningen i Rallycross
Idag avgjordes den femte av sju deltävlingar av rallycrossens SM-serie i Västerås. I 2400-klassen behåller Jim Jansson fortsatt greppet om serieledningen även om den första dagen i Västerås inte blev lika lyckosam som de senaste tävlingarna varit för värmlänningen Jansson. Idag blev det en femte plats i finalen efter att ha placerat sig som sexa i kvalkörningen. Men viktiga mästerskapspoäng plockades och Jim Jansson leder fortsatt tabellen, nu på 172 poäng före tvåan Rasmus Olsson på 148. Simon Claesson är trea på 137 poäng. Klättrade i den totala tabellen från sjunde till fjärde plats gjorde dagens segrare, fjolårets SM-guldmedaljör i klassen, Per Berglund.

Berglund som hade det motigt under dagen och fick bryta i andra kvalheatet kom ut i det tredje där han satte en kanontid som räckte till nästbästa i omgången bakom Simon Claesson. En tid för Berglund som visade både för honom och konkurrenterna att det var något på gång. I en stentuff semifinal besegrade till sist Per Berglund Andreas Israelsson och skaffade sig med det en plats längst fram i finalen. En final där Leo Ivarsson tog starten, men Ivarsson gasade på sig i första sväng och hamnade av banan. En bjudning som Per Berglund inte tackade nej till. Och från första hårnålen och in i mål var det Per Berglund-show.
- Det har gått lite tungt men vi kämpar alla som är med och kör och nu var det min tur att vinna.
Det var tufft i första sväng, men det löste sig bra för mig, så det känns skönt med en seger, sa 2400-vinnaren Per Berglund efter dagen seger.
- Vi har lite plast att byta nu men annars är nog allt okej inför morgondagens tävling.

Samtliga resultat från den femte deltävlingen av SM i rallycross finns här: https://www.motorsport-events.se/camp/index.php?dir=resultsmw%2F09+results+2021%2F02+Rallycross%2F02+Rallycross+SM%2F

I morgon fortsätter SM-serien i rallycross med deltävling sex. Samtliga heat kan ses på Svensk Bilsports webb-TV kanal, www.sbfplay.se

Morgondagens sändningar Västerås startar 9:20

21-07-23 Medlemserbjudande - se SM i Rallycross från Västerås live på sbfplay.se
Han har vunnit tre av de fyra körda deltävlingarna och leder mästerskapet i 2400 med sjutton poäng före närmaste konkurrent. I helgen blir Jim Jansson den jagade när deltävling fem och sex av SM-serien i Rallycross körs i Västerås.

Med dubbla segrar från Piteå reste Jim Jansson hem till Värmland med utökad serieledning i totala mästerskapstabellen som han leder på 143 poäng, före Rasmus Olsson på 126. Simon Claesson är trea på 117 inför kommande dubbelhelg som körs nu 24-25 juli i Västerås
- Det är skönt, känns bra att vara kvar i topp, sa Jim Jansson efter Piteå och blickade fram mot Västerås.

Nu är Västerås här och det återstår att se om någon kan rå på nykomlingen som verkligen håller på att göra sin egen klassresa när han slagit in på vägen som fram till nu varit nästintill spikrak.

I Västerås kör även övriga SM-klasser, 2150 där Björn ”Putte” Andersson leder, JSM, där Oskar Hellström leder samt Supercar Lites där Nils Andersson är i mästerskapsledning.

Helas helgens tävlingar ses live på sbfplay.se för,
129:- per dag, eller medlemspris med all access för 179 :-

I all access ingår även avslutningen av Folkracetävlingen från Gotland, Guta Festivalen.

Du hittar medlemserbjudandet här: https://solidsport.com/login

21-07-22 World RX of Germany postponed as Nürburgring assists disaster relief effort
Rallycross Promoter GmbH today confirms that World RX of Germany at the Nürburgring – scheduled to be the second and third rounds of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship – will be postponed to the end of the season due to the ongoing effects of the widespread recent flooding in the region.

The World Championship campaign will get underway in Barcelona this weekend, and the Nürburgring – a new addition to the series’ calendar – had been due to welcome the headlining World RX battle and all-electric FIA RX2e Championship a week later, on 31 July - 1 August.

The wide-ranging recent floods in Germany have forced the postponement of the event, with the Nürburgring having become a focal point of the rescue and recovery efforts as a collection and distribution centre. The rescheduled double-header will now act as the 2021 season finale over the weekend of 27-28 November. Existing tickets will remain valid for the new date.

This means World RX of Sweden at Höljes will now become round two of the current campaign on 20-22 August.

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“Everybody has seen the pictures of the devastating recent flooding in Germany, and whilst the Nürburgring itself has thankfully been largely spared by this natural disaster, the same cannot unfortunately be said for the surrounding area. It is important to remember that there are far more important matters at stake here than rallycross, and we must pay immense tribute to the event organisers, who have worked night and day to help the humanitarian efforts.

“At the same time, they have collaborated very closely with us as the World Championship promoter and the FIA to find a solution to reschedule the event, and we are very much looking forward to going to this legendary venue later in the year for what promises to be a pulsating season finale – with the World Rallycross Champion set to be crowned at one of motorsport’s most iconic venues.”

21-07-21 Hansen targets trophies in Spanish World RX season opener
Hansen World RX Team’s quest to win the FIA World Rallycross Championship title begins this Friday in Barcelona, as drivers Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen contest the season-opening World RX of Catalunya.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has proven a happy hunting ground for Hansen World RX Team in years past, with Timmy Hansen taking wins here for the last two years running.

Timmy’s 2019 performance was especially dominant, winning every session on his way to victory ahead of younger brother Kevin, who secured a historic 1-2 finish for the team.

Having ended the curtailed 2020 season at this same circuit with a victory, Hansen World RX Team is confident it will be similarly competitive at the beginning of the 2021 season.

A new season also brings a new timetable format, as World RX takes on a new Friday–Saturday schedule instead of the traditional Saturday–Sunday format for the season-opening round. For the first time in a European-based round, World RX is also racing into the evening, with the all-important Finals session taking place at 7pm local time.

The circuit is highly familiar to all the top drivers in the championship, as Barcelona has been a permanent fixture on the World RX calendar since 2015. For Hansen World RX Team’s drivers, the cars are familiar too, as the team will run its current Peugeot 208 WRX for one last season before the shift to electric vehicles in 2022.

Barcelona is now one of nine rounds on the World Championship calendar, as World RX of Riga-Latvia was upgraded to a double-header event on Monday.

9 Kevin Hansen
“We have had a very positive off-season and I've been counting down the days to this event.”

“My goal at the first round is simple – to win! We have had a very positive off-season and I've been counting down the days to this event.

“Barcelona has historically been a track that suits our car really well. It's a track that changes character during the weekend – it always beings quite green and slippery, then builds up during the weekend, so you need to be on your toes constantly with car set-up.

“Most of the corners are pretty much medium to low-speed corners, and it's very much about hitting your marks around the tyre barriers. There are no kerbs anywhere, so you have to be really precise and get your lines right.

“Generally, it's quite slippery but the grip builds up over the weekend, which should suit our 208 well. Our car has been improved over the winter in these types of corners so we're really proud of our effort and excited to show what it can do.”

21 Timmy Hansen
“Our preparations for this season have gone really well and I'm confident we should have some good pace straight out of the box.”

“It's been a really long break leading up to this round of the championship, so I hope I can get up to speed quickly now that we're back! But our preparations for this season have gone really well and I'm confident we should have some good pace straight out of the box.

“Barcelona is a high-grip circuit, which has always worked well for us and our car. There's one exception to that though – the last corner, which is my favourite. It's usually super slippery on entry and all the grip is on the exit, so the driving style through there is really different. You end up almost backing the car into the final corner and wait for the grip to arrive on the exit. Anyone who's played DiRT Rally will know this style very well!

“The joker lap on this track – where the exit speed is so high – introduces some unusual strategy and makes it very open, so while our car is fast, we will need to be clever and make sure we are getting everything right to perform well.”

The track:
Circut de Barcelona-Catalunya
Kevin Hansen, 2019 World RX of 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 high-grip asphalt are punctuated by two dirt sections, the first of which features a spectacular jump.

The big numbers
21
Timmy Hansen has reverted to his old number for World RX – can he reclaim #1 for the 2022 season?

278
The number of days between the last two visits to Barcelona – one at the end of last season and another to start the 2021 campaign. It's been a long wait, but we're finally racing again!

What to look out for
Joker exit. Common wisdom in rallycross usually suggests an overcut strategy is best for gaining position using the joker lap. Spain's a bit different – cars exiting the joker are much faster than those on the regular lap but the merge is on the racing line, so an early joker can often lead to a position gained or a better race time in qualifying by avoiding jostling for position late on.

The final hairpin. A last lap, last corner lunge is never off the table in Barcelona. The circuit ends with a slow hairpin that has slippery gravel on entry and grippy asphalt on exit. The fastest line through the corner leaves the door wide open, while going defensive costs precious time. Expect plenty of action here.

World RX of Catalunya:
When and where
Timmy Hansen, Pre-Season Testing, 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship
Photo: Flavien Duhamel/ Red Bull Content Pool
Watch World RX on Red Bull TV

Every round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be broadcast on Red Bull TV free of charge. An exclusive pre-race show is followed by live coverage of the semi-finals and final. Download the Red Bull TV app for the best World RX viewing experience!

All qualifying and finals races can also be viewed live with the new RX+ subscription service.
Watch World RX on Red Bull TV https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/fia-world-rallycross-championship-spain
Download the Red Bull TV app https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/apps

Event Timetable
All times CEST
Friday, July 23rd
Free Practice 10:10
Qualifying 1 17:00
Qualifying 2 19:00

Saturday, July 24th
Warm-up 09:45
Qualifying 3 15:30
Qualifying 4 17:00
Red Bull TV Pre-Show 18:45
Semi-Final
Final

21-07-19 2021 World RX of Riga-Latvia becomes double-header event
Riga to host double bill of World Championship competition in September
Bikernieki circuit a firm favourite amongst drivers and fans alike
Decision taken to protect the calendar in light of ongoing Covid pandemic

FIA World Rallycross Championship competitors and fans can look forward to a double dose of high-speed action in Riga later this year (18-19 September), with the confirmation that the popular Latvian event will become a double-header on the 2021 calendar, increasing the overall number of rounds to nine.

Located on the outskirts of the country’s capital city, the Bikernieki track has been a fixture on the World RX schedule since 2016, with a long gravel section through the wooded infield and no fewer than three jumps making it an instant favourite amongst both drivers and fans.

In evidence of the circuit’s challenging nature, the six rounds held there to-date have all been won by true legends of the sport – World Rallycross Champions Johan Kristoffersson, Mattias Ekström and Timmy Hansen, and nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb.

September’s double-header will now offer drivers two chances to add their names to that illustrious list, with the headlining World RX battle to be complemented by the third outing in the 2021 FIA European Rallycross Championship Euro RX1 title fight.

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“We are delighted to confirm that Riga will now play host to two rounds on the 2021 World RX calendar. The Latvian organisers proved last year that they are more than capable of successfully staging a double-header event, and it means fans can look forward to even more exciting action this season around the Bikernieki circuit, which has invariably generated spectacular racing since joining the World Championship in 2016. We have no doubt that September’s event will deliver more of the same.”

Raimonds Strokšs, Director, World RX of Riga-Latvia, said:
“This is fantastic news for rallycross fans. For two days, spectators at our race weekend in Latvia will have the opportunity to follow twice as many races and twice as many intriguing semi-finals and finals. The 2021 World Championship title will be won in a car running an internal combustion engine, and spectators have been given a unique opportunity to enjoy these cars for the final time before World RX moves forward and switches to electric vehicles in 2022.

“There is much greater responsibility when organising a double-header event – an increased number of races accordingly increases the amount of work required for everything to run smoothly – but I believe that we, our partners and all our service providers are more than ready to bring their best and maintain the high-quality standard set by the events hosted in Latvia.”

While Rallycross Promoter GmbH has full confidence in the organisers and venues on the schedule, the decision to add an extra round to the Riga race weekend was taken in order to protect the calendar should any circumstances change against the backdrop of the ongoing global pandemic.

21-07-18 Catalunya calling: The countdown is on to 2021 World RX curtain-raiser
Champions, race-winners and exciting dark horses set for sunset showdown in Spain
New FIA RX2e Championship to shine a spotlight on rallycross’ electric future
RX+ broadcast platform offers fans unprecedented access to entertainment throughout
The wait is almost over. In less than seven days’ time, the FIA World Rallycross Championship will fire into life in Barcelona for its eagerly-anticipated 2021 curtain-raiser – World RX of Catalunya (23-24 July) – as battle begins for the honour of being crowned the series’ final petrol-powered champion.

Following a long off-season, excitement levels are now approaching fever pitch, with liveries revealed, testing completed and 17 of the finest dual-surface specialists on the planet headed for Spain to get World RX’s ever-spectacular show on the road.

Not only are there new faces in new places, but the track itself is set to pose drivers a fresh challenge, with the notoriously tight Turn One left-hander replaced by a wider, sweeping first corner that borrows a section of the famous Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Formula 1 layout.

The format, too, has undergone a shake-up, with the competitive action due to kick off in the afternoon and continue into the evening on both days in the Spanish city.

Defending world champion Johan Kristoffersson leads the line-up, but the Swede – three times a title-winner at the international pinnacle of the discipline – has switched cars over the off-season. He is preparing to fight for his fourth Drivers’ crown behind the wheel of an Audi S1, fielded by Mattias Ekström and Joel Christoffersson’s KYB EKS JC outfit, which claimed the Teams’ trophy in 2020 at its first attempt.

Kristoffersson will be partnered by ever-improving sportscar convert Enzo Ide, while siblings Timmy and Kevin Hansen similarly have their eyes fixed solidly on the main prize for family-run squad Hansen World RX Team.

The elder of the two Swedes lifted the laurels in dramatic fashion in Cape Town two years ago and – like Kristoffersson – was a winner in Barcelona back in October, so is sure to be a threat from the outset. Younger brother Kevin, meanwhile, has reached the rostrum on seven occasions over the past two campaigns and is bullish about his prospects for success behind the wheel of the team’s proven Peugeot 208.

Niclas Grönholm might not be a world champion – yet – but the Finn came extremely close in 2019, when an early-season bout of appendicitis almost certainly cost him a shot at overall glory, and in GRX-SET World RX Team’s Hyundai i20, he has a potent package at his disposal. The same can be said for team-mate Krisztián Szabó, as the Hungarian returns for his second full season at the highest level.

After impressing in a number of one-off appearances – even leading the final on his debut in Norway two years ago – former rally driver Kevin Abbring at last gets his big break in rallycross this season in an Unkorrupted Renault Mégane, while two-time DTM champion Timo Scheider achieved his maiden World RX podium in Barcelona in 2017 and is fired-up to produce a repeat performance in his ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport SEAT Ibiza.

If you are looking for a dark horse, however, you would do well to consider Juha Rytkönen, who on his World RX bow at Kouvola last summer, duelled with Kristoffersson before going on to finish an excellent second. The flying Finn is back for another crack in 2021, rejoining the fray in a Betomik Racing Ford Fiesta and determined to show that his scene-stealing debut was no flash in the pan.

In the supporting FIA RX2e Championship, fans will get a glimpse of the sport’s new era as an intriguing mixture of young guns and experienced hands go doorhandle-to-doorhandle in the quest to secure the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship title, before the World Championship follows suit with the advent of RX1e from 2022.

Incorporating a motor on each axle that together deliver 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque, the RX2e ‘pocket rocket’ – jointly developed by Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE – is certain to produce some superb racing as it puts driver skill firmly at the forefront.

The ever-popular FIA European Rallycross Championship’s rebaptised Euro RX3 (formerly Super1600) series will also get its season underway in Spain. Having been a fertile breeding ground for numerous heroes of the discipline – including the likes of Szabó, Andreas Bakkerud and Timur Timerzyanov – it will be fascinating to see who emerges on top this year and stakes their own claim to future rallycross superstardom.

Racing is set to begin at 1545 CET on Friday (23 July), with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the cutting-edge new RX+ broadcast platform. This premium production will grant subscribers unparalleled and unprecedented access anytime, anywhere and on any device, offering a choice of viewing angles, in-depth expert analysis, special behind-the-scenes features and exclusive interviews.

The Full Season Pass is currently on sale for the special launch price of €29,99, representing a 40% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for World RX of Catalunya is currently available for €4,79 (using promo code RXPLUS40), again representing a 40% saving on the regular price of €7,99.

For more information or to subscribe, visit www.fiaworldrallycross.com

Tickets to World RX of Catalunya can still be purchased here, starting from as little as €19,95.

For the full Catalunya World RX entry list, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-catalunya/rx1-entry-list/
For the full Catalunya RX2e entry list, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-catalunya/rx2e-entry-list/
For the full Catalunya Euro RX3 entry list, click here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar/world-rx-of-catalunya/euro-rx3-entry-list/

21-07-18 FIA RX2e Championship set to launch new electric rallycross era at World RX of Catalunya
Inaugural FIA RX2e Championship surges into life in Barcelona
FIA World RX support series to showcase advanced technologies
Stellar line-up of drivers ready for electrifying wheel-to-wheel battles

The FIA RX2e Championship will make its bow in Spain next week (July 23/24) when Round 1 of the pioneering new series gets underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship is the leading support category to the FIA World Rallycross Championship and will add another level of excitement to what already promises to be a sensational weekend's racing.

RX2e will see an exciting line-up of talent go head-to-head in identical, cutting-edge machinery capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque – putting the emphasis firmly on driver skill.

The joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE is already seen by many to be the future of the sport ahead of World RX's progression to electrification, with a number of promising young stars signing up for the debut campaign.

The driver roster is headlined by ex-World RX star Guillaume De Ridder while Fraser McConnell, Jesse Kallio and Damien Meunier - all former RX2 competitors - are back on the international scene once more.

There is a Spanish flavour to the Round 1 line-up with Pablo Suárez, Pepe Arqué and José Luis García all signed up for their home event. Veteran British racer Mark Flaherty is also on board while teenage prospects Patrick O'Donovan and Ole Henry Steinsholt complete the grid.

There promises to be non-stop action once the lights go green in Barcelona, with the curtain-raising meeting taking on a unique evening format that will provide added excitement to fans in attendance and those watching at home.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya joined the World RX calendar in 2015 and has been a staple ever since, with the stadium section of the famous Formula 1 and MotoGP venue offering unparalleled views of the action.

The rallycross track itself is a 1,125m challenge comprised of asphalt and dirt sections, and has produced some spectacular action during past visits.

As well as the highly-anticipated first-ever RX2e round, there will be a bumper World RX grid, an ultra-competitive Euro RX3 field and also a visiting CrossCar series in action over the two days.

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "It has been a long time in the planning, but the FIA RX2e Championship is finally here and we cannot wait to get started.

"Bringing together this series has required a huge effort from QEV Technologies, Olsbergs MSE and all of our partners but it is gratifying to see all of that hard work pay off.

"The new car is a fantastic piece of engineering set to revolutionise rallycross, while our driver line-up is packed full of promising young talent - and a few more experienced heads! It is a privilege to be part of the FIA World Rallycross Championship program, and we are all looking forward to a truly spectacular debut season."

Gyarfas Olah, FIA Off-Road Commission President, said: “We are delighted that after months of preparation, the first-ever FIA electric rallycross series – the FIA RX2e Championship – will make its much-anticipated debut at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on July 23-24. This is an important step in the FIA’s mission to provide a cost-effective entry point for younger drivers to become part of rallycross’s electric future.”

Where to Watch
All of the high-octane action from FIA World RX, FIA RX2e, Euro RX1, Euro RX3 and visiting CrossCar series will be broadcast live and on-demand across the new RX+ platform throughout the 2021 season.

Every race in every category at every event will be shown live in HD - from the very first qualifying contest right the way through to the showpiece finals - while there will also be hours of exclusive content, analysis and interviews for subscribers to enjoy.

RX2e Official Entry List - World RX of Catalunya
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT
5 Pablo Suárez ESP Ruben Fernandez Gil
12 Pepe Arqué ESP Escuderia Mollerussa
13 Patrick O’Donovan GBR Patrick O’Donovan
21 Damien Meunier FRA Damien Meunier
35 Fraser McConnell SWE Fraser McConnell
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Jesse Kallio
55 José Luis García ESP G4 Motors SA
77 Mark Flaherty GBR Mark Flaherty
88 Ole Henry Steinsholt NOR Ole Henry Steinsholt
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Guillaume De Ridder

21-07-14 Hansen unveils its final combustion-engined World RX car
Hansen World RX Team has unveiled its livery for the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship season, marking its final chapter in the combustion-engined era of rallycross’ highest level.

The team’s pair of Peugeot 208 WRX machines will challenge for the World RX title with a petrol-powered engine for the last time, ahead of a switch to fully electric powertrains in 2022.

Ahead of a significant chapter in rallycross history coming to a close, Hansen World RX Team has revealed its colours for the 2021 season, updating the team’s trademark livery with a refreshed look.

Key partners Red Bull, the leading energy drinks brand, and broad energy company TotalEnergies continue their long-running association with Hansen World RX Team in 2021, and a new partner joins the fold in PrimeKey, a leading open-source identity and digital signing solutions company.

Both 2019 World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen and 2019 Nitro Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen return to pilot the two vehicles, with Timmy once again sporting light blue stripes on his 208 and Kevin retaining his iconic splashes of yellow.

The 2021 season begins where 2020 ended, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the first round taking place on July 22-24. Timmy Hansen took one of the two victories in last season’s double-header event, his second in a row after winning there on his way to the 2019 title.

After ended the previous season strongly, Hansen World RX Team is hoping to continue its momentum into 2021, targeting more victories and competing for both the drivers’ and teams’ world championship titles.

9 Kevin Hansen
“We've been the most successful team in rallycross history so far and we plan to close this chapter by winning both titles.”

“The past few months for me has been quite calm. I've been able to focus a lot on myself and our company – to see what I can do better – because we're coming into the last season of the petrol era and I really want to take the world championship title.

“This year's championship is going to be really exciting with the promoter coming in and there's going to be a lot of good action to follow – and lots of good drivers too. Timmy is always strong, and Johan coming back this year is going to be really exciting to see, and how he does in a different car. Also Niclas Grönholm of course is a strong contender. It's going to be a really big challenge this year but I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

“Going into this season we didn't want to repeat any of our mistakes from last year. We want to enter the season well prepared, and I think that's what we're doing this year. We're testing a lot more and we're thinking about small details all the time, leaving no stone unturned. With this team behind us, we can aim for 1-2 in the championship.

“Moving to electric will be amazing. It suits our sport so well. You see other categories running long distances and hybrid cars but we can run a full electric car extracting more power than in the petrol car, which is just amazing. To incorporate this kit into the current cars will be a challenge for everybody, but I believe Hansen World RX Team is not an inexperienced company. We know what we need to do, we'll get our heads down and figure it out quickly.

“I'm really excited about this season. I'm so ready to get out there and battle and fight for the wins. We have a strong package, we have strong drivers, and I also feel very strong this year. We've been the most successful team in rallycross history so far and we plan to close this chapter by winning both titles.”

21 Timmy Hansen
“It’s going to be a very tough season; everyone’s working very hard and no one is leaving anything to chance.”

“I’m super excited to start this season. I hope now the work we are putting in will pay off, that in the beginning we can be there and fight for wins right from the start, and if we keep doing that through the season hopefully we’re thereabouts to fight for the championship.

“We’ve got a short season again. It’s very different to 2020 because then it was all very unexpected. Now for 2021 we know we’re coming into this very compact calendar, with a lot of races in a short time.

“It’s going to be a very tough season; everyone’s working very hard and no one is leaving anything to chance. Kevin is strong, he’s growing year by year. Johan Kristoffersson is strong – he was the champion last year. I know Niclas Grönholm is super fast and his car is a weapon. I really hope this car will be competitive against both of them – they have really strong cars, and we need to be at our best to beat them.

“For World Rallycross, this is the last season they’ll be running old combustion engines. In 2022 we’re moving to electric rallycross, going to faster cars, more technically advanced cars, and stepping into the future. It’s massively exciting to be part of something new like that. Firstly, let’s enjoy this last season with the cars we’ve been loving and enjoying for a lot of years now, and after that I’m super ready to tackle the electric era.

“We have a new promoter this year, which is fantastic for rallycross. That’s exactly what we need – fresh energy going into the electric era. I love what they did to rallying and I’m super excited to see how they’ll take rallycross and package it. There’s so much to rallycross, it’s the best sport in the world, it’s as easy as that: it’s got all the action, the adrenaline, fast cars, gravel, tarmac, jumps; all the best drivers up against each other. It’s everything that I love and I’m sure if you get into rallycross, you’ll love it too.”

The Boss Kenneth Hansen
“If we want to beat the guys like Johan Kristoffersson or Niclas Grönholm, it will come down to who is capable of maximising the smallest details.”

“This is a transitional year for our sport, the last with petrol engines and the first with a new promoter. But this does not mean taking our foot off the throttle with development – we have been working very hard during the off-season, testing to refine the developments we made last season and also trying some new ideas.

“The revolution in rallycross is coming next year with all-electric cars, while this year we are more focused on evolution. We know that our base package is strong again, and in Timmy and Kevin we have two of the best rallycross drivers in the world to lead our charge in World RX. So the important ingredients are there and we just need to evolve what we already have.

“Our task once the season is underway will be to make sure we get the fine details right, the ones that make the half-a-tenth difference here and there. Because this is the level of competitiveness at the top of our sport – if we want to beat the guys like Johan Kristoffersson or Niclas Grönholm, it will come down to who is capable of maximising the smallest details.

2021 Calendar
1 World RX of Catalunya July 23-24, 2021
2-3 World RX of Germany July 31 – August 01, 2021
4 World RX of Sweden August 20-22, 2021
5 Bretagne World RX of Lohéac September 3-5, 2021
6 World RX of Riga-Latvia September 18-19, 2021
7 Spa World RX of Benelux October 9-10, 2021
8 World RX of Portugal October 23-24, 2021

21-07 -09 Peter klar för VM i Höljes
- Får drömchans för Grönholms GRX-SET World RX Team.
Peter Hedström stod utan bil till Höljes för en vecka sedan. Nu har han tillsammans med sina sponsorer skapat sin livs möjlighet i vår VM-deltävling på hemmaplan i augusti. Hedström tar klivet in i hetluften i VM tillsammans med Marcus Grönholms team.

Planerna på att utöka teamet med ännu en bil har funnits en tid hos teamet, men när allt ställdes på sin spets så fanns det inte så värst många VW Polos som höll måttet utan att uppdateras. Peter började tillsammans med sina sponsorer att kolla i ett bredare perspektiv, sen gick det kvickt med inköpsplanerna.
- Jag lovade Michalak min EM-plats i Höljes i min bil, så jag stod utan och sen kom den här diskussionen med en sponsor som tyckte vi skulle skaffa en extra bil till Höljes, jag kontaktade Marcus, sen gick allt snabbt, berättar Peter Hedström.

Peter sticker inte under stolen med att det alltid varit en dröm att sitta i en grym värstingbil på hemmaplan. Nu blir drömmen sann tack vare fint samarbete med sponsorer och finansiärer. Tillsammans med GRX-teamet och Hedströms egna tekniker, kommer Peter till start i en värsta sortens Hyundai i20, en bil som förra året kördes av Timur Timerzyanov i VM.
- Vi förhandlade in att GRX-teamet ska hjälpa till med bilen i Höljes och kommande tävlingar, vi kommer väl förberedda och jag är med för att fightas i toppen, menar Hedström.

Hedström är klar för minst två VM-deltävlingar i Hyundai och sponsorjakt pågår för att även få till en uppvärmning inför Höljes.
- Jag försöker få till en start i Arvika på SM och RallyX-finalen, det blir ett fint test inför Höljes, menar Peter.

På sätt och vis sluts nu cirkeln, Marcus Grönholm hoppade in och vann med Ford i Höljes för 13 år sedan, då med Peter och Andreas Eriksson som teamkollegor. Nu är det Peter som sadlar upp i Marcus team, tillsammans med Marcus son Niclas och Kristian Szabo.
-Peter känner ju banan väl, trivs han bara med bilen och får till starterna kommer han kunna överraska, han har alltid varit snabb, säger Marcus Grönholm.

Några teamorder då om Hedström visar sig snabb?
-Neej då, alla i teamet får åka så bra de kan så får den bäste vinna, skrattar Grönholm.

Hedström själv rankar denna enskilda satsning som sin bästa i karriären.
- Det är den största och bästa chansen man kan få, menar Peter Hedström.

21-07-07 Super Six: All-star presenting line-up revealed for RX+
Lead commentators Martin Haven and Nick Fellows boast more than six decades’ combined experience
Expert commentator Hal Ridge brings the benefit of his knowledge of exciting dual-surface discipline
Familiar faces Neil Cole, Molly Pettit and Ben Constanduros to share studio and paddock reporting roles
Hot on the heels of the introduction of RX+ – the all-new, all-encompassing broadcast platform that is a genuine game-changer in the discipline – the FIA World Rallycross Championship is excited to confirm the all-star presenting team that will tell the story of the season to fans throughout 2021.

In addition to showing every single race live, RX+ will take viewers behind-the-scenes and immerse them right in the heart of the action in a way that has never previously been done in rallycross, led by a six-strong line-up of presenting talent drawn from across the sporting spectrum.

Martin Haven and Nick Fellows will share lead commentary duties over the seven events, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the role.

Haven is well-known in motorsport circles, with a career spanning more than three decades in the industry. He has worked for high-profile television and radio broadcasters including Eurosport, Channel 4 and NBC, and is no stranger to the explosive world of rallycross, having previously been the voice of the British Rallycross Championship and covered FIA Euro RX over the years.

Fellows turned his hand to commentary and reporting with Eurosport and Sky Sports after a successful stint as an international Alpine ski racer was halted by injury – having represented Great Britain from 1982 to 1989. Specialising in sports, lifestyle and entertainment, he has covered the Olympic Games as well as World Cup Skiing, the Red Bull Air Race, boxing and beach volleyball.

Haven and Fellows will be complemented across the course of the season by Hal Ridge, whose experience of rallycross began behind the steering wheel in 2005. He has competed internationally and outperformed six-time British Champion, Julian Godfrey, on his Supercar debut last December. He has also acted as a mechanic, spotter and photographer but is best-known for his writing as a rallycross specialist and in recent years, has successfully transferred that knowledge into the commentary box.

Haven, Fellows and Ridge will be accompanied by a three-strong, alternating team of studio hosts and paddock reporters, all of whom are well-versed in the art of sniffing out stories, eliciting exclusive interviews and really delving into the detail both on and off-track.

Neil Cole has been the live reporter for World RX since its inception back in 2014. An award-winning actor with a thirst for adventure and adrenaline sports, he has presented for Sony Pictures Television, National Geographic and Eurosport and for an array of high-profile international series and events, including the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), FIFA World Cup and Le Mans 24 Hours.

Molly Pettit is similarly a familiar face. A former circuit racing driver in her native Scandinavia, she has carved out a burgeoning media career and since 2016, has been a key member of the official WRC broadcast team. Simultaneously establishing herself in the rallycross world, she reported live for World RX in 2014 and 2015 and has demonstrated her versatility as a studio host, commentator and paddock reporter for RallyX Nordic.

Ben Constanduros is another well-known name in the motorsport sphere, with experience in commentary, voiceover and hosting roles from the Dakar Rally to World Touring Cars and Formula 1. He recently took up residence at WRC stage ends, making him an expert at extracting drivers’ thoughts immediately after the heat of battle. His naturally inquisitive nature will ensure no stone is left unturned.

But enough of us talking about them. They are, after all, the pros when it comes to talking. So here’s what they have to say, in their own words…

Martin Haven, Lead Commentator, said:
“My first car led me directly into motorsport, as the guys who helped me to fix it competed in club rallies. Before long, I was servicing or spectating on events and heading to racetracks on most of my free weekends, and I started talking about racing in 1988.

“More than 30 years on, commentary remains my overwhelming passion and whether it’s in front of the camera or behind the microphone, my overriding priority is to try and convey my love of the sport and draw viewers into the highly competitive but friendly world that I am privileged to experience. My high-octane style perfectly suits the lightning-fast, all-action combat of rallycross and I can’t wait to immerse myself in World RX. It should be quite the ride!”

Nick Fellows, Lead Commentator, said:
“After 31 years of commentary, 15 Summer and Winter Olympic Games and 12 years covering ‘motorsport in the sky’, it is a real honour and fantastic challenge to join the World RX commentary team this season. The future of World Rallycross is clearly very bright, and I look forward to developing with the sport on a long and exciting journey.”

Hal Ridge, Expert Commentator, said:
“I simply love rallycross, from the spectacle and drama of the amazing cars and drivers on-track to the atmosphere and personalities in the paddock. As a discipline, rallycross has such a rich history, which is something I’m hugely passionate about, but of course I’m excited about the future too.

“Making live rallycross television is immensely rewarding, and I’m very much looking forward to working as part of the broadcast team to tell the story and give an insight from behind-the-scenes at each World RX event this year. Being in a rallycross paddock feels like my second home and after a very long break for everyone, I can’t wait for the 2021 season to get underway later this month.”

Neil Cole, Paddock Reporter & Studio Host, said:
“The World RX paddock feels very much like my natural habitat. Having worked there since 2014, I feel a connection with the teams and drivers, so it is a huge pleasure to sustain that as the sport enters a new era. My lifelong love of off-road racing and extreme sports means that rallycross is my happy place – the adrenaline I feel as I open the car door at the end of a race, live on TV, to get that pumped-up response from the driver is a massive buzz.”

Molly Pettit, Paddock Reporter & Studio Host, said:
“World RX marked my step onto the international motorsport scene back in 2014 and also my first taste of a global TV broadcast. This intense, passionate and crazy environment had me hooked from day one, and my life has been dedicated to the world of rallying and rallycross ever since. I am extremely excited to be part of the World RX broadcast team, and I can’t wait to see how the season unfolds at all of these epic locations. Let’s go!”

Ben Constanduros, Paddock Reporter & Studio Host, said:
“World RX has been a championship I have enjoyed watching over the last few years, and the forthcoming innovations in electric technology particularly excite me. I love the technicalities and skill that World RX requires of the drivers, and the series’ fast-paced nature is ideally matched to my energetic commentary delivery. I hope to portray my genuine enthusiasm to the viewer and can’t wait to work with Rallycross Promoter as we endeavour to present this championship like never before...”

The Full Season RX+ Pass is currently on sale for the special launch price of €29,99, representing a 40% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and offering access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for World RX of Catalunya – which will kick off the 2021 action on 23/24 July – is currently available for €4,79 (using promo code RXPLUS40), again representing a 40% saving on the regular price of €7,99.

For more information or to subscribe, please visit www.fiaworldrallycross.com

21-07-07 Steinsholt commits to FIA RX2e curtain-raiser as rising rallycross star eyes Catalunya success
Steinsholt signs up for inaugural RX2e event
Norwegian ace bolsters FIA World RX support series
Teenage talent excited by the 'future of rallycross'

Ole Henry Steinsholt will be gunning for glory in Spain after the 18-year-old became the latest driver to sign up for the FIA RX2e season-opener at the Circuit de Catalunya later this month (July 23/24).

Steinsholt, a Norwegian and North European champion in both Crosscar and rallycross, is looking to add to his impressive CV when the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship gets underway in Barcelona.

Hailing from Larvik in Norway, the youngster has experience racing in European Super 1600 while he has forged a formidable reputation in Crosscar - winning two national championships and a further pair of North European titles in 2016 and 2017.

Steinsholt went on to secure a Norwegian championship in Junior Rallycross and another North European title in Rallycross TouringCar during 2018 but his attention now turns to RX2e, a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE.

RX2e is the leading support series on the FIA World Rallycross Championship program and will see competitors face off in identical four wheel-drive, all-electric cars capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque.

Steinsholt is one of several drivers to have gained valuable experience behind the wheel of the new RX2e car, taking part in an installation test at Calafat during the development process, but the teenager still faces a steep learning curve if he is to fight at the front of a highly-competitive field this season.

Ole Henry Steinsholt said: "I'm really looking forward to taking part in the new RX2e category. The future of rallycross is electric and I think it’s important to be a part of the journey from the beginning.

"For me it is important that all the cars are identical, so it’s only up to the driver to make the difference. This is sure to create some exciting racing.

"I have had a fair amount of success in Crosscar throughout my career already, so I am hopeful that I can transfer this rallycross experience into RX2e."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We are pleased to announce that Ole Henry will be racing in Barcelona, further bolstering our hugely-talented grid for the first-ever FIA RX2e event.

"Ole Henry is an incredibly quick driver, proven by his multiple Crosscar titles, and we were impressed by his feedback during our test session at Calafat.

"Our driver line-up is looking incredibly strong, and we can't wait for the lights to go out at the Circuit de Catalunya."

21-07-07 New RX+ broadcast platform to take fans behind-the-scenes and right to the heart of the action
The FIA World Rallycross Championship is delighted to announce the introduction of the new RX+ broadcast platform, which will take fans behind-the-scenes of the popular dual-surface discipline and right to the very heart of the action.

The 2021 World RX season is approaching apace, and promises to deliver an irresistible blend of doorhandle-to-doorhandle duels, lightning-quick cars, talented drivers, intriguing plot twists and drama by the bucketload. It’s going to be an unmissable rollercoaster ride – and all of it can be experienced in glorious HD quality through RX+.

Every race will be shown live – from the very first Qualifying contest right the way through to the Final in the World Championship, the new FIA RX2e Championship, Euro RX1, Euro RX3 and visiting CrossCar series – but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

Boasting hundreds of hours of content available to watch live or on-demand, the premium production will offer subscribers exclusive access, from a choice of viewing angles to in-depth expert analysis, special features and interviews with the stars of the show, allowing them to truly get to know the personalities behind the helmets.

In addition to enjoying the very best moments, highlights, previews and replays, on-board cameras will enable fans to experience the full adrenaline rush like never before by putting themselves in the driving seat, while a high-profile presenting team – to be revealed later today – will bring the on-track action and off-track stories to life like never before.

What’s more, with no geographical restrictions and full access anytime, anywhere and on any device, subscribers can watch and re-watch at will and need never miss a second of what is sure to be a show-stopping season ahead.

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“Rallycross was designed to be an engaging broadcast product when it was invented more than 50 years ago, and that premise still rings true today, with short, sharp races and non-stop entertainment. But we wanted to really push the envelope and give our fans even more, and RX+ gives us the opportunity to do just that.

“We have worked very hard to put together a package offering unprecedented access to this wonderful sport, that will not only enable subscribers to watch all of the races whenever, wherever and however they wish, but will also allow them to delve deeper and feel like they are right there in the paddock, rubbing shoulders with their heroes and soaking up rallycross’ unique and unmistakeable atmosphere.

“Moreover, we are delighted to be able to reward our passionate and loyal fans with a special introductory offer to RX+, and we will continue to innovate and shift the goalposts over the course of the campaign, to ensure we are consistently delivering the very best broadcast experience possible.”

Johan Kristoffersson, Three-Time FIA World Rallycross Champion, added:
“This is a big day for rallycross fans. For me – and I think for many people – rallycross is the most exciting form of motorsport around. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s unpredictable and it’s hugely entertaining. I get such a buzz from driving, and I know fans get such a buzz from watching it.

“RX+ really is a game-changer in terms of what viewers can look forward to now. Growing up and watching my father race, I really wanted to learn more about the discipline and get to know all the drivers, but this kind of exposure was always a bit of a pipe dream. Now it is a reality, and rallycross finally has the kind of coverage and platform that it deserves. It’s the start of a bright new era for our sport, and it’s going to be awesome!”

The Full Season Pass is currently on sale for the special launch price of €29,99, representing a 40% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and offering access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for World RX of Catalunya – which will kick off the 2021 action on 23/24 July – is currently available for €4,79 (using promo code RXPLUS40), again representing a 40% saving on the regular price of €7,99.

For more information or to subscribe, please visit www.fiaworldrallycross.com

Further coverage of the 2021 World RX campaign will be announced in due course.

21-07-06 Arqué the latest arrival on FIA RX2e grid as Crosscar ace signs up for inaugural all-electric event
Arqué joins FIA RX2e roster prior to Catalunya RX
Spanish youngster a multiple title-winner at junior level
RX Academy experience a bonus ahead of 'new era' in rallycross

Pepe Arqué has promised to put pedal to the metal when he lines up on the grid for the opening round of the inaugural FIA RX2e Championship at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona later this month (July 23/24).

The Spanish driver has already established an impressive motorsport CV with several championship wins as a junior, and he now heads into the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship with high hopes.

RX2e, a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE, is the leading support series to the FIA World Rallycross Championship and will see competitors face off in identical four wheel-drive, all-electric cars capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque.

The pioneering technology presents a new challenge for the talented field of drivers, although the fundamental skills Arqué has developed throughout his short career to date will serve him well in the new RX2e car.

Arqué comes from a karting background, having made his debut at the age of eight in the 2009 Catalan and Spanish Karting Championship before finishing runner-up in the Open OJP Catalonia Karting series a year later.

This was a taste of things to come, with the Spaniard claiming the Open OJP Catalonia Karting title in 2011 and 2012. Arqué also secured second in the Micro-Rotax Spain in 2011 and came fifth in the same competition the following two years, while he reached the final in the 2012 World Rotax Portugal.

More honours followed with Arqué crowned 2013 Aragon Karting Champion and winner of the 2014 Junior Winter Cup before a switch to rallycross in 2016.

Arqué was a revelation in the Spanish Crosscar Junior Championship, finishing second in his maiden campaign before claiming the 2017 title. This prompted a step up to the top tier, where the rookie flourished with a win at Carballo on his way to third in the overall standings while driving for Speedcar.

Several podiums were achieved in 2019, while Arqué also balanced his Crosscar commitments with RX Academy appearances in Kouvola, Finland and Tierp, Sweden - bagging sixth and fourth respectively.

Last year Arqué finished fourth in the Spanish Crosscar Championship, having also notched second in the Catalonian Crosscar Championship, and the Spanish ace has also been one of several drivers to briefly get behind the wheel of the RX2e car ahead of the 2021 campaign.

Pepe Arqué said: "Being in Barcelona for the start of this new era and the launch of the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship is a dream come true.

"We’ve been working so hard to be at this event so now it's time to put the pedal to the metal and enjoy the weekend!

"I’ve tested the car and I have to admit it is mega! QEV Technologies and Olsbergs MSE have done a great job and I'm really looking forward to jumping back in again.

"I believe my experience in Crosscar championships and appearances in RX Academy will help me to race against the best drivers in the category."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We are delighted to welcome Pepe to the FIA RX2e Championship. He is a proven winner and a strong addition to our highly talented grid.

"Pepe has already shown he has the ability to put together title-winning campaigns, while his dedication and professionalism will be vital if he is to make the transition onto the international stage. We wish him the best of luck in Barcelona and beyond."

21-07-05 O'Donovan turns dream into reality with FIA RX2e entry as rallycross starlet announced for Barcelona
O'Donovan books place on FIA World RX program with RX2e entry
Future star takes next step in promising rallycross career
17-year-old to test new car before Catalunya curtain-raiser

Patrick O'Donovan will fulfil his dream of featuring in the FIA World Rallycross Championship paddock when he makes his FIA RX2e debut at the Circuit de Catalunya later this month (July 23/24).

O'Donovan is a rising star in the sport and the Motorsport UK Academy member will be looking to adapt quickly to a brand-new challenge when he makes his bow in the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

The 17-year-old has already tasted success in the Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship and the RX150 Rallycross Championship, but RX2e will be a completely different proposition for the teenager and the 2021 season will be a steep learning curve.

FIA RX2e, a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE, is the leading support series to the World RX program and will see competitors face off in identical four wheel-drive, all-electric cars capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque.

The new RX2e car will be unlike anything O'Donovan has ever driven before, although he is confident he can get up to speed quickly by watching and learning from his more experienced peers on the grid.

The son of former British Rallycross Champion and Euro RX Supercar podium-finisher Ollie O’Donovan, Patrick certainly has the pedigree to impress behind the wheel in Barcelona.

He made his rallycross debut in 2018 – aged just 14 – racing a single-make 1300cc Suzuki Swift. After just a year in the category, the starlet went on to become a title contender in 2019 and eventually finished second in the overall standings.

O'Donovan then graduated to the single-make RX150 Rallycross Championship for RX150 buggies within the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy, joining mid-way through 2020. In four starts to date, he is unbeaten and currently leads the 2021 standings – while he has made it clear he will continue to race in RX150 alongside his RX2e commitments this year

O'Donovan has previous experience in RX2 (RX2e's predecessor) machinery, having conducted a test at Lohéac in Oliver Eriksson's 2019 title-winning car, while he will get his hands on the all-electric technology with a session lined up before the season-opener in Barcelona.

Patrick O’Donovan said: “Ever since I was a young child my dream has been to be in the World RX paddock as a driver, so I’m so excited that the dream will become reality this year.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime and one I plan to work hard to make the most of. I feel ready, although I know I am much less experienced than all of the other drivers on the grid.

"I want to get the best results I can, but my main aim is to work hard on learning as much as possible from the experience and everyone in the team. This is a big step towards the top level in rallycross, which is the target for my rallycross career.

"It’s clear that electric cars are going to have a big part to play in the future of rallycross and I’m excited to be part of that journey. I’ve tested an RX2 car before, and I’m looking forward to testing the RX2e car for the first time this week.”

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "The purpose of RX2e, beyond providing thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing and a platform for technological innovation, is to serve as a direct pathway into the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

"Patrick is one of several young drivers who see this series as an excellent opportunity to state their case for a spot in the elite category, and we wish him all the best in Barcelona.

"He has already shown excellent racecraft throughout his short career to date and it is clear he has bags of potential, so we are delighted to have him aboard."

21-07-05 Suárez excited to start FIA RX2e adventure on home soil with Spaniard all set for Catalunya contest
Suárez added to growing FIA RX2e driver line-up
Rallying regular facing biggest challenge of his career
28-year-old hoping to learn fast during season-opener

Pablo Suárez has revealed that competing in FIA RX2e will be the toughest test of his career so far after the Spaniard became the latest driver to sign up for the series' Barcelona curtain-raiser next month (July 23/24).

The Spanish ace, who comes from a rallying background, is looking forward to competing in front of fans once more when the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship gets underway at the Circuit de Catalunya.

RX2e is a pioneering new discipline, founded as a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE, and is the leading category on the FIA World Rallycross Championship support package.

Competitors will face off in identical four wheel-drive, all-electric cars capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque, showcasing the potential of sustainable technology in motorsport.

Suárez has plenty of the attributes needed to be successful on the rallycross stage, having started his off-road career competing in gravel rally sprints at the age of 16 before branching out to take part in hill climbs, autocross and even ice racing.

The Gran Canaria native completed the full 2010 season in the Andorra Ice Racing Series (G-Series), but soon turned his attention to more traditional surfaces and was crowned the 2014 Canary Island FWD Tarmac Rally Champion.

Appearances in a number of other categories followed, including the mono-brand challenge of the 2016 Spanish Rally Championship, before Suárez secured a second-place finish in the 2018 Catalonia 'RACC Rally Challenge'.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted preparations for a transition to rallycross, although a Supercar Lites test at Nysum in 2020 rekindled Suárez's aspirations in the discipline, and the 28-year-old – who is one of several drivers to have experienced time behind the wheel of the new RX2e car – has now challenged himself to learn quickly in unfamiliar surroundings.

Pablo Suárez said: "RX2e will be the biggest challenge of my career so far. I'm not as experienced in rallycross as some of the drivers I will be up against, but it is a category that has always caught my attention because of its all-out action.

"The RX2e car's performance is all about what the drivers want; instant torque, while being easy to drive on the limit. It is also possible to easily adjust the car to different driving styles, meaning we should see some epic racing.

"I believe the championship is going to be a real show for fans, and it will prove that sustainable racing is possible - and fun. My target is to learn as much as I can, as quickly as possible.

"I'm looking forward to starting in Barcelona, at the Circuit de Catalunya in front of Spanish fans. It will be very special to begin this adventure at my home race."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "Pablo is a driver with heaps of potential, and we could not be happier that he will be on the grid when we get underway in Barcelona.

"He has already proved his versatility with impressive performances across a host of different disciplines throughout his career, and we are confident he has the ability to fight at the front in RX2e.

"The line-up for our inaugural event is an intriguing blend of promising young talent and more experienced drivers, and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in Round 1."

21-07-04 García delighted to be part of 'important moment in motorsport' as FIA RX2e gears up for debut campaign
García latest driver to join ever-growing FIA RX2e grid
Spaniard brings wealth of experience to new series
Catalunya curtain-raiser a key milestone in electric racing

José Luis García will be hoping to convert rallying expertise into rallycross success with the Spaniard the latest driver announced for the opening round of the FIA RX2e Championship.

The first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship gets underway at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona later this month (July 23/24), and García is counting on years of motorsport experience to power him to the front on home soil.

FIA RX2e, a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE, is the leading support series to the FIA World Rallycross Championship program and will see competitors face off in identical four wheel-drive, all-electric cars capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque.

García has experience across a wide array of motorsport disciplines and is confident he can adapt to the cutting-edge technology being utilised in the pioneering series.

Having ridden motorcycles since the age of seven, the first half of García's sporting career was firmly focused on two wheels with victory in the 1982 80cc Senior National Enduro Trophy and a top 10-finish in the 1987 Baja Aragón particular highlights.

Competing was put on hold while García and his wife Pilar Espinar founded Al Kamel Systems, a company specialising in sports timing and television graphics which currently provides services to international competitions such as FIA Formula E, FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

But back on the track, a switch to sportscar racing in 2007 unlocked García's four-wheel potential and he went on to alternate appearances between the Seat León Super Cup and various Spanish Endurance and GT Championships, picking up a number of race victories and podiums.

García once again challenged himself in a new discipline when he made his off-road debut in 2017, contesting his first full All Terrain Rally Championship in Spain. In 2019 he won the national YXZ1000R Cup title and the European Final of the Yamaha Cup in Baja Portalegre, while a career highlight was victory in the 2019 Ral.li Osona.

García currently races in the SCER (Spanish Super Rally Championship) and is leading the N5 class classification, but now the veteran has turned his attention to rallycross and expects to be in the thick of the action in Catalunya.

José Luis Garcia said: "I am absolutely delighted to join the FIA RX2e Championship and be part of a very important moment in motorsport.

"I am looking forward to driving the new vehicle, as it has already been widely praised during testing, and I am sure we will have a lot of fun in Barcelona.

"The technology used in the car is truly staggering. The racing we will be able to produce should be really entertaining."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "The addition of José Luis to our expanding grid is the latest exciting step in the build-up to our inaugural season.

"The FIA RX2e Championship is blessed with a diverse driver line-up from a range of different backgrounds, and José Luis' experience across a wide variety of motorsport disciplines make him a valuable asset as we continue to fine-tune the car and maximise performance."

21-07-02 Meunier joins burgeoning FIA RX2e field as French prodigy prepares for Spanish season-opener
20-year-old returns to FIA World Rallycross undercard
Frenchman targets ‘fight at the front’ after 22-month hiatus
RX2e grid adds yet another world-class driver to the field

Damien Meunier is now the fourth driver to sign up to the RX2e curtain-raiser at Circuit de Catalunya as entries continue to flood in for the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

The Frenchman is looking to expand on his promising guest outings during the 2019 season, when he competed in RX2e’s predecessor, the single-make RX2 category.

Rebranded as FIA RX2e for 2021, the series tops the FIA World Rallycross Championship support bill and will see drivers go head-to-head in identical four wheel-drive, all-electric cars with the potential to generate 250kW (335bhp) and 510Nm torque.

The joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE provides a platform for up-and-coming drivers to compete in equal machinery whilst also furthering the development of electric technology in motorsport.

Meunier kick-started his motorsport career at 16 years old. His entry into the 2017 French rallycross championship made him the youngest driver ever to complete a full campaign in the Super1600 category.

Behind the wheel of his Citroen C2, he made it to the all-important final seven times from nine attempts, capped off with a maiden podium at the Lavaré track. Having finished fifth in the overall standings that season, Meunier progressed to the headlining class of the French championship the following year, this time driving a Citroen DS3 Supercar.

In a fiercely competitive 30 car field, he battled his way to the final at half of the ten events on the calendar, highlighted by a season-best fourth-place finish in Châteauroux and fifth place in Lavaré.

The 2019 season saw Meunier make his debut on the World Rallycross Championship package, entering three events at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Circuit de Lohéac and the season-opener in Barcelona where he qualified for the final against a grid of international superstars.

Now, in 2021, Meunier is back to test his mettle in the all-electric, single-make category and has his sights firmly set on strong results from the outset.

Damien Meunier said: “It’s really exciting to be competing once again on the same stage as all of the World Rallycross Championship drivers. I obviously enjoyed racing in RX2 a huge amount in 2019 so it seemed only natural to come back for more this season and hopefully fight at the front.

“Electric-powered cars are clearly the future in motorsport, so I think it’s a huge opportunity to get in on the ground floor and really learn the intricacies of such a different way of delivering power to what everyone is used to.

“It’s obviously going to be a hugely competitive grid so I’m looking forward to proving myself against some of the best rallycross drivers from around the globe. I’m not worried – I see it as a huge opportunity to prove myself!”

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: “Damien is obviously a huge talent and we’re excited to have him onboard. The RX2e grid is filling up fast and with every driver announced, our anticipation builds for the opening round of the season which is sure to provide plenty of action.

“His results in the French rallycross championships speak for themselves, while his outings in RX2 during the 2019 season certainly caught everyone’s attention – making the final on your debut is no mean feat so we can’t wait to see what he can do in RX2e!”

21-07-01 Kallio promises flat-out performances as flying Finn latest rising star added to FIA RX2e grid in Barcelona
Kallio confirmed for inaugural RX2e event in Barcelona
Finnish ace to rekindle RX2 rivalry with Fraser McConnell
RX Academy champion determined to make his mark in electric series

Jesse Kallio has promised to leave everything out on the track when he makes his FIA RX2e debut in the opening round of the 2021 season at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona later this month (July 23/24).

The Finnish youngster is the latest driver to be announced on the grid for the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, a pioneering new series that will see some of the sport's brightest talents compete in identical, cutting-edge machinery capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque.

Kallio is a former RX Academy champion and was a leading protagonist in the 2019 RX2 title race, marking him out as a star of the future.

And with FIA RX2e - a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE - already labelled as the future of rallycross ahead of the FIA World Rallycross Championship's progression to electrification, Kallio is keen to get behind the wheel and test out the latest technology.

The 22-year-old honed his skills on the Finnish rallycross scene before stepping up to RX Academy, securing the 2017 crown with SET Promotion and also picking up the RX Academy on Ice trophy.

These successes landed Kallio a drive in the Super1600 class of the 2018 FIA European Rallycross Championship, and he made the most of the opportunity with victory in Norway and another podium visit in Germany on his way to sixth in the overall standings.

The Finn stepped up to RX2 with Olsbergs MSE in 2019, banking five consecutive podium finishes on his way to third place in the championship - one spot ahead of OMSE team-mate Fraser McConnell, who will also be on the RX2e grid in Barcelona.

Jesse Kallio said: "I’m really looking forward to being in Barcelona for the start of the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship! Being back on the FIA World Championship program is super nice!

"The car will be fast, I'm certain. I haven’t had the chance to test it yet but everyone that has done has been really impressed. I want to say a really big thank you to QEV, OMSE and my partners for this opportunity.

"I know there will be tough competition and I will be going up against super-fast drivers, but when I’m racing I always want to win. Of course, racing an electric car is completely new to me but I will go flat-out!"

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Jesse to the FIA RX2e grid ahead of our debut event in Barcelona. He is a driver of the highest calibre and proved his talent with a title-challenging campaign in RX2.

“It is fantastic to see how enthusiastic Jesse is about testing our new car to the limits, and we hope he will reproduce his customarily spectacular on-track performances when the championship gets underway later this month.”

21-06-30 Fraser McConnell targeting all-electric glory as Jamaican joins FIA RX2e for Barcelona curtain-raiser
McConnell signs up for inaugural FIA RX2e Championship event
RX2 frontrunner returns to FIA World Rallycross Championship program
Jamaican hunting more success after RallyX Nordic breakthrough
Fraser McConnell is the latest rising star confirmed to be on the grid when the inaugural FIA RX2e Championship gets underway at Barcelona in July (23/24).

The Jamaican driver will be targeting the top step when the lights go green on the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, with the pioneering series already earmarked as the future of the sport.

FIA RX2e, a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse Olsbergs MSE, is the leading support series to the FIA World Rallycross Championship program and will see competitors face off in identical four wheel-drive, all-electric cars capable of generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque.

McConnell, who has been catching the eye at the wheel of an OMSE-run Ford Fiesta MK8 in RallyX Nordic this campaign, will be one of the men to beat when the cutting-edge series debuts at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Having made his rallycross bow in the North American ARX2 series back in 2018, McConnell stepped up to the international stage in 2019 and finished fourth in the FIA World Rallycross Championship-supporting RX2 - most notably completing a spectacular round-the-outside pass on OMSE team-mate Jesse Kallio at the Barcelona curtain-raiser.

McConnell won the ARX2 title during the same season and progressed to the RallyX Nordic Supercar class a year later, running at the sharp end alongside eventual champion Oliver Eriksson and World RX star Johan Kristoffersson on his way to securing a second-place finish in the overall standings.

The Jamaican ace built on this by taking his first-ever RallyX Nordic Supercar victory in Nysum at the start of 2021, and the 22-year-old currently sits third in the table ahead of the series finale.

McConnell is undoubtedly one of the most highly-rated upcoming drivers currently competing in rallycross, and he is ready to make his mark on the international stage once again.

Fraser McConnell said: "I'm so excited to announce that I will be competing in RX2e, and I can't wait to get behind the wheel in Barcelona.

"This championship is really pushing the boundaries of electric technology in sport, and we have already seen that these machines can produce quality racing. This is the future of rallycross, so I want to get a head-start!

"I am super excited to find out what I can do in the car, and I hope to be competitive right from the off. QEV and OMSE have done a great job bringing the championship together, and I'm looking forward to getting started."

Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager, FIA RX2e Championship, said: "The addition of Fraser to our driver line-up is a strong indication of how highly the FIA RX2e Championship is regarded.

"He is a competitor at the top of his game right now, and his performances in RallyX Nordic this season have seen him go wheel-to-wheel with World RX regulars Johan Kristoffersson and Niclas Grönholm among a host of other elite rallycross talent. That level of experience will be great asset to our series, and we can't wait to see what Fraser can achieve on track."

21-06-30 Dan Öberg kör VM i Spanien
- Öberg blir en av fyra svenskar till start i Barcelona.
Det började som en ett skoj infall från Peter Hedström och slutar med semesterresa mot Spanien och Barcelona. Dan Öberg värmer upp inför SM och och RallyX Nordic-finalen på hemmabanan. Han gör det storstilat med en av teamets VW Supercar i Barcelona mot värsta motståndet.

Peter Hedström frågade Dan på rallycrosstest dagen innan midsommarafton.
- Du kan väl prova bilen mer på VM i Barcelona, vi behöver väl lite semester båda två, anmälan går ut i morgon vid midnatt!

En halvtimme innan midnatt på midsommarafton anmälde sig Dan Öberg och det bär till Barcelona och VM med Hedströms Motorsport mitt i semestertider.
- Det är gött med Tortillas och jag gillar ju siesta, sen är det ju klart att man tar alla chanser att träna inför finalen på min hemmabana Westombanan, skrattar Dan Öberg.

Vid testet före midsommar som triggade VM-start, fick Öberg prova på en annan sorts transmission med en så kallad releasekoppling i stället för traditionell mellandiff. Han gillade denna lösning direkt och känner att han kan prestera ännu bättre.
- Den blir startsnabbare och bilen kändes mer stabil vid inbromsning, det kändes jättebra, menar Dan.

Det blir för Dan att kasta sig rakt in i hetluften, som motståndare bland annat klubbkollegan och regerande mästaren Johan Kristoffersson. Dan blir en av fyra svenskar i årets VM-premiär, med är också bröderna Timmy och Kevin Hansen.
- Jag kommer köra så hårt jag bara kan, sen får vi se hur långt det räcker, säger Dan Öberg.

Tävlingen körs den 23-24 Juli på Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya och det är sjutton förare till start i VM för Supercar.
- Det kommer bli ett kul sommaräventyr, intygar Peter Hedström.

21-06-30 Catalunya entry lists unveiled – featuring 17-strong grids in World RX and Euro RX3
The entry lists for the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser in Catalunya next month (23/24 July) have today been revealed, with 17-car grids in both World RX and Euro RX3 setting the scene for a sensational weekend’s racing in Spain.

Bearing witness to the series’ enduring and burgeoning international appeal, there are no fewer than 16 nationalities represented across the two lists, as well as nine automotive brands – including giants of the industry such as Ford, Volkswagen and Renault – and 12 different models of car.

On the driving front, the star-studded entries feature two World Rallycross Champions, three European Rallycross Champions and multiple national champions, as well as esteemed title-winners from a whole host of other disciplines.

The World RX line-up is headlined by defending champion Johan Kristoffersson, who is chasing a fourth World Championship crown this year after switching to Audi machinery for the first time with KYB EKS JC.

The Swede will face a stiff challenge, however, from a number of corners, with 2019 title-holder Timmy Hansen and younger brother Kevin armed with the potent Peugeot 208 and Niclas Grönholm (GRX-SET) hungry to put his Hyundai at the front of the field. Nor should Kevin Abbring be discounted in the Unkorrupted Renault Mégane, particularly after his scene-stealing World RX debut in Norway two years ago.

A number of interesting ‘wild cards’, meanwhile, have the potential to spring a surprise, including two-time Euro RX Supercar (now RX1) Champion Timur Timerzyanov – an 11th-hour addition to the field with GRX-SET – ‘Flying Finn’ Juha Rytkönen, who made such an impression on his World RX bow on home soil at Kouvola last summer and double DTM king Timo Scheider, who spearheads a three-strong ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport assault.

Five of last season’s top ten finishers in Euro RX3 (formerly Super1600) are back in action, with highest scorer Yury Belevskiy targeting the trophy denied to him in 2020, when cancellation of events due to COVID meant no title was ultimately awarded. He will need to fight off the threats, however, of Volland Racing stablemates Gergely Marton and Marat Knyazev, who have their sights similarly set on the spoils.

Series stalwarts Janno Ligur and Espen Isaksaetre both rejoin the fray following a year’s absence from the grid, while ex-Super1600 front-runner Kasparas Navickas returns for the first time since 2017. Jan Cerný reignited his rallycross career last season after more than a decade away in rallying – tasting success in the FIA European Rally Championship along the way – and he is back for more in 2021.

There are also, intriguingly, seven rookies in the field, including Jirí Šusta – whose elder brothers Stanislav and Josef were both accomplished racers in their own right, and who will become the youngest driver in RX3/Super1600 history when he makes his debut in Catalunya – and Kobe Pauwels, who arrives with an impressive pedigree from international karting and CrossCar circles.

The entry list for the FIA RX2e Championship – the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship – will be released at a later date, with a number of big names having already signed up to compete.

21-06-22 ‘New challenge’ for Kristoffersson as defending Champion joins Teams’ title-holder EKS JC in pursuit of fourth crown
Defending FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson has joined forces with reigning Teams’ title-holder EKS JC as he bids to claim a fourth Drivers’ crown in 2021 behind the wheel of a latest-generation Audi S1 EKS RX quattro.

Kristoffersson is the most successful driver in the history of the World Championship, with titles to his credit in 2017, 2018 and 2020 and 24 victories from 61 starts at the pinnacle of the discipline – making him very much the modern-day benchmark.

All of those results have been achieved behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo up to this point, but for the coming season, the 32-year-old Swede has switched to Audi machinery with EKS JC, a team formed over the winter months out of a merger between two World Championship winners – Joel Christoffersson’s JC Raceteknik outfit and Mattias Ekström’s EKS operation.

Kristoffersson – who has similarly conquered the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, Scandinavian Touring Car Championship and Superstars International Series during the course of his glittering career in the sport, and currently leads the Extreme E standings alongside Rosberg X Racing stablemate Molly Taylor following two wins out of two – will partner the already announced Enzo Ide under the KYB EKS JC banner this year.

The new World RX campaign will get underway with a Friday/Saturday evening showdown at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 23-24 July, before subsequent race weekends in Germany, Sweden, France, Latvia, Belgium and Portugal complete an eight-round schedule.

Johan Kristoffersson, 2017, 2018 and 2020 FIA World Rallycross Champion, said:
“First of all, I’m very pleased that I can contest a full World RX season, and to do so with a new team is like a new challenge for me. EKS JC know how to win races and championships, and after our first two test days we saw that we could learn and gain from each other. Joel Christoffersson and the whole team are very passionate and motivated to achieve the goal of defending my Drivers’ title and, together with Enzo, also the Teams’ title.

“The target when you enter a championship as the reigning champion is always to win it again, but that’s certainly no easy task. It’s a position I’ve been in twice already, and we will do whatever it takes to fight for the crown this year.

“The competition will always be there and – because rallycross is rallycross – there will always be a lot of action. We fully expect to have to fight hard, but we are ready for that and I really, really can’t wait to get to the first event with my new car and see where we are at.”

Mattias Ekström, Team Owner, EKS JC, said:
“If you can’t beat him, join him – it’s as simple as that! I have had many great battles with Johan and I think everyone can agree he has a unique skillset, so for me, he is a perfect fit for EKS JC’s 2021 campaign to once again challenge the rest of the field for both the Teams’ and Drivers’ titles.”

Joel Christoffersson, Team Manager, EKS JC, said:
“Johan is the most successful World RX driver to-date, and I am very happy that – with the support of Red Bull, Ravenol, KYB and Blåkläder – we can have him in our team next to Enzo. His experience and knowledge will help us to develop further, and also for Enzo this will be a great opportunity to learn from the very best. We will continue testing before the season and I am sure we will give a hard time to our competitors.”

21-06-22 Johan Kristoffersson ansluter EKS JC – kör full VM-säsong
Regerande mästarna slår sig samman. Fjolårets vinnare i team-VM och trefaldige rallycrossvärldsmästeren Johan Kristoffersson satsar på två gemensamma guld under årets rallycross-VM.

EKS JC, som är en sammanslagning av teamen JC och EKS, har många VM-guld i bagaget. Nu är det klart att den regerande världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson ansluter till teamet, för att tillsammans med Enzo Ide köra full säsong i FIA World Rallycross Championship (rallycross-VM).

32-årige Johan Kristoffersson har 36 World RX-pallplatser på meritlistan, varav 24 av dessa är vinster. Kristoffersson har inte bara tagit tre VM-guld (2017, 2018, 2020), utan även tre titlar i Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, två Scandinavian Touring Car Championship titlar och en Superstars International Series titel. Nu siktar han på ytterligare två guldmedaljer i rallycross – både i förar-VM och team-VM.

Johan Kristofferson kommer tillsammans med Enzo Ide utgöra EKS JC i kampen om titeln i team-VM, där båda kommer köra den nyaste generationen av Audi S1 EKS RX quattro. Årets säsong planeras bestå av sju deltävlingar, med start 23 juli i Spanien.

Johan Kristoffersson, World RX för EKS JC:
”Till och börja med, jag är väldigt glad över att kunna göra en full säsong i rallycross-VM, och att göra det med ett nytt team blir en ny utmaning för mig. EKS JC vet hur man vinner tävlingar och mästerskap, och efter de två första testdagarna har vi sett att vi kan lära och utvecklas av varandra. Joel Christoffersson och hela teamet är väldigt passionerade och motiverade att jag ska försvara VM-guldet och även, tillsammans med Enzo, ta team-guldet.”

Mattias Ekström, teamägare EKS JC:
”Om du inte kan slå honom, slå dig samman med honom – så enkelt är det. Jag har haft många bra fighter med Johan och tror att alla håller med om att han har en unik talang. Så för mig är han en perfekt match för EKS JCs VM-satsning 2021, för att återigen kunna utmana resten av startfältet om titlar i både förar-VM och teammästerskapet."

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef EKS JC:
”Johan är den mest framgångsrika VM-föraren någonsin och jag är väldigt glad att vi, med stöd från Red Bull, Ravenol, KYB och Blåkläder, kan ha honom i teamet tillsammans med Enzo. Hans erfarenhet och kunskap kommer hjälpa oss att utvecklas ytterligare, och för Enzo blir det en perfekt möjlighet att lära från den allra bästa. Vi kommer fortsätta testa inför säsongen och jag är säkert att vi kommer ge våra konkurrenter en tuff utmaning. 2021 kommer vara ett väldigt speciellt år för EKS JC, med tanke på att vi kommer ha våra bilar i tre mästerskap – FIA World RX, Nitro Rallycross och RallyX Nordic.”

21-06-18 DA Racing prepares for sport’s electric future with full Euro RX1 campaign and selected World RX outings in 2021
DA Racing will enter the full FIA European Rallycross Championship and selected FIA World Rallycross Championship rounds in 2021 with two Peugeot 208 WRX Supercars for brothers Jean-Baptiste and Andréa Dubourg, as the team ramps up its preparations for the sport’s new electric era.

Jean-Baptiste ‘JB’ Dubourg joined Euro RX’s headlining Supercar (now RX1) category in 2015 in a Citroën C4, with a rostrum finish in the Italian season finale propelling the Frenchman to fifth in the points table at the end of his maiden campaign in the series. He dovetailed that with sporadic starts in World RX, notably taking the chequered flag third in France.

After focussing his efforts on the World Championship in 2017 – scoring points in half of the events he contested – Dubourg returned to Euro RX in 2018, piloting a G-FORS Renault Clio to the podium in Barcelona and fifth place in the championship again.

Another switch – to Peugeot machinery this time – yielded five rostrum results from six rounds in 2019, including his breakthrough victory in Latvia, as well as another podium finish in 2020 as the five-time Andros Trophy ice-racing champion scooped the runner-up spoils in the Euro RX standings in both seasons.

The 33-year-old’s younger brother, Andréa, first appeared in Euro RX in 2014, ascending the podium on his debut on home soil at Lohéac in the Super1600 (now RX3) category. A full campaign the following year yielded four further rostrum visits – amongst which was a maiden triumph in Barcelona – and fifth in the overall rankings.

In 2017, the Frenchman stepped up to Supercar level in a DA Racing Citroën DS3, scoring points in three of his five starts. Moving to his current Peugeot 208 in 2018 vaulted him from 22nd up to 12th in the Drivers’ classification, before he improved again to finish fourth in 2019, advancing to the final on four occasions and reaching the rostrum in Latvia. Another podium finish in 2020 secured 28-year-old Dubourg fifth in the championship.

This year, the two drivers – whose father is 1992 European Autocross Champion Dominique Dubourg – return with a dual focus and high expectations, targeting the Euro RX1 crown while doing their homework ahead of a planned World Championship assault in the new RX1e category in 2022.

The French outfit is one of the undisputed benchmarks in the development of electric technologies, most recently showcasing its experience and expertise in the domain en route to title glory in the Andros E-Trophy earlier this year for ‘JB’ in a Renault Zoe.

Jean-Baptiste Dubourg said:
“We are excited to be able to contest another full season in Euro RX1, as we aim to complete the job that we have begun in recent years with the clear objective of becoming European Champions. We have made good use of the long off-season caused by the global pandemic to take a big step forward with the 208 WRX, introducing a number of technical updates to ensure we are 100 per cent ready to tackle the different types of terrain we will encounter in Euro RX.

“DA Racing will also participate in the World Championship rounds at the Nürburgring. Being a new event, this will allow us to gauge the relative performance of our 208 WRX while continuing to prepare for the future as we work seriously on a World Championship entry for 2022. The team already has experience of electric technology having won the Andros E-Trophy with the support of Renault last winter, and we strongly believe this is the future for the sport.”

Andréa Dubourg said:
“I’ve always enjoyed competing in the FIA European Rallycross Championship. The circuits on the calendar and the high calibre of competition mean drivers need to be absolutely on top of their game and teams must fine-tune their cars to the nth degree. In 2020, we were able to race consistently at the sharp end, and it was great to finish on the podium at Höljes.

“We are simultaneously planning to join the grid for the World RX rounds at the Nürburgring, which will allow us to settle back into the groove before the Euro RX1 season begins and work through a range of race and start strategies. All of the drivers will be learning this track for the first time, which makes it the ideal place to try out the various evolutions we have brought to the 208 WRX over the winter. My goal is to become European Champion this year, and our appearances in World RX will enable us to prepare for that challenge in the best way possible.”

Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“We are delighted that DA Racing has committed to the FIA European Rallycross Championship this season with two Peugeot 208 WRX Supercars, and I have no doubt that both ‘JB’ and Andréa will be leading protagonists for the Euro RX1 title.

“Even more significantly, the team’s focus on the future is a real vote of confidence and belief in World Rallycross’ new electric era, which is continuing to pick up pace. We have had a number of very positive and constructive conversations in recent weeks with manufacturers, teams and drivers all interested in coming on-board next season, and we very much hope to see DA Racing on the World Championship grid in 2022.”

21-06-15 Rallycross-NM: Klart for NM-åpning på Gardermoen
Kommende helg er det klart for åpning av årets NM-sesong i rallycross. Det skal kjøres fem runder i mesterskapet, og første arena er Gardermoen Motorpark.

Det er fortsatt restriksjoner i forhold til Covid-19, så dessverre vil ikke løpet på Gardermoen være åpent for publikum. Men det vil bli TV-sending på direktesport.no fra NM-runden.

De fem NM-rundene i rallycross som er planlagt i år kjøres på Gardermoen, Grenland, Gol, Momarken og Finnskogen. Arrangørene har fortsatt store utfordringer med avviklingen på grunn av pandemien, og NMK Gardermoen har valgt å dele arrangementet til helgen, slik at fire klasser kjører på lørdag og tre klasser på søndag.

I NM-klassen for bilene med de minste motorene, til og med 1600 ccm, var det Espen Isaksætre fra KNA Solør Motorsport som ble mester med sin Peugeot 208 i fjor. Han kommer til start også til helgen på Gardermoen.
Fjorårets sølvvinner, og mester i klassen i 2019, var Asgeir Taraldsen fra NMK Melhus i Renault Clio. Bronsevinner i fjor var unge Ole Henry Steinsholt fra NMK Grenland i Skoda Fabia. Ole Henry, som er med på juniorlandslaget til Bilsportforbundet, stiller også i år.
Det kommer hvert år opp førere til denne klassen via juniorklassen og en interessant deltager i klassen i år er Andrine Rafoss fra NMK Konsmo. Hun endte på andreplass i norgescupen for junior i fjor og stiller med en Renault i supernasjonal inntil 1600 ccm til helgen. Andrine er en del av juniorlandslaget til Bilsportforbundet.
Andre utfordrere i klassen er Per Magne Svardal fra NMK Konsmo og Marius Solberg Hansen fra Asker & Bærum Motorsport som begge var inne blant topp fem i fjorårets NM.

I klassen for biler til og med 2000 ccm var det Emil Sivesind fra NMK Krabyskogen som ble mester med sin Audi i fjor. Han tar i år steget videre til klassen over 2400 ccm. Sølvvinner fra i fjor, Christian Hobæk fra NMK Larvik og bronsevinner Sivert Svardal fra NMK Konsmo stiller heller ikke i denne klassen i år. Sivert Svardal kommer til start i Supercars/åpen klasse med sin VW Polo.
Men en god gammel kjenning i norsk bilsport, Guttorm Lindefjell fra NMK Kvinesdal, deltar i klassen inntil 200 ccm med en Mazda RX8. Hans klubbkamerat Per Magne Røyrås, også han i Mazda RX8, er også med blant favorittene.

I klassen til og med 2400 ccm stiller de to siste års mester, Jørgen Syversen fra NMK Aremark, med sin Ford Fiesta. Fjorårets sølvvinner, Sander Engsvik fra NMK Trøgstad stiller også til helgen med sin BMW. Bronsevinner i fjor, Andreas Aarhaug fra NMK Støren, stiller også i år med sin Audi S1.

I supernasjonal-klassen med de største motorene, over 2400 ccm, stiller fjorårets mester Jonas Dalseth Jacobsen fra NMK Hålogaland som klar favoritt i sin VW Polo. Sølvet i fjor gikk til Kim Åvar Meland fra NMK Konsmo. Fjorårets bronsevinner var Bjørn-Terje Heggeli fra NMK Alta, og han stiller igjen i sin Ford Fiesta.

I denne klassen er det mange rutinerte førere som vil være med i tetkampen, som Herbjørn Haug fra KNA Solør Motorsport, Terje Morstad fra NMK Gardermoen og Robin Slåttekjær fra NMK Grenland for å nevne noen. Spennende blir det også å se hva Emil Sivesind fra NMK Krabyskogen kan prestere når han tar steget opp fra klassen inntil 2000 ccm der han ble mester i fjor. Emil er med på juniorlandslaget til Bilsportforbundet.

I Supercars/åpen klasse er det fire førere påmeldt til helgen. Blant disse er fjorårets bronsevinner, Stein Egil Jenssen fra NMK Tønsberg i Ford Fiesta. Spennende vil det også bli å se Sivert Svardal fra NMK Konsmo i VW Polo. Sivert er en del av satsingslandslaget til Bilsportforbundet.

I tillegg til NM-klassene kjøres også første runde av junior cup for førere fra 16 til 21 år på Gardermoen. Her er 16 unge lovende førere påmeldt, og i spissen for dem fjorårets cupvinner, Sindre Madsen Moe fra NMK Trøgstad i Peugeot 206.

Nytt av året er at Historisk klasse har fått status som Norgescup. Her er fire førere påmeldt til helgen.

NM-runden på Gardermoen kjøres over to dager og på lørdag kjøres klassene Junior Cup, Supernasjonal inntil 1600 ccm, Supernasjonal over 2400 ccm og Supercars/åpen klasse.

På søndag kjøres klassene Historisk Cup, Supernasjonal inntil 2000 ccm og Supernasjonal inntil 2400 ccm.
Det blir TV-sending fra løpet på www.direktesport.no

1.NM-RUNDE RALLYCROSS Gardermoen Motorpark 19. –20. juni 2021
19. –20. juni 2021
Vi oversender informasjon og pressemelding om årets første NM-runde i rallycross som kjøres førstkommende lørdag og søndag på Gardermoen Motorpark. Arrangør er NMK Gardermoen.
Dessverre vil ikke løpene være åpne for publikum slik Covid-19 forskriften er per i dag. Det blir TV-sending fra løpet på www.direktesport.no

Mesterskapet omfatter de fire supernasjonal-klassene, t.o.m 1600 ccm, t.o.m. 2000 ccm, t.o.m. 2400 ccm og over 2400 ccm samt Supercar.
Løpet teller også i Norgescup for Junior og den nye norgescupen for historisk klasse.

På Gardermoen har arrangøren valgt å dele arrangementet i to, slik at tre klasser kjøres på lørdag og tre på søndag. Dette er for å tilfredsstille myndighetenes krav til maksimalt antall personer som kan samles.

På lørdag kjøres følgende klasser:
Junior Cup
Supernasjonal inntil 1600 ccm
Supercars/åpen klasse
Supernasjonal over 2400 ccm

På søndag kjøres følgende klasser:
Historisk Cup
Supernasjonal 2000-2400 ccm
Supernasjonal 1600-2000 ccm
Begge dager starter 1. innledende omgang kl. 10.00

Vi håper materialet vil være til interesse og nytte.

Poengstillingen NM Rallycross 2020: https://bilsport.no/poengstilling/poengstilling-2020/
Arrangøren har egen Internettside med startlister etc. som finnes her: http://www.nmkgardermoen.no/
NM-reglement for rallycross: https://bilsportboka.no/kapittel/rallycross/nm-rallycross-reglement/

Arrangør:
NMK Gardermoen

Banen:
Gardermoen Motorpark er 820 meter lang. Banedekket er 45 % asfalt og 55 % grus.

21- 06- 13 Tredje raka segern för Jim Jansson
Jim Jansson tog klivet upp till 2400-klassen inför årets säsong. När fyra av sju deltävlingar är körda leder han mästerskapet efter tre raka deltävlingssegrar, sjutton poäng före närmast jagande konkurrent.

På lördagens blöta underlag fick inte Jansson starterna att stämma. Under söndagen var det helt andra förutsättningar med sol, torr bana och bra grepp på startplattans asfalt. Men det ville sig ändå inte för Jim Jansson, som efter en mindre lyckad start i första kvalet ändå kunde ta sig upp i ledning i kurva tre och sedan vinna sitt kvalheat. Men det på femte tid i omgången. I stället var det Simon Claesson som satte högsta fart under förmiddagen och vann första kvalomgången.
- Det kändes bra. Det klart det finns att jobba på, både på bil och mig. Vi såg igår att även om man startar bra så kan det ändra sig under dagen så det är bara att ladda om och ge allt, sa Simon Claesson som efter samtliga körda kval var den som samlat mest kvalpoäng.

Sämre såg det ett tag ut för Jim Jansson som i andra omgången placerade sig på en tolfte plats. Först i tredje och sista kvalomgången vände det när Jim Jansson från yttersta startrutan kunde ta starten och sen från ledning sätta sista kvalrundans snabbaste tid.
- Det var dags för en bra start nu. Det är ganska rent där ute från ytterspår i starten så det fungerade bra, sa Jim Jansson efter samtliga körda kvalheat.

Jim Jansson vann sen sin semifinal och fick starta i första par på utsidan av Simon Claesson i finalen.
Det blev en stentuff kamp mellan de båda in genom första sväng där Jansson gick på ytterspår och som sen in i mot kurva två hade innerspåret. Med en bra utgång på rakan upp mot kurva tre skaffade sig Jim Jansson någon meter till jagande Simon Claesson. Claesson gick in i jokerspåret på andra varvet och tappade ner till tredje plats bakom Daniel Loggert. Jansson svarade upp Claessons taktik direkt med att ta jokern på nästa varv och kunde behålla ledningen före Claesson som missade lite i utgången av kurvan när han försökt svara upp mot Jansson. Men närmare en så kom sen inte Simon Claesson. Jim Jansson kunde säkra tredje raka segern i 2400-klassen.
- Det blir lite lättare väg hem nu, konstaterade Jim Jansson efter tävlingen.
- Det har varit kämpigt idag med starterna men vi gjorde om lite så det ordande upp sig lite mer på slutet. Och det gav resultat.

Efter målgång i finalen fick sen Simon Claesson svart flagg vilket gjorde att Robin Starö blev tvåa och Viktor Johansson tog tredjeplatsen. Med dubbla segrar i Piteå reser Jim Jansson hem till Värmland med utökad serieledning i totala mästerskapstabellen som han leder på 143 poäng, före Rasmus Olsson på 126. Simon Claesson är trea på 117 inför nästa dubbelhelg som körs 24-25 juli i Västerås
- Det är skönt, känns bra att vara kvar i topp, säger Jansson och blickar fram mot Västerås.
- Där har jag kört en del och det kan vara en bana som tar mycket på materialet, så det gäller att få grejerna att hålla.

I Supercar Lites vann Nils Andersson och kopplar med det ett stadigare grepp om serieledningen. I klassen 2150 segrade Max Forsman och i JSM var det åter Oskar Hellström som vann.

Samtliga resultat från deltävling fyra av SM i Rallycross finns här: https://www.motorsport-events.se/camp/index.php?dir=resultsmw%2F09+results+2021%2F02+Rallycross%2F02+Rallycross+SM%2F04+Pitea+Round+4%2F

21- 06- 13 Andersson ökar i SM- täten
SM- ledande Nils Andersson avslutade dubbeltävlingen i Piteå med seger i Lites- klassen. Därmed ökade han ledningen i mästerskapet, trots en mindre lyckad tävling under lördagen.
- En jättebra helg, trots allt. Man börjar lära sig att det är ups and downs i rallycross, säger Kristoffersson Motorsport- föraren.

Nils Andersson hade en ledning på fjorton poäng när han gav sig in i dubbeltävlingen i Norrbotten. Första dagens tävling i ett regnigt Piteå blev dock inte alls vad Andersson hade hoppats på. I kvalet drabbades han av såväl punktering som trasig hjulupphängning. Trots det tog han sig som fyra till semifinalen och ledde där när han blev påkörd och fick bryta.
- Tror jag tog ut problem för hela säsongen under den tävlingen. Alla marginaler på fel sida.

Det var bara att bryta ihop och komma igen för KMS- föraren – och som han gjorde det! På ett torrare underlag stod han efter söndagens kvalomgångar i pole position i semifinal 1.
- Jag kunde starta ifrån dem och sedan kontrollera.

Det receptet var gångbart även i semifinalen, där han ledde han från start till mål. Det gick fort, men inte med maximal satsning.
- Det gällde att spela smart, en ständig riskanalys för att undvika punkteringar. Curbsen var riktigt vassa.

Finalen blev också en kontrollerad historia, även om Andersson blev ordentligt utmanad av Casper Jansson. Nils tog joker- spåret redan på fjärde varvet från ledning.
- Det var också en säkerhetsgardering, ifall man skulle råka ut för en punktering.

När Jansson tog jokern på sista varvet övertog Andersson täten. I mål var segermarginalen en halv sekund för 21- åringen från Arvika. Därmed trillade maximala 30 poäng in på kontot, att lägga till de 15 poäng han ändå plockade under lördagen.
- Det gäller att göra de dåliga dagarna på rätt sätt också.

Inför nästa race, dubbeltävling i Västerås 24- 25 juli, leder Nils Andersson SM för Lites- bilar med hela 28 poäng – ett riktigt bra läge.
- Absolut, men det är mycket kvar än.

21-06-12 Jansson drygade ut ledningen i Rallycross-SM
Regn, regn och regn. Det blev riktigt svåra förhållanden när den tredje deltävlingen av årets SM-serie i Rallycross avgjordes i Piteå under lördagen.
- Kommer vi bara i väg i starterna så ska det nog gå bra. Det sa serieledaren i 2400-klassen, Jim Jansson inför helgens dubbeltävling i Piteå. Med facit i hand så var det väl just det som inte satt perfekt.

Jim Jansson var inte först i väg i någon av kvalheatens starter och kunde efter kvalkörningen summera den med placeringarna 3,7 och 7. Det var inte direkt en dans fram till semifinalen för Jansson. Inte blev det bättre i väg från startplattan i semifinalen. In mot första kurvan var det trångt och det såg ett tag ut som om Jansson skulle gå med bredsidan in i svängen men han kund dra nytta av den kalabalik som det blev in i första sväng och gå förbi på innern. Väl i ledningen var finalplatsen säkrad.
Finalen var lite av en repris för Jansson.

Tuff start från pole. En Leo Ivarsson som från bakersta startruta formligen blåste förbi hela fältet och var först in i kurva ett. Jim Jansson kunde igen glida förbi på innern när resten av konkurrenterna tampades något spårval längre ut. Redan i andra kurvan var Jansson sen ifatt Ivarsson och passerade honom på innern och hittade på raksträckan upp mot kurva tre perfekt fäste. Och med det var finalen i 2400 klar. Från täten kunde sen Jim Jansson utöka sitt avstånd till de bakom jagande och säkra årets andra seger.
- Det är underbart. När man kommer upp hit trodde jag att det skulle bli tufft att hålla kvar mästerskapsledningen, men det gick bra så vi är riktigt nöjda. Ett bra facit på att ombyggnaden av bilen fungerar. Det är bara starterna som vi sliter med när det är blött. På torrt fungerar det bra, så vi får hoppas på sol i morgon, sa serieledaren i 2400-klassen, Jim Jansson efter tävlingen.

Bakom Jim Jansson i finalen kämpade Leo Ivarsson och Simon Claesson om pallplatserna. Den striden vann Leo Ivarsson som var tvåa bakom Jansson i mål. Med segern drygar nu Jim Jansson ut ledingen i tabellen och har inför söndagen 104 poäng. Tvåa är Rasmus Olsson på 94 poäng. Trea idag och trea i totala SM-tabellen för 2400 är Simon Claesson.

I Supercar Lites-klassen vann hemmaföraren Martin Ekspjuth och i 2150-klassen segrade Björn ”Putte” Alvarsson. Snabbast i JSM var Oskar Hellström.

Alla resultat från SM i Rallycross samtliga klasser finns här,
https://www.motorsport-events.se/camp/index.php?dir=resultsmw%2F09+results+2021%2F02+Rallycross%2F02+Rallycross+SM%2F03+Pitea+Round+3%2F

21-06-11 Timmy Hansen returns to World RX as Swede seeks to reconquer his crown
2019 world champion confirms his participation at pinnacle of the discipline
29-year-old eager to pick up from where he left off at end of last season
Swede is one of only three drivers to have started every World RX event so far

Former world champion Timmy Hansen has confirmed his return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship with the family-run Hansen World RX Team this year, as he sets his sights on reclaiming the coveted Drivers’ crown.

The eldest son of Kenneth Hansen – the most successful rallycross driver in history, with 14 European Championship titles to his name – the 29-year-old has been a stalwart of World RX since the series’ inception back in 2014 and indeed is one of only three competitors to have entered every round to-date, achieving ten triumphs and 32 rostrum finishes behind the wheel of a Peugeot 208.

Victory in Italy and three further podium appearances propelled him to fourth in the points table in his maiden campaign at the pinnacle of the discipline, with three more wins following in 2015, elevating Hansen to the runner-up spot in the standings.

The Swede prevailed in Canada in 2016 and reached the rostrum in half of the events that season, going on to add another four podiums to his tally in 2017 and two more in 2018.

His 2019 campaign was his most accomplished to-date, recording four victories from ten starts to secure both the Drivers’ laurels as well as the Teams’ trophy for Team Hansen MJP alongside his younger brother and team-mate, Kevin, clinching the crown in dramatic style in the South African finale.

Last season resulted in another four visits to the rostrum en route to third in the final classification, and after signing off with his tenth career success and a second-place finish in Catalunya, Hansen is eager to maintain that burgeoning momentum when the 2021 campaign gets underway at the same circuit on 23/24 July. Subsequent race weekends in Germany, Sweden, France, Latvia, Belgium and Portugal complete an eight-round schedule.

Timmy Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team, said:
“In the last few years since we’ve become a fully independent family team, being on the grid each season has never been a given. I’m very grateful I have the opportunity to come back and race again this year. I love rallycross – it’s always been part of my life, and it still is in a very big way. We run the family team every day and our involvement with rallycross goes back decades. It’s been in my blood since I was born, so I’ll always want to compete here.

“Even though this will be my eighth season in World RX, I’m as motivated as ever to write a new story: will we fight for the title, who will be fast this year, and how will we stack up? We’ve been working really hard and the car feels much better now than it did in 2020. All the great ideas and talented people working with us have made a big difference, even as a small team that’s improving step-by-step. We might have a good shot at competing for the title this year, but let’s see how it goes!”

Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Hansen World RX Team, added:
“Timmy is a world-class driver – and a world champion in rallycross, of course – so we are very happy to be in a position to keep him with us again in 2021. Having him alongside Kevin to continue the strongest driver pairing in World RX was always our target.

“He is giving himself new experiences and new challenges with his Extreme E campaign, and we know this new adventure is very important to him. We are lucky that he is able to do both that and World Rallycross, as he makes such a big difference to our team. It’s also great that we have two drivers who know our car inside-out, and that Timmy can maintain the momentum he had in the second half of last season.”

21-06-11 Se SM i Rallycross live från Piteå på sbfplay.se - Medlemserbjudande
Missa inte SM i Rallycross när deltävling tre och fyra körs i Piteå nu i helgen 12-13 juni. Du ser allt live på sbfplay.se Sändningarna startar på lördag klockan 09:50 och på söndag, 09:20.

Du hittar medlemserbjudandet här: https://solidsport.com/login

Under helgen körs det om SM-poäng i klasserna Supercar Lites, 2400, 2150 och JSM 2150. Många rafflande heat väntas och tävlingarna kommenteras av bröderna Holmudd, Christian och Johan.

Här kan du läsa senaste nyheten inför SM i Rallycross.

På sbfplay.se finns nu även sändningarna att se fritt från premiären av SM i Rallycross i Höljes.

Helgens schema för SM i Piteå.
Preliminärt tidsschema lördag
09:50 Uppsnack och studio
10:00 Q1
11:40 Studio, summering och intervjuer
12:00 Q2
13:40 Studio, summering och intervjuer
13:50 Lunch - banner i bild "åter 14:30"
14:30 Q3
16:10 Studio, summering och intervjuer
16:30 Semi / finaler

Preliminärt tidsschema söndag
09:20 Uppsnack och studio
09:30 Q1
11:05 Studio, summering och intervjuer
11:20 Q2
12:55 Studio, summering och intervjuer
13:05 Lunch - banner i bild "åter 13:40"
13:40 Q3
15:15 Studio, summering och intervjuer
15:30 Semi / finaler

21-06-09 Grönholm and Szabó set to mount World RX title tilt with GRX in 2021
Niclas Grönholm entering new season with one focus – the Drivers’ title
Krisztián Szabó aiming to build upon progress made in previous campaigns
Finnish outfit’s Hyundai i20 has already proven itself as a potent package

Niclas Grönholm and Krisztián Szabó will join forces for GRX-SET WORLD RX TEAM in the FIA World Rallycross Championship this year, as the Finnish outfit plots an all-out assault on Drivers’ and Teams’ glory.

Grönholm – the son of two-time FIA World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm – has risen rapidly up the ranks since making his World RX debut at Höljes in 2015. The Finn committed full-time to the series in 2016, switching to the family-run GRX outfit in 2017 and securing his maiden final appearance with fifth position in Germany.

2018 then marked a significant step forward, as four visits to the final behind the wheel of the new Hyundai i20 yielded seventh place in the overall classification – comfortably the top independent entrant.

That paved the way for a full-on title tilt the next season, with a brace of victories and two further podium finishes seeing Grönholm wind up just 25 points shy of the Drivers’ crown, despite missing two rounds due to appendicitis. His points-per-event tally was the highest in the field. Another race win in 2020 cemented fourth spot in the standings for the second consecutive campaign – and now the 25-year-old is fired-up to fight for the biggest prize in international rallycross.

A successful skier in his teenage years, Szabó clinched his first car racing title at the age of just 16 in the Hungarian Autocross Championship in 2008. He banked back-to-back FIA Junior Buggy honours in the discipline in 2009 and 2010, before stepping up to the Buggy1600 category, where he collected his third European Championship trophy in 2013.

In 2014, the Hungarian reached the rostrum on his debut in the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s Super1600 division. A full season in the series with Volland Racing the following year culminated in third in the final standings, setting the scene for consecutive Euro RX Super1600 crowns in 2016 and 2017.

In 2018, Szabó entered two Euro RX rounds in the headlining Supercar class – placing second at Lohéac for Mattias Esktröm’s EKS Audi Sport outfit – before stepping up again to World RX in 2019, advancing to the final first time out with EKS Sport and going on to finish tenth in the championship. After competing for GRX-SET in Sweden and Latvia in 2020, the 29-year-old returns for his second full campaign in the World Championship with the team in 2021.

Niclas Grönholm, Driver, GRX-SET WORLD RX TEAM, said:
“My hopes for this season are quite simple – to fight for the championship. Last year was difficult, but I think we learned a lot and we are going in the right direction at the moment. We have done a lot of experiments with the car and found some good things, as well as some areas to work on.

“I expect the competition to be similar to the 2019 and 2020 seasons – nothing will be won easily. We will need to be ready to fight and put in the work required at every round to have a chance to win. The events I’m most looking forward to are Sweden and Portugal – the tracks there are so nice – but also the Nürburgring because it’s new for everybody and nobody knows what to expect, which always makes things interesting.”

Krisztián Szabó, Driver, GRX-SET WORLD RX TEAM, said:
“I’m very happy that I can continue with this great team, especially under [Team Principal] Jussi Pinomäki, and I’m even more pumped that I can finally play a part in fighting for the Teams’ championship. The Hyundai is very good – I love it – and it’s really great to work with Niclas; I can learn a lot from him and everyone in the team.

“It’s hard to know where we will be, but I’m pretty optimistic that we will be fast this year. My personal aim for the season is to have strong and stable results and to be in the final as much as possible. After the first few rounds, we will know better where we are compared to the others and what we can aim for overall, but I believe we can be very strong contenders this year.”

Jussi Pinomäki, Team Principal, GRX-SET WORLD RX TEAM, added:
“We have worked hard to be able to return this year, and it’s brilliant to do that with Niclas and Krisztián. I think together they can help us to deliver our potential at every event. As Niclas says, nothing comes easy, especially at this level, but I’m very proud of our hard-working team and we will be doing everything we can to achieve the best results possible.

“Niclas continues to improve with every season, and I have to say I am pleased with the progress that Krisztián has made even from last year. It has been a long gap since Barcelona last October so we can’t wait to be back there again in July, and hopefully sooner rather than later we can be racing in front of passionate rallycross fans once again too.”

21-06-08 ‘Faster’ Abbring to tackle first full World RX season with UNKORRUPTED in 2021
World Championship grid grows with addition of UNKORRUPTED Renault Mégane
Dutchman boasts more than a decade’s experience in rallying and rallycross
32-year-old to combine bid with focus on green motorsport development projects

Following sporadic FIA World Rallycross Championship appearances over the past two years, Kevin Abbring will contest his first full campaign at the pinnacle of the dual-surface discipline in 2021 behind the wheel of an UNKORRUPTED Renault Mégane R.S. RX – and he has warned his rivals that he feels ‘faster than ever’.

Abbring began his motorsport career in rallycross – winning the Dutch and Belgian titles three times by the age of 16 – before switching to rallying in 2007, achieving success on the international stage in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship and making history as the youngest driver ever to win a JWRC round.

The 32-year-old has simultaneously been involved in motorsport projects dedicated to greener technology and alternative fuels. The first Dutch driver ever to enter and win a rally in a car run on bio-methanol in 2010, he scored a podium finish later that same year with a bio-methanol fuelled car at Ken Block’s inaugural Gymkhana GRiD event in the USA. Another milestone followed in 2012, when – as an official Volkswagen Motorsport driver – Abbring introduced a VW race car on bio-gas (GCN) technology in his home country.

Victory in France’s Peugeot 208 Rally Cup in 2013 prompted a step up to the FIA European Rally Championship – yielding two rostrum finishes despite myriad technical issues – while Abbring went on to play a key role behind-the-scenes in the development of Hyundai Motorsport’s ultra-successful i20 WRC challenger.

He returned to rallycross in 2019, participating in the Norwegian and Swedish rounds of the World RX campaign in an ES Motorsport-run Škoda Fabia, impressing by finishing fourth on both occasions and leading the final on his debut in Hell. After joining GCK Motorsport last year as development driver for the French outfit’s rallycross and cross-country programmes, he made a further competitive outing in Finland in a Renault Clio entered under the GCK UNKORRUPTED banner.

With GCK taking a sabbatical from the series ahead of a planned return in the sport’s new electric era, Abbring has partnered with French engineering company FORS Technologies for his forthcoming World Championship assault, and he will dovetail his full-season effort this year with his ongoing work on green motorsport development initiatives.

The new World RX campaign will get underway with a Friday/Saturday evening showdown at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 23-24 July, before subsequent race weekends in Germany, Sweden, France, Latvia, Belgium and Portugal complete an eight-round schedule.

Kevin Abbring, Driver, UNKORRUPTED, said:
“I’ve been working on some incredible projects, and I’m really excited about the future of motorsport. To get the chance to contest an entire championship at world level in parallel this season is something I’ve been working on for such a long time now.

“Thanks to the latest projects and test activities I have been involved in, I feel faster than I’ve ever been. I’ve worked with every team member closely before and I’m starting to understand the Mégane better and better. I can’t wait to push for victories together!”

21-06-08 Medlemserbjudande - Se SM i Rallycross live på sbfplay.se
issa inte SM i Rallycross när deltävling tre och fyra körs i Piteå nu i helgen 12-13 juni. Du ser allt live på sbfplay.se

Sändningarna startar på lördag klockan 09:50 och på söndag, 09:20.

Du hittar medlemserbjudandet här: https://solidsport.com/login

Under helgen körs det om SM-poäng i klasserna Supercar Lites, 2400, 2150 och JSM 2150. Många rafflande heat väntas och tävlingarna kommenteras av bröderna Holmudd, Christian och Johan.

Här kan du läsa senaste nyheten inför SM i Rallycross: https://www.sbf.se/Nyheter/SvenskBilsport/anderssonladdarforpiteaserallycross-smliveisbfplay.se/

21-06-07 ‘It’s my time to shine’, says Kevin Hansen, as Swede bids to step out of big brother’s shadow
Younger Hansen brother ready to grab his share of the spotlight in 2021
Swede targeting FIA World Rallycross Championship Drivers’ crown
23-year-old eager to showcase recent progress brought to Peugeot 208
Team-mate of Hansen World RX Team star to be revealed later this week

Kevin Hansen is ready to step out of the shadow of his FIA World Rallycross Championship-winning brother Timmy and 14-time European Championship-winning father Kenneth in 2021, after confirming his return to the pinnacle of the discipline with the family-run Hansen World RX Team and declaring: “It’s my time to shine!”

A title-winner in both RX Lites and the JRX Junior Rallycross Cup, Hansen has similarly been a leading protagonist in World RX since debuting in the series in Argentina in 2015, making history as the youngest driver ever to contest an event at the highest level at the age of just 17 years and six months. Not only that, but the Swede impressively reached the final at his very first attempt.

A switch to the FIA European Rallycross Championship in 2016 yielded four victories from five starts en route to the coveted Drivers’ crown, dovetailed with selected outings in World RX – advancing to the final in Britain and Germany – to earn the FIA ‘Rookie of the Year’ accolade at the end of the campaign.

Since then, Hansen has been a World RX regular, with six final appearances in 2018 paving the way to his first title challenge the following year. A breakthrough victory in the Abu Dhabi curtain-raiser and four further podium finishes saw him enter the South African finale still in with a shout of overall honours, ultimately winding up a close third while playing a vital role in Team Hansen MJP’s successful acquisition of the Teams’ crown.

After two more rostrum results in 2020 propelled the 23-year-old to fifth in the Drivers’ classification, he now has his sights resolutely fixed on the only major international rallycross crown he has yet to claim – the biggest one of all – as he returns to the track in his Hansen World RX Team Peugeot 208 for a fifth consecutive full-season assault. His team-mate at the Swedish squad will be announced later this week.

The new World RX campaign will get underway with a Friday/Saturday evening showdown at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 23-24 July, before subsequent race weekends in Germany, Sweden, France, Latvia, Belgium and Portugal complete an eight-round schedule.

Kevin Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team, said:
“I’ve been looking at all areas of my development in order to put myself in a better position ahead of the season. I know where I’ve been weak and where I’ve been strong, and it’s time to put it all together in the final year of the combustion-engined era.

“I’m capable of winning championships – I think my junior career showed that! This is no different and I hope the changes around me will showcase the progress we’ve made together. Our car development has moved towards a direction I feel more comfortable with, and the Peugeot did fit me much better last season than in 2019. I believe since then we've progressed even more in that direction, and I can’t wait to extract all of it on-track.

“To close World RX’s combustion chapter with the Hansen name on top would be a beautiful story, given the team’s rich history and the upcoming shift to full electric rallycross. It’s my time to shine!”

Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Hansen World RX Team, added:
“Kevin has shown himself to be a world-class rallycross driver over the last decade. It has always been the case over the years that our boys have had to earn their seats with the team, and if they were not quick enough, they wouldn’t get to drive – but Kevin has proved himself time and time again, so we’re excited to see what he is capable of doing in this final chapter of World RX before the new electric era begins.

“We had some difficult moments in the first half of last season, but I saw a big step from Kevin towards the end – he felt at one with the car again and it showed. If myself and the rest of the team can give him a fast car, I am sure he can continue to fight at the front of the pack for more victories and the championship.”

21-06-07 Kevin Hansen aiming for the top with Hansen World RX Team
Hansen World RX Team will participate in the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship, with Nitro Rallycross and European Rallycross champion Kevin Hansen returning to pilot one of the team's two Peugeot 208 WRX cars.

Despite turning only 23 years of age at the end of last month, Kevin Hansen is already an established force in World Rallycross, entering his sixth consecutive season with his family team at the top level of rallycross this year.

Kevin challenged for the world championship until the last race in 2019 and scored multiple podiums in the shortened 2020 season, and is ready to compete for the ultimate prize in rallycross once more.

Hansen World RX Team's second driver for the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship will be announced at a later date.

9 Kevin Hansen
“I'm capable of winning championships – I think my junior career showed that!”
“I’ve been looking at all areas of my development in order to put myself in a better position ahead of the season. I know where I’ve been weak, and where I’ve been strong, and it’s time to put it all together in the final year of the petrol era.

“I’m capable of winning championships – I think my junior career showed that! This is no different and I hope the changes around me will showcase the progress we've made together.

“Our car development has moved towards a direction I feel more comfortable with, and the car did fit me much better last season than in 2019. I believe since then we've progressed even more in that direction and I can’t wait to extract all of it on track.

“To close World RX's petrol chapter with the Hansen name on top would be a beautiful story, given the team's rich history and the upcoming shift to full electric rallycross.

“It's my time to shine!”
The Boss Kenneth Hansen
“It has always been the case over the years that our boys have had to earn their seats with the team, and if they were not fast enough, they wouldn't get to drive. But Kevin has proved himself time and time again.”

“Kevin has proven himself to be a world-class rallycross driver over the last decade. It has always been the case over the years that our boys have had to earn their seats with the team, and if they were not fast enough, they wouldn't get to drive. But Kevin has proved himself time and time again, so we're excited to see what he is capable of doing in this final chapter of World RX before the new electric era begins.

“We had some difficult moments in the first half of last season but I saw a big step from Kevin towards the end of last season – he felt at one with the car again and it showed. If myself and the rest of the team can give him a fast car I am sure he can continue to fight at the front of the pack for more victories, and maybe even the championship. Let's see what happens!”

21-06-06 Grönholm strikes back to beat Kristoffersson and Rytkönen in Round 6 as OuluZone delivers epic drama
Grönholm seals third RallyX Nordic win of the season
Supercar Lites leader Hallman doubles up
Support classes produce stunning afternoon of action
Campaign concludes at Arvika, Sweden (August 13-15)

Niclas Grönholm gained his revenge over Johan Kristoffersson with victory in Round 6 of the RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Championship at OuluZone, Finland (June 6).

Grönholm looked set to win the first leg of this weekend’s double-header before suffering a puncture in the Round 5 final – allowing Kristoffersson to inherit first place – but there was no such misfortune this time around as the Finn took the spoils on home soil.

Tommi Hallman headed a SET Promotion 1-2 in Supercar Lites as the category points leader picked up his fourth win of the season, while Tomi Rakkolainen took advantage of the championship contenders running into trouble to secure a surprise success in an all-action CrossCar/Crosskart final.

Marcus Norman came out on top in Open 2WD after pace-setters Simon Tiger and Tuomas Venäläinen were both excluded while reigning CrossCar Junior champion Alex Gustafsson landed his third win of the campaign to close the gap on Lukas Andersson in the overall table.

With all drivers across every class having to drop their lowest-scoring round of points ahead of the season finale, there is everything to play for when the RallyX Nordic championship concludes at Arvika, Sweden (August 13-15).

Supercar
Niclas Grönholm showed his class with a dominant performance in the Supercar category at OuluZone, putting aside a frustrating Saturday to stamp his mark on Round 6.

The Finnish ace, who was leading the Round 5 final before suffering a puncture, looked like a man on a mission when he set the fastest time of the weekend so far in Q1 – beating Johan Kristoffersson on track in the process.

The three-time FIA World Rallycross Champion responded by claiming Q2 at the wheel of his Kristoffersson Motorsport-run Volkswagen Polo, but the pair reversed positions once more in an epic Q3 dual run in dramatically changing conditions.

Both drivers won their respective semi-finals, setting up yet another high-profile clash in the showpiece event, but Grönholm didn’t put a wheel wrong and withstood intense pressure from Kristoffersson to prevail.

Juha Rytkönen, who made an instant impression on the World RX stage with a podium finish on his debut at Kouvola last year, secured third on his return to RallyX Nordic with the Betomik Racing Team, having shown brilliant pace throughout the weekend in his Ford Fiesta.

Enzo Ide came home fourth for EKS JC ahead of Jere Kalliokoski, while Sondre Evjen failed to finish the final due to broken steering. However, the Norwegian remains ahead of Fraser McConnell in the points standings after the Olsbergs MSE driver’s steering also collapsed in his semi-final – capping a frustrating couple of rounds for the Jamaican.

Grönholm is now second in the championship despite skipping the curtain-raiser at Nysum, having won three times in four appearances, but the ultra-competitive Supercar field will be looking to get their own back at the final event of the season.

Niclas Grönholm said: “This was revenge for yesterday – that sucked. It all seemed to go my way yesterday until the puncture so very happy to get the win here today. I was a bit nervous all day to be honest, we haven’t had good launches and starting on the inside has been really tricky – I think it’s the worst spot on the grid! I had a decent launch in the final though, the car was stalling a bit and I couldn’t hold it any more and Q3’s launch was a bit worse than that, three of our starts we struggled with stalling.

“Johan [Kristoffersson] took me after turn one for the first few meters over the bump but then I got him on the gears. Johan was close on the first lap, that’s been the same all weekend. For me, the second or third lap has been the best once the tires get up to temperature. The first lap I’ve generally been quite cautious, I was trying to avoid any mistakes and obviously go carefully over the bump after yesterday.

“We came here to get more racing under our belts and to compete against Johan and the other guys in this series so we're very happy to get the win and get more time in this car. We learned a lot this weekend, what works and what doesn’t and there’s obviously a lot of tarmac here so it's useful to know these things for when conditions are similar to this.”

Supercar Lites
Tommi Hallman made it two wins from two at his home track this weekend, securing a second consecutive maximum points haul by claiming victory in Supercar Lites.

The SET Promotion ace has now won four rounds in his debut campaign in the category and is yet to finish outside of the podium places this season, consistently demonstrating superb racecraft and blistering pace when needed.

Hallman was only third fastest in Q1 behind team-mate Jonne Ollikainen and STS RX driver Simon Olofsson but then proceeded to head the timesheets in both Q2 and Q3 to secure top qualifier status.

The Finn won his semi-final by over four seconds, pulling off an excellent pass on Martin Ekspjuth in the process, and carried that form over into the final to comfortably take the chequered flag from Ollikainen – who was running an alternative joker strategy to cover off the rest of the pack – and Martin Enlund.

Isak Sjökvist finished a commendable fourth, having shown promise all weekend at OuluZone, while Casper Jansson was fifth and Simon Olofsson rounded out the top six.

Hallman’s main championship rival Nils Andersson endured a frustrating day, qualifying seventh but exiting at the semi-final stage after failing to find a way past Sjökvist. Meanwhile, Linus Östlund’s title hopes faded due to ongoing mechanical issues hampering his performance throughout the event.

Tommi Hallman said: “This is quite the result, once again! A big thank you to my team and my partners. It has been an amazing season so far, and we’ve only got one more race to go so I’m looking forward to it.

“I’m over the moon, as a home race is always most important for a driver. Winning both races here is more than I expected but I’m really happy.”

Supporting cast
The CrossCar/Crosskart category produced a hugely dramatic final as all three of the main championship contenders were involved in contentious incidents, leaving the way clear for Tomi Rakkolainen to secure his first win of the campaign.

The Team Speedweekend driver kept his nose clean as sparks flew when Isak Reiersen and Jimmie Österberg were involved in a collision with Jarko Aronen at turn one. The red flag came out and the trio were not permitted to take the restart, leaving pole-sitter Patrik Hallberg primed to capitalise and claim the overall standings lead.

However, the Max RPM ace was then collected by Isac Egonsson when the race got back underway, resulting in an exclusion for the latter. Hallberg limped around for several laps with broken suspension, securing him second in the classification, but Rakkolainen was the only driver to escape unscathed and was duly rewarded with a welcome – if unexpected – victory. The drama leaves Hallberg, Reiersen and Österberg all tied at the top of the overall points standings (after lowest scoring round dropped) with just one event of the season remaining.

There was also fireworks in the Open 2WD class as championship leader Simon Tiger and local talent Tuomas Venäläinen were both disqualified from the final, having come together just seconds after the lights went out.

Tiger, chasing a sixth consecutive win this season, was pushed hard all day by his Finnish rival and the pair made contact on the run to turn one in the showpiece event. Tiger recovered to win on the road as Venäläinen dropped to the back of the pack, but the stewards later excluded both – handing Marcus Norman a surprise victory ahead of Rami Kauttio and Mathias Jansson.

Finally, Alex Gustafsson kept his CrossCar Junior title hopes alive with a spectacular victory over Lukas Andersson. The reigning champion was top qualifier following a Q3 session win and converted that pace into his third victory of the season, holding off the current points standings leader Andersson and the impressive Rasmus Persson with an expert display of defensive driving.

The RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires Championship reaches its dramatic conclusion with Round 7 at Arvika in Sweden (August 13-15). Remember to catch all the action live and for free on the RallyX TV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHsDF27AUJnAa_3AhhfHZLQ

Results
Supercar
1. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX 5 laps
2. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Kristoffersson Motorsport +1.379s
3. Juha RYTKÖNEN (FIN) Betomik Racing Team +2.216s
4. Enzo IDE (BEL) EKS JC +6.103s
5. Jere KALLIOKOSKI (FIN) Kalliokoski Motorsport +6.770s
6. Sondre EVJEN (SWE) EKS JC +1 lap

Supercar Lites
1. Tommi HALLMAN (FIN) SET Promotion 5 laps
2. Jonne OLLIKAINEN (FIN) SET Promotion +2.489s
3. Martin ENLUND (SWE) Enlunds Motorsport +3.059s
4. Isak SJÖKVIST (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +3.793s
5. Casper JANSSON (SWE) Enlunds Motorsport +4.199s
6. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) STS RX +5.768s

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Tomi RAKKOLAINEN (FIN) Team Speedweekend 5 laps
2. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) Max RPM +1 lap
3. Jarkko ARONEN (FIN) Team Speedweekend
4. Jimmie ÖSTERBERG (SWE) Power RX
5. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) Carcontrol EXC
6. Isac REIERSEN (SWE) EKS JC EXC

Open 2WD
1. Marcus NORMAN (SWE) Marcus Norman 5 laps
2. Rami KAUTTIO (FIN) RK RX +0.987s
3. Mathias JANSSON (SWE) Mathias Jansson +1.256s
4. Antti VÄRE (FIN) Anti Väre +1 lap
5. Simon TIGER (SWE) TeamTigerRX EXC
6. Tuomas VENÄLÄINEN (FIN) Tuomas Venäläinen RX EXC

CrossCar Junior
1. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) EKS JC 5 laps
2. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) Lukas Andersson +0.466s
3. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +2.377s
4. Elias KALLIOKOSKI (FIN) Kalliokoski Racing +6.617s
5. Lauri HALONEN (FIN) Lauri RX +8.658s
6. Joonatan YLILAMMI (FIN) Team Ylilammi +5 laps

Championship Standings
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) 137 points
2. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) 110 points
3. Sondre EVJEN (NOR) 108 points
4. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) 102 points
5. Enzo IDE (BEL) 76 points
6. Andreas CARLSSON (SWE) 71 points

Supercar Lites
1. Tommi HALLMAN (FIN) 141 points
2. Nils ANDERSSON (SWE) 109 points
3. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 98 points
4. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) 97 points
5. Martin ENLUND (SWE) 91 points
6. Martin JONSSON (SWE) 86 points

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) 117 points
2. Jimmie ÖSTERBERG (SWE) 117 points
3. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) 117 points
4. Ronalds BALDINS (LVA) 81 points
5. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) 74 points
6. Reinis NITISS (LVA) 71 points

Open 2WD
1. Simon TIGER (SWE) 131 points
2. Mathias JANSSON (SWE) 102 points
3. Marcus NORMAN (SWE) 72 points
4. Morten B BERTELSEN (DNK) 69 points
5. Lars ENGLUND (SWE) 66 points
6. Mikael PERSSON (SWE) 55 points

CrossCar Junior
1. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) 130 points
2. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) 125 points
3. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) 103 points
4. Joonatan YLILAMMI (FIN) 99 points
5. Erik NILSSON (SWE) 99 points
6. Lauri HALONEN (FIN) 90 points

21-06-06 Seger för Alex Gustafsson i Finland – tre pallplatser för EKS JC
En seger och två pallplatser rikare lämnar EKS JC RallyX Nordic i finska Oulu. Samtidigt har teamets förare topp tre-placeringar i alla tre klassernas mästerskap.
– I Crosscar Junior var Alex outstanding hela dagen, det ger en bra känsla för alla att ha i ryggen, säger teamchef Joel Christoffersson.

Femte och sjätte deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic har precis körts på den finska banan OuluZone. För EKS JC resulterade helgen i tre medaljer, samtidigt som de har tre förare i topp tre av mästerskapet.

I Crosscar Junior avslutade Alex Gustafsson på topp och kunde efter vinst i både grundomgången och semifinalen knipa sin tredje seger för säsongen under söndagen. Det, i kombination med lördagens fjärdeplats, gör att han knappar in i mästerskapet och ligger tvåa med åtta poäng till ledningen.

I Supercar knep Sondre Evjen under lördagen en tredjeplats, samtidigt som han under söndagen tvingades bryta finalen efter att en bärarm brustit. Teamkollegan Enzo Ide missade lördagens final, men fick revansch under söndagen och slutade där fyra. Efter helgen ligger de trea respektive femma i mästerskapet. I Crosscar inledde Isak Reiersen med en andraplats, men under söndagen tog det stopp i finalen efter att en incident på banan resulterade i en svartflagg. Efter söndagen tappar han mästerskapsledningen till en tredjeplats, med endast tre poäng upp till ledaren.

Den sjunde och sista deltävlingen av RallyX Nordic körs i Arvika 14-15 juli.
Fullständigt resultat finns här: https://www.rallyx.se/poang/

Joel Christoffersson, teamchef EKS JC:
”Vi kom hit med bra förhoppningar och en bra känsla, och lämnar med tre medaljer och bra poäng i mästerskapet. Under lördagen fick vi till en början inte riktigt farten dit vi ville, både med bilarna och förarmässigt. Men vi krigade oss igenom dagen. Enzo hade problem med kopplingen och kunde tyvärr inte slåss om en finalplats, medan Sondre hade mer tur och kunde avsluta tävlingen på en tredjeplats. Även i Crosscar slet vi hårt på banan, och trots att det förbättrades blev vi inte helt nöjda. Men Isak och Alex lyckades sluta tvåa och fyra i sina klasser, och det kändes bra.

Idag var vi med mycket bättre direkt från början tycker jag, och även om vi saknade lite gentemot Johan [Kristoffersson] och Niclas [Grönholm] så var vi där uppe och krigade. Att ha båda bilarna i final var en skön känsla. Enzo gjorde det bra som tog en fjärdeplats, medan Sondre tyvärr körde sönder i det berömda hålet. I Crosscar Junior var Alex outstanding hela dagen. Efter lördagens final fick mekanikerna göra ett motorbyte. De kämpade ända till halv fyra på natten och gjorde ett helt fantastiskt jobb. Så att kunna gå igenom tävlingen med bara ettor är en bra känsla för alla att ha i ryggen. Isak krigade på riktigt bra idag, men en crash i finalen satte stopp för det. Det är tight i toppen av tabellen nu, och kommer bli spännande i Arvika. Nu laddar vi upp inför finalen där, hela teamet är riktigt taggade.”

Alex Gustafsson, Crosscar Junior:
”Segern känns riktigt gött, det behövdes verkligen. Under lördagen var det inte riktigt vår dag, och vi kämpade med att sätta topp tre-tider som vi ville. Jag lyckades ändå ta mig till final, och även om vi nådde pallen så satte jag snabbaste varvtiden i finalen och fick med mig bra poäng. Idag vaknade vi på rätt sida och det känns riktigt skönt med en såhär bra dag. Vi har slitit med starterna i två år nu, så att äntligen kunna sätta de perfekt känns riktigt bra. Jag var bäst i grundomgången, vann semin och ledde sen finalen från start till mål. Det var en gudomligt bra känsla.

Det känns skönt att tagit in poäng i mästerskapet, det ger en bra känsla inför Arvika. Jag ser fram emot att avsluta säsongen på min hemmabana och kommer göra allt jag kan för att plocka maximala poäng. Målet är att ha kul där, och jag är nöjd med min säsong hittills. Jag vill såklart tacka mina mekaniker för det otroligt bra jobbet de gjorde med att byta min motor mitt i natten. Och såklart tack till mina samarbetspartners och alla runt mig som gör det här möjligt.”

Isak Reiersen, Crosscar:
”Igår hade jag en bra dag. Vi hade svårt att få till rätt setup på banan, men redde ut det till sist och fick till både starterna och farten. En andraplats i tävlingen är alltid bra och det blev viktiga poäng i totalen. Det var en svår bana, men jag är nöjd med farten jag har haft i helgen. Även idag slet vi under morgonen, men fick sen upp farten. Det skiftande vädret ställde till det lite i semifinalen, men jag kom vidare till final. Målet inför tävlingen var att ligga i fortsatt mästerskapsledning, men en incident i finalen gjorde att jag diskades och tappade ledningen. Det känns synd att det slutade som det gjorde, men det är tätt i toppen och en tävling kvar. Såklart, tack till EKS JC, mina sponsorer och alla som hjälpt mig i helgen.”

Sondre Evjen, Supercar:
”OuluZone är en svår banan att lära sig, och det har bitvis varit en ganska vansklig helg, så att lämna med en pallplats känns bra. Under lördagen slet vi lite med bland annat min VBox, som gjorde att jag inte kunde analysera vad jag gjorde fel. Sen skulle jag säga att vi hade en del flyt genom racen igår och lyckades slippa trubbel och till sist ta tredjeplatsen. Idag ökade vi tempot ytterligare och fick till många bra starter, men de lokala förarna har varit väldigt snabba och vi har fått kämpa hårt för att hänga på dem. I final träffade jag ett hål i gruset som slog sönder bärarmen fram. Jag är ändå nöjd med helgen och resultaten. Det blev två lärorika tävlingar, och jag tar med mig mycket till finalen i Arvika”

Enzo Ide, Supercar:
”Det var en ny bana för de flesta av oss, det är alltid kul att tävla på nya platser och upptäcka nya banor. Jag hade mina med- och motgångar i helgen, med några tekniska problem och sen två tidsstraff för att ha kört på banmarkeringar. Jag är nöjd att sluta på en fjärdeplats idag, även om jag såklart hade siktat på pallen. Även i helgen har jag lärt mig mycket och utvecklats.

Varvtiderna var generellt bra, samtidigt som jag måste jobba på staterna och min jokerstrategi. De strategierna är alltid ett utmanande spel för alla, och just här kunde du tappa mycket tid om du tvekade. Nästa tävling blir VM i Spanien, och lite test innan dess. Jag ser fram emot att tävla mot de bästa i världen och fortsätta pusha mig själv. Som alltid vill jag tacka EKS JC som har gjort ett fantastiskt jobb i helgen. Jag hade en del närkontakter på banan, så de har fått jobbat hårt mellan omgångarna.”

21- 06- 06 Johan har greppet om titeln
Johan Kristoffersson har ett stadigt grepp om titeln i RallyX Nordic efter en seger och en andraplats under dubbeltävlingen i Finland.
- Bra poäng för mästerskapet, summerar Kristoffersson.

Att det skulle bli en tvekamp mellan den trefaldige världsmästaren och VM- föraren Niclas Grönholm på Oulu Zone utanför Uleåborg var det inte många som tvivlade på. Under lördagen gick Kristoffersson segrande ur den striden.

Johan fick en jobbig start på dagen på grund av en krånglande turboslang, men han vände underläge till seger. I finalen ledde visserligen Grönholm, men jagad av värmlänningen drog han på sig en punktering, vilken öppnade vägen till seger för Johan.
- Det är inte slut förrän det är slut, konstaterar teamchefen i Volkwagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson.

Trots segern blev det en lång jobbnatt för teamets mekaniker.
- De gick inte och la sig förrän halv fem på morgonen, berättar Tommy.

Ett bra jobb gjorde de, för Johan hade en ganska bekymmersfri söndag.
- Inga större problem. Det är gott att få en dag när det bara flyter på, säger Johan.

I kvalet slutade han tvåa efter Niclas Grönholm och via seger i semifinalen hade han ytterspår i främsta ledet med finländaren innanför. Grönholm satte en perfekt start, där bilen kom lite i rullning, men inte nog mycket för att bli bestraffad.
- Jag hade behövt innerspåret för att kunna göra något åt Niclas, konstaterar Kristoffersson, som kontrollerade sin andraplats och blev den förare som plockade flest poäng under helgen.
- Kan inte göra mer än jag gjorde idag. Jag körde allt som gick.

Tommy Kristoffersson instämmer:
- Vi får vara nöjda med helgen. Det är inte bara bara att åka till Finland och köra ifrån finländarna.

Med bara en tävling kvar, på Westombanan i Arvika i augusti, leder Kristoffersson mästerskapet med 27 poäng före Grönholm (osäkert om denne kommer att delta då) och 29 ner till Sondre Evjen.
- Kul att få komma till hemmabanan och förhoppningsvis avgöra, menar Johan.

Men innan dess väntar några veckors ledighet efter en intensiv vår och försommar med rallycross och Extreme E.

21-06-06 Andersson nöjd med helgen
Det blev en helg med blandade resultat för Nils Andersson i RallyX Nordic i Finland. En stark andraplats på lördagen, men under söndagen tog det stopp redan i semifinalen.
-Ändå ganska bra med tanke på att jag inte har kört på den här banan förut, summerar Andersson.

Ännu en intensiv rallycrosshelg bjöds när den tredje dubbeltävlingen avverkades på Oulu Zone utanför Uleåborg i norra Finland. Nils Andersson försvarade ensam Kristoffersson Motorsports färger i Lites-klassen när Gustav Bergström var hemma för skolavslutning och Andersson gjorde det riktigt bra under lördagen.
-Superbra! Nils har definitivt höjt sin lägstanivå, berömmer stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Nils var förstås också nöjd med ännu en pallplats som tvåa efter Tommi Hallman.
-Det tog ett tag att knäcka koden på banan, men i slutet av finalen hittade jag bra pace, säger Nils.

Under söndagen gick det inte lika smidigt. Andersson fick jobba för sina poäng och kvalade in som femma till semifinalen. Från tredje rutan kom han iväg med häng på en finalplats, men det höll inte.
-Vi hade gjort en del anpassningar till regnet, men bilen blev svårkörd och jag gjorde ett misstag.

Andersson blev i den situationen också påkörd och tappade ett par placeringar. Han hittade farten igen, men fick jaga och öppningarna för omkörning uppenbarade sig helt enkelt inte. I mål var 21-åringen från Arvika fyra, en sekund från sista finalplatsen.
-Det löste sig inte riktigt för Nils idag, men inte mycket han kunde göra något åt, säger Kristoffersson Motorsports stallchef Tommy Kristoffersson.

I RallyX Nordic återstår nu bara finalen hemma på Westombanan. Inför den ligger Nils på andra plats, med ganska stora avstånd åt båda hållen.
-Hallman är nog klar redan, men en andraplats är inte heller dåligt så här långt, tycker Nils.

Innan hemmatävlingen ska han dock iväg på SM-tävlingar där han har ledningen i mästerskapet. I juli väntar Västerås och redan kommande helg Piteå. Det hade ju varit enkelt att stanna kvar i norra Norden, men Andersson tar svängen från Uleåborg till Piteå - via Arvika.
-Jag ska hem till flickvännens student. Det blir några hundra mil för att packa om väskan…

21- 06- 05 Kristoffersson takes spoils in Round 5 at OuluZone after Grönholm puncture
Kristoffersson extends Supercar points lead
Hallman strikes again in Supercar Lites
Österberg, Tiger and Kalliokoski also triumph
Action continues with Round 6 tomorrow (June 6)

Johan Kristoffersson battled back from early mechanical issues to claim victory in Round 5 of the RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires championship at OuluZone in Finland today (June 5).

The three-time FIA World Rallycross Champion came out on top in the Supercar category after Niclas Grönholm picked up a puncture that dashed his hopes of a third consecutive win in the series.

Elsewhere, Tommi Hallman continued his march towards the Supercar Lites title with his third success of the season – and his fifth podium in five starts during his debut campaign in the category - while Jimmie Österberg was the class of the CrossCar/Crosskart field.

Simon Tiger was made to work hard for his fifth straight Open 2WD triumph and local driver Elias Kalliokoski also picked up silverware in CrossCar Junior during a scintillating day of action on RallyX Nordic's first visit to the high-speed circuit.

Supercar
Johan Kristoffersson stretched his lead at the top of the Supercar points standings with a trademark display of precision driving in Finland, picking up his second win of the campaign after misfortune for his closest rival Niclas Grönholm.

The Swede demonstrated his experience by limiting his free practice runs in order to save tyres on the abrasive OuluZone surface, but that foresight looked to have been in vain after mechanical issues left him bottom of the time sheets in Q1.

However, Kristoffersson fired himself back into contention by posting the fastest times in Q2 and Q3 – putting him second in the intermediate standings behind the in-form Grönholm after the latter’s Q1 victory established the Finn as the man to beat.

Grönholm, making his third appearance of the season behind the wheel of his World RX-spec Hyundai i20 following back-to-back wins at Höljes last time out, then held off the attentions of RallyX Nordic returnee Jere Kalliokoski to finish first in his semi-final while Kristoffersson also claimed bragging rights in the second semi-final to set up a mouth-watering clash.

When the lights went out, Kristoffersson pulled alongside Grönholm on the run to turn one and flung his Volkswagen Polo around the outside in an audacious attempt to seize the lead. However, the Grönholm RX star found better traction on the exit of the corner and maintained his early advantage.

That respite proved to be short-lived as Grönholm picked up a puncture when running through a rut on the second lap, robbing viewers of what looked set to be a classic RallyX Nordic battle. That left Kristoffersson alone out front ahead of the hard-charging Juha Rytkönen, who pulled off a sensational pass on Sondre Evjen for third then inherited second place when Kalliokoski also suffered a puncture. Anders Michalak was an impressive fourth while Kalliokoski limped home fifth and Grönholm parked up at the side of the track.

Today’s result leaves Kristoffersson 25 points clear of Evjen with just two rounds of the season remaining, and the 32-year-old will be hoping for more of the same when Round 6 gets underway tomorrow.

Evjen’s third place sees him jump Fraser McConnell in the overall points standing, with the Olsbergs MSE driver having failed to make the final due to time penalties for track limits during a thrilling battle with Rytkönen earlier in the afternoon.

Johan Kristoffersson said: "I wasn't far off making that move stick on Niclas in the final! Halfway through it, I thought I had him but he had great pace on the exit of turn one. I was maybe a couple of kilometres too fast on the way in, but I knew I had to try it - that was my best chance to beat him today. I had a plan and I executed it, but Niclas did a great job.

"After that I didn't give up, because you never know. I tried to apply pressure and not let Niclas drive too safely - especially over the bump in turn two. Unfortunately for him, he picked up a puncture while I managed to avoid it. From then on, it was about controlling the gap back to Rytkönen without taking any risks.

"Huge thanks to the team. We had some technical issues this morning but to be able to fight back with 29 points today was very well done. I tried every trick in the book on this circuit and we keep getting faster all the time, finding small improvements everywhere, and it definitely paid off. The car is better than ever.

"We're back on track soon, and that is perfect for me - I don't like to wait! I'm not good at hanging around without driving fast."

Supercar Lites
Tommi Hallman continued his sensational debut season in Supercar Lites with his third victory of the year, this time getting the better of championship rival Nils Andersson on home turf.

The Finn has adapted to the one-make class superbly and is yet to finish outside of the podium places in all five rounds so far, giving him a commanding 22-point lead as we head towards the climax of the 2021 campaign.

It was Isak Sjökvist who was quickest out of the blocks in Q1, posting the fastest time ahead of Andersson and Hallman’s new team-mate Jonne Ollikainen. Hallman was only sixth-fastest in the opening session, but claimed second in Q2 behind Casper Jansson and was then top of the pile in Q3 as he dialled his car in.

The SET Promotion ace duly led home Andersson and Martin Jonsson in the first semi-final but Linus Östlund, who was joint-second in the championship standings before this weekend, failed to start the second semi-final and left the way open for Ollikainen, Niklas Aneklev and Sjökvist to progress – although the ever-quick Simon Olofsson missed out.

Hallman flew off the line in the final Supercar Lites race of the day and benefited from Ollikainen slotting into second, acting as a buffer to the chasing pack. Andersson reacted immediately and took his joker on the first lap, with the Kristoffersson Motorsport prodigy putting the hammer down and leapfrogging Ollikainen, but the gap to the leader was ultimately too great to bridge. Ollikainen sealed an eye-catching third while Sjökvist, Aneklev and Martin Jonsson completed the top six.

Tommi Hallman said: "This feels amazing. Winning in Finland, at my home race… I'm speechless! I'm looking forward to tomorrow, and the championship is looking really good for us right now. I was quite stressed before this weekend, because it wouldn't be good to make a mistake when the championship is this close, but things are now looking more comfortable. It's a new race tomorrow so let's keep the momentum up."

Supporting cast
Jimmie Österberg timed his challenge to perfection in CrossCar/Crosskart, with the Power RX star emerging victorious on an unpredictable day of racing in the ultra-competitive support category.

Österberg, who has been a perennial championship challenger over the past few seasons, enjoyed a consistent day at OuluZone and topped Q3 before claiming victory in his semi-final and streaking clear in the main event to bag a bumper haul of points.

It was a case of ‘what might have been’ for Ronalds Baldins, who was fastest in Q1 and won his semi-final before retiring from second place in the final with mechanical problems. Title contender Patrik Hallberg had his own hard-luck story, missing out on the final despite being quickest in Q2 and posting second-fastest times in the other two qualifying rounds.

Points leader Isak Reiersen utilised an early joker in the final to create some clear air and finish second, although the EKS JC driver’s advantage over Österberg is now just two points, while Pasi Penttinen claimed third for Team Speedweekend.

Meanwhile, Simon Tiger emerged victorious in the Open 2WD category – making it five wins from five events this season despite a barnstorming challenge from Tuomas Venäläinen.

Venäläinen, making his first RallyX Nordic appearance of the season in a fire-spitting Ford Escort, was quick all day and set the fastest time in Q2. The Finnish wildcard looked most likely to upset Tiger but a jump start in the final triggered a penalty joker and dropped him too far back to challenge for victory. Standings leader Tiger was subsequently left out in front to secure a comfortable win ahead of Open 2WD regulars Marcus Norman and Mathias Jansson.

Finally, Elias Kalliokoski took the spoils in CrossCar Junior after a blistering start in the final to beat Mikael Uitto into turn one. The Finnish youngster then showed a rapid turn of pace to hold off championship leader Lukas Andersson, who himself completed a remarkable comeback and bagged second after a disastrous start to the day – having finished bottom of the times in Q1. Uitto, who was top qualifier after notching quickest times in Q1 and Q3, completed the rostrum.

There is little time for the RallyX Nordic stars to catch their breath with Round 6 at OuluZone getting underway at 10am EEST (CEST+1) on Sunday, June 6. Watch all the action live and for free on the RallyX TV YouTube Channel.

Results
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Kristoffersson Motorsport 5 laps
2. Juha RYTKÖNEN (FIN) Betomik Racing Team +4.338s
3. Sondre EVJEN (SWE) EKS JC +4.733s
4. Anders MICHALAK (SWE) Hedströms Motorsport +14.019s
5. Jere KALLIOKOSKI (FIN) Kalliokoski Motorsport +6.194s
6. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX +3 laps

Supercar Lites
1. Tommi HALLMAN (FIN) SET Promotion 5 laps
2. Nils ANDERSSON (SWE) Kristoffersson Motorsport +1.079s
3. Jonne OLLIKAINEN (FIN) SET Promotion +1.892s
4. Isak SJÖKVIST (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +4.357s
5. Niklas ANEKLEV (SWE) Olsbergs MSE +4.955s
6. Martin JONSSON (SWE) Alfta Racing Team +7.212s

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Jimmie ÖSTERBERG (SWE) Jimmie Österberg +2.240s
2. Isac REIERSEN (SWE) EKS JC 5 laps
3. Pasi PENTTINEN (FIN) Pasi Penttinen +5.351s
4. Reinis NITISS (LVA) RN Kaspersky Racing Team +5.878s
5. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +22.357s
6. Ronalds BALDINS (LVA) Ronalds Baldins +3 laps

Open 2WD
1. Simon TIGER (SWE) TeamTigerRX 5 laps
2. Marcus NORMAN (SWE) Marcus Norman +4.957s
3. Mathias JANSSON (SWE) Mathias Jansson +3.924s
4. Antti VÄRE (FIN) Anti Väre +6.904s
5. Rami KAUTTIO (FIN) RK RX +9.614s
6. Tuomas VENÄLÄINEN (FIN) Tuomas Venäläinen RX +10.173s

CrossCar Junior
1. Elias KALLIOKOSKI (FIN) Kalliokoski Racing 5 laps
2. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) Lukas Andersson +0.704s
3. Mikael UITTO (FIN) Mikael Uitto +1.104s
4. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) EKS JC +1.995
5. Erik NILSSON (SWE) Carcontrol +4.212s
6. Lauri HALONEN (FIN) Lauri Halonen +6.631s

Championship Standings
Supercar
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) 129 points
2. Sondre EVJEN (NOR) 104 points
3. Fraser MCCONNELL (JAM) 98 points
4. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) 80 points
5. Enzo IDE (BEL) 71 points
6. Andreas CARLSSON (SWE) 59 points

Supercar Lites
1. Tommi HALLMAN (FIN) 131 points
2. Nils ANDERSSON (SWE) 109 points
3. Linus ÖSTLUND (SWE) 96 points
4. Simon OLOFSSON (SWE) 91 points
5. Martin JONSSON (SWE) 86 points
6. Martin ENLUND (SWE) 81 points

CrossCar/Crosskart
1. Isak REIERSEN (SWE) 117 points
2. Jimmie ÖSTERBERG (SWE) 115 points
3. Patrik HALLBERG (SWE) 111 points
4. Reinis NITISS (LVA) 71 points
5. Ronalds BALDINS (LVA) 68 points
6. Isac EGONSSON (SWE) 59 points

Open 2WD
1. Simon TIGER (SWE) 131 points
2. Mathias JANSSON (SWE) 102 points
3. Morten B BERTELSEN (DNK) 69 points
4. Lars ENGLUND (SWE) 66 points
5. Mikael PERSSON (SWE) 55 points
6. Marcus NORMAN (SWE) 52 points

CrossCar Junior
1. Lukas ANDERSSON (SWE) 127 points
2. Alex GUSTAFSSON (SWE) 112 points
3. Joonatan YLILAMMI (FIN) 99 points
4. Erik NILSSON (SWE) 99 points
5. Rasmus PERSSON (SWE) 95 points
6. Lauri HALONEN (FIN) 90 points

21- 06- 05 Kristofferssons andra seger
Johan Kristoffersson inkasserade sin andra seger för säsongen i RallyX Nordic när första delen av dubbeltävlingen i finska Uleåborg kördes.
-Känns riktigt bra! Och vi öppnade upp ett bra gap i mästerskapet också, säger Kristoffersson.

Det blev en något krokig väg till finalen för den trefaldige världsmästaren denna lördag i norra Finland. Första kvalomgången slutade med en sällsynt sistaplats efter att en turboslang gett upp.
-Tråkigt. Man vill alltid prestera på topp, men vi får ta på oss den. Det går inte att ha ogjort.

“Operation fightback” drog igång och Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren levererade toppstyrningar i de två följande kvalomgångarna och var klart snabbast.
-Jag var tvungen att ha mina 50-poängare där och det gick ju.

Det innebar att han klättrade upp till andra plats i kvalet och fick pole position i andra semifinalen. Där körde han hem en komfortabel seger.
-Vi tog det säkra före det osäkra och satte på fyra nya däck, lite grann också för att säkra poäng i mästerskapet.

De däckproblem man hade förväntat sig på en sommarhet bana av racingkaraktär blev nu ändå inte så påtagliga.
-Det slet mindre än vi trodde faktiskt.

I finalen försökte Johan en riktigt avancerad manöver från ytterspåret för att försöka ta sig förbi Niclas Grönholm som hade innern. Det gick - nästan…
-Det var min bästa chans att rå på Niclas och det hade kunnat gå. Jag hade behövt få ner farten några kilometer till för att inte glida ut så långt, men det är så oerhört små marginaler.

Värmlänningen tog istället upp jakten från andraplatsen och låg på hårt bakom Grönholm, som slog i en asfaltkant och drog på sig en punktering. Vägen låg därmed öppen för Kristofferssons seger och ett jobbigt läge hade vänts till framgång för Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS.
-Det är inte slut förrän det är slut, konstaterar teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson och fortsätter med berömmande ord om sin förare:
-Johan får visa sina kvalitéer i trafik. Han har verkligen använt sig av alla trick i världen.

Världsmästaren å sin sida hyllar teamets arbete med den KMS-byggda Volkswagen Polon:
-Bilen har aldrig varit så bra på den här typen av bana, men vi har också använt precis all den kunskap vi besitter för att göra den så bra som möjligt.

Inför söndagens tävling på Oulu Zone leder nu Kristoffersson mästerskapet på 129 poäng, 25 före tvåan Sondre Evjen.

21- 06- 05 Ännu en pallplats för Nils
Nils Andersson levererade ännu en stabil körning när han slutade tvåa i femte omgången av RallyX Nordic. Lites- föraren från Arvika är nu även ensam tvåa i mästerskapstabellen.
- Superbra! Nils har definitivt höjt sin lägstanivå, berömmer KMS- bossen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Andersson var stabil genom kvalet på Oulu Zone i finska Uleåborg med en tredje- och en andraplats. Undantaget var omgång två där han gjorde ett besök ute i terrängen och slutade nia.
- Banan var vattnad och dammig. När jag tryckte på bromsen hände absolut ingenting. Då fick det bli full gas istället och det löste sig, berättar Andersson.

KMS- föraren tog sig upp på banan igen och slutade kvalet som femma. Från tredje rutan i semifinalen grävde han fram en andraplats och därmed en plats i andra ledet i finalen. Efter en bra start gick han direkt in i jokern och jobbade sig sedan upp till en slutlig andraplats efter mästerskapsledaren Tommi Hallman.
- Det tog ett tag att knäcka koden på banan, men i slutet av finalen hittade jag bra pace, kommenterar Nils.

Och inför söndagens tävling har han förhoppningar om att kunna matcha även finländaren Hallman.
- Jag hade snabbaste varvet i finalen, så det ska kunna gå.

I mästerskapstabellen är nu Andersson ensam tvåa, på sina 109 poäng, 22 mindre än ledande Hallman.

21-06-04 Michalak laddad inför Finland!
- Anton Marklund coachar Anders Michalak mot final i RallyX i Finska OuluZone.

Det är dags igen att varva upp motorerna. Hedströms motorsport drar tillsammans med RallyX Nordic norrut mot Uleåborg och banan OuluZone. Det har varit hektiska veckor i teamet och Peter Hedström pustar ut när äntligen trailern är på rull mot Finland.

Motorproblem med den nya Custom-motorn har gäckat teamet i de första fyra deltävlingarna. Kent Karlsson och Motordesign har nu gått till botten med problemet, funnit orsaken under förra veckan och satt ihop en motor som nu verkligen levererar.
- Jag gjorde en liten shakedown igår med bilen, det var det värsta jag någonsin kört motormässigt, avslöjar Peter Hedström.
Under fyra deltävlingar i RallyX Nordic har det i stort sett handlat om att överleva med de oljetrycksproblem som funnits i motorn.
- Givetvis mycket tråkigt med de problem vi haft, men det känns skönt att Kent varit mycket tillmötesgående och lösningsfokuserad, fortsätter Peter.

Det blir endast Anders Michalak som kör i Finland, Lars Andersson står över efter den brutala Höljesrullningen.
- Lars Anderssons bil är nu i stort sett klar, hade Lars velat åka så hade den varit helt klar, men Lars väljer att hoppa över Finland. Då han just börjat köra bil själv i trafiken efter smällen, så avvaktar han ytterligare en stund med comebacken, berättar Peter.

Michalak är däremot laddad till tänderna och sugen på att visa vad han själv och VW Polon går för. Till sin hjälp får han ingen mindre än rutinerade forne flerfaldige EM-guldmedaljören Anton Marklund.
- Bilen har ett fint chassi och nu med motorn tiptop känns det bra, berättar Anders Michalak.
Peter Hedström såg att Anders och Anton funkade bra tillsammans i Höljes.
- Känns skönt att Anton kan hjälpa oss och vara coacha Anders till framgångar i Finland.

Fastän att en stor del av teamet är på rull till Finland så är det inte bara ”bananer och glass” hemma på högkvarteret.
- Det är full makaron för teamets rallyförare Mattias Olsson, som nu ligger trea i AsfaltSprint-SM efter första deltävlingen i Uddevalla, berättar Peter.
Mattias fick blodad tand. Ett helt nytt asfalt-set till Skoda Fabian är inhandlat och monteras i skrivande stund på verkstaden i Fensbol. Orust entreprenadraket flög fram i Uddevalla med enbart grus-setup och en bil som såg helt okörbar ut.
- Jag är övertygad om att Mattias kommer ligga i topp med riktiga asfaltprylar, avslutar Peter.

Deltävling nummer 5 och 6 på Finska OuluZone direktsänd fritt över webben på http://tv.rallyx.se/. Bänka er för en helg fylld av action!

21-06-03 RallyX Nordic kör i Finland
I år besöker RallyX Nordic den finska banan Oulu Zone. Tävlingen börjar på lördag 5/6 och slutar på söndag 6/6. Hela helgens sändningar från Finland kan ses med svenska kommentatorer via Solidsport och www.sbfplay.se

Som tittare går det att köpa Dagpass för 129 sek eller All access för 219 sek. All access gäller tom fredag 11/6.
Se tävlingen live: https://solidsport.com/sbfplay?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=SBFplay-RallyXNordic-ouluzone&utm_term=SBFplay-RallyXNordic-ouluzone&utm_content=Channel

Få tillgång till alla sändningar och repriser med All Access.

All Access: 219 SEK

21-06-01 Jagad Kristoffersson när Rally X Nordic reser till Finland – Se det live på sbfplay.se
Från en serieledning till en annan. Johan Kristoffersson leder Rally X Nordic inför helgens tävling. Men han är jagad.

Johan Kristoffersson tog i helgen, tillsammans med Molly Taylor, teamets andra seger i Extrem E och befäste med det sin serieledning där. Till helgen ska han försvara sin ledning i RallyX Nordic när serien för första gången gästar den finska banan Oulu Zone.

Oulu Zone är för de flesta förarna i Rally X Nordic en ny bana. Hela helgens sändningar från Finland kan ses med svenska kommentatorer på SBFplay.se
- En ny bana för mig. Utifrån filmer jag har sett är det ett väldigt racingliknande stuk. Kanske inte det vår bil gillar mest, men vi får göra en del justeringar och se vad vi kan trolla fram. Framför allt måste vi få ordning på starterna, säger Johan Kristoffersson, som utökade sin mästerskapsledning i Höljes, trots att han inte vann någon av deltävlingarna.

I stället var det säsongsdebuterande Niclas Grönholm som tog en dubbelseger i den värmländska rallycrossmetropolen.
- Det ska bli roligt att än en gång få se hur vi står oss emot deras VM-bil, säger 32-åringen från Arvika.

Den taktiske trefaldige världsmästaren är naturligtvis sugen på att ta kampen med Grönholm, men glömmer ändå inte bort att poängsamlandet i mästerskapstabellen är viktigast.
- Det måste man väga in. Det ser ju skapligt ut nu med en ledning på tretton poäng, avslutar Johan Kristoffersson som till helgen får byta den afrikanska värmen mot mer nordisk försommartemperatur.

Mer information om Rally X Nordic finns på www.rallyx.se
Hela helgens sändningar från Rally X i Finland kan du se med svenska kommentatorer här på www.sbfplay.se

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