Rallycross 2023

23-12-01 Häftig SM-serie på G!
SM kalender 2024 för Rallycross presenteras idag. Nu är det dags att planera sommaren, och vi kan se fram emot en fantastisk SM serie som startar tillsammans med RallyX på Tierp Arena under Kristihimmelsfärds-helgen. I Tierp kommer vi få flera motorsportgrenar som träffas till ett enda stort event med många partners som ansluter, vi hoppas på en riktig rivstart.

Deltävling 2 och 3 körs på anrika Höljesbanan första helgen i juni, vilket är rallycrossens mecka. Supernanationella klassen tillsammans med 2150 och JSM är klasserna som kör de tre inledande tävlingarna. Sedan kommer Supercar Lites och XC Crosscar avgöra SM på två tävlingar som inleds under "Magic Weekend" i Höljes 5 juli och avslutas med finalen i Arvika.

Serien drar sedan norrut till ännu en anrik banan uppe i Älvsbyn som är tillbaka i SM serien där deltävling 4 går på fredag. Sedan tar vi oss ner till den mycket populära Motorveckan i Lycksele på måndagen efter. Detta blir en trevlig Norrlandsturné med lite sol och bad mellan tävlingarna. Arvika blir stora SM finalen, där kör vi med alla klasser och dessutom Supercar RX1 och Open 2wd som avgör SM på en tävling.

Rallycrossutskottet har tillsammans med SGA representanter från olika delar av landet utformat och justerat tävlingsreglementet för at få än mera intressanta tävlingar. Det är spännande nyheter som vi tror ska utveckla och göra tävlingarna bättre. Hela SM serien kommer TV produceras och sändas på Svenskbilsport TV.

Svenskt mästerskap 2024
Supernationell/2150/JSM
10/5 Tierp
1/6 Höljes
2/6 Höljes
19/7 Älvsbyn
22/7 Lycksele
31/8 Arvika

Supercar Lites/XC Crosskar
5/7 Höljes
31/8 Arvika

Supercar RX1/Open 2wd
31/8 Arvika

Rallycrossutskotet
Svensk Bilsport

23-11-18 Team OMSE keeps the lead
Kevin Eriksson's fourth podium finish in five races kept him at the top of the Nitrocross standings in Phoenix. Oliver Eriksson, on the other hand, did not have the success he had hoped for, with two qualifications for a final that did not allow him to show his full potential.

With the halfway point of the season just passed and five races to go, Team OMSE remains in contention for both the Drivers' and the Teams' Championships.

Kevin Eriksson continued his impressive record of podium finishes last weekend in Arizona. Despite finishing fourth in Race 1 after a particularly explosive finale that saw no less than three lead changes on the final lap, Kevin Eriksson came very close to his first win of the season, but contact with Travis Pastrana and Andreas Bakkerud decided otherwise.

After finishing fourth in Race 1, the Swede bounced back the following day to finish third in Race 2. With his fourth podium finish in five races this year, Kevin Eriksson will head into the next round of the championship on 9th and 10th December at Glen Helen as the Nitrocross leader.

Although Kevin Eriksson had hoped to use the Phoenix race to score his first win of the season, the results of the first part of the championship could not have been more positive. In fact, in five races so far this year, Kevin has claimed the top qualifier status on three occasions and has also established himself as the second best performer in qualifications with a total of 114 points, while he remains the only Nitrocross driver, along with Robin Larsson, to have reached the 60 points mark on four occasions.

"Overall, the result of the weekend in Phoenix didn't match the speed we were able to show on the track," points out Kevin Eriksson.

"We had a temperature problem with my car, which affected my performance in the last two laps of the final. However, we think we've found the cause of the problem and that's a very good thing for the next race at Glen Helen next month. We've had a good first half of the season. Although I haven't been as successful as I'd hoped, I've managed to maintain a high level of performance over the first five races. We came to Phoenix as championship leaders and we've managed to maintain that position. We've got the speed to compete at the front and we've been fast at all the tracks since the start of the season, so the aim is clearly to maintain our lead until the end.”

Oliver Eriksson, for his part, has not yet managed to consolidate his pace with a top-class result. This is due to two finals that clearly didn't go his way. The Olsbergs-MSE driver, who is still seventh in the standings, has no intention of giving up.

"I really came to Phoenix to have a good weekend, but success wasn't on my side. I proved once again that I have the speed and that I can keep up with the best, but everything I'd built up over the two races collapsed in the final. The final of Race 1 was very competitive and intense and unfortunately I was caught out when I went under the gap jump after a collision with a rival. The same thing happened in the final of Race 2, where a puncture put an end to my hopes. Things don't seem to be going my way at the moment. I'll continue to analyse and try to understand how I can reverse this dynamic."

Oliver Eriksson is convinced that he has the potential to claim a place on the podium in Nitrocross and is now hoping to show his full potential in the second half of the season.

"The team has done a great job since the start of the season. We're making the right decisions all the time, but we're just lacking some success. A few mechanical problems have prevented Kevin from getting his first win so far, but we're still in a very good position. Kevin is still leading the championship, while personally I just know that it's only a matter of time before I'm able to go out and get some wins."

"Inevitably, after the difficult start to the season I've had, I'm aware that my chances of winning the title are now extremely slim, so I'm going to do my utmost to help Kevin as best I can, while also trying to score big points because we have a team championship to fight for. It's an important goal for Team OMSE. Even if my position in the standings is not what I would have liked, my intention remains the same: to win races."

Click here to rewatch rounds 4 and 5 of the Nitrocross in Phoenix

23-11-13 CE Dealer Team claims FIA World RX silver and bronze medals in electrifying Hong Kong finale
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment finished its second groundbreaking season in the all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship with its best result yet, claiming team championship silver medal and the drivers’ bronze medal.

The double-header season finale in Hong Kong marked the championship's inaugural race in the Asia-Pacific region and within a mega city center.

Constructed at Victoria Harbour, the FIA World RX track was built in collaboration with Volvo Construction Equipment, implementing digital solutions and ? sustainable machinery by Volvo CE's experts.

"We secured a strong ending to the season at the amazing Hong Kong circuit. While we wanted more from today's final, Niclas finishing third in the championship is great, and Klara's constant progress is promising. The RX community showcased a positive future this weekend in Hong Kong. Despite the challenges, we're happy with the strong result of our season. I am looking forward to next year and a bright future together with all our partners, a big thanks to everyone for the support,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

Finnish star Niclas Grönholm secured a season-best second place on Saturday and followed up with another strong performance on Sunday, earning his third consecutive bronze medal in the FIA World RX, and his second for CE Dealer Team.

"I would like to thank the team and our partners for another great season. To secure the bronze in front of all our guests and partners feels good, although I aimed for the silver today,” said Niclas Grönholm.

"We had a strong weekend despite some challenges. Yesterday, securing second place after a start issue was the best we could hope for. Today, with great speed in the car, I wished for the pole in the final, as we saw how crucial that was as Johan took the inside line from the start. I'll now take some time off and then shift focus to come back even stronger next year.”

Swedish rallycross star Klara Andersson bounced back strongly in Hong Kong to reach the final during both days. She secured her first-ever overall heat win on Sunday, finishing seventh in the championship.

"It was a strong weekend for the team. I am happy of my pace, winning my first heat overall and advancing after a challenging semi-final. Both Niclas and I deserved more after our performance today. I felt we had what it took for a double podium. I am proud of the team for grabbing second place in the teams' championship and of Niclas for the bronze in the drivers' championship,” said Klara Andersson.

"Racing in Hong Kong was amazing. The fans were exceptionally enthusiastic, making it an outstanding event."

CE Dealer Team finishes the season second in the teams' championship in its second year, continuing its push for improved sustainability in society and to highlight the excitement that a move to an electric future offers.

The team enjoyed strong onsite support in Hong Kong from Volvo Construction Equipment and further partners of the programme with almost to 300 guests on site, showcasing latest cutting-edge products and services from Volvo Construction Equipment.

Results and standings after the FIA World RX of Hong Kong finale: https://bit.ly/3ZJzbDL

23-11-12 Kevin Hansen is World RX vice-champion as Patrick O’Donovan claims maiden podium in Hong Kong
The 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship concluded in amazing fashion in Hong Kong city centre, as Swede Kevin Hansen secured the vice-champion position in the Drivers’ Championship and British debutant Patrick O’Donovan scored a maiden podium with Hansen World RX Team (November 12).

Following victory in the penultimate round of the year on Saturday, Kevin Hansen set the fastest time in SuperPole on Sunday morning, then again in Heat 1 to get the second day off to a strong start. But, come the semi-finals he lost out in the battle to make the final. But, such had been the strength of the 2016 European Rallycross Champion’s performance over the weekend that he had scored enough points to be assured of second in the Drivers’ standings, even without making the final grid.

Meanwhile, British Rallycross Champion Patrick O’Donovan and 2019 World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen did make it into the very last race of the year, witnessed by a huge, highly-enthusiastic, new audience, and it was O’Donovan who climbed from the back of the grid to third in the first corners. Thereafter, the 19-year-old delivered a mature performance to fend off team-mate Timmy Hansen, the pair finishing third and fourth at the finish. Timmy Hansen ended the season sixth in the Drivers’ standings.

Kenneth Hansen said: “There were a lot of ups and downs this weekend. After his win yesterday Kevin had a more difficult day today, in the latter part at least, but Timmy had a much better day. For Patrick, he had a fantastic ending to the final, and it was brilliant to have him on the podium. Of course we wanted both of our drivers in the final to be on the podium but you can’t have it all, and to see Patrick and his family so happy was incredibly nice. The event here has been a big success. We have shown how rallycross can work in city centres, working alongside the traditional tracks we already have.”

Kevin Hansen said: “What a great weekend in Hong Kong - probably the best rallycross weekend we have ever had. To win yesterday in front of the epic backdrop in front of a massive crowd was incredible, then to finish second in the championship after today, I’m very happy. There’s just one more step to go next year. The race here was magical and I really look forward to coming back to Hong Kong.”

Timmy Hansen said: “It was a good weekend in pace, performance, and everything we always focus on, but for some reason the result never came together for me. I think we did everything right but in the wrong moments I had the wrong things happen and I missed the podium. Today was a bummer to miss the podium because the guys had to work really hard to repair the car. After some damage in Heat 3, they did a mega job and I really wanted to have some celebration for them. Unfortunately in the end it didn’t come off, but I’m super happy for Patrick, and for Kevin with his win yesterday and P2 overall in the championship. For myself it’s been a tough season, missing the goal all the time, so I’m looking forward to the future.”

Patrick O’Donovan said: “It was a weekend full of highs and lows, but it was amazing to finish on the podium on my World RX debut, especially in Hong Kong. I had better pace today than on Saturday – my race win in the Heats was one of my highlights, but to move up from the back of the grid in the final to go up the inside to P3 and hold on to the finish was just amazing. After the first corners the suspension wasn’t in the best condition, the handling wasn’t perfect, but I just pushed as hard as I could to keep a World Champion in Timmy behind me, to cross the finish line in third. It’s truly fantastic to get a podium in front of an amazing crowd as well.”

23-11-12 Kristoffersson produces champion’s drive as World RX electrifies Hong Kong
Super Swede races to 40th career victory with dazzling downtown display

He might not have been able to celebrate his sixth title on the podium yesterday, but 24 hours later, Johan Kristoffersson capped his victorious campaign with a 40th career triumph as the FIA World Rallycross Championship electrified Hong Kong again today (12 November).

Following Saturday’s success, an even bigger crowd flocked through the gates of the Central Harbourfront venue on Sunday as the sun shone down on the first city-centre circuit in World RX history. They were treated to a truly spectacular show from the very best drivers in the sport, with rallycross announcing its arrival in the Asia-Pacific region in sensational style.

It uncharacteristically took Kristoffersson until the second heat on the second day of competition to hit the front of the field – but once he did, he never looked back, proceeding to snatch the top spot in the intermediate classification and overcoming a fast-starting Timmy Hansen on the last lap of the pair’s semi-final to earn pole position for the all-important final.

The Swede subsequently produced a textbook launch to race immediately into the lead and went on to prevail by more than three-and-a-half seconds – a champion’s drive by any yardstick.

“I’m very happy to have been able to put on a show in front of so many fans,” Kristoffersson said. “It’s been fantastic coming here, and after a disappointing final yesterday, it was great to pull off the win today.

“I can’t thank the team enough for all the effort they have put in. They work every waking hour, sacrificing time with their families to give us the best car possible, so to reward them like this is fantastic – and there’s no better place to celebrate than here in Hong Kong!”

On a weekend when Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS was crowned Teams’ Champion for the second consecutive season, Ole Christian Veiby made it a one-two finish for the Arvika-based outfit in the final – after pipping his illustrious stablemate to the chequered flag in heat three – with World RX rookie Patrick O’Donovan rounding out the rostrum in third.

Competing for Hansen World RX Team, the two-time British champion was fast and feisty throughout, winning a thrilling heat two race and beating 2019 world champion team-mate Timmy Hansen to the podium on his debut at the international pinnacle of the discipline.

Niclas Grönholm wound up a frustrated fifth on a day when CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment showed much-improved pace. The Finn looked set to secure first place in the ranking until his car suddenly slowed within sight of the finish line in heat three. He battled back to line up on the front row of the grid for the final, but then lost ground in Turn One and was never able to recover.

Team-mate Klara Andersson followed Grönholm home in sixth, making history – again – as the first female driver ever to go fastest outright in a World RX heat. Yesterday’s winner Kevin Hansen, meanwhile, missed out on the final after contact into the first corner in heat two dropped him down the order. From that point on, he found himself repeatedly caught up in traffic – but he had already done enough to cement a career-best runner-up result in the championship standings.

FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 5 laps
2. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 3.641s
3. Patrick O’DONOVAN (GBR) Hansen World RX Team + 4.599s
4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 4.939s
5. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Dealer Team + 6.218s
6. Klara ANDERSSON (SWE) CE Dealer Team + 6.980s

For further content, visit the championship website: fiaworldrx.com

23-11-12 Mästerlig VM-avslutning
Mästaren och mästarteamet avslutade säsongen mästerligt - med dubbelseger!
Johan Kristoffersson var först i mål med Ole Christian Veiby som tvåa i sista VM-deltävlingen i rallycross.
- Ett drömscenario. Vi hade inte kunnat regissera det bättre än så, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-chefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Efter lördagens tävling, där förvisso Johan Kristoffersson säkrade VM-titeln men slutade sist i finalen, var det revanschlust i ögonen på den sexfaldige världsmästaren inför avslutningen på stadsbanan i Hongkong. Och för den delen revanschlust i hela teamet.
- Det var frustrerande igår. Det här teamet accepterar inte såna resultat, så det var lite jobbigt att stå på pallen för teammästerskapet och se glad ut. Vi ville ha mer, säger Johan.

Och så blev det. Johan såg till att ta hem kvalet i hård kamp med Niclas Grönholm och plockade där tre extra poäng.
- Lyckades bli top qualifier med lite tur när Niclas fick stopp i sista heatet.

I semifinalen fick han släppa Timmy Hansen före sig i starten, men Johan tog jokern på fjärde varvet och levererade sedan en blixtrande snabb slutrunda fram till seger.
- Jag var lite för försiktig ut, men gjorde ett bra jokervarv och kunde sedan ta honom med ett snabbt sistavarv. Det är den mest tillfredställande känslan att lyckas med. Jag älskar det!

I finalen satt starten som den skulle och när Kristoffersson kom oskadd genom första kurvan så var det hela avgjort.
- I finalen satte jag allt på ett kort. Den som skulle förbi mig i första sväng skulle behöva göra något extraordinärt.

Det var det ingen som lyckades med. Johan seglade fram till en överlägsen seger i en uppvisningsstil värdig en världsmästare och därmed totalt 37 poängs marginal till tvåan i mästerskapet.

Bakom Johan fick Ole Christian Veiby äntligen visa vad han går för. I lika övertygande stil säkrade norrmannen andraplatsen. En snygg avslutning efter flera motgångar.
- Det har varit frustrerande under säsongen och det var frustrerande igår, men den här avslutningen kunde inte ha blivit bättre. Underbart att få avsluta med en höjdpunkt, säger Ole Christian, som avancerade upp till femte plats i VM-sammandraget.

Mästarteamet Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS/KMS fick därmed avrunda säsongen med en dubbelseger inför en entusiastisk publik downtown i den asiatiska metropolen.
- Fansen var helt galna här. Det tog en halvtimme att ta sig från podiet tillbaka till tältet för alla som ville ta bilder. Fantastisk stämning.

Den tredje Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren, Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, hade en tuff dag på den krävande banan och fick mycket hårt motstånd i sin semifinal där hon inte lyckades ta sig till final, men några erfarenheter rikare blev Mikaela i VM-debuten.
- Absolut! Det har varit fantastiskt att jobba med KMS-teamet. Jag har lärt mig mycket om att analysera data och även om jag är lite besviken på mitt eget resultat så kommer jag om ett tag att se tillbaka på det här med positiva känslor. Och jag är naturligtvis jätteglad för teamets skull.

En känsla som förstås teamchefen stämde in i.
- Det var inte riktigt gåshudskänsla igår, men idag är det verkligen tjo och tjim. Finalen var helt outstanding inför en superentusiastisk publik. Det var en VM-stämning så som vi upplevde för några år sedan, säger Tommy Kristoffersson som blev extra varm i bröstet för sin lojala personals skull.
- Det är något speciellt med det här gänget. De har stått redo med jobbryggsäcken på tidigt varenda morgon. I morse var vi först på plats, ensamma i depån när vi kom hit, trots att vi redan hade säkrat båda mästerskapen. Men om det här gänget är uppe tidigt imorgon hoppas jag att det är för att de är på hemväg, avslutar Tommy med ett skratt.

Ett välförtjänt firande väntar således för världsmästarteamet.

23-11-11 Kristoffersson världsmästare igen!
Världens mest framgångsrika rallycrossförare genom tiderna gjorde det - igen! Johan Kristoffersson säkrade sin sjätte VM-titel i lördagens runda i Hongkong.
- Jag tackar teamet som gjorde ett fantastiskt jobb under vintern. Det var där vi la grunden för den här segern, säger den nykorade världsmästaren.

Hongkong står som värd för den sista tävlingshelgen i VM, med en stadsbana mitt i centrum. Johan Kristoffersson kom till den asiatiska metropolen med 36 poängs ledning och behövde plocka tio poäng totalt för att säkra titeln. Första tävlingsdagen gav 11 poäng - uppdrag utfört
- men det var ingen glädjestrålande Kristoffersson efter finalen. På sista varvet tvärstannade bilen i ett läge när han jagade ledande Kevin Hansen.
- Jag hade kunnat ta honom. Det är ju tråkigt när det blir tekniska problem. Synd att vi inte fick bjuda publiken på en riktig fight ända till slutet.

Men Kristoffersson plockade alltså nog många poäng för att säkra VM-titeln redan före den sista tävlingsdagen. Känslan?
- Jag funderar inte så mycket på det. Det brukar landa när man får lite distans, runt jul och nyår. Första titeln är den man jagar och får en speciell känsla för. När man har uppnått den känns det tomt ett tag innan man börjar ladda för nästa och nästa och nästa.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren la grunden för sin titel under de tre första tävlingarna som kördes med teamets egna Volkswagen RX1e-bilar. Då plockade han maximala 69 poäng.
- Vi gjorde inga misstag, rätt val och smarta beslut.

I nästa andetag lyfter den sexfaldige världsmästaren hela teamets betydelse och titeln i teammästerskapet, som också är säkrad.
- Det är extra kul att vi försvarar båda titlarna, ett styrkebesked. Varenda person i teamet ger så otroligt mycket till helheten.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson fortsätter på samma spår:
- Vi har nu slutfört det vi kom hit för. Världsmästare blev vi redan i vintras när alla i teamet la ner sin själ i vårt projekt, vilket syntes i de tävlingar vi körde med våra egna bilar. Vi är oerhört stolta över att ta hem både förar- och teammästerskap.

Teamtiteln ger också en prestigefylld bonus.
- Vi får åka på FIA-galan i Baku och där ställa ut vår bil med Verstappens F1-bil på ena sidan och Rovanperäs WRC-bil på den andra. Det är viktigt, inte minst för våra trogna partner Volkswagen, Red Bull och Bauhaus.

Men först ska VM-säsongen avslutas med den sjunde och avslutande rundan under söndagen i Hongkong. Där fokuserar KMS-gänget på att lyfta Ole Christian Veiby så högt som möjligt i totalställningen. Det ser dock svårt ut för att kunna nå upp till pallplatsen efter att Veiby slutat fyra under lördagens race. Norrmannen är visserligen ikapp Timmy Hansen, men har femton poäng upp till Timo Scheider på bronsplats.
- Jag var snabbast på träningen idag, men hamnade i andra heatet hela dagen och banan blev såpass mycket sämre för varje race så det gick inte att göra bra tider, säger Ole Christian.

I finalen hade han häng på en pallplats, men fick en smäll och tappade till fjärde.
- Nu får vi bara försöka avsluta säsongen på bästa sätt imorgon.

För den tredje Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren, Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, tog tävlingen slut i semifinalen.
- Det var tufft idag. Jag började helt okej i första kvalomgången, men i Q2 gjorde jag en liten miss och därefter hann vi inte riktigt få ihop bilen.

Med ett stukat ekipage blev det en ny smäll i semifinalen och därmed färdigkört.
- Det är jättehäftigt att köra race mitt i Hongkong, men det är tufft ute på banan. Bra att vi får en ny chans igen imorgon, säger Mikaela.

23-11-11 World RX thrills as Kristoffersson is crowned on Hansen’s day in Hong Kong
First city-centre event in World RX history a stunning success

The FIA World Rallycross Championship made a dazzling debut in Hong Kong today (11 November), as Johan Kristoffersson clinched his sixth career crown and Kevin Hansen made history by triumphing in the series’ first-ever city-centre event in front of a huge and enthusiastic crowd.

In a stunning setting – sandwiched between Hong Kong’s iconic downtown skyscrapers and the waters of Victoria Harbour – the World RX superstars put on a sensational show around the Central Harbourfront Circuit, with thousands of fans lapping up the electrifying action.

Hansen delivered the most impressive performance of all, as the Swede battled back from a tough start to the day – picking up a puncture right at the beginning of qualifying practice – to top the table at the end of the heat races and then dominate both his semi-final and the all-important final. The result marked his third World RX victory – with his maximum score strengthening his grip on second position in the championship standings.

“This is just mega!” enthused the Hansen World RX Team ace. “I’ve been so excited to come to Hong Kong for so long – I was really pushing for this event to happen – and to finally be here in such a spectacular location is absolutely incredible!

“The crowd has been simply amazing – we could really feel the fans cheering us on – and the track has been challenging but super fun to drive. No two laps were the same so it was essential to stay laser-focussed, but that’s what rallycross should be all about. The final was a great race and I would say this is my best win so far. The Hansen team is back on top! Now we need to reload for tomorrow and try to do it all over again.”

Hansen was challenged throughout the final by Kristoffersson, who uncharacteristically did not top a single session in Hong Kong, until the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS driver’s ZEROID X1 car stopped on-track on the last lap – although by that point, the title was already in the bag.

Kristoffersson’s misfortune elevated CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment’s Niclas Grönholm to second place, after the Finn – who set the pace in heat two – prevailed in a tight three-way tussle with Ole Christian Veiby and Timo Scheider.

The order was shuffled on the last lap of the final as Grönholm fought his way past his Norwegian rival, with Scheider similarly leapfrogging Veiby once all the joker strategies had played out – extending the German’s stellar recent run of podium finishes.

Veiby ended up fourth ahead of Klara Andersson in the second CE Dealer Team car, with Kristoffersson ultimately classified sixth.

The action continues tomorrow with a full day of racing on the streets of Hong Kong to bring down the curtain on the 2023 World RX campaign.

FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team 5 laps
2. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Dealer Team + 2.290s
3. Timo SCHEIDER (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport + 3.276s
4. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 4.818s
5. Klara ANDERSSON (SWE) CE Dealer Team + 6.526s
6. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 21.893s

For further content, visit the championship website: fiaworldrx.com

23-11-11 Kevin Hansen stars in maiden Hong Kong World RX event with emphatic victory
Swedish star Kevin Hansen shone in the first-ever FIA World Rallycross Championship event in Hong Kong, claiming an emphatic victory in a stunning location, in front of a brand-new audience driving for Hansen World RX Team (November 11).

Hansen’s performance throughout the penultimate round of the season on the first day of the double-header weekend came despite a puncture in Qualifying Practice, meaning he qualified in last position for Heat 1.

But, with a brilliant start from the outside of the grid, Hansen claimed the Heat 1 win, then later led from pole position in both the first semi-final and the final. The 2016 FIA European Rallycross Champion managed his position at the front of the pack under big pressure to secure victory in the first-ever city centre race for World RX.
Hansen’s third career victory strengthens his position in the battle to finish as runner-up in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship standings. Also racing for Hansen World RX Team, Timmy Hansen, the 2019 World RX Drivers’ Champion, and Patrick O’Donovan, the 2023 British Rallycross Champion, delivered strong pace throughout the day but lost out in an action-packed semi-final and didn’t make it to the final.

The final round of the season takes place tomorrow (Sunday, November 12) at the same venue.

Kenneth Hansen said: “This first day in Hong Kong has been challenging, but it’s been fantastic to be here - to look around and see the surroundings, and the new fans to rallycross. It feels amazing to be in a new place for rallycross where everyone seems crazily excited, especially when Kevin was on the top step of the podium. It was fantastic. Kevin was the best today, there is nothing more to discuss about that. Timmy and Patrick both also had the pace, but they were a bit unlucky in the end. We will work together to finish the season as well as we can in the final day tomorrow.”

Kevin Hansen said: “It feels really mega to win here in Hong Kong. I have been part of the process of wanting to race here for a long time and it feels so great to be the first winner here in this amazing location. The crowd was just incredible at the podium, I think this is the best win I’ve ever had. It’s been a massive team effort, with a lot of work even right up until the final where we were making changes to improve. Everything came together today – but it’s a new day tomorrow and we will go all in again.”

23-11-10 World RX finale beckons for three-strong Hansen World RX Team in Hong Kong
World RX finale beckons for three-strong Hansen World RX Team in Hong Kong

A brand-new venue, a fresh driver line-up, and an exciting FIA World Rallycross Championship season-finale looms for the Hansen World RX Team in Hong Kong this weekend.

For the first time ever, a double-header of World RX action will take part in one of the world’s most famous cities – Hong Kong – where 2019 FIA World RX Drivers’ Champion Timmy Hansen, 2016 European Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen, and double British Rallycross Champion Patrick O’Donovan will fly the flag for the Swedish team.

Following a double podium finish for Kevin Hansen in the penultimate weekend of the season in South Africa, the first time World RX has used identical all-electric Zeroid X1 machines for every team, the 25 year-old sits second in the standings with two points’ scoring rounds remaining.

Timmy Hansen (31) also showed fast pace in South Africa but was out of luck in the final stages of both rounds, but did finish on the podium earlier in the year in the teams’ home round at Höljes, Sweden.

Both will embark on the double-header finale at the brand-new circuit on the Hong Kong waterfront driving the same identical cars in the thick of the fight to claim an overall podium in the 2023 World RX Championship, while the team targets its first victories of the season.

In a third car for the Hong Kong weekend, British driver Patrick O’Donovan makes his World RX debut, having worked with Hansen Motorsport’s Junior programme, #YellowSquad, throughout his maiden FIA European Rallycross Championship campaign, which included a maiden victory at Holjes, Sweden.

The 19-year-old also secured a second successive British Rallycross Championship title last weekend at Lydden Hill, and has previous experience of all-electric racing, having twice claimed victory in the RX2e series, in 2022.

You can watch the action unfold live all weekend on the RallyTV service (via the World RX website) and via the Hansen team’s social media channels.
Kenneth Hansen said: “It’s our first time in Hong Kong and the first time there is this possibility to have an incredible event in this environment. We don’t know exactly what we’re going into but it’s very interesting, and a new step for rallycross. A new level and a new way. I really hope it’s a big success, giving good entertainment with this new city race. We have worked hard on our own job, to make sure we have at least similar pace and even better to the last race in Cape Town. In these equal cars it’s again a blank sheet of paper, so let’s fill that in and fill it in with a top result.”

Kevin Hansen said: “We’re all really excited for Hong Kong, it’s going to be a fantastic event. So many people have put in so much time and effort to make this happen. For me the future of the World Rallycross Championship is these city centre events so it’s going to be exciting to see how this new flagship event goes together. I’ve heard it’s a great turn out of media and fans, so we can’t wait to get going. In the championship we’re second in the points, it’s a good spot to be and we’re going into the weekend giving 100% trying to get the first win of the season on Saturday. We have a better understanding of the cars now and we’re looking forward to a great weekend.”

Timmy Hansen said: “Hong Kong is new for us, it’s going to look pretty spectacular racing with that skyline in a milestone event for the sport. I hope we can put on a good show for new fans to show them how fantastic rallycross is. It’s the last race of the season, we haven’t won this year yet, so if Kevin or I could get on that top step that would be fantastic for the team to keep the spirits up going into the winter. We have been working hard since Cape Town, there was loads of learning for us there, hopefully we can apply that this weekend. We’re all in to try and achieve the first win, or even two, of the year.”

Patrick O’Donovan said: “I had an amazing time last weekend repeating a childhood dream by winning the British Rallycross Championship for the second year in a row, and now I’m so excited to head into my World RX debut with that title under my belt. I hope I can carry the momentum from Euro RX and 5 Nations BRX this year into my first World RX race with Hansen Motorsport in Hong Kong. Racing on the first city centre circuit in the championship with such an iconic team is going to be amazing. It’s a big step up for me in many respects, but I know the cars and we’ll see what we can do. I can’t wait to reveal our one-off livery later this week.”

23-11-09 Team OMSE and Kevin Eriksson want confirmation
Kevin Eriksson is the only driver to have secured three consecutive podium finishes in as many rounds of the Nitrocross championship. He currently leads the overall standings as he heads into the next round in Phoenix on November 10-11.

For his part, after a complicated opening stage in Oklahoma, Oliver Eriksson returned to top form during the previous showdown in Salt Lake City.

Team OMSE, currently second overall in the team standings, is determined to make a strong impact during rounds 4 and 5 of the 2023/2024 Nitrocross Championship in Arizona.

While Kevin Eriksson hasn't secured a win in the first three rounds of the Nitrocross championship, his remarkable consistency has been a key factor in his early-season success. He has claimed three podium finishes in three events and earned "Top Qualifier" status twice.

In the Nitrocross format, half of the available points are awarded before the final, and Kevin Eriksson has managed to accumulate 71 out of the 96 points up for grabs since the beginning of the championship.

In Phoenix, Kevin Eriksson aims to maintain his 31-point lead over defending champion Robin Larsson, who currently sits second in the overall standings.

As for Oliver Eriksson, despite a challenging start in Jay, Oklahoma, he displayed an impressive performance in Salt Lake City. Although he qualified for the final twice, he was unable to convert these opportunities into victories. Unfortunately, he experienced two consecutive DNFs at crucial moments during the weekend.

It's worth noting that Oliver Eriksson earned the most qualifying points, with 52 points over the two races. One thing is certain: Oliver Eriksson is determined to elevate his performance. Currently ranked seventh in the overall standings, the Team OMSE driver recognizes that his performance in Phoenix could propel the Swedish team to the top spot in the team championship, closing the 32-point gap to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing."

Quotes
#23 Kevin Eriksson
“Of course, it's a good feeling to be able to head to Phoenix as the overall championship leader, but the best way to approach the weekend is not to think about it too much.I'll take each of these two races in Phoenix one step at a time, making sure to score as many points as possible. So far, I've achieved three consecutive podium finishes, which is a positive outcome."

"In such a competitive environment as Nitrocross is this year, it's challenging to consistently deliver strong performances. It's true that I haven't secured a win this year, and it's evident that I'm eager to change that. I've often been a bit cautious in my approach up to this point. This was especially noticeable in Utah, where I had a shot at the first-place finish, but I have no intention of taking unnecessary risks or making any stupid moves to chase my first victory at all costs”

#16 Oliver Eriksson
“The start of the season has been a bit more challenging than I expected. There isn't much to say about the first round of the championship in Oklahoma; these things happen in motorsports. We were hoping to make things right in Utah, and that's exactly what we achieved with some excellent performances throughout the qualifiers. Unfortunately, both finals didn't go my way due to suspension issues, resulting in two retirements. It's all part of the game, but it's true that this is perhaps the first time in my career that I've had to face such a complicated start to the championship. Despite having good speed, I haven't been able to put it all together yet."

"It's tough to accept, but we're in a good position in the team championship, and Kevin is leading the driver's championship, so there are plenty of positive aspects to build upon as we head into the Phoenix race. I really like this track, as I proved last year with some good performances. I'm going to stick to my usual approach and follow my routine, trying to be as prepared and focused as possible for these two races. I just hope to be a little more successful than I was in the first few rounds of the championship, so that I can get closer to the top step of the podium"

Click here to follow rounds 4 and 5 of the Nitrocross in live streaming on Rumble

23-11-08 CE Dealer Team breaks new ground in Hong Kong with FIA World RX double header finale
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will end the all-electric 2023 FIA World RX season in the vibrant city of Hong Kong as the fight for the titles remain wide open.

The upcoming season finale, featuring a thrilling double header, marks the FIA World Rallycross Championship's debut in the Asia-Pacific region and the first time the championship hosts a city event.

A challenging 1,225-meter track is built with assistance from Volvo Construction Equipment, set against an amazing backdrop of towering skyscrapers.

A jump first trialed at Volvo Construction Equipment’s home base in Eskilstuna will be constructed, adding to a thrilling circuit of world championship standard. Here, the 23-ton EC230 Electric excavator is key, supported by the Dig Assist digital solution and an Engcon tiltrotator – capable of excavating to any angle.

Seven-time World RX event winner Niclas Grönholm heads to Hong Kong as fourth in the drivers’ championship, just eight points shy of second place in the fight for the medals.

"It's definitely going to be an exciting race in Hong Kong. It's the first-ever city center event, and a new track for everyone, which should make for an exciting show. We need to come better prepared than we were for Cape Town to secure a good result,” said Niclas Grönholm.

23-year-old Swede Klara Andersson is locked in a fight for a top-five position in the standings, currently holding seventh spot.

"I'm excited to race in the final of this year's FIA World RX in Hong Kong. It's our first time competing in a city and in Asia, which is incredibly cool. The last race was tough for the team, but we have done our homework and hopefully we will come back stronger to deliver two great races. There are still many points to fight for and it's tight in the standings, anything can happen,” said Klara Andersson.

CE Dealer Team enters the final rounds in Hong Kong in third place of the teams' standings.

"Everyone is eagerly anticipating this first-ever FIA World RX city event. I know the organizers have put in tremendous effort to create a truly spectacular event,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

"The season finale is going to be really exciting, and having a double-header makes it even more thrilling. The championship is still wide open, so there will be a lot to fight for. Margins will be tight once again and we have worked hard to be at the top of our game from the get-go this weekend."

CE Dealer Team will have around 300 guests on site for the spectacular Hong Kong races from Volvo Construction Equipment and further partners of the programme, showcasing the latest electric machinery and services.

The FIA World RX of Hong Kong starts on Saturday with round six of the 2023 FIA World RX season, followed by the season closing round seven on Sunday.

The double header broadcast globally – as well as through the RX+ online streaming platform and SVT for Swedish viewers.

A full schedule for the weekend is available here: https://bit.ly/47jZW4n
Foto: Qnigan

23-11-08 Johan går för sjätte VM-titeln
Två deltävlingar återstår. Johan Kristoffersson leder med 36 poäng och har den sjätte VM-titeln i rallycross klart inom räckhåll.
- Vi får väl hoppas att det ska gå vägen. Först och främst gäller det att hålla bilen hel, säger Kristoffersson inför sista tävlingshelgen i Hongkong.

34-åringen från Arvika är tidernas mest framgångsrike rallycrossförare. 2017 och 2018 tog han sina första mästartitlar, då tävlande för PSRX Volkswagen Sweden. 2019 deltog han inte i VM, men var tillbaka 2020 för en tredje titel, nu med familjeföretaget KMS under namnet Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS. 2021 kom den fjärde segern under EKS KYB JC:s flagga efter en dramatisk upphämtning i slutskedet. 2022 blev Kristoffersson och Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS historiska med den första titeln i den första helelektriska VM-serien.

Även under 2023 har Johan dominerat VM-serien i stor stil. Det blev fyra raka segrar innan tredjeplatsen i Sydafrika i den senaste deltävlingen. I Hongkong behöver han inte heller vinna för att säkra titeln.
- Tar jag 10 poäng så borde det vara klart, så det gäller att hålla ihop det och inte klyva bilen på mitten åtminstone.

Till Hongkong kommer samtliga VM-förare som oskrivna blad. En nybyggd stadsbana väntar.
- Annars brukar vi oftast ha koll på de ställen vi åker till. Men normalt sett passar det mig bra att anpassa mig till något helt nytt också.

Uppladdningen har inte heller varit riktigt som vanligt, eftersom årets VM-serie avslutas med likvärdiga Zeroid X1-bilar istället för teamets egenbyggda Volkswagen RX1e.
- Man vet så lite om bilarna nu. Annars har vi full koll själva och vet precis hur mycket alla komponenter har varit använda. Nu får man en bil som någon annan har kört tidigare. Det är en stor skillnad, menar Johan.

Om Kristofferssons uppdrag är att, från ett bra utgångsläge, säkra mästartiteln så har teamkompisen Ole Christian Veiby en större utmaning. Han jagar tredjeplatsen totalt, men måste klättra tre placeringar och hämta in 14 poäng på just nu bronsplacerade Timo Scheider.
- Allt gick emot mig i Sydafrika, men om några av de andra har en sån helg som jag hade senast så är allting möjligt. En seger så är man plötsligt med i matchen igen. Se bara på Scheider som vann i Sydafrika och nu ligger trea.

Veiby ser fram emot ett äventyr i den särskilda administrativa regionen i södra Kina.
- Vi ska ju köra mitt i stan i en av världens största städer, så vi får hoppas att det kommer mycket folk.

Även teamchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson, har höga förväntningar på VM-avslutningen.
- Det verkar bli ett jättearrangemang med väldigt många gäster, biltillverkare som besöker oss, en stor scen där det ska bli rockkonsert och förhoppningsvis storpublik.

Förutom show och folkfest hoppas förstås teamchefen kunna kvittera ut två mästerskapstitlar, såväl för förare som för team.
- Johan ska förhoppningsvis kunna säkra sin titel redan på lördag, så att vi därefter kan skifta fullt fokus till Ole Christian för att lyfta honom upp på pallen i totalställningen. Vi vet vad OC kan prestera när allt sitter som det ska, så det finns möjligheter.

Kristoffersson har förstås också tillgång till en tredje förare, när Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky gör debut i VM-sammanhang.
- För Mikaela är det en fin möjlighet att visa upp sig i de stora sammanhangen. Att ta sig till final bör vara en rimlig målsättning för henne.

Så här i mitten av november känner sig Tommy absolut redo för att avrunda rallycrossåret.
- Det har varit en lång säsong, med långa uppehåll, men också väldigt mycket jobb, så visst ska det bli skönt att avsluta alltihop med ett riktigt häftigt event och för oss även en fin punkt på en framgångsrik säsong.

23-11-07 High stakes in Hong Kong: Downtown debut for season finale
Spectacular backdrop for coronation of 2023 world champion

The 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship will conclude with its inaugural city centre event in Hong Kong this weekend (11-12 November), as a feast of electrifying entertainment awaits fans on the series’ maiden visit to the Asia-Pacific region.

Set against the spectacular backdrop of Hong Kong’s famous skyline, in the Central Harbourfront Event Space next to the iconic Victoria Harbour, the all-new 1225-metre downtown circuit – composed of both gravel and asphalt surfaces – will be sure to challenge drivers with its blend of flat-out straights, flowing corners, tight-and-twisty sections, crowd-pleasing jump and dramatic joker merge just before the finish line.

All ten competitors will be aiming to be first past the chequered flag, but ultimately, only one can be crowned – with Johan Kristoffersson firmly in pole position for glory. The Swede – already five times a world champion in the discipline – has won four rounds to-date this season and holds a commanding 36-point advantage over his nearest pursuer, with only 46 remaining in play during the double-header contest.

Kristoffersson does not need to win in Hong Kong to take the title, but with 54 prior victories to his name at the pinnacle of the sport, he is not accustomed to settling for second place.

While it would require a significant slice of misfortune to deny the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS star the laurels, in rallycross, nothing can ever be ruled out – particularly given the intense, no-holds-barred nature of the racing and the high calibre of competition.

Kristoffersson’s four closest rivals in the classification – Kevin Hansen, Timo Scheider, Niclas Grönholm and Timmy Hansen – have all previously ascended the top step of the podium in World RX, with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport ace Scheider bringing the championship leader’s winning run to an end courtesy of a stellar performance in Cape Town last time out.

Timmy Hansen – world champion in 2019 – has been a thorn in Kristoffersson’s side for many years, while younger brother Kevin finally halted his countryman’s hitherto unbroken SuperPole streak in South Africa. All of them will be keen to complete the campaign with a champagne celebration.

Similarly capable of doing battle for silverware are fast females Klara Andersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. The former made history last year as the first woman ever to reach the rostrum in top flight international rallycross and has continued to progress ever since. Compatriot Åhlin-Kottulinsky has been a leading contender in the supporting FIA RX2e Championship this season, finishing third overall and scooping the runner-up spoils behind guest entrant Kristoffersson in Belgium back in the summer.

It will be intriguing, meanwhile, to see how fellow debutant Patrick O’Donovan fares on his series bow with Hansen World RX Team. The highly-rated British teenager is a double national champion as well as an event-winner at both RX2e and Euro RX level – and like Åhlin-Kottulinsky, he has plenty of experience in the ZEROID X1 car that all drivers will pilot this weekend.

The competitive action will begin with the single-lap SuperPole shootout at 10:00 local time (03:00 CET) on Saturday, 11 November, with every session to be broadcast on the Rally.TV platform. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while tickets are available to buy here.

The full event timetable and entry list can be found here.

fiaworldrx.com

23-11-01 Åhlin-Kottulinsky in i VM-leken!
Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS skickar in ett nytt namn i leken till VM-finalen i Hongkong: Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky!
- Superhäftigt att få kliva in och vara en del av det bästa VM-teamet, säger en taggad Mikaela, som gör Johan Kristoffersson och Ole Christian Veiby sällskap i föraruppsättningen.

Rallycross-VM går i mål helgen 11-12 november i stadsmiljö i Asien. För Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS handlar det om att säkra två VM-titlar - individuellt för Kristoffersson och för KMS i teammästerskapet - men också om att bjuda på motorsportspropaganda i mångmiljonstaden. Därför satsar teamet lite extra i säsongens slutskede.
- Det är oerhört glädjande att vi med gemensamma krafter har lyckats få till den här lösningen. Vi har gjort det vi kan och Mikaela har dragit ett tungt lass själv. Jag är supernöjd med att vi kan bidra till en häftig avslutning på VM-säsongen, säger teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

KMS-chefen har förstås bra koll på 30-åringen från Karlstad.
- Vi har sett hennes potential i Extreme E, där hon tävlar tillsammans med Johan och i RX2e, där hon har visat en fin utveckling. Jag är också väl medveten om hennes resultat i STCC.

Med Åhlin-Kottulinskys intåg i VM-serien fördubblas också den kvinnliga representationen i startfältet.
- Jag ser det som en chans för Mikaela att få visa upp sig, en språngbräda för henne att få ihop nästa säsong.

Mikaela är tacksam för den möjligheten - och överraskad.
- Om någon hade sagt till mig i början av året att jag skulle få köra VM-finalen i Hongkong för KMS, så hade jag bara sagt: "Va!" Det är häftigt!

Helt obekant med miljön och människorna i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS är hon förstås inte efter en säsong i RX2e med Nils Anderssons Team E, som har nära band till KMS-gänget.
- Det var kul att jobba med Johan och Ole Christian när de körde RX2e i Belgien. Jag ser fram emot att fortsätta det samarbetet och att få jobba med de otroligt duktiga ingenjörer och mekaniker som finns i teamet.

Och eftersom VM-säsongen avslutas med samma typ av bil som hon har kört under säsongen så finns det igenkänning på den punkten också.
- Lite mer power i bilarna än vi har haft i vår serie, men helt nytt är det förstås inte.

Resultatmål är däremot lite komplicerat för Mikaela att sätta upp.
- Det är svårt att säga när man kliver in för en tävling så här, men jag ska göra mitt bästa. Banan i Hongkong är ny för alla, ett stadsrace och jag har trivts på den typen av bana tidigare.

Åhlin-Kottulinskys inhopp kan också gynna säsongsavslutningen i Extreme E i början av december.
- Ett perfekt tävlingstillfälle inför Chile, att få komma in i race mode, påpekar Mikaela.

Rallycross i Asien och därefter terrängsbilskörning i Sydamerika - en dröm som går i uppfyllelse.
- När jag var liten sa jag att jag skulle upptäcka hela världen med hjälp av motorsporten. Nu har jag snart prickat av alla världsdelar, säger Mikaela, som också får passa på att fylla år i Hongkong, dagen efter VM-avslutningen.
- Det här blir en väldigt fin födelsedagspresent!

23-10-18 Hansen promotes rising star O’Donovan for Hong Kong World RX finale
One of the brightest rising stars in the rallycross world, Patrick O’Donovan, will graduate to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for his top-flight debut in Hong Kong, China, with the Hansen World RX Team next month.

19-year-old O’Donovan finished third overall in his maiden FIA European Rallycross Championship campaign in 2023, including claiming a historic maiden victory at Höljes in Sweden, with support from #YellowSquad.

That success came in only the British driver’s second-ever season in a rallycross RX1 (Supercar) machine, having become the youngest-ever British Rallycross Champion in 2022 driving with his family team.
Now, O’Donovan will join the most successful family-run rallycross team on the planet for the World RX season finale, as the series visits Hong Kong for the very first time on November 11-12, racing a third all-electric Zeroid X1 machine alongside the team’s regular drivers, Timmy and Kevin Hansen.

O’Donovan has previous experience with the QEV Technologies developed single-specification all-electric Zeroid X1 four-wheel-drive cars, having raced in the FIA RX2e category in 2021 and 2022, claiming a pair of wins in Latvia and Belgium in his second season.

With the Hansen squad entering the final double-header of the campaign on the back of a double-podium weekend for Kevin Hansen in South Africa earlier this month, the new driver and team combination are targeting success to round out the 2023 campaign in style.
Kenneth Hansen said: “This is the first-time a #YellowSquad driver has stepped up to the World Championship and it’s a fantastic opportunity for Patrick [O'Donovan] to be side-by-side with Timmy and Kevin in exactly the same vehicle – it’s an interesting thing for us to run three cars in the top category for Hong Kong, and we’re really looking forward to that. It’s a new track there, which means the opportunities are equal in terms of track knowledge, and I think that with three cars we can benefit more than having two cars. It will be great to work with a talented, motivated, young driver like Patrick, who we have already formed a relationship with this year."

Patrick O’Donovan said: “It will be a childhood dream come true for me to make my World RX debut and even better to be doing it in a car that I know. I’m extremely excited to see how my pace fairs against some of the best rallycross drivers in the world, and to be working so closely with the Hansen Motorsport team. It’s also super cool to be part of the first ever World Rallycross inner-city race, especially in an exciting venue like Hong Kong. I can’t wait!"

23-10-08 CE Dealer Team reaches final on FIA World RX restart in South Africa
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment secured points from a challenging FIA World RX double header in South Africa, as the championship restarted following a three-month break.

The South African double header decided the fourth and fifth round of the 2023 FIA World RX, and marked the first time CE Dealer Team took its push for diversity and electrification to Africa.

Niclas Grönholm made it through to the final on both days of the double header, finishing fifth and sixth. The Finnish racer holds forth in the drivers’ standings, just eight points from second.

"It was a tricky weekend. I could not put one whole race together. At times, there were some positive lap times and such, but something was missing all the time. I need to work hard to get back on pace in Hong Kong,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Swedish rallycross star Klara Andersson made her debut at the Killarney Raceway this weekend, reaching the final on Sunday to grab fifth. The 23-year-old still holds seventh in the standings going into the final round in Hong Kong in November.

"It was a tough weekend. Both me and Niclas have struggled to find the feeling in the car. It is a difficult track, and the fact that I am here for the first time also plays in. We have had the same problem all weekend, and experimented with the setup, and it felt a bit better today. We need to analyze everything before Hong Kong and hopefully find more speed. There are two races left and a lot of points to fight for,” said Klara Andersson.

CE Dealer Team is third in the teams’ standings leaving South Africa. The final rounds of the 2023 FIA World RX season will be decided in Hong Kong, November 11-12.

”We have been struggling to get the feeling in the cars to be able to push to the limit. To get both cars into the final was the minimum we expected today. We saw signs of good speed from heat three and onward. We now need to analyze, keep learning and work hard to bounce back stronger in Hong Kong,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

The team enjoyed strong support from hosting partner Babcock, SSAB and more with close to 200 guests on site, showcasing latest cutting-edge products and services from Volvo Construction Equipment.

Results and standings after the FIA World RX of South Africa round: https://bit.ly/3ZJzbDL

23-10-08 Kevin Hansen claims podium double in enthralling South African encounter
The World Rallycross Championship returned to Cape Town in South Africa with a dramatic double-header, as the Hansen World RX Team battled at the front of the order all weekend long, ultimately claiming a pair of podiums with Kevin Hansen.

Racing single-specification Zeroid X1 all-electric machines for the double-header event at the Killarney International Circuit, the team started the weekend in the strongest possible way, as 2016 European Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen became only the second driver in history to claim a fastest time in SuperPole, on Saturday – before 2019 World RX title-winner Timmy Hansen became only the third driver of the 2023 season to set a fastest Heat time in the third qualifying run.
With both drivers making it to the all-important final, Timmy Hansen ran second early in the race, as Kevin Hansen dived into the joker lap and would climb the order to finish on the podium in second, as Timmy Hansen unfortunately lost ground from contact.

Both drivers climbed the Drivers’ Championship order from the opening-day results, and again set fast pace on Sunday. Despite Timmy Hansen having to battle bent suspension during the Heats, and Kevin Hansen being forced into the wall in turn three of Heat 2, both drivers made the second row of the final and were again in contention for a double-podium. While Kevin Hansen ran second throughout, fending off big pressure from behind, Timmy Hansen was pushed into a spin in the opening corners and missed out on the podium in fourth.

Kevin Hansen lies second in the World RX Drivers’ Standings, while Timmy Hansen is fifth, heading to the season finale at a brand-new circuit in Hong Kong on November 11-12.
Kenneth Hansen said: “It has been an interesting weekend with everyone in the same cars. It has not been easy but we have learned a lot, working on small details here and there and at times we had very good speed. It is a very challenging track here, where you need to be at the front, and it’s difficult to take the joker to get any advantage. Kevin had very good results which we are pleased about – Timmy unfortunately had some drama in the finals, but we can look forward to the next races now in Hong Kong and work towards even better results.”

Kevin Hansen said: “It was nice to be on the podium twice this weekend, and if things had evolved a bit differently perhaps we could have won here, but that’s how it goes. Huge congratulations to Timo Scheider for winning on Sunday – to take your first win in World RX is something you will never forget. I was under pressure in both finals. On Saturday we had a good joker strategy that meant we could climb to second from fifth, and on Sunday we fought hard to finish second again, scoring good points for the championship. It’s been fantastic to be back racing this weekend in World RX, everyone has been pushing the limits. We have some work to do for sure to optimise this car for the next race, but we have a very good team and we’re excited to progress to Hong Kong.”

Timmy Hansen said: “It was a strong weekend. We were on the pace and up there fighting to be able to win the finals, but it didn’t quite work out for me in the end. That’s rallycross. On Saturday I moved to P2 in the final but got squeezed and the other driver got a penalty. Then I got pushed off in turn three in the final on Sunday and again the other driver got a penalty, but I guess I was just a bit caught out and that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m still happy that the performance was strong. We delivered some good lap times and we were in the fight. Kevin had a fantastic weekend and we will keep fighting.”

23-10-08 Super Scheider ends Kristoffersson’s winning run in South Africa
German celebrates popular victory as title fight continues

Timo Scheider brought Johan Kristoffersson’s winning run in the FIA World Rallycross Championship to an end with a sensational performance in South Africa today (8 October), as the German’s maiden victory ensured the title fight goes on to the Hong Kong season finale.

For the first time in World RX history, the entire field took to the track in equal machinery at Killarney International Raceway, and Scheider was a leading contender from the outset. After finishing third on Saturday – matching his previous best result from the 2023 campaign – the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport star got the better of all of his rivals today to reach the top step of the podium.

Scheider’s day did not get off to the best of starts, as rear motor failure restricted him to the fifth-fastest time in the single-lap SuperPole shootout and a puncture then dropped him out of the lead in heat one. Unbowed, he battled back to top the timesheets in both heats two and three – in so doing, vaulting to the summit of the intermediate standings and earning himself pole position for the opening semi-final.

Another flawless run saw the German pip Kevin Hansen to the chequered flag by just over three tenths-of-a-second, before he held his nerve once more in the final, executing a textbook launch and keeping his pursuers calmly at bay throughout.

“It’s pretty difficult to describe this right now,” Scheider reflected. “I feel quite emotional. I’ve been chasing this win for some time; it hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve kept fighting and I always try to squeeze the most out of what I have.

“The level of competition in World RX is so high and we all know how difficult it is to beat Johan [Kristoffersson], so I’m super-proud for both myself and the ALL-INKL.COM team – they put so much energy into this project and have kept believing in me. It’s quite overwhelming, to be honest. I want to dedicate this victory to my dad, who passed away last year. And to all of the fans here in Cape Town – thank you for being amazing!”

Scheider’s South African success has elevated him to third in the title standings, just three points behind Kevin Hansen, who replicated his Saturday result by scooping the runner-up spoils again on Sunday.

To do so, the Hansen World RX Team ace had to fend off a charging Kristoffersson, who admitted to ‘completely sleeping’ at the start of the final, enabling his countryman to dive up the inside and into second place. Try as he might, the championship leader was never able to get back ahead, obliging him to wait a little longer in his quest to secure a sixth career crown.

Klara Andersson crossed the finish line fourth following a much-improved display compared to the previous day, just ahead of 2019 world champion Timmy Hansen, but their positions were reversed when the CE Dealer Team driver was handed a penalty for contact. Niclas Grönholm – the winner in South Africa four years ago – wound up sixth.

The 2023 World RX campaign will conclude with the championship’s first-ever city centre event next month – a double-header in downtown Hong Kong on 11-12 November.

FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Timo SCHEIDER (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport 5 laps
2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 1.021s
3. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 1.344s
4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 6.656s
5. Klara ANDERSSON (SWE) CE Dealer Team + 6.175s *
6. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Dealer Team + 8.532s

* One-place penalty

fiaworldrx.com

23-10-08 Blandade känslor efter VM-helg
Johan Kristoffersson följde upp lördagens seger i rallycross-VM med en tredjeplats i söndagens race. Totalt innebar de två deltävlingarna en ökad ledning i mästerskapet med nio poäng.
- En bra helg så sett, men man vill alltid göra det bättre, säger Kristoffersson, som fick se sig besegrad för första gången i årets VM.

Johan Kristoffersson kom till helgens tävlingar i Kapstaden, Sydafrika, med 27 poängs ledning i förarmästerskapet. Han åkte hem med en ledning på 36 poäng, trots att han tappade två poäng till Kevin Hansen under helgens andra runda.

I söndagens superpole-kval tog dock Kristoffersson revansch för missen i superpolekvalet under lördagen. Med drygt en halv sekund var han snabbare än Kevin Hansen.
- Lika dåligt som det var då, lika bra var det nu, säger Johan.

Han fortsatte sedan med att vara snabbast i den första kvalomgången. I den andra fick han däremot nöja sig med en tredjeplats, efter att ha fått köra på nyvattnad bana, vilket drog ner tempot jämfört med de som körde i följande race.
- Q2 satte väl sedan tonen för resten av helgen. Jag fick åka mycket i trafik. Tråkigt när man känner att man har bra fart, men inte kan utnyttja den.

För första gången den här säsongen slutade inte Johan i topp i kvalet. Den positionen tog istället Timo Scheider hand om, före Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren.

Eftersom såväl Scheider som Kristoffersson vann sin respektive semifinal, så fick den tyske föraren pole position i finalen. Från sin position utvändigt gjorde Johan helgens sämsta start och kom ut som trea, vilket också blev den slutgiltiga positionen.

Totalt leder nu Kristoffersson mästerskapet med 107 poäng, mot 71 för Kevin Hansen, när 46 poäng är det maximala utfallet i de återstående två rundorna.
- Det ska ju mycket till att förlora titeln, men det här är motorsport och allt kan hända.

Det fick teamkamraten Ole Christian Veiby erfara under helgen. Först fick han bryta i finalen under lördagen. Därefter krånglade det mesta under söndagen och Veiby fick parkera redan i semifinalen efter fortsatta tekniska problem med bilen.
- Vet inte vad jag ska säga. Det är nästan så man inte tror det är sant. Inga reservdelar fanns det heller att jobba med, säger en bedrövad Veiby, som nu ligger sexa i totalställningen.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson var mycket kritisk till VM-organisationen efter helgen på Killarney Circuit med de inhyrda RX2e-bilarna.
- Det finns två sidor av myntet. Positivt är det förstås att vi åker härifrån med utökad ledning i mästerskapet. Det hade jag på förhand köpt alla dagar i veckan. Men å andra sidan känns det inte alls bra med det som hände med Ole Christians bil, säger Tommy och utvecklar:
- Det här är VM och man måste få ställa vissa krav på arrangörerna. Vi befarade att just det här skulle hända när vi inte fick köra med våra egna bilar. Vi har investerat stora pengar för att kunna köra och så finns det inga reservdelar när det börjar krångla. Vi hamnar i en situation där vi inte kan kontrollera vår egen prestation.

Kristoffersson var också kritisk till banskötseln.
- Dammet var ett problem redan när man körde här 2017, 2018 och 2019. Då tycker man att det borde ha åtgärdats till nu. Idag var det utan tvekan avgörande för slutresultatet. Det är hemläxa till VM-organisationen inför avslutningen. Jag vill inte framstå som en dålig förlorare i det här, men jag tycker det är självklara krav att ställa i ett världsmästerskap.

VM-serien ska nu avgöras med de två sista deltävlingarna i Hongkong 11-12 november.

23-10-07 Kristoffersson is king of Killarney as Swede wins in South Africa
Championship leader stretches his legs in Cape Town

Johan Kristoffersson extended his winning run in the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship with another consummate performance as the season resumed in South Africa today (7 October).

World RX marked its return to Cape Town in spectacular style, as drivers duelled wheel-to-wheel and kicked up the dust at Killarney International Raceway – to the clear delight of an enthusiastic and appreciative audience of trackside spectators.

While Kristoffersson ultimately emerged on top – with his 39th career victory increasing his advantage at the summit of the standings to 38 points over his closest pursuer – the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS star did not have things all his own way in the ‘Mother City’, where the entire field took to the track in equal machinery for the very first time.

Kevin Hansen broke Kristoffersson’s previously unbeaten record in the single-lap SuperPole shootout, before heat honours went the way of three different drivers.

Kristoffersson exploited an error by the younger of the Hansen brothers in heat one to seize the initiative, which he retained to the chequered flag to post the fastest time of the session. Despite his comparative lack of experience in the all-electric ZEROID X1, Timo Scheider sprung a surprise in heat two as the German outpaced all of his rivals, with Timmy Hansen – who clinched the world championship crown in Cape Town in 2019 – prevailing in heat three.

Kristoffersson’s commendable consistency earned him top qualifier honours ahead of fellow heat winners Hansen and Scheider, and the Swede dominated the opening semi-final before surviving a Turn One squeeze in the final to make good his escape – assisted by a healthy dose of drama in his wake.

“It’s really good to be back and it’s always nice to win,” the five-time world champion reflected. “It was a tricky day, but I was lucky enough not to be in the traffic too much; I imagine it was easier for me than for the others, because it was difficult to follow with such limited visibility.

“These cars are a little bit different to the ones we are used to driving and the field is really tight. The first couple of corners in the final were pretty exciting and I actually thought I was going to spin in Turn Two; the track also got quite rutted in places, so I just played it safe to avoid any punctures and bring it home. Now we’ll try to do the same again tomorrow.”

The sequence of events behind began when Ole Christian Veiby caught one of the aforementioned ruts midway through the final, pitching him sideways and enabling Timmy Hansen to pull alongside, with contact between the pair into the next corner forcing the Swede onto the grass.

With both drivers delayed, an opportunistic Scheider threaded the needle between them, but the biggest beneficiary in the end was Kevin Hansen, who had already jokered and was able to leapfrog all three to clinch the runner-up spoils.

Scheider narrowly fended off the elder Hansen for third – his second podium finish of the campaign – with Grönholm a distant fifth and Veiby retiring due to the earlier clash.

The action continues tomorrow with another full day of racing in Cape Town, with all of the action to be broadcast on Rally.TV.

FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 5 laps
2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 3.925s
3. Timo SCHEIDER (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport + 4.427s
4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 4.710s
5. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Dealer Team + 6.226s
6. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 1 lap

All content contained within this email is rights-free for editorial use. Find all news releases, images and videos in the World RX News Room. For further content, visit the championship website: fiaworldrx.com

23-10-07 Fjärde raka för Kristoffersson
Det slutade som det brukar när rallycross-VM startade om i Sydafrika: Johan Kristoffersson överst på prispallen. Efter fyra deltävlingar har Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren maximala 92 poäng.
- Inga konstigheter. Bilen har känts bra och jag har haft fint flyt och hamnat rätt, summerar Kristoffersson.

Efter det långa tävlingsuppehållet var det äntligen dags för action igen i VM-rallycrossen, där Killarney Circuit i Kapstaden står för värdskapet under helgen. I Sydafrika är Johan Kristoffersson hittills obesegrad, men den här gången fick han åtminstone släppa ifrån sig segern i superpole. För första gången någonsin. Kevin Hansen var den som lyckades med bedriften att peta ner Kristoffersson.
- En miss. Det var inget perfekt varv, men jag lyckades komma tillbaka och vinna Q1, så det var bra, säger Johan.

I andra kvalomgången fick Kristoffersson nöja sig med andra plats.
- Det var svåra förhållanden och tiden räckte inte riktigt till mot Timo Scheider. Därför blev det lite spännande inför Q3 om positionen som kvaletta.

Den striden tog Kristoffersson hem. Visserligen var Timmy Hansen snabbast i sista kvalomgången, men med en andraplats säkrade Johan de tre kvalpoängen med marginal.

Johan fick sedan en riktigt bra start i semifinalen och kunde enkelt lägga beslag på pole position till finalen.

Ole Christian Veiby hade en lite krångligare väg fram, men efter att ha kvalat in som fyra gjorde norrmannen en riktigt bra semifinal och tog hem segern.
- Jag fick en bra start och när Timmy gjorde ett misstag var det bara att köra förbi.

Det betydde en plats bredvid Johan längst fram i finalen. OC kom också ut som tvåa efter Johan, men hamnade i ett par tuffa närkamper och när bilen helt plötsligt stannade var det färdigkört för dagen.
- Vi följde taktiken exakt och kom ut som etta och tvåa. Allt var lugnt och fint, men sedan blev det lite närkontakt och så stannade bilen helt plötsligt. Vet inte vad som hände.

Kristoffersson däremot seglade iväg i täten och defilerade hem sin fjärde raka seger den här VM-säsongen.
- En bra dag. Jag fick till bra starter både i semifinalen och finalen. Jag hade lite tur som inte hamnade i trafik. Det var svåra förhållanden och svårt att se på grund av både damm och lera. På slutet var det ganska gropigt och slagigt, så jag tog det försiktigt för att inte köra punktering.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson var nöjd med teamets helhetsinsats.
- Vi hade gjort hemläxan och kom inte med nattmössan på huvudet till tävlingen. Vi visade stor noggrannhet i utförandet av våra uppgifter.

Kristoffersson var också nöjd med sina båda förare.
- Johan gjorde ett dåligt varv i superpole, men kom tillbaka starkt. Ole Christian hade det lite upp och ner, men lyckades vinna sin semifinal på ett övertygande sätt. I finalen hade han superotur när bilen stannade.

Utanför själva tävlandet skickade också teamchefen en eloge till Volkswagen Sydafrika.
- De har backat upp oss väldigt starkt och tog hit den gamla vinnar-Polon från 2017-2018 som Johan skjutsade runt gäster i. I förarmästerskapet leder nu Johan med hela 38 poäng före Kevin Hansen, med 69 poäng kvar att köra om. Ole Christian Veiby ligger på delad femte plats.

I teammästerskapet utökade KMS sin ledning till 32 poäng före CE Dealer Team.

Imorgon söndag är det dags för den femte VM-deltävlingen.

23-10-06 Hansen World RX Team heads to Africa to re-start World RX campaign on special ground
On November 10 2019, amid one of the most exciting conclusions to any World Championship season in motorsport history, the Hansen World RX team and driver Timmy Hansen secured the coveted FIA World Rallycross Championship Drivers’ Crown at Cape Town in South Africa.

This weekend, after a four-year hiatus, the Swedish squad, together with drivers Timmy and Kevin Hansen, return to Africa and World RX competition with high hopes of achieving top results.

While investigations continue into the cause of the fire at Lydden Hill in July with Special One Racing’s RX1e machines, all teams and drivers will race identical all-electric, four-wheel-drive ZEROID X1 cars this weekend for a double-header of action in the shadow of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.
Following the opening three rounds of the World RX campaign, Hansen World RX Team drivers Kevin and Timmy Hansen lie third and fifth respectively in the standings, but with a total of 46 points on offer in South Africa, both drivers can climb the table.

The team has previous experience of running the ZEROID X1, as both Kevin and Timmy Hansen raced in the FIA RX2e series in Belgium with the cars and set strong pace against the title contenders, while the Hansen outfit’s Junior programme, #YellowSquad, also has a season of running under its belt with the cars. The space-frame chassis, twin-motor machines have received a boost in performance for their debut on the World stage this weekend.

You can watch the action unfold live all weekend on the RallyTV service (via the World RX website) and via the Hansen team’s social media channels.
Kenneth Hansen said: “We really look forward to getting going again after a long break. It will be a different experience with the Zeroid cars and everyone using the same platform. And of course, going back to South Africa where we have special memories of our time there. The people in South Africa are great, which makes this event very motivating. The whole team is looking forward to going back there, putting on a show, and delivering the best performance we can.”

Timmy Hansen said: “Finally we’re going back racing, it’s been a very tough summer for rallycoss but I think this is proof that we have overcome the challenges as teams and as a sport. I’m so excited, I’ve been working hard on analysing what we did in Belgium. I nearly finished second there in the Zeroid, so it was almost a good result, but I think I have more to gain in driving style so I’ve been working hard on that. I love the track in South Africa and of course have great memories from 2019, it’s special ground for rallycross, for me and for our family. I can’t wait to get our season restarted, there are lots of points up for grabs and we are in equal cars, I would not want to miss this if I was sitting at home watching RallyTV, that’s for sure.”

Kevin Hansen said: “It’s very exciting to go back to Cape Town. It’s an incredible location and one of the most fun tracks of the year, where the fans are amazing. To go down there to continue the World Championship for the first time since Höljes will be really fun. We had good pace with these cars when we raced them in Belgium so I look forward to seeing what the Hansen team can do when we have this opportunity of equal machinery with all the others. The double-headers are very tight with the schedule and it’s about staying focused, being well prepared, and taking it race-by-race. I can’t wait to get down there and promote electric vehicles in Africa.”

23-10-05 World RX stars warm up on the water ahead of South African showdown
Drivers race dragon boats and go behind-the-scenes at turtle conservation centre

The stars of the FIA World Rallycross Championship have got into the groove ahead of this weekend’s double-header in Cape Town (7-8 October) with a warm-up race on the water and a behind-the-scenes tour of a special turtle rehabilitation project.

The day began early, with a 5am alarm call for 2019 world champion Timmy Hansen and rising star Klara Andersson for an appearance on national breakfast television show, Expresso, alongside World RX of South Africa event chairman, Iain Banner.

The two Swedes proceeded to join their fellow World RX drivers at the picturesque V&A Waterfront for a photoshoot against the backdrop of South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain, in the presence of Alderman JP Smith from event partner, the City of Cape Town.

Drivers were subsequently interviewed in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative audience at the V&A Amphitheatre, before signing autographs and posing for selfies with fans and then hitting the water for a spot of pre-event competition.

Andersson, Hansen, 2019 Cape Town winner Niclas Grönholm, Ole Christian Veiby and recently-crowned FIA RX2e champion Nils Andersson partnered with members of local dragon boat clubs – including former world championship paddler, Greg Pearce – for a head-to-head race in the V&A Marina, with the drivers’ competitive spirits predictably coming to the fore.

The contest was close, but ultimately, Andersson and Grönholm’s boat, Cougar, crossed the finish line first to earn the CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment duo initial bragging rights ahead of the upcoming race weekend at Killarney International Raceway.

After drying off, the drivers then enjoyed a privileged behind-closed-doors peak at the Two Oceans Aquarium’s turtle rehabilitation project, led by conservation manager, Talitha Noble.

Having learned about the vital work the conservation centre does to rescue, rehabilitate and release turtles – and the startling statistic that only one or two out of every thousand sea turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood in the wild – the Hansens were inspired to adopt two of the baby turtles, each of which inhabits its own numbered turtle tank while it is nursed to health before being named upon adoption. With the turtles in pools #21 and #71 both still available, they christened them, appropriately, Timmy and Kevin.

“Talitha gave us a fascinating insight into the amazing work done at the turtle rehabilitation centre,” said Susann Hansen, Team Manager of Hansen World RX Team. “Her passion for the project was truly inspiring, and I think we were all quite shocked and saddened to hear some of the facts she revealed about the effect of pollution in the oceans on the wildlife that live in them.

“As a team, we are wholeheartedly committed to the United Nations’ Global Goals, and we believe that motorsport and sustainability do not have to contradict each other – they can in actual fact complement one another and could and indeed should co-exist. We wanted to support the conservation centre by adopting two of the baby turtles, and when we saw that the hatchlings in pools 21 and 71 were still up for adoption, it was clear that it was meant to be.”

This weekend’s electrifying action will begin at 09:00 local time Saturday (7 October), with every session to be broadcast live on the pioneering new Rally.TV platform. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while tickets are available to buy here or on the gate.

The full event timetable and entry list can be found here.

For further content, visit the championship website: fiaworldrx.com

23-10-05 CE Dealer Team heads to South Africa as FIA World RX relaunches 2023 season
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will be back on track this weekend as the all-electric 2023 FIA World RX season restarts in South Africa.

With the investigation of the incident at Lydden Hill earlier this year still being active, the FIA, World RX promotor, teams and stakeholders of the championship have decided to continue the 2023 season racing with the electric RX2e cars. And the remaining rounds in South Africa and Hong Kong will be run as double headers.

The FIA World RX of South Africa will be the first time the championship heads outside Europe since the 2019 finale, which was also held in Cape Town.

Niclas Grönholm holds second in the drivers’ championship and the Finnish driver claimed the victory in South Africa back in 2019.

”It will be interesting to go back to Cape Town. I have some really good memories from winning there back in 2019. This time we are in different cars, and everyone should have similar equipment. It is good that we get to race and keep the championship going, I’m really looking forward to the weekend,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Swede Klara Andersson is currently seventh in the standings, just eight points from third in the edge-of-the-seat FIA World RX season.

”It is great to be back in action in the FIA World RX again. It is my first time racing in South Africa. The track looks fun, and it is one of the venues I am looking forward to the most this year. It’s also exciting when everyone has got the same material, it can change things up in the championship. We will try to have a solid weekend and collect as many points as possible and give our fans and partners a good show,” said Klara Andersson.

CE Dealer Team holds second in the teams’ championship after the first three rounds of the season. This weekend will be the first time the team races outside Europe during its groundbreaking journey in the 100% electric championship.

”It’s a fantastic feeling for us all to be back racing this weekend. And as everyone in the championship will race in equal machinery, the competition will no doubt be even tougher in South Africa and Hong Kong. We have a strong turnout and support from our partners in South Africa and we will as always try to get the best results possible,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will have close to 200 guests on site in Cape Town from hosting dealer Babcock and other partners of the programme, showcasing the latest electric machinery and services.

The FIA World RX of South Africa starts on Saturday with round four of the 2023 FIA World RX, followed by round five on Sunday.

The double header broadcast globally – as well as through the RX+ online streaming platform and SVT for Swedish viewers.

A full schedule for the weekend is available here: https://bit.ly/3ru7pP4

23-10-05 Fullt fokus när VM kommer igång igen
Efter ett tre månader långt uppehåll rullar VM-säsongen i rallycross vidare med en dubbeltävling i Kapstaden, Sydafrika.
- Äntligen blir det race igen! Jag ser verkligen fram emot att köra i Cape Town, säger VM-ledande Johan Kristoffersson i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS.

Femfaldige världsmästaren Kristoffersson tog ett bastant grepp om VM-titeln under de tre deltävlingarna tidigt på säsongen. Med maximala 69 poäng ryckte han åt sig en ledning på 27 poäng gentemot tvåan Niclas Grönholm.

Därefter följde den ödesdigra branden på Lydden Hill, vilket gjorde att deltävlingen där ströks, liksom de två följande i Belgien och Tyskland. Johan Kristoffersson och Ole Christian Veiby får nu avsluta säsongen med RX2e-bilar eftersom orsaken till branden i England fortfarande inte är klarlagd.
- Vi hade förstås gärna varit här med våra egna bilar, men nu är det som det är och det blir bara till att ställa om kompassen. Poängen kommer ändå att vara lika mycket värda i de avslutande tävlingarna, säger Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-chefen Tommy Kristoffersson, som är noga med att påpeka vikten av full koncentration i omstarten.
- Under sommaren har vi suttit hemma och tittat på solnedgången och druckit rosévin. Slut på det! Nu gäller det att vara på tårna direkt. Vi har en stor uppgift framför oss. Om inte vi paketerar den här helgen på ett bra sätt är det inte mycket värt det vi har gjort tidigare under säsongen.

Målet för de fyra återstående tävlingarna - två i Kapstaden och två i Hongkong i november, - är solklart.
- Johan ska vinna förarmästerskapet, där vi också ska få upp Ole Christian på pallen och så ska vi säkra teammästerskapet.

Förutsättningarna är goda för att infria dessa mål. En bonus har man i form av Nils Anderssons erfarenheter, RX2e-mästaren 2023, som också jobbar hos KMS. Johan har dessutom en utmärkt statistik när det gäller rallycross i Kapstaden, då han vann såväl 2018 som 2019.
- 100 procent segrar där nere. Dessutom vann jag Gymkhana i Johannesburg, så jag vet värre ställen att åka till än Sydafrika. Rent allmänt trivs jag också där. Det är trevliga människor, en skön stämning och väldigt god mat.

För Ole Christian Veiby är det däremot tävlingsdebut på sydafrikansk mark.
- Det blir kul. Banan ser riktigt rolig ut. Vi var ju dessutom snabba med de här bilarna i Belgien, påpekar Veiby.

Där finns ännu en sak som talar till teamets fördel, att man valde att köra RX2e-deltävlingen i Mettet när RX1e blev inställt.
- Absolut! Det är väldigt viktigt att vi har kört den här typen av bilar lite innan.

För Veiby tog det stopp i semifinalen i Belgien, medan teamkompisen Kristoffersson vann, trots en stukad bil som gick på tvären i finalen.
- Man brukar säga att man ska börja med de inställningar på bilen man avslutade föregående tävling med, men jag tror inte det gäller här. Det var en lättnad när jag väl kom över mållinjen. Jag trodde inte jag skulle kunna hålla undan i fem varv med tanke på hur bilen kändes, säger Johan.

Ingen av de båda förarna i KMS-teamet har legat på latsidan under sommaren. Det har tävlats i RallyX, Extreme E, rally, folkrace och SxS.
- Det har varit körning nästan varje helg, säger Ole Christian, som senast deltog i NGK Masters.
- Det var kul, men jag får lägga bort folkracetakterna nu. Man kommer nog inte så långt annars.

Johan Kristoffersson ägnade senaste helgen åt SxS Nordic, där han var snabbast av alla så länge materialet höll. Nu blir det fordonsbyte igen.
- Det ska inte vara något stort problem. Jag har kört så många bilar genom åren, så jag har ganska lätt för att ställa om.

Trots stor ledning i mästerskapet känner han sig inte helt säker än.
- Det är sent på året, men det är ju faktiskt mer än 50 procent kvar av tävlingarna än. Det gäller att vara på sin vakt, men jag sitter trots allt hellre i min sits med 27 poängs ledning än att behöva ta risker och jaga.

Full uppbackning får han förstås från ett engagerat och kunnigt team. Det intygar teamchefen.
- Vi åker med full uppsättning i personalstyrkan. Det är ingen i det här gänget som kommer att ta lätt på sin uppgift, lovar Tommy Kristoffersson.

23-10-03 South Africa set to thrill with dazzling double-header
Battle for World Championship honours to resume in Cape Town

The all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship returns to South Africa for the first time in four years this weekend (7-8 October), with motorsport’s most spectacular discipline set to thrill fans at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway.

The last time World RX visited the ‘Rainbow Nation’, spectators were treated to arguably the most memorable moment in the championship’s history, as Timmy Hansen and Andreas Bakkerud went doorhandle-to-doorhandle for title glory, clashing on the first lap of the final and ending up tied on points – with Hansen prevailing on countback.

The 2019 champion will be back at Killarney – in the shadow of Table Mountain – this weekend, as he bids to close the gap to championship-leading countryman Johan Kristoffersson, winner of the opening three rounds of the current campaign.

The World Championship has been on hold since the unfortunate incident at Lydden Hill just over two months ago, but with the season now resuming using the electric ZEROID X1 cars, the battle is back on with a vengeance.

It also means that for the first time in World RX history, there will be a completely level playing field, as all competitors take to the track in equal machinery – placing the emphasis firmly on skill behind the wheel and engineering expertise to extract the very last thousandth-of-a-second.

Six of the drivers in the field have already sampled the ZEROID X1 through guest outings in the FIA RX2e Championship during the summer. Kristoffersson won the RX2e event at Mettet in Belgium, and went unbeaten in Cape Town in 2017 and 2018 – on both occasions, having already clinched the coveted crown.

This time, the fight for honours is still very much alive, and while the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS star will arrive in the ‘Mother City’ holding a 27-point advantage at the summit of the standings, his rivals are firmly focussed on chasing him down – with a bumper haul of points up for grabs in the first double-header of the campaign.

Just 12 points blanket the next six drivers in the classification. CE Dealer Team’s Niclas Grönholm is Kristoffersson’s closest challenger – and the winner of the 2019 event in South Africa – while Kevin Hansen sits third for Hansen World RX Team, with the Swede’s driving style well-attuned to the characteristics of the ZEROID X1 following his successful stint in RX Lites earlier in his career.

Kristoffersson and Grönholm’s respective team-mates Ole Christian Veiby and Klara Andersson are similarly well in the mix, although both will be discovering Killarney for the first time, while double DTM champion Timo Scheider is a former participant in the gruelling Cape Epic mountain bike race in Cape Town. The German reached the final at Killarney in two of his three previous appearances, and will be joined at ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport by Euro RX1 event-winner, René Münnich.

The electrifying action will begin at 09:00 local time Saturday (7 October), with every session to be broadcast live on the pioneering new Rally.TV platform. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while tickets are available to buy here or on the gate.

The full event timetable and entry list can be found here.

All content contained within this email is rights-free for editorial use. Find all news releases, images and videos in the World RX News Room. For further content, visit the championship website: fiaworldrx.com

23-09-03 Andersson, Öhman and JC secure RallyX 2023 medals
Andersson, Öhman and JC secure RallyX 2023 medalsSwedish team JC Raceteknik contested the final round of the 2023 RallyX series at the legendary Höljes circuit and left its home event with a pair of championship medals, for rising rallycross star Lukas Andersson and fan favourite Mats Öhman.

Contesting his first year in senior competition, Andersson finished the season as he started, fighting at the front of the order in the Supercar Lites category throughout the single-header weekend and setting fastest qualifying times, ultimately qualifying on the front row for the final.

Still within a mathematical chance of claiming the crown until the very last race of the year, Andersson lost out in the early battle for position through the Varmland circuit’s first two corners of the final and eventually finished the race fifth, enough to secure third in the points after eight rounds.

Mats Öhman contested his home round of the series in Supercar Pro Am with a JC Audi S1 and battled for a third victory in four events, but while running second in the final, the fan favourite driver went for a move around the outside for the race lead at the Velodrome section while held up behind the leader, who had a puncture, but lost a position. Regardless, Öhman finished the final second to secure third in the overall standings, despite not having contested all of the rounds.

Local star Linus Ostlund joined JC for his home round of the series in Supercar, hailing from just down the road from the circuit at Höljes and finished the Supercar Pro final fifth just behind the series’ championship contenders after a strong weekend. In a third Audi S1, Daniel Thoren returned for his first start since the RallyX round at Tierp in May and finished fifth in the Supercar Am final.

JC Raceteknik now turns its focus to the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia next weekend (Rudskogen Motorsenter) with Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, before returning to America for the next rounds of Nitrocross at Phoenix (November 10-11).

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“We can be proud of this season – of our drivers and the whole team. Lukas was a star. In his first season of senior racing, a year early after we got special dispensation for him to drive, he was very impressive. Maybe winning three of the first four races came a bit easy, but he has been very fast and learnt a huge amount. In some ways, for his development, the hard weekends in Finland and Norway maybe did more for his future career than the wins did, because he has the natural speed and only experience can teach you about the not so good days. Overall its been very good. For Mats, he has made a great comeback to rallycross this year, the wins in Kouvola were of course the highlight and he almost won here too, until he just lost out behind Mikko Ikonen who had the puncture in the Supercar Am final. It was a pleasure to have Linus join us for his home race and to have Daniel back in the team too.”

23-09-03 Johan suverän mästare i RallyX
Johan Kristoffersson var favorit inför finalen i RallyX och visst motsvarade han förväntningarna - ledning från start till mål i varje race.
- Hur bra som helst. Det är ett superjämnt mästerskap, så jobbet måste ändå göras, säger Kristoffersson Motorsports mästare.

Kristoffersson kom till finalen i Höljes med två poängs ledning före Kevin Eriksson. Eftersom han hade missat hela tävlingshelgen i Kouvola fanns inget utrymme för misstag. Alla poäng i Höljes skulle räknas. Ett läge som tilltalade den femfaldige världsmästaren.
- Man får ta vara på alla tillfällen att fajtas om en mästerskapstitel. Det läggs i rutinbanken.

Segervapnet i förra tävlingen i Grenland var Kristofferssons magnifika starter, så varför ändra på ett vinnande koncept. Först ut och ledning från start till mål i alla sex besöken ute på den välbekanta Höljes-banan.
- Otroligt bra starter nu igen. Det gör livet så mycket enklare. Men jag hade också snabbaste varvtid i finalen, så farten fanns också där, påpekar Johan.

Det blev alltså inte så mycket dramatik, i synnerhet som främste titelutmanaren Kevin Eriksson fick problem i semifinalen och tog sig till final först efter att Peter Hedström blivit diskvalificerad. Från tredje led behövde Eriksson vinna finalen för att ha en chans att snuva Kristoffersson på segern.
- Det var synd för Kevin, men ändå kul att det ändå gick till ett avgörande i sista heatet, säger Johan.

Ett litet spänningsmoment bjöd KMS-föraren själv på när han touchade räcket vid utgången från jokerspåret på sista varvet i finalen, efter att ha klarat den manövern med liten marginal varje gång tidigare.
- En liten touch kunde jag bjuda på. Solen stod så lågt att det var svårt att se. Jag kände att jag kom lite snett och förstod att det skulle ta i, men det blir alltid en liten hög med grus där intill räcket, så jag tänkte att det nog skulle gå bra med en liten träff.

Volkswagen Polo GTI:n, kallad “Grisen”, klarade den smällen och har uppfört sig utmärkt de två sista tävlingarna i mästerskapet.
- De saker vi har behövt jobba med har vi kunnat ta mellan heaten. Ute på banan har allt fungerat.

För Ole Christian Veiby var det en något stökigare helg, men norrmannen manövrerade sig ändå fram till en pallplats i finalen som slutlig trea, vilket innebar en fjärdeplats i mästerskapet.
- Jag hade pace för mer, var snabbast på varvtiderna flera gånger, men ett litet misstag i Q2 ödelade mycket under helgen. Jag hamnade bakpå och fick starta långt ut.

Veiby tog sig ändå fram från fjärde startspår i semifinalen till en andraplats efter Johan och därefter till tredje plats i finalen från samma ruta.
- Till slut blev det ett brukbart resultat även om det fanns läge på mer.

KMS-chefen Tommy Kristoffersson sammanfattade helgen kort och koncist:
- Det blev bra detta!

Gästspelet i RallyX blev lite mer omfattande än det var tänkt från början, men ett bra sådant.
- Det är en superfin serie och det känns bra att vi har varit här och kört.

Kristoffersson var mycket nöjd med teamets insats.
- Vi har inte det bästa materialet och måste utnyttja allt till max. Vi behöver varje hästkraft som går att skaka ur och det har vi lyckats med.

Och teamchefen var förstås också imponerad av Johans fantastiska starter.
- Klockrena! Lika bra som i Grenland. Vi har kunnat köra med samma front i två tävlingar på raken. Det är ett tecken på att man har sluppit undan problem.

23-09-02 CE Dealer Team set for electrified World RX season end in Cape Town and Hong Kong
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment is set for an exciting season end at FIA World RX of South Africa, Cape Town (7-8 October) and FIA World RX of China, Hong Kong (11-12 November).

The star drivers of the team, Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson, will drive their 100% electric RX2e cars in the two race final weekends of 2023 as the important investigation of the RX1e fire at Lydden Hill continues.

“While we of course would have liked to return with our RX1e cars, we look forward to continuing pushing the boundaries of sustainable motorsport forward with our RX2e cars. This enables us to provide our fans and partners with two exciting final race weekends 2023 and then return even stronger for 2024,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will feature an extensive activation on site during both race weekends with its partners, showcasing the latest electric machinery and services.

The team made its RX2e debut in Germany last month, with both drivers reaching the final despite limited experience and preparations.

Read the full statement from the FIA World RX organisation here.

23-09-01 Hansen World RX Team goes all-in as 2023 season confirmed to conclude in South Africa and Hong Kong
The 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship will conclude as planned at two of the season’s most exciting events, in South Africa and Hong Kong, the Hansen World RX Team is delighted to announce.

Recent World RX rounds have been postponed due to the fire at Lydden Hill on 21 July, which destroyed both Special ONE Racing RX1e cars, and the subsequent investigation is ongoing.

A solution has been delivered to complete the final four rounds of the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship season, while all parties continue to look towards 2024 and beyond.
The Hansen World RX Team, that currently lies third in the Teams’ standings, and third and fifth in the Drivers’ standings, will race a pair of identical single-specification all-electric ZEROID X1 vehicles in the fly-away events.

Team drivers Timmy Hansen (2019 World RX Champion) and Kevin Hansen (2016 Euro RX Champion) have recent experience of the cars usually used in the RX2e series, having delivered fast pace in the Belgian round of the RX2e series earlier this month, and enter the final rounds of World RX with high hopes.

While the downtown Hong Kong event will mark the next step in taking World RX to the people with city centre venues, a concept supported by the Hansen World RX Team, the Killarney Circuit on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, holds a special place in the team’s history as the venue where Timmy Hansen claimed the World RX Drivers’ crown in 2019.
The South Africa event takes place on 7-8 October while the World RX of China, Hong Kong will be held on 11-12 November.

Kenneth Hansen said: “We are really excited to be back racing in the World Championship again, it’s a huge effort from everyone involved; the promotor, the FIA and the teams to pull together a solution after it looked impossible to continue this year. This also buys us more time to continue and prepare for 2024 and beyond, where we will continue our growth as a sport in terms of a racing and commercial product and of course for us as a team within that. We are fully invested in moving forwards with rallycross into the future.

"To start that, it’s great that everyone will be using the RX2e cars for what will be two great events to finish 2023. We have great memories from Cape Town, where we won our first World RX Drivers’ title in 2019, and also Hong Kong on a brand-new city center circuit. It’s so important that we are able to complete the season, where we will see closer racing than ever with everyone running the same specification of cars. It’s a huge achievement for everybody that we are able to finish the season as we look to an exciting future.”

23-08-31 Segervittring inför Höljes
Efter succéhelgen i Grenland åker Kristoffersson Motorsport till RallyX-finalen i Höljes med segervittring.
- Det är absolut målet, men det finns verkligen inga garantier, säger Johan Kristoffersson.

Kristoffersson har två poängs övertag på Kevin Eriksson inför säsongens åttonde och sista race, trots att han missade hela tävlingshelgen i Kouvola. På norsk mark gångna helgen skaffade sig Johan möjligheten att avgöra av egen kraft. Segervapnet där var starterna. Kristoffersson var snabbast ut i alla sina sex heat.
- Det gör livet ganska mycket enklare, speciellt som jag inte hade något direkt övertag fartmässigt ute på banan.

Trots att förutsättningarna skiftade rejält under helgen var Johan raskast från startplattan varenda gång. Skickligt hanterat av föraren förstås, men också ett resultat av ett mångårigt samarbete med ingenjören Per Johansson.
- Vi jobbar bra ihop. Han vet precis vad jag menar och programmerar exakt utifrån hur jag har sagt att jag vill ha det.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson är imponerad av den dynamiska duon.
- Per är en supernörd, precis som Johan, så de passar bra ihop. Båda har en stark vinnarmentalitet, men jag skulle säga att det gäller för hela teamet. Vi har en otrolig kunskapsbas och enormt dedikerad personal. Sedan Grenland har ljuset varit tänt i verkstaden oavbrutet. Ingenting lämnas åt slumpen.

Trots en framgångsrik helg med få skador har bilarna fått en minutiös genomgång inför helgen i Höljes.
- Vi vill ge oss själva bästa tänkbara förutsättningar och förebygga eventuella problem. Vi gör det vi kan för att komma väl förberedda. Det är ett mästerskap som står på spel och vi är alla tävlingsmänniskor, säger Tommy.

För Johan Kristoffersson står titelstriden mot Kevin Eriksson. Drömscenariot ser ut som följer:
- Att vi står sida vid sida i finalen. Först i mål vinner!

Johan ser dock en annan tydlig konkurrent om segern.
- Min käre teamkompis har gjort det väldigt bra på sistone och kommit allt närmare.

Ole Christian Veiby har tydligt steppat upp sin förmåga och var till och med snabbare än den femfaldige världsmästaren på vissa delar av banan i Grenland.
- Det är gott att ha med sig det självförtroendet när man sätter sig i bilen. Klarar man att köra ifrån Johan i vissa partier, då vet man att man har gjort det bra. Det är inte många som klarar det.

För Ole Christians del var det nämnda starter som var skillnaden till hans nackdel.
- Där måste jag hitta något nytt till Höljes. “Bettan” behöver bli snabbare iväg.

Tommy Kristoffersson är full av beundran för Ole Christian. I tio år har Veiby varit en del av Kristoffersson Motorsport och fortsättning följer.
- Vi räknar honom som en egen KMS-produkt, otroligt betydelsefull i vårt långsiktiga samarbete, liksom pappa Erik är. De har varit med och byggt upp KMS till vad vi är idag.

Med goda resultat som följd, vilket inte minst märktes i Grenland där Ole Christian bärgade en norsk mästerskapstitel.
- Ole hade en jättebra helg i Norge. Jag skulle nog vilja säga att det var hans bästa rallycrosshelg någonsin. Han kan absolut vara med och utmana om segern i Höljes.

23-08-27 Hvaal wins on Supercar debut with JC Raceteknik at Grenland
Rising Norwegian star Jens Hvaal claimed a debut Supercar victory in the penultimate round of the RallyX series at Grenland, Norway racing a JC Raceteknik Audi S1 Supercar in the Supercar AM category.

Having tested only once in a Supercar prior to the event, 19-year-old Hvaal stepped up to four-wheel-drive competition for the first time following a maiden Euro RX3 win on-track in Germany the previous weekend and stunned RallyX regulars on his Supercar debut.

Fifth fastest in Q1 on Friday evening and then seventh in both Q2 and Q3 despite difficult mixed conditions on Saturday, after Q4 Hvaal qualified eighth in the amalgamated Supercar Pro and Am Intermediate Classification. Starting on the front row for the Am final, Hvaal then took an early lead to drive to a debut win. In the Pro division, the young driver also made it through to the finial, and ran third on lap one before finishing fourth against far more experienced opposition.

Former event-winner Sondre Evjen returned to RallyX Supercar for his home event and qualified fourth in the Supercar Pro Intermediate Classification. On Sunday morning before the conclusion of the RallyX event, he finished second in the Norwegian Rallycross Championship Supercar finale, one place ahead of event-team mate Hvaal, then challenged for the podium in the RallyX Supercar Pro final but retired with a broken gearbox. Mats Ohman raced a third JC Audi S1 at Grenland, finishing fourth in Supercar Am and 10th in Supercar Pro.

In the Supercar Lites category, Lukas Andersson claimed the Top Qualifier position and won the first semi-final to secure pole position for the final. He led the main event in the early laps, but after a dramatic race ended up fourth on track, before being promoted to third when the winner was handed a penalty post-race. Andersson remains in the title fight heading to the final round in Holjes next weekend.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“Jens was very, very good this weekend. Grenland is a difficult circuit to be fast on immediately, but he was calm and controlled and managed some very challenging track conditions, especially on Saturday in the heats. He was the best in the Supercar Am class and the victory is very well deserved. With a bit more luck he could also have been on the podium in the Supercar Pro final. He should be very pleased with his weekend. For Sondre, he also should have been on the podium in Supercar Pro were it not for his gearbox problem and I know he is a bit disappointed not to win the Norwegian Championship finale. Mats had another solid weekend and we are now focused on Holjes with him next weekend. For Lukas, he had the win here in his hands but the final didn’t go his way. He was second on the last lap, which would have been a victory as we knew the winner would get a penalty, but third is a strong result and we go to Holjes still fighting for the championship title.”

Jens Hvaal (NOR):
“The weekend was perfect, we got experience in both the rain and the dry and we have learned an extreme amount. To compete against these other guys who are living off driving, and to just to jump in here and be so close and in the fight, I don’t have words. This debut I will never forget, it’s the perfect weekend after what happened last weekend (losing Euro RX3 win) – it fixes a lot. We will see what next year brings, this has opened a lot of doors, doing RallyX is one of them.”

23-08-27 Dubbel triumf för KMS
Så ska en perfekt tävling utföras! Kristoffersson Motorsport fick full utdelning i RallyX i norska Grenland. Seger i finalen för Johan Kristoffersson och en norsk mästerskapstitel till Ole Christian Veiby.
- En fullbordad helg med många bra ingredienser, säger teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

KMS åkte till Grenland, sydväst om Oslo, med två mål: att ge Johan Kristoffersson chansen att få köra om mästerskapstiteln i Höljes nästa helg och att ta hem norska mästerskapet till Ole Christian Veiby. Check på båda två!
- Utåt sett har det väl verkat lättare än vad det var. Vi har haft en hel del jobb med bilarna, men grabbarna i teamet håller världsklass, helt otroliga, och både Johan och Ole Christian har gjort sitt jobb klockrent.
- Vi har visat att vi behärskar både blött och torrt. Johan är i absolut särklass på regn och Ole har varit stabil hela helgen, berömmer Tommy Kristoffersson, som också passade på att hylla arrangemanget.
- En eloge till Andreas Eriksson och RallyX. En mycket bra tv-produktion, en fin bana och ett arrangemang i toppklass.

Lördagens kval bjöd på mycket regn och besvärliga förutsättningar ute på banan. I de lägena är Johan Kristoffersson den obestridlige kungen, vilken han också visade med fyra raka heatsegrar.
- Bra gjort att lyckas ta hem alla heaten med ett ganska litet fartövertag ändå. Starterna var verkligen bra, säger Johan, som fortsatte i samma stil genom att enkelt köra hem sin semifinal.

I den andra semin triumferade Ole Christian Veiby som hade en något krångligare väg genom kvalificeringen.
- Jag fick kämpa i Q1 och Q2, men därefter var det helt prickfritt, konstaterar Ole Christian.

Två KMS-bilar i första startled i finalen därmed och samma KMS-bilar först över målllinjen med Johan som etta och OC som tvåa.

Det effektiva samarbetet mellan de båda förarna var en viktig ingrediens i segersoppan.
- Våra bilar har lite olika styrkor. Ole var snabbare på vissa ställen på banan och det var en fördel att vara två och kunna ta del av varandras data.

Det blev en intern kamp mellan de båda om finalens snabba varvtid, där Johan till slut var en tusendels sekund (!) snabbare än sin teamkompis.
- Jag låg bara och kontrollerade det, konstaterar Johan med ett skratt.

Ole Christian kunde i gengäld titulera sig som norsk mästare i rallycross, hans första titel av den sorten. Det mästerskapet avgjordes med en egen final baserad på lördagens kval. Veiby startade i pole position med Sondre Evjen på utsidan.
- Sondre fick en lite bättre start och var en halv billängd före, men jag hade innern och kom ut först. Sedan kunde jag dra ifrån. Kul med första titeln i rallycross. Det är ju något som kommer att stå i historieböckerna, säger Veiby.

I RallyX-sammandraget ligger Kongsvinger-föraren på fjärde plats medan värmlänningen Kristoffersson har tagit över täten i mästerskapet, två poäng före Kevin Eriksson inför finalen i Höljes kommande helg.
- Som jag alltid säger: Det är kul att få komma till en final och ha chans att vinna mästerskapet, avslutar Johan.

23-08-23 Östlund completes JC Raceteknik Supercar line up for Holjes RallyX finale
Former Crosscar Champion and Supercar Lites event-winner Linus Östlund will join JC Raceteknik to race in the final round of the 2023 RallyX season at Holjes in Sweden next week.

Östlund is no stranger to Supercar, having regularly raced in events at his home circuit in the last two years, hailing from just down the road from one of the world’s most famous rallycross venues, in Syssleback.

A six-time Swedish Crosskart champion and double Swedish Supercar Lites title-winner, Östlund raced a Supercar in the Magic Weekend Euro RX event earlier this summer, and will now join JC Raceteknik to race an Audi S1 Supercar in the RallyX finale, taking place just a week after the penultimate round in Norway.

Östlund will race as part of a three-car effort for the JC team, joining Daniel Thoren, who raced an Audi S1 in the RallyX Tierp double-header earlier this year, and fan favourite Mats Ohman, who claimed back-to-back victories in the Supercar Am catgeory at Kouvola, Finland earlier this summer.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“Many people call Holjes their home circuit, but for Linus it really is, so it will be special for us to have him in one of our cars to wrap up the RallyX season in style. He was very, very good in Crosscar, and in his Supercar Lites and Supercar races he has also shown brilliant speed, so it will be interesting to see how he can adapt to the Audi. With some luck on his side he would have been on the podium in Euro RX at the Magic Weekend, so we hope to get into him into the top three this weekend. It’s also a special home event for Daniel and for Mats. I’m sure Daniel will love driving the Audi at Holjes, and for Mats, he is always so well received by the crowd. Make sure to buy tickets to come and see us in action, and to see how our Junior driver, Lukas Andersson, can finish his first season in Supercar Lites!”

Linus Östlund (SWE):
“I’m super excited for this opportunity. After I did the Euro RX race in Höljes in July I didn’t expect to do any more races this year, but I got an opportunity and some extra help from my brilliant sponsors. To be able to race with such a big team as JC is great, and I hope I can put on some good racing and fight the big guys on track. I’m excited to see what the Audi can do. My hopes are to be able to match the speed of the top guys, and make it to the final. Then as we know in rallycross, anything can happen!”

23-08-20 CE Dealer Team reaches final on RX2e debut in Germany
Construction Equipment Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment made its debut in the 100% electric RX2e series at Estering in Germany, with both Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson reaching the final.

CE Dealer Team took the opportunity to race in the RX2e class at Estering, after the postponement of the RX1e class in Germany due to the ongoing investigation after the incident at Lydden Hill.

27-year-old Niclas Grönholm had a difficult start to his first-ever RX2e race with two DNFs during Saturday. Come Sunday, and Grönholm bagged two heat wins to qualify for the semi-finals.

The Finish star challenged for the podium, and ultimately finished in fourth.

”I think it was as tricky as expected this weekend. A poor Saturday really hampered me quite a lot. These cars are so equal off the line and on the lap times. After yesterday’s struggle, I did what I could and fought back. On a flying lap, when everything was good, we were on the pace and could even have won. But there are always ifs and buts, it is what it is,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Klara Andersson made her return to RX2e, having raced there in 2021. The Swede claimed victory in heat one on her way to finish fifth in the final behind team-mate Niclas Grönholm.

”It was a pretty solid weekend, I think we had some really good pace. Unfortunately, the start is everything on this track, and we were not so lucky there, starting from the outside. It was quite hard to do our own thing, and in the finals, we wanted to respect the championship contenders,” said Klara Andersson.

CE Dealer Team and its drivers provided plenty of action its the partners and guests onsite at Estering this weekend, while also gathering crucial experience in a race environment to further develop the team and its operation for the future.

”It was good to be back on track and racing again. I think we put on a great show for all our partners and guests who gave us great support this weekend. We knew the competition in RX2e would be tough, and we reached our goal of getting both cars into the final. We will now continue our work to be as well-prepared as possible when the RX1e season hopefully restarts in South Africa,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

The cutting-edge Volvo CE machinery worked hard throughout the German race weekend, keeping the circuit in top conditions and recovered stranded race vehicles in front of a strong crowd and a successful customer activation by the partners of the team.

The World RX of Germany weekend was the last European round of this year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship. The championship is scheduled to head to South Africa on October 6-8 for its first event outside Europe since 2019.

CE Dealer Team sits second in the teams’ standings, with Niclas Grönholm holding second in the drivers’ championship and Klara Andersson is seventh.

Results after the FIA World RX of Germany: https://bit.ly/3P3mRu9

23-08-20 #YellowSquad and Sjökvist claim RX2e silver medal at Estering finale
Swedish talent Isak Sjökvist and the #YellowSquad team entered the FIA RX2e series finale at the legendary Estering in a three-way fight for the all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship support category title, and with a brilliant performance came within meters of claiming the crown.

Third in the series standings entering the event at the Buxtehude circuit, Sjökvist delivered a strong performance throughout the weekend, consistently inside the top three positions in the heats despite never even having tested at Estering, to qualify second in the Ranking classification after four heats, crucially ahead of the championship leader.

Victory in the semi-finals ahead of two World RX regulars set Sjökvist up for a title show-down in the final, but having made a good start, a brave outside manoeuvre in the infamous first corner didn’t pay off and Sjökvist ran third throughout the race. Matching the pace of the leading pair from start to finish, Sjökvist just missed out on the championship title, but took home the silver medal.

In the sister #YellowSquad machine, Australian rally and Extreme E star Molly Taylor returned to RX2e for a second event in a row supported by E.ON and Veloce, and once again improved with every outing on track. However, contact from other cars meant she was forced into the wall in Heat 3, putting her out of the race altogether, and again in the semi-finals, where she was removed from contention for qualifying for the final and her results didn’t reflect her performance.

Isak Sjökvist and Molly Taylor
#YellowSquad Driver
Sjökvist said: I am quite devastated to lose the championship but we are all fighting to become the best drivers we can and I tried to pull out everything I had this weekend and enjoy every second. It felt great throughout the whole weekend, the competitiveness is so, so high in RX2e, and it’s always the small margins that make a big difference.

In the semi-final I actually drove away from Niclas Grönholm (World RX driver) and tried to get the best spot possible for the final, but Tommi Hallman did a great job on the inside of the grid in the final. I tried going around the outside but it didn’t come off. Nils (Andersson) deserves the championship. It’s been a pleasure to race him this year but I’m hungry for more and they'd better be prepared because I’m coming back to get them.

Taylor said: It’s been both a really positive and also a frustrating weekend. Overall we’ve made great progress in terms of pace, so I’m really happy to have been able to fight on that side. In terms of the races, today has been a bit of carnage, being turned into the wall twice, so its frustrating to miss some track time and not be able to convert the speed I know we have. But this programme has been all about learning and I can safely say I’ve done a lot of that!

I’m really grateful to E.ON, Veloce, #YellowSquad, Kevin (Hansen) and Isak for making this possible. Rallycross is such a different world, so it’s been cool to get an insight into what it’s all about and I hope this is just the beginning of my time here.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
We came here with a single goal for Isak and he drove very well. Unfortunately it only just wasn’t enough to take the championship title. Of course, we are disappointed not to win, but we can be proud of our performance this weekend. We did what we could and we drove a fair race.

Thanks to a positive test in Sweden between Belgium and Germany, our drivers came here with a positive mindset and really had good performances here.

Molly is improving all the time in this new environment, and Isak was a different driver to Belgium. He should be proud of his weekend. I hope we can continue to work with both Molly and Isak in the future.

23-08-20 Champions crowned on dramatic day in Germany
Swedish success in RX2e and Euro RX1, as Pole prevails in Euro RX3

The final day of the FIA RX2e Championship and FIA European Rallycross Championship campaign produced some spectacular action at Germany’s Estering today (20 August), as tense title fights reached their conclusion at the popular Buxtehude-based track.

In RX2e, Nils Andersson – championship leader heading into the weekend – kept his cool to clinch the crown. The Swede – who competes for Kristoffersson Motorsport junior outfit Team E – was in the mix throughout, placing third in the intermediate classification after the heats. In the final, he then followed Tommi Hallman all the way to the chequered flag, in the knowledge that second place was sufficient to get the job done.

“Finishing on top when everyone has the same tools is great,” Andersson enthused. “The biggest key to our success this year was that I had a really fast team-mate in Mikaela, meaning we could work together on finding the details and making the car quick. This title belongs to Kristoffersson Motorsport as well, because they are such a big part of it. Hopefully I can come back to defend it next year.”

Hallman’s victory maintained his perfect record in the single-make FIA World Rallycross Championship feeder series – after triumphing on his debut at Lydden Hill last month – while Isak Sjökvist rounded out the rostrum in third for #YellowSquad to secure the runner-up spot in the standings for the second consecutive campaign. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky – similarly in title contention entering the event – saw her bid for glory end at the semi-final stage.

Anton Marklund sped to his fourth European crown by lifting the laurels in Euro RX1. The defending champion needed just four points in Germany to assure himself of the trophy, and he duly sealed the deal by topping the ranking at the end of the heats. The SET Promotion star then found himself in the wars in the semi-final, with contact pitching him into the barriers and out of the race at the first corner.

“We knew it would be difficult coming into this season with a ten-year-old car,” Marklund reflected. “Of course we had some small upgrades to the gearbox, but apart from that it’s the same since Ken Block was driving it in 2013-14.

“It was a late decision to enter the championship again, and as the champion, you are the one that everybody wants to beat, but we have a very experienced team and we did our best to stay out of trouble. In the end, our consistency and patience paid off. I’m very pleased.”

Janis Baumanis became the only two-time winner of 2023 in Euro RX1 by book-ending his season with victories to cement the championship runner-up spoils, chased home by reigning British Champion Patrick O’Donovan and Enzo Ide.

In Euro RX3, Damian Litwinowicz prevailed at the end of a bruising final that saw the Pole and title rival Espen Isaksætre – his Volland Racing team-mate – collide on more than one occasion, leaving Litwinowicz parked up on the sidelines and seeing Isaksætre disqualified from the result. French duo Dylan Dufas and David Bouet claimed a one-two finish for RX Evolution, after on-the-road winner Jens Hvaal was disqualified on technical grounds.

fiaworldrx.com

23-08-20 Succé för Team E när Nils Andersson blev europamästare i Rallycross!
Vilket succéslut för Team E från Arvika redan första säsongen!
Det första jämställda teamet i rallycrossens RX2e-klass. Nils Andersson tog hem mästerskapet med teamkompisen Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky som totaltrea. Bingo även här för Kristoffersson Motorsport.
– Jag sa till mig själv när jag lämnade hotellet i morse att när jag kommer tillbaka till rummet ska det vara som mästare. Nu blir det fest, berättar en lycklig Nils Andersson.

Men finalen på luriga Estering i Tyskland blev en rysare. Om Isak Sjökvist hade vunnit finalen skulle Nils förpassas till andraplatsen.
– Jag tog ett strategiskt beslut i semifinalen och inte rejsa Tommi Hallman om segern. Jag ville inte ha andra startspåret utan det tredje i finalen. Därifrån kunde jag kontrollera allt bättre och det funkade jättebra.

Nu fick Sjökvist andraspåret bakom Hallman. Nils fick till en kanonstart och kom ur den förrädiska första kurvan som tvåa.

Men rödflaggen kom upp eftersom Filip Thorén hade rullat!
– Då började hjärnspökena kicka igång! Jag hade fått det läge jag ville ha. Nu blev jag tvungen att göra det igen. Men det var bara att släppa grubblerierna och tänka på vad jag skulle göra istället. Och jag höll mig kall.

Han kopierade sin första kanonstart och höll sedan andraplatsen utan problem i finalracet. Nils gjorde inga misstag.
– Målet var att följa Hallman, kopiera honom och följa hans tempo. Fruktansvärt gôtt att få det här gjort!

Isak Sjökvist kom in som trea i finalen ch tog andraplatsen i mästerskapet före Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
– Nu blir det fest med Mikaela, teamet och våra sponsorer. Jag höll en hög lägstanivå under hela säsongen. Kämpade i trafik och gjorde ett hårt jobb. Jag hade hela tiden seger i mästerskapet som mål, inte att vinna enskilda tävlingar.

Nils är fylld av beundran för teamkompisen Mikaela, som gjorde sin första hela säsong i rallycross.
– Jag är superimponerad av henne. Synd att hon inte kunde knäppa Isak på andraplatsen men att bli trea första säsongen är fantastiskt bra gjort.

Nils imponerades även av Mikaelas insats i sista tävlingen, trots att hon lite snöpligt inte fick köra finalracet och fajtas om slutsegern.
– Jag trodde inte Mikaela skulle vara så snabb på den här svåra banan, som långtifrån passar hennes styrkor. Hur bra som helst. Nu hamnade vi båda på pallen och det är förstås ett drömscenario.

Nils hyllar även teamet.
– De har gjort ett superbra jobb!

Slutställningen i RX2e-mästerskapet:
1) Nils Andersson, 76 poäng.
2) Isak Sjökvist, 69.
3) Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, 66.
4) Pablo Suarez, 52.
5) Ole Henry Steinsholt 50.
6) Filip Thorén, 50.

23-08-18 Sjökvist and Taylor embark on RX2e finale in Germany with firm targets
Five points. That’s all that separates the top three drivers in the FIA RX2e series, the all-electric support category to the FIA World Rallycross Championship. This weekend in Germany, #YellowSquad driver Isak Sjökvist will battle to claim the prestigious crown.

The second-oldest rallycross venue on the schedule after Lydden Hill earlier this year, Estering returns to top-flight rallycross for the first time since 2019 this weekend. Having won round one in Norway, and with 23 points up for grabs this weekend, Sjökvist targets nothing other than delivering a strong performance with sights on the RX2e crown in Germany, currently lying third in the standings.

Meanwhile, former Australian Rally Champion and Extreme E driver Molly Taylor joins #YellowSquad for a second successive event supported by Veloce and E.ON. The Australian aims to build on her learnings from a challenging event in Belgium a fortnight ago, where extreme track conditions made learning the competitive category no more easy.

Located outside Buxtehude in Northern Germany, the historic Estering venue can play to both #YellowSquad drivers’ strengths this weekend and both are more than capable of challenging for strong results.

Sitting within a natural amphitheatre, Estering’s layout, especially the first corner, is legendary, and set to provide plenty of frantic side-by-side action when racing gets underway on Saturday morning.

Isak Sjökvist and Molly Taylor
#YellowSquad Driver
Sjökvist said: This will be a hard fight between me and my fellow Swedes for the RX2e title. It’s a very tight battle with a lot to play for. I will give everything I can, driving with my whole heart and passion, and see where it takes us.

I have done everything I can in preparation for this race with physical, mental, and driver training. Now we need to put the pieces of the puzzle together and hopefully we can pull out a strong result to climb onto the top step. I am the one hunting and the guys in front are very fast too. It is such a competitive championship so hopefully we have a good weekend. It is for sure that we will leave nothing on the table.

Taylor said: I’m really excited to be back out again so soon. Belgium was a huge learning experience and the tricky conditions made it even more valuable from that point of view. I’m still at the beginning of my rallycross journey and I can’t wait to keep building on that momentum in Germany. Every kilometer is getting better and better so I just want to get stuck back into it.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
l would be lying if I said we were not focused on fighting to win the championship this weekend. That’s why we do what we do. We have worked hard with Isak to give him every chance we can. It’s very tight at the top and RX2e is very competitive, but Isak has proved what he can do already this year, the points gap is small, and anything can happen.

For Molly, having an event under her belt will be valuable and I’m sure that will help her this weekend. We will work to help her climb the results list at a track that is very different to Mettet two weeks ago.

23-08-17 Chasing the crown: Rallycross titles to be decided in Germany
Buxtehude-based Estering renowned for exciting finishes
Champions will be crowned in three major international rallycross series at Germany’s Estering this weekend (19-20 August), with thrilling fights in prospect in RX2e and Euro RX3 – and a two-time title-winner chasing a third career success in Euro RX1.

Returning to the calendar for the first time in four years, the Estering – located close to Hamburg in Germany’s Lower Saxony region – is renowned for generating spectacular action and ultra-exciting finishes, with motorsport legends Petter Solberg and Mattias Ekström taking the chequered flag separated by a scant 0.005s in 2014.

This weekend, some of the sport’s brightest rising stars and experienced European campaigners will bid to follow in their wheeltracks by battling for victory around the tight-and-twisty, Buxtehude-based bullring-style circuit – and there is plenty at stake.

In the FIA RX2e Championship, the leading three protagonists are blanketed by just five points in the classification after Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky catapulted herself firmly into contention with a superb performance last time out in Belgium, finishing second to only multiple FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson, who as a guest entrant was ineligible to score.

That leaves Åhlin-Kottulinsky two points adrift of Team E stablemate Nils Andersson at the summit of the standings, setting the scene for an intriguing intra-team battle – but #YellowSquad’s Isak Sjökvist is aiming to be the spoiler in the pack, as the winner of the first round of the season bids to bookmark his campaign with another victory to snatch the trophy from his rivals’ grasp.

Team E and #YellowSquad are the respective junior outfits to rallycross heavyweights Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS and Hansen World RX Team, and there will be further World Championship representation in the RX2e field in Germany as CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment duo Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson join the fray.

In Euro RX1, Anton Marklund stands on the brink of a second consecutive championship triumph, holding a 20-point advantage over his nearest pursuer after winning at Mettet while chief competitors Janis Baumanis, Enzo Ide and Patrick O’Donovan all uncharacteristically failed to reach the final. The SET Promotion star already has two titles to his credit in the European Championship’s top tier – and another in the now defunct TouringCar category.

In Euro RX3, an all-Volland Racing duel awaits between last year’s championship runner-up Damian Litwinowicz and seasoned campaigner Espen Isaksætre. Poland’s Litwinowicz has led the way throughout, but his Norwegian team-mate is closing in and has momentum on his side – with just five points between the pair.

Racing begins at 13:15 CET on Saturday (19 August), with all of Sunday’s action to be broadcast live on the pioneering new Rally.TV platform. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while tickets are available to buy on the gate.

Entry lists and the full event timetable can be found here.
fiaworldrx.com

23-08-17 Evjen and Hvaal complete three-strong JC Supercar line up for RallyX Grenland
Norwegian duo Sondre Evjen and Jens Hvaal will race for JC Raceteknik in the penultimate round of RallyX at Grenland in Norway next week (August 26 – 27), forming a three-car line-up alongside Swede Mats Ohman.

Former European Rallycross Championship event-winner Evjen raced for JC in RallyX 2022 and was a regular podium finisher, but has not competed full-time in 2023. The former Supercar Lites front-runner has raced at Grenland previously in the single-make category, and will carry that experience into the event next week, with his eyes not only set on a top RallyX result, but also on finishing as highest-placed Norwegian driver to claim the Norwegian Rallycross Championship (NM Supercar) title.

With previous experience of racing in Junior classes in Norway and hailing from a Norwegian rallycross dynasty, Jens Hvaal stunned the international rallycross scene with an impressive debut in the European Championship’s RX3 (Super1600) finale at the Nürburgring last year, where he finished on the podium in second.

Competing in a full campaign this season, 19-year-old Hvaal has been among the front-runners in RX3 and ahead of the Euro RX finale in Germany this weekend, lies fourth in the standings, in contention for an overall podium. He will make his Supercar debut with JC Raceteknik following in the footsteps of father Even, cousins Alexander and Joachim and sister Ada-Marie.

Both Evjen and Hvaal will race JC-run Audi S1 Supercars alongside Mats Ohman who claimed a pair of Supercar Am victories at the last RallyX round in Finland earlier this summer, who will have eyes on more of the same in Norway.

JC Raceteknik Supercar Lites driver Lukas Andersson enters the Norwegian event still in contention for the single-make crown in his first year of senior rallycross competition.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“I always consider Sondre as a young driver, but compared to Jens he has a lot of Supercar experience now. It’s going to be a pleasure to have them both in the team. I’m really interested to see how they work together and of course how they go on track. We all know Sondre is capable of at least the podium, and I know he has his sights on the NM title, while Jens has really, really impressed in his Super1600 car this year and we will work hard to help him step up into the Supercar. Mats had an amazing weekend in Finland and I’m sure he will want more of the same, and in Supercar Lites we are fully focused on helping Lukas return to the top step!”

Sondre Evjen (NOR):
“It’s great to be back in a Supercar again! I love the track at Grenland and look forward to racing there again - if I remember correctly I have not raced there since I was in Supercar Lites in 2017. It’s also awesome to be back in the Audi with JC. It’s a car and team that I am really familiar with and together we have had good results for the last two years. The goal is to compete for the Norwegian title and at the same time fight for top spots in RallyX, but it won’t be easy because the level is high! I’m look forward to testing the car and standing on the start line for practice next week!”

Jens Hvaal (NOR):
“When we went to my test recently, my dad told me JC was going to be there but we were just planning to drive my Crosscar for some training, which I did. Then someone told me that Joel wanted to say hi. So I went to say hi and he told me that the driver who was supposed to be there was unable to drive so would I be able to do some laps. But, when my cousin Alex arrived I knew it was a set-up. I found out afterwards that it was all planned. I was going to drive in only Super1600 next weekend in the Norwegian Championship, and now I’m driving in two classes. It was best I didn’t know about the test, there was no time to be nervous. It was the best day of my life so far – it was my first time in a four-wheel-drive car, I’d never driven anything that fast and with that acceleration and with that sound. It’s just the whole package. The test and team were amazing, but it’s hard to learn a new car. The main target is to enjoy the event in Grenland and see what comes together.”

23-08-15 Johan och Ole Christian på titeljakt
Johan Kristoffersson har chansen att ta ett grepp om totaltiteln och Ole Christian Veiby kan bli norsk mästare. Det finns mycket att köra för när Kristoffersson Motorsport ger sig in Rally X-leken igen i norska Grenland nästa helg.
- Vi vill förstås alltid tävla och tar chansen när den dyker upp, säger teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

KMS körde de inledande tävlingarna för supercar i årets Rally X-säsong, i Nysum och i Tierp.
- Då ville vi komma igång med säsongen och få lite träning för hela teamet. Det är en fin serie, med en bra arrangör, ett enkelt och okomplicerat mästerskap, säger Tommy.

Den tredje dubbeltävlingen gick i Kouvola, där KMS-gänget inte kunde närvara. Trots detta ligger Johan Kristoffersson i slagläge om titeln inför de två avslutande tävlingarna i Grenland om en och en halv vecka och i Höljes helgen därpå. Visserligen har Kevin Eriksson mest poäng för tillfället, men alla förare måste räkna bort en tävlingshelg. Med en tävling bort för Kevin och Johans nolla från Finland struken leder värmlänningen serien med en poäng.
- Ett mästerskap är alltid ett mästerskap. Klart man vill vinna och det brukar alltid bli bra tävlingar i Rally X, säger Johan.

För att kunna tävla i Norge behöver KMS-teamet damma av sina gamla Volkswagen Polo GTI Supercar i ena hörnet av verkstaden. De båda kärleksfullt namngivna bilarna har börjat få en ansiktslyftning inför nästa helg.
- “Grisen” är nykammad och “Bettan” är nypermanentad, säger Tommy Kristoffersson glatt och fortsätter:
- Vi har en viss hatkärlek till de där bilarna. I Danmark hade vi alla möjliga problem, så det var knappt att vi ville ta med dem hem, men i Tierp fungerade de klockrent och var riktigt snabba.

Trots åldern finns det kapacitet i trotjänarna.
- Det är gamla bilar som har varit med länge så det är alltid en viss ångest inför vad som kan hända, men det är roligt när det lyckas. Jag hoppas på en helg utan tekniska problem och att det blir mycket körning, säger Johan Kristoffersson.

För Ole Christian Veiby står en titel på spel redan under helgen i Grenland. Det norska mästerskapet avgörs nämligen samtidigt i den deltävlingen. Tävlingens bäste norrman tar hem titeln.
- Den titeln har jag inte vunnit tidigare så det blir kul att köra om, säger Ole Christian.

Banan i Grenland blir en ny upplevelse för Johan och för KMS-teamet, däremot inte för Ole Christian.
- Jag körde crosskart där en gång för länge sedan och så har jag testat med en rallybil, däremot aldrig kört rallycross.
- Men det är en fin anläggning. Ganska snabb bana med ett hopp uppe på toppen, berättar Ole Christian som “värmer upp” med Sommer Rally Grimstad i norska rallymästerskapet redan nu till helgen.
- En tävling helt på asfalt. Det ska bli kul att få köra lite bil igen, säger Veiby, som ligger tvåa i det mästerskapet.

23-08-15 CE Dealer Team makes RX2e debut in Germany
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will continue its push for sustainable motorsport and make its debut in the 100% electric RX2e category during the FIA World RX race weekend at Estering on August 19-20 with star drivers Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson.

The FIA released a statement regarding the postponement of the RX1e class round in Germany due to the ongoing investigation of the fire at Special ONE Racing’s paddock during the Lydden Hill round.

“While our main preference of course would be to get back racing in RX1e, we understand the importance of letting the investigation of the incident at Lydden Hill run its course,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

“Being at the forefront of technical development will always entail a wide array of challenges and the need to adapt quickly. Thus, we are delighted to be able to provide our fans and partners with thrilling electric rallycross at Estering through our debut in RX2e, as we continue a close dialogue with the FIA and World RX organisers regarding the incident investigation.”

Niclas Grönholm have several previous top five finishes at Estering in the FIA World RX and the Finnish star will make his RX2e debut this weekend.

”Of course, it is sad that we cannot race the RX1e cars. But this is a great way to keep going. I have no expectations for the race, it is a tight field with talented drivers. We are for sure going to have to do our very best, and we will see what we can do,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Swedish rallycross ace Klara Andersson will make her return to RX2e, having raced in the series in 2021.

”It is frustrating not to be back in RX1e yet, but at the same time it is understandable that the investigation needs more time – safety is the number one priority. It’s also great that we get the opportunity to race in RX2e this weekend. It will be fun to get out on the track again and meet all the fans, our partners, and guests. Hopefully we will put on a good show and have fun this weekend,” said Klara Andersson.

”The RX2e car is fun, but it will be challenging as it is very different to the cars in the World RX. It is about the same weight, but half the power. It will be a challenge, but a good challenge.”

CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will have many guests on site at Estering from hosting dealer Swecon and other partners of the programme, showcasing the latest electric machinery and services.

The race weekend in Germany starts on Saturday with practice sessions, followed by the first two heats later in the day. Sunday features heat three, four and the finals.

The action is broadcast LIVE worldwide on TV – as well as through the RX+ online streaming platform and SVT for Swedish viewers.

CE Dealer Team will shortly reveal the full looks of its RX2e race cars.

23-08-15 Nils och Mikaela i ledningen inför finalen i Rallycross EM
Må bästa kvinna eller man vinna.
– Det här är overkligt bra!

Konstaterar både Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky och Nils Andersson inför helgens sista deltävling i rallycrossens RX2e-mästerskap på Estering i Tyskland. Nils leder - två poäng före teamkompisen Mikaela.
– Helt magiskt men jag har noll förväntningar. Mitt mål är en bra körning, klargör Mikaela.

Hon lyckades få ihop budgeten till avgörande racet till slut.
– Tack vare att jag blev tvåa i Belgien senast och har chans att ta hem mästerskapet. En extra sponsor klev in och mina befintliga sponsorer supportrar extra. Det hade de inte gjort utan mitt resultat i Belgien och det här utgångsläget, berättar hon.

Nu väntar en superhäftig duell mellan kompisarna i Team E. Och vilken fullträff för Mikaela under sitt livs första rallycrossäsong!
– Jättekul och lycka till! Väldigt starkt av Mikaela att ha segerchans inför sista racet under sin allra första säsong. Nils var med länge i tätstriden ifjol också och har säkert ännu högre mål nu, säger Johan Kristoffersson.

Den femfaldige världsmästaren i rallycrossens tungviktsklass håller tummarna för båda sina teamkompisar i Kristoffersson Motorsport under helgen.

Rivaliteten är inte värre än att Nils och Mikaela satte sig ner tillsammans med Johan under måndagen för att få värdefulla tips om banan i tyska Estering - och snacka taktik tillsammans.
– Vi kämpar om det här tillsammans och jobbar som ett team även nu. Det är så himla roligt att få till det här utgångsläget inför sista tävlingen. Jag delar med mig av mina erfarenheter till Mikaela från mitt test på Estering i början av säsongen. Vi ger varandra de bästa förutsättningarna för att lyckas. Sen är det upp till var och en att använda dem till att köra så fort som möjligt, säger Nils.

Varken han eller Mikaela tror att det kommer att uppstå hard feelings efter helgen.
– Mer är de tre första timmarna efteråt i så fall, haha!

Vad talar för att du tar hem det här, Mikaela?
– Jag har allt att vinna och har ingen press på mig. Tanken från början var att jag skulle köra de tre första tävlingarna. Sedan fick jag ihop budgeten även till Belgien och där gick det så bra att jag får köra avslutningen också.

Och du Nils?
– Jag har inte haft den lättaste säsongen men är ändå i ledning inför finalen. Sedan är jag väl förberedd inför racet på Estering efter testerna där i början av säsongen. Det tar jag med mig.

Han medger dock:
– I det psykologiska spelet är det en fördel att vara den som jagar. Men jag får inte kolla bakåt utan enbart se till mitt och inte bli min värsta motståndare. Jag kan ju inte påverka om Mikaela gör en fantastisk tävling men jag kan påverka så att Nils Andersson gör det. Gäller att inte övertänka utan att ta kval för kval och göra en bra tävling. Då går det bra.

Mikaela och Nils granskade banan via film från tidigare år, såväl in- som utvändigt, under måndagen.
– Den blir utmanande för mig och jag hoppas att jag ska trivas där. Det krävs att man spänner åt bältet och kör på! Det gäller att få in känslan och ta det därifrån. Går det bra så vinner jag. Jag gav mig in i rallycrossen för att få just den här typen av utmaningar, konstaterar Mikaela.

Estering är en klassisk rallycrossbana.
– En gammaldags sådan och som rallycrossbanor ska vara. Actionfylld, tuff, teknisk och trång. Estering är en av de mest klassiska banorna.

Första svängen är ruskigt tuff. Där kan allt hända, förvarnar Nils.

Spänn fast bältena, lördag-söndag avgörs det!

Ställningen inför sista racet:
1) Nils Andersson 59 poäng.
2) Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, 57.
3) Isak Sjökvist, 54.
4) Viktor Vranckx, 44.
5) Ole Henry Steinsholt, 42.
6) Pablo Suarez, 41.

23-08-10 Kör för seger i EM-finalen - Peter siktar högt i Tyskland tillsammans med Ulrik Linnemann
Kör för seger i EM-finalen
- Peter siktar högt i Tyskland tillsammans med Ulrik Linnemann

Det har varit en strålande helg för Hedströms Motorsport, med fina placeringar i både Crosskart-SM och Rallycross-EM. Ulrik Linnemann visade än en gång att han tillhör eliten i EM samtidigt som teamets unga påläggskalv i Crosskart, Elias Nilsson glänste i sin körning hemma i Östmark. Nu spänner teamboss Peter Hedström bågen och kastar in en sen anmälan till EM-finalen.

Peter har bestämt sig att än en gång visa de mästartalanger han besitter bakom ratten på teamets Hyundai i20. Tre podium på fyra försök har Peter hittills levererat i år. Han är även den ende som i år som besegrat mångfaldige Världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson, då han knep segern i RallyX i Nysum tidigare i år framför näsan på Johan.
- Segern över Johan i Danmark är en av de enskilt största i karriären, jag kommer gå för seger i Tyskland, det är inget annat som gäller, menar Hedström.
Samtidigt vet Hedström hur svårt det kan vara, trots bra kapacitet både i chaufför och bil.
- Det är bara att se på Michalak i Höljes, som satte enorma varvtider där i Hyundaien både före och under tävlingen, men det var hela tiden otur med i spelet, menar Hedström.
Som vi tidigare aviserat så är teamets danske rallycross-ess Ulrik Linnemann med till EM-finalen, som körs på tyska Estering i Buxtehude strax väster om Hamburg. Den kvicke Jyllänningen har sedan han signade för Hedströms, levererat två raka podiumplatser i rallycross-EM. Detta genom att vara trea i Höljes och nu förra helgen, tvåa efter EM-ledande Anton Marklund i Belgien.
- Linnemann kommer bli farlig även i Tyskland, han har ju abonnerat på podiumplatser sedan han började köra vår Polo, så det känns betydligt bättre att ha honom med i teamet än som motståndare utanför, skrattar Hedström.

Teamets unge Crosskart Xtremeförare Elias Nilsson från Likenäs var i helgens SM i Östmark oslagbar i kvalet. Nilsson radade upp tre kvalheatsegrar, stod i första led i finalen och slutade på tredje plats. Tredje raka finalen för Elias, som inledde SM med seger i Tomelilla och nu ligger på andra plats i SM, endast sex poäng efter ledande Jimmy Bergander.
Torsbysonen Isac Egonsson i en annan av teamets Crosskart Extreme, gjorde en fantastisk comeback i samma tävling och slutade fyra i finalen.
EM-finalen på Estering i Tyskland körs 19-20 augusti och samtidigt är det även dags för deltävling fyra av fem i Crosskart-SM på Malmabanan i Västerås. Det är med andra ord laddat för ännu en spännande motorsporthelg om drygt en vecka.

23-08-09 Kenneth Hansen set to make his return to the track at RX Lohéac
14-time European Rallycross Champion to appear in a ‘Legend’ event in Lohéac (1-3 September 2023)

Kenneth Hansen, the most successful driver in the history of the European Rallycross Championship, will don his overalls and crash helmet again and return to the wheel of a rallycross car - for the first time since he retired in 2012 - during the weekend of the sixth round of the French Rallycross Championship in Lohéac.

The Swedish former driver and now Team Principal of Hansen World RX Team - which competes in the FIA World Rallycross Championship - was enticed back behind the wheel of a rallycross car after a chance conversation with veteran driver, Steve Hill, at the Autosport Show back in January 2023.

“I went to the Autosport Show with my son Kevin and had a few laps in the RX2e car and really enjoyed it,” said Kenneth. “I was talking to Steve Hill, who is 74 and still loving his racing, and the germ of an idea was put into my head. It won’t be a regular thing, and I will not race in anything around the weekends of the World RX as I am so busy running the Hansen World RX Team cars, but an appearance in Lohéac seems like a great idea.”

“The circuit and the event are very close to my heart,” continued Hansen. “My son Timmy (Hansen) has won three world championship events there and I won once in the European Championship in 2001. The passion around Lohéac is always so incredible and above everything else I love the atmosphere of the event and am looking forward to experiencing that positive energy.”

Kenneth will be taking part in the demonstration event in Lohéac with Jean-Luc Pailler, 11-time French rallycross champion and his arch rival during the period 1993 and 2011 driving Jean-Luc’s Citroen Xantia, as well as having his first opportunity to drive the Group B Peugeot 205.

“I am really looking forward to driving those cars,” continued Hansen. “Of course, I know the track very well. It is difficult to overtake and is very challenging, but the enthusiasm of the crowd can really be felt by the driver and I am so excited for that."

“It will also be good to be at the same event as Sebastién Loeb, who will be racing there after the fire at Lydden Hill. The whole rallycross world was so sad to see what happened to his team – Special ONE Racing – and we all reunite to welcome him back to the track and hope to see him and the team back in the World RX paddock very soon.”

As for the incredible RX Lohéac event, the organisers are expecting the usual enormous crowds of passionate rallycross fans and the inclusion of some of the legends of this sport will only serve to increase the excitement.

“We are so delighted to see Kenneth return to the rallycross track in Lohéac,” commented Patrick Germain, President Ecurie Bretagne & Association Sportive du Rallycross de Lohéac. “Kenneth and his family have been incredibly successful in Lohéac and it is a real privilege for us to see him in action here again. We are looking forward to a vintage weekend in September.”

23-08-07 Sjökvist remains in RX2e title-contention after Belgian weekend
Swedish ace Isak Sjökvist remains in contention for the FIA RX2e Championship title following an extremely challenging penultimate round of the series at Mettet in Belgium.

International rallycross returned to the Wallonia-based venue for the first time since 2018 last weekend, where drivers from the FIA World Rallycross Championship who were unable to compete in the top category also made guest appearances in the RX2e division.

RX2e title-contender Sjökvist, from Sweden, and latest #YellowSquad signing Molly Taylor, from Australia, faced some of the most challenging track conditions witnessed in any World RX event in years, with the wet weather, loose-surface sections, and large kerbs providing the biggest challenges.

Working hard as a team to progress every time on track, both drivers increased their pace and performances throughout the weekend and challenged for the lead of Qualifying races on track, but unfortunately mitigating circumstances meant neither driver made it through the Semi-Final stages into the Final.

Sjökvist now lies third in the championship standings, just five points off the lead with one round remaining and 23 points up for grabs. #YellowSquad is now fully focused on the final round at Estering, Germany, next weekend (August 19-20).

Isak Sjökvist and Molly Taylor
#YellowSquad Driver
Sjökvist said: The result was not what I expected from the weekend. I’m feeling a bit empty right now as I didn’t get the result I was aiming for, but I am only five points behind the lead in the championship and there is still a load of points to gain.

I will work really hard in the days between now and the next race in Germany to be more prepared than ever to do the best I can. I just need to drive with passion and focus on what we need to do. Nevertheless it was an amazing experience to drive against the World RX drivers this weekend and to see what is possible with these cars. There are always positives you can take from a race. I learnt from the World RX drivers this weekend and that will help me for the upcoming challenge at the final round in Germany. We just need to go flat out.

Taylor said: The track at Mettet has such mixed surfaces so there was a lot for me to manage while figuring out the driving style and the head-to-head racing involved in rallycross. I feel I was progressing in every session which is all I can really ask for in my first rallycross experience.

The overall result represents mixed fortunes but I enjoyed leading some laps and learning how to make the most of the action around me. I have come away with heaps of experience.

I’m part of a great team, benefitting from the guidance of fantastic drivers and engineers, and I’m really grateful to E.ON, #YellowSquad and Veloce for this opportunity.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
It wasn’t the easiest weekend for us. Isak spent a lot of time battling in traffic and it wasn’t easy for him to find the pace he needed, but he made some big steps forward on Sunday, and I think he learned a lot.

It was brilliant to have Molly in the team for the first time. She made progress every time she went on track in a really difficult weekend for even the most experienced drivers because of the conditions. We are now fully focused on the final round with both drivers, where we are targeting nothing but finishing the season on a high.

23-08-07 Hansen World RX Team puts on a show for the fans at Mettet
Tight racing, fast pace, and putting on a show for the dedicated fans was the name of the game for the Hansen World RX Team in the Belgian round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, and by racing in the RX2e category in classic rallycross conditions, the team delivered.

Unable to race its regular RX1e World RX machines while investigations continue into the fire that took place at Lydden Hill last month, 2019 World RX Champion Timmy Hansen and 2016 Euro RX Champion Kevin Hansen competed in the single-specification RX2e category, lining up against fellow World RX drivers and a host of super-quick regular RX2e competitors.
With limited preparation, Kevin Hansen jumped out of the blocks with the fastest time in Free Practice, Qualifying Practice and Heat One, but broken suspension hampered his cause in Heat Two. However, the #71 driver salvaged second in at the end of the Ranking stage, and despite a poor start in the Semi-Final was set to make it through to the Final, until a puncture and a cut corner resulted in a penalty that put him out.

For Timmy Hansen, a consistent run through the heats was followed by Semi-Final victory to start on the front row of the Final, but, having made brilliant starts all day on Sunday in incredibly difficult wet and slippery conditions, the #21 driver didn’t get off the line well in the Final. A fight back drive followed and the Swede was set to finish second, but retired with broken suspension in the closing stages.

Disappointed not to stand on the podium, but satisfied with a job well done to support the event and put a show on for the fans, the Hansen World RX Team leaves Belgium looking to the future.
Kenneth Hansen said: “It has been a fun weekend to be in another category. There was a lot to learn and understand and I think we can be quite satisfied. We hoped to be a little quicker, but in the Final Timmy was doing very well. We didn’t succeed because he broke the suspension and unfortunately Kevin got a penalty in the Semi-Final so he couldn’t progress. We did what we could and I hope we put on a good show for the spectators and helped the event.”

Kevin Hansen said: “It was a mixed weekend. In the dry it was fantastic. We were flying – the car felt great so that was nice, but we were really unfortunate in Q2 where we got broken suspension and from there it became a more tricky weekend. Still we started on the front row of the Semi-Final but had a really, really bad launch. We built from that and were in a great spot fighting for the win but I touched a kerb and got a puncture, missed the corner and got a penalty which put us out. It was great to be in RX2e, they are such fun cars to drive and it has been a good experience.”

Timmy Hansen said: “It was a lot of fun doing something different and still racing despite RX1e not being possible this weekend. I think we put on a good show for the fans with some overtaking and nice battles – it was a tough weekend though. No matter what cars we are in it is always a race, but I couldn’t quite pull it off in the Final. I had a front row start, but the mega launches we had all day went away for whatever reason and I fell to the back. I battled back but hit a kerb, damaged the front suspension and went out. But, coming out from being last to almost finishing second was almost a nice result and we had a lot of fun."

23-08-06 Kristoffersson bounces to victory in Belgium on RX2e debut
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky stars to set up thrilling title showdown

Johan Kristoffersson bounced his way to the top of the podium on his FIA RX2e Championship debut in Belgium today (6 August), as Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky starred and Anton Marklund took a giant step towards clinching a fourth FIA European Rallycross Championship crown.

With the top tier of the FIA World Rallycross Championship unable to race at Mettet as investigations continue into the cause of the fire at Lydden Hill two weeks ago, Kristoffersson and fellow World RX aces Timmy Hansen, Kevin Hansen and Ole Christian Veiby took the opportunity to join the RX2e grid.

It was the younger of the Hansen brothers, Kevin, who initially set the pace, but in characteristic fashion, it did not take Kristoffersson long to settle into his stride, with three consecutive heat wins propelling him to the summit of the intermediate standings.

A slow start in his semi-final dropped the five-time world champion to third, but he was handed a second chance when the race was red-flagged following a spectacular roll for Kristoffersson Motorsport team-mate Veiby. He did not waste the opportunity, and from that point on was never headed, overcoming suspension damage from first corner contact in the final to fend his pursuers off to the chequered flag.

“What a weekend!” Kristoffersson enthused. “In terms of pace, it was maybe our best so far this year. I’d tested the RX2e car before, but it’s very different in a competitive race situation and the final wasn’t easy at all.

“After the hit into Turn One, I could feel something was broken at the rear. The car was all over the place, and I was just trying to hold onto it and not spin in a straight line! I managed to figure out how I needed to drive and could keep up a reasonable pace, and I was obviously very happy to walk away with the win. That was the perfect outcome.”

Åhlin-Kottulinsky has set up a grandstand season finale with a superb drive to second place – which with Kristoffersson ineligible to score, sees her close to just two points shy of Team E stablemate Nils Andersson in the chase for the RX2e crown. Ole Henry Steinsholt finished ahead of her on-the-road, but was later handed a 12-second penalty for contact. Timmy Hansen retired on the last lap, while Kevin Hansen’s bid ended at the semi-final stage.

In the Euro RX1 battle, defending champion Anton Marklund belatedly opened his victory account for the year, although he too had to contend with drama in the final – of the alternator variety. With all three of the Swede’s title rivals – Enzo Ide, Janis Baumanis and Patrick O’Donovan – finding themselves eliminated after the semi-finals, Marklund now holds a 20-point advantage at the top of the table with only 23 remaining to play for at Germany’s Estering in a fortnight’s time.

Seasoned campaigner Ulrik Linnemann rolled back the years with a vintage performance to scoop the runner-up spoils, as Tamás Kárai reached the rostrum in third.

Full results for both categories can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

23-08-06 Rallycross-helgen i Belgien blev en stor succé för Team E från Arvika
Detta efter dramatik även efter racet. Nu leder Nils Andersson sammandraget i RX2e, bara två poäng före teamkompisen Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky inför sista deltävlingen i Tyskland. Rookien Mikaela gjorde sitt livs bästa rallycrosshelg, med en andraplats bakom Johan Kristoffersson i finalen med Nils som fyra.

Men Team E:s ”drömfinal” i Tyskland är inte säkrad än:
– Det är inte klart att jag kan få ihop budgeten för sista tävlingen. Jag har mycket jobb framför mig på måndag. Då ska jag ringa några samtal. Vi får hoppas att det löser sig, säger Mikaela.

Hon fick kämpa för att få ihop budgeten även till helgens tävling.
Men din insats här måste underlätta samtalen på måndag?
– Vi får se. Jag hoppas det!

I SVT-sändningen öste expertkommentatorn och profilen Jonas Kruse lovord över värmländskan:
– Jag är mycket imponerad av Mikaelas körning. Det erkar som att hon knäckt koden nu. Hon är tävlingens överraskning.

Mikaela konstaterar:
– Jag lärde mig mycket av misstagen senast i Lydden Hill. Nu gjorde jag jättebra ifrån mig hela helgen och hela vårt team fick till ett fantastiskt jobb tillsammans

Nu har du chansen att vinna mästerskapet redan under din första säsong?
– Haha, ja det är helt otroligt!

Teamkompisen Nils hoppas förstås att Mikaela lyckas finansiera även slutracet så att de två kan fajtas om mästerskapet.
– Det blir ett väldigt spännande slut. Jag får en värdig utmanare.

Hoppas att vi är vänner även efter sista tävlingen, skrattar Nils.
– Det är jag säker på att vi är, svarar Mikaela.
Nils slutade femma i finalen och Mikaela trea. Men det ändrade domarnapå efteråt. Norrmannen Ole Henry Steinsholt fick tolv sekunders tillägg för sina manövrer i starten. Hans andraplats blev till en sistaplacering. Det flyttade upp Mikaela till andra och Nils till fjärde.

Inte nog med det. Johan Kristoffersson kom och vann som gästförare i RX2e, när tungviktsklassen ställdes in i väntan på utredningen av branden i Lydden Hill senast.

Helgen i Belgiens deltävling i rallycross blev därmed en stor succé för Kristoffersson Motorsport, där Team E ingår.

Men det grämer Nils att han inte fick en ärlig chans i finalen.
– Det vill sig inte riktigt för mig i finalerna än. Jag blev påkörd av Steinsholt och det förstörde min final. Jag fick något fel med styrningen och sedan punktering på tredje varvet, berättar Nils.

Han hade en strulig helg.
– Lördagen var supersvår med småproblem hela tiden. Jag gick inte och la mig med någon bra känsla. Men det gällde att kunna göra en reset och jag är jättenöjd med den återhämtning som jag gjorde på söndagen. I Q3 kunde jag matcha Johan och visa att jag har det i mig och i semin lyckades jag visa att jag hade snabbaste tempot.

Totalställningen inför sista deltävlingen i Tyskland 19-20 augusti:
1. Nils Andersson, 59 poäng
2. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, 57.
3. Isak Sjökvist 53.

23-08-06 Nybörjare Kristoffersson i topp
Ny bil, ny serie, men det slutade som det brukar göra. Johan Kristoffersson tog hem segern i RX2e-tävlingen i belgiska Mettet.
- Det var verkligen ingen lätt helg, men det kändes superbra, säger Kristoffersson.

På grund av att RX1e-tävlingen blev inställd så tog Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS chansen att köra supportklassen RX2e i Belgien. Kristoffersson och stallkamraten Ole Christian Veiby förstärkte startfältet tillsammans med bröderna Kevin och Timmy Hansen.
- Det var helt rätt beslut. Jag har lärt mig mycket under de här dagarna. Klart man alltid vill köra race och i det här fallet var det förstås extra kul att möta Hansens i helt likvärdiga bilar.

De fyra VM-förarna visade också sin klass och var totalt sett snabbast, men på den slutgiltiga prispallen var det bara Kristoffersson som stod. Timmy Hansen tvingades bryta i finalen medan Kevin åkte ut i semifinalen. Det gjorde också Ole Christian Veiby, som hamnade på taket efter att ha kört in i en barriär.
- Jag såg ingenting. När jag startade vindrutetorkarna blev det ännu värre, berättar Veiby, som ändå var nöjd med helgen.
- En ny utmaning. Riktigt kul och tempot var bra när allt fungerade. Sedan blir det alltid en del problem och händer saker när det är så svåra förhållanden som här.

Kristoffersson hade också sina problem, inte minst med starterna från innerspåret i det regniga vädret.
- Det var svårt från insidan. Startplattan lutar så vattnet rinner ner där.

I finalen stod Kristoffersson också på innerspåret, med Timmy Hansen i det torrare spåret utvändigt.
- Jag hade lite tur där, för Timmy missade i starten.

Johan var först ut, men fick en rejäl smäll in i första kurvan.
- Det small så jag var helt säker på att bakhjulet var borta.

Borta var det inte, men det blev en rejäl ändring på hjulinställningen. Kristoffersson fick använda hela sin briljans som förare för att behärska bilen.
- Jag åkte fram och tillbaka över hela banan de första varven, men efter ett tag kom jag underfund med hur jag skulle köra för att komma runt problemet.

Riktigt bra lyckades han anpassa sitt körsätt.
- Jag hade ju ändå snabbast varvtid i finalen, men jag tänker ändå inte rekommendera den hjulinställningen till någon annan inför fortsättningen, säger Johan med ett skratt.

Kristoffersson fick sällskap på prispallen av Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky i KMS-stöttade Team E. Åhlin-Kottulinskys stallkamrat Nils Andersson tog över ledningen i mästerskapstabellen.

För Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS blev det en helg med många nya erfarenheter.
- Absolut! Det här har gett oss mycket lärdom. Det är så bra med sådana här tävlingar där man inte har några färdiga manualer eller rutiner att utgå ifrån utan måste använda sitt kunnande och sin rutin för att hitta lösningar, säger stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson, som var mycket nöjd med teamets insats.
- Det har varit rätt approach från början. Alla har jobbat kopiöst hårt. Det var aldrig tal om att bara åka hit och ställa ut skorna.

Kristoffersson har också fått bekräftelse på att beslutet att göra ett gästspel i RX2e var rätt.
- Vi har fått enormt mycket cred för att vi kom hit.

23-08-04 Hansen World RX Team embarks on different challenge for Belgian round at Mettet
The Hansen World RX Team and drivers Timmy and Kevin Hansen will face a different challenge in the Belgian round of the championship this weekend.

With investigations into the cause of a fire at Lydden Hill on July 21 still ongoing, the World RX top-tier is not competing as part of World Rallycross’ return to Mettet in Belgium, but the Hansen squad will instead compete in the RX2e support category.

The single-specification class, regarded as the all-electric feeder series to World RX, is renowned for being highly competitive, meaning that 2019 World RX Drivers’ Champion Timmy Hansen and 2016 Euro RX Champion Kevin Hansen will face a stern challenge this weekend. The cars will be operated by the Hansen World RX Team for the fourth round of the RX2e championship as it works to get up to speed with the regular competitors.
Located in the Wallonia region of Belgium, Mettet returns to top-flight rallycross for the first time since 2018, and is a circuit at which Timmy Hansen has twice finished on the podium in World RX and Kevin Hansen claimed victory in 2016, en route to his Euro RX crown.

The RX2e race weekend format replicates that of a World RX event, but the Heat 1 grid positions are determined by a Qualifying Practice session, run over four laps rather than the single-lap Super Pole session in World RX.

Within the strong RX2e field, the Hansen drivers will compete against the Hansen-run #YellowSquad team and its drivers Isak Sjökvist and new signing Molly Taylor.

You can watch the action unfold on the World RX All-Live RX+ service (via World RX website) and via the Hansen team’s social media channels.
Kenneth Hansen said: "Rallycross is all about adapting to whatever is put in front of you. That’s the case every time we go on track. When it was confirmed that we cannot race the RX1e cars this weekend, we looked at other solutions. We are a race team, racing is what we do and we want to compete, give fans the best possible show they can get, and give something to our loyal sponsors and partners too. That’s why we are racing in RX2e this weekend. But, it is a big challenge for our drivers and our team to drive and run cars with hardly any previous experience of them. The level is high in RX2e and it’s going to be a very interesting weekend."

Kevin Hansen said: "It’s a bit of a different race week for us, but it will be really fun to race in RX2e this weekend. It’s a great car, I had a test leading up to the event which we had planned to help #YellowSquad driver Molly Taylor get up to speed but it was very convenient with how things have ended up. I had a good feeling in the car and I’m just looking forward to the weekend.

"I think it will be very even so Qualifying Practice will be extremely important. It’s great to be going racing and showing people that we are still doing what we do. The weather is looking very challenging but I hope plenty of fans can make it and see what will be a fantastic show."

Timmy Hansen said: "It is of course disappointing that we cannot race the RX1e cars this weekend, but we wanted to race and to put on a show for the fans. Going into RX2e is the best option available to us. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to race with some really fast drivers, and in a different car to normal against Johan (Kristoffersson), Kevin (Hansen) and OC (Veiby) which is going to be a fun challenge.

"It’s a bit of a different scenario but we always want to do the best we can. I think there are a lot of reasons to follow the race this weekend."

13-08-01 Mikaela lär sig varje helg ”Vill bli bäst på allt jag kör”
Förr några veckor sedan vann Johan Kristoffersson och Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky båda racen tillsammans i Extreme E på Sardinien. Kommande helg ställs teamkompisarna mot varandra i rallycrossen Rx2e i Belgien. Det som nu blir huvudklass när tungviktsklassen ställs in.
– Jag satt med Johan och Nils i Arvika härom dagen och gick igenom banan i Mettet. Varken jag eller Nils har kört där tidigare så det blir ännu en ny erfarenhet. Vi fick lite bra tips och tricks av Johan, berättar Mikaela.

Hon beskriver det här första året som Nils Anderssons polare i Team E - under Kristoffersson Motorsports vingar - som ett mycket intressant läroår.
– Det blev ju klart sent för min del med rallycrossen och jag vill bli bäst på allt jag kör. Nu samlar jag erfarenheter varje tävlingshelg. Jag ser det här som en långsiktig satsning. Det är små marginaler och snabba beslut i rallycross och jag ska lära mig hur jag ska köra på många för mig nya banor.

Senast, i Lydden Hill, missade Mikaela finalen men rookien ligger fyra i sammandraget.
– Det var mycket strul och vi fick inte till de strategiska sakerna riktigt. Men det var också en bra erfarenhet inför fortsättningen.

Efter Lydden Hill åkte Mikaela på en förkylning.
– Men nu har jag återhämtat mig.

Ett tag var det lite osäkert om hon skulle komma till start i Mettet under helgen.
– Men jag fick ihop budgeten till slut. Blir väldigt tufft men samtidigt jättekul att tävla mot toppförarna Johan, bröderna Hansen och Veiby.

13-08-01 Nils Andersson ställs mot sin mentor: ”Unik möjlighet – mitt livs roligaste race”
Nu ställs mentorn och världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson mot sin unge adept från Arvika.
– En unik möjlighet och förmodligen en chans som bara kommer en gång i livet. Självklart blir det här mitt livs roligaste race. Säger Nils

Andersson inför helgens fjärde VM-deltävling i rallycrossens RX2e.

Klassen som nu verkligen hamnar i rampljuset i Belgiens tävling. Rallycrossens huvudklass RX1e är inställd i Mettet lördag-söndag i väntan på resultatet av den utredning som pågår efter depåbranden i Lydden Hill senast. Då tar världsmästare Kristoffersson klivet in i samma bil som Nils och dennes teamkompis Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. Och inte bara Johan!
– Fantastiskt att även Ole Christian Veiby och bröderna Timmy och Kevin Hansen ställer upp. En unik möjlighet för oss unga förare som vill uppåt att få mäta oss med och visa var vi står i konkurrens med världseliten. Superkul och en härlig utmaning, säger Nils.

23-årige Nils har haft Johan Kristoffersson som mentor sedan han var 16 år.

Har trashtalket börjat redan?
– Haha, nej men däremot satt vi och snackade om det här ända fram till elva igår kväll. Vi är väldigt analytiska både Johan och jag. Det blir jätteintressant att få dela data tillsammans både före och efter racet nu. Nils och Johan arbetar tillsammans dagligen i Kristoffersson Motorsport.

Har du fått chansen att mäta dig med honom på banan någon gång?
– På tester förstås, och några gånger har jag kunnat matcha Johan. Men tester och ett enda varv är en helt annan sak än ett helt race förstås.

Toppstriden i Nils och Mikaelas RX2e-klass är knallhård. Kolla här:
1) Victor Vranckx, 44 poäng
2) Nils Andersson, 44.
3) Isak Sjökvist 43.
4) Mikaela Åhlin Kottulinsky 34.
5) Pablo Suarz, 32.

Helgens race i Mettet är näst sista deltävlingen i RX2e-mästerskapet. Allt avgörs sedan i Tyskland 19-20 augusti.
– Det är både för- och nackdelar för mig att få med världseliten i vår klass nu. Men jag föredrar att enbart se det positiva i utmaningen. Jättespännande! Bilen blir inte lika avgörande som förarprestationen nu när alla möts på lika villkor. Det blir en väldigt spännande tävling.

När huvudklassen ställdes in var det viktigt för rallycrossen att underklassen RX2e förgylldes på det här viset i Belgiens tävling.
– Väldigt viktigt för sporten nu när så mycket är tufft och ovisst med högsta klassen. Vi hoppas få ett besked där inför nästa tävling i Tyskland, och att de får köra det racet, säger Nils.

Han blev tvåa i premiären i Hell och hade segervittring i både Höljes och Lydden Hill. I Höljes tappade Nils förargligt ledningen på slutvarvet, i Lydden Hill tappade han andraplaceringen på grund av problem med hjulupphängningen. Båda gångerna slutade han femma.
– Lydden Hill var lättare att smälta eftersom det var bilen som krånglade. Det känns lovande eftersom vi haft bra fart hela säsongen. Nu är jag hungrig på ett bra resultat och på en kul helg där schyssta förare bjuder publiken på bra fajter, säger Nils.

World RX Belgiens arrangör Freddy Tacheny klargjorde inför helgens tävling på FIA:s webbsida:
– Vi tog beslutet att fortsätta med eventet trots avsaknaden av RX1e-bilar. Vi vill ge det bästa möjliga stödet till motorsporten och till rallycrossen i synnerhet. Tillsammans med FIA och promotorn ska vi göra vårt yttersta för att bjuda på en magnifik show.

23-08-01 #YellowSquad signs Molly Taylor for Belgian and German RX2e rounds
Former Extreme E Champion and Australian Rally title-winner Molly Taylor has signed with #YellowSquad to compete in the remaining rounds of the FIA RX2e series in Belgium and Germany.

Taylor claimed the Australian Rally Championship title in 2016, making history as not only the first female to claim the crown, but then as the youngest ever champion. She later claimed the inaugural Extreme E Championship title in 2021. Today, she is team-mate to #YellowSquad founder Kevin Hansen in the Veloce Racing Extreme E outfit.

Together, Hansen and Taylor have claimed a pair of victories so far in Season 3 of Extreme E, at the season-opening Desert X Prix (Saudi Arabia) and the Hydro X Prix (Scotland), and are in the thick of the title fight.

Taylor joins #YellowSquad for her rallycross debut this weekend at Mettet in Belgium (August 5-6), supported by Veloce and E.ON. Competing in a field stacked full of talented drivers racing the single-specification RX2e machine, Taylor’s car is adorned with a striking new livery, as she lines up alongside title-contender Isak Sjökvist in the team.

She will also compete in the final round of the campaign at Estering, Germany (August 19-20).

Molly Taylor
#YellowSquad Driver
I’m really excited to join RX2e for these two events. It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m very grateful to E.ON and Veloce for making this possible.

Rallycross is something completely new to me, so I’m looking forward to taking on this challenge, learning and developing as quickly as possible. Running with #YellowSquad I know I have the right people around me and I can’t wait to get started.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
Molly is a talented driver who has many times proved her credentials in rallying and more recently Extreme E, so it will be really interesting for us to work with her as she transitions into a different discipline.

The Belgian and German circuits are both quite different in characteristics so it will certainly help with her learning in rallycross and RX2e, which as we know is a very competitive field. Hardly any of the RX2e drivers have good experience of racing at either circuit, so that should hopefully play to our advantage and we will work hard to help Molly get up to speed as fast as possible.

23-07-31 RX2e ny utmaning för Veiby och Kristoffersson
Rallycross-VM i Belgien ställs in, men det öppnar vägen till ett nytt uppdrag för Johan Kristoffersson och Ole Christian Veiby. De båda Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-förarna kommer istället att köra RX2e i Mettet.
- Det blir en ny dimension, en stor utmaning för hela teamet, säger stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Efter branden i depån på Lydden Hill har ett intensivt utredningsarbete pågått för att försöka hitta orsaken till händelsen, där Special One Racings båda World RX1-bilar brann upp.
- Vi har haft en tät dialog hela tiden och blivit informerade om alla steg som har tagits. Eftersom man ännu inte har hittat ett tillfredställande svar har vi tagit ett gemensamt beslut att inte köra i Belgien, säger Kristoffersson.

I väntan på vidare besked söker teamet nya vägar.
- The show must go on! Vi började genast jobba för att hitta alternativ.

Kristoffersson har under många år visat kreativitet i att söka nya lösningar på problematiska situationer - så också denna gång.
- Vi har ju ett ansvar gentemot våra sponsorer, de mediekanaler som bevakar oss och inte minst våra fans.

Tommy tog därför kontakt med RX2e-organisatören QEV för att undersöka möjligheten att komma till start i den klassen med Johan och Ole Christian.
- De var mycket välvilligt inställda och gjorde genast en djupdykning i frågan. Redan samma dag fick vi klartecken för två bilar som finns i Spanien. De kommer till Mettet på onsdag. Vi ser mycket positivt på den här möjligheten och ska se till att bjuda på en superbra show i ett tufft och tätt mästerskap.

Kristoffersson fick också mangrant gensvar från sina egna mekaniker att ställa om fokus. Nästa steg var att få tillåtelse från internationella förbundet för att köra i en annan serie. Emil Axelsson, FIA:s sportchef för rallycross, tog hand om det ärendet.
- Emil har också varit mycket tillmötesgående. Han har gjort ett superjobb sedan han tillträdde i sin roll.

Att få klartecken från förarna var kanske det minsta problemet. Johan Kristoffersson är alltid öppen för en rejäl utmaning.
- Jag ser verkligen fram emot det här, men det blir ingen lätt match att ställa om till RX2e. Framför allt är det ju väsentligt mycket mindre effekt än i RX1e. Jag har kört en sån bil vid två tillfällen, men har förstås inte mycket att gå på ändå, säger Johan, som har agerat mentor åt Nils Andersson.

Nu ska han tävla emot sin lärjunge och arbetskamrat på KMS.
- Räknar med att Nils kan ge tillbaka en del information nu. Mitt största problem är annars hur jag ska få plats i bilen. Det är trångt i den där. Hoppas vi kan hitta en lösning på det.

Nu kommer Johan och Ole Christian in med ett gästspel i ett pågående mästerskap, där tätstriden är stenhård mellan Nils Andersson, Isak Sjökvist och Victor Vranckx.
- Sånt där är alltid lite känsligt. Man vill inte komma in och påverka mästerskapet i ena eller andra riktningen, säger Johan som senast besökte Mettet under den fantastiska VM-säsongen 2018, där han vann alla deltävlingar - utom den i Belgien.
- Det är den enda tävlingen från det året som jag inte riktigt vill komma ihåg.

För Ole Christian Veiby blir det debut i en RX2e-bil.
- Det blir mycket nytt att lära sig. Jag har inte kört en sådan tidigare, men vi går all-in för det. Det ska bli kul. Vi sa ja direkt när vi fick frågan!

Även Timmy och Kevin Hansen kommer att köra RX2e i Mettet.

23-07-23 Onwards and upwards for #YellowSquad after Semi-Final setbacks
#YellowSquad driver Isak Sjökvist entered the third round of the FIA RX2e series at Lydden Hill, UK, leading the standings and left the event just one point behind the series leader, but the points tally far from told the whole story.

Racing at the birthplace of rallycross, the two-car #YellowSquad team worked to build pace through the opening day of the event, Sjökvist setting the fourth best time in torrential conditions on Saturday afternoon in Heat 2.

Fifth and third in the remaining heats on Sunday displayed an improvement in pace, but unfortunate first corner contact in the semi-final broke the car’s rear suspension, putting Sjökvist out of final contention.

In the sister RX2e machine, Catie Munnings also improved her pace throughout the qualifying stages. Thanks to a round-the-outside move at the opening corner, Munnings ran third for most of her semi-final race, holding a margin good enough to progress to the final for the first time in 2023.

However, not for the first time this season, she was hit by bad luck, as a puncture while entering the compulsory joker lap section ended her chances of making the final.

Sjökvist is now third in the standings, one point off the lead, while Munnings holds ninth position. The fourth round of RX2e will take place at Mettet in Belgium on August 5-6.

Isak Sjökvist and Catie Munnings
#YellowSquad Drivers
Isak Sjökvist: Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we expected this weekend. We tried our best, we had good pace and we put everything into it but it was not to be. The position in the championship is still strong despite the disappointment of what we must call a racing incident in the semi-final, so there is still everything to play for. We need to get our horns out in the next races.

Catie Munnings: We were so close today. We were running P3 in the semi-final from P4 on the grid so I’d had to go around the outside. We were building a gap and we had the margin to take the joker and get out in front to make it into the final, but entering the joker I got a puncture on the front-left so there was nothing I could do. It’s so disappointing not to be in my first final in RX2e at my home event, but taking the positives from the weekend we had some great pace and hopefully we will be back for more.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
We started the weekend a bit on the back foot, but we worked hard to get back on pace and things were looking very good today, until bad luck in the semi-finals for both drivers.

For Isak, some unlucky contact in the first corner broke the suspension and the race was over. Catie had a really great run in the semi-final and was again clearly on her way to a place in the final, when a sudden puncture ended the day. Once again, thanks to the whole team who did a great job. We keep our heads high and take many positives with us to the next races!

23-07-23 Inställt på Lydden Hill
VM-tävlingen i rallycross på Lydden Hill blev minnesvärd - men av fel anledning. Det blev ingen tävling alls.
- Det är första gången under mina 35 år inom motorsporten som vi åker hem utan att ha fått köra ett enda varv, säger Tommy Kristoffersson, teamchef i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS.

På fredagsmorgonen bröt en brand ut i depån hos Special ONE Racing Team. Hela teamets utrustning förstördes, inklusive de båda tävlingsbilarna. Inga människor skadades, men de materiella skadorna blev stora.
- Först och främst går våra tankar till teamet som har mist sina två tävlingsbilar och all annan utrustning. Vi känner varandra bra och har ett gott samarbete mellan teamen. Alla vet hur oerhört mycket tid, pengar och arbete som har lagts ner för att få fram bilarna.

Efter branden fattades beslut om att ställa in lördagens tävlingar i World RX1 i väntan på en utredning från batteritillverkaren. Sent på lördagskvällen kom sedan nästa besked, att även söndagens körning ställdes in, av säkerhetsskäl, eftersom man inte hade kunnat fastställa orsaken till branden.
- Jag är förstås superbesviken att det inte blev något race, säger Tommy som fick tre helt overksamma dagar på banan i sydöstra England.
- Vi är här för att tävla och så får vi istället gå här och göra ingenting. Det är klart att det är frustrerande.

Johan Kristoffersson fick därför inte chansen att utöka sin ledning i förarmästerskapet, eller att tillsammans med Ole Christian Veiby försvara positionen i teammästerskapet. Inte heller blev det någon VM-debut för norrmannen Sondre Evjen, som skulle ha hoppat in i teamets tredjebil.

För den nya elektrifierade VM-serien är den inställda deltävlingen ett bakslag.
- Det är klart att det kommer att diskuteras, men man ska komma ihåg att det är första gången en olycka av det här slaget inträffar. Då är det ändå nio år sedan Formel E inledde den elektrifierade eran inom motorsport och flera andra serier har hållit på i ett antal år, påpekar Tommy Kristoffersson och fortsätter:
- Olyckor och tillbud har inträffat i alla typer av serier. Motorsport innebär alltid ett mått av risk. Vi kan konstatera att lyckligtvis blev ingen människa skadad i den här branden och jag är övertygad om att vi kommer att lära oss saker av detta. Motorsporten har alltid varit drivande i utvecklingen av bilbranschen. Vi tävlar under extrema former med extrema typer av material och alla misstag och fel analyseras noga. Vi får hoppas att det kommer något gott ut av detta också i slutänden.

Nästa tävling i rallycross-VM ska gå i Mettet, Belgien om två veckor. I nuläget är intentionen att den ska arrangeras som planerat.
- Det här blev förstås en uppförsbacke för sporten, men vi har varit i såna situationer förr och lyckats ta oss över krönet. I motgång får man visa hur mycket man klarar av och det är mer än man tror.

23-07-20 Tillbaka till rallycrossens vagga
Rallycross-VM återvänder till sportens vagga när Lydden Hill står som värd för den fjärde rundan i årets mästerskap.
- Det är ju “The home of rallycross”, så det är helt klart lite speciellt, säger Ole Christian Veiby i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS.

Den 4 februari 1967 kördes världens första rallycrosstävling på Lydden Hill i engelska grevskapet Kent. Drygt 50 år senare är det nya tider när det helelektriska världsmästerskapet för första gången intar den klassiska arenan. En plats med massor av minnen, inte minst för VM-ledande Johan Kristoffersson, men av en mycket speciell anledning. 2015 blev han pappa för första gången, just när han tävlade på Lydden Hill.
- Colin kom ut när jag var där, så det är förstås något man minns speciellt, säger Johan, som slutade trea den gången.
- 2016 fick jag punktering i semifinalen och 2017 blev jag tvåa efter Petter Solberg. Det är väl typ den enda banan jag inte har vunnit på, konstaterar den femfaldige världsmästaren.

Frågan är om han ska kunna bryta den sviten nu. I årets tre deltävlingar har värmlänningen dominerat fullständigt och leder mästerskapet med 27 poängs marginal.
- Det gäller att åka dit och göra jobbet ordentligt, att vara på tårna hela tiden.

Den som hittills närmast har kunnat utmana Johans tempo är stallkamraten Ole Christian Veiby, som senast var endast sju hundradelar ifrån att bryta Kristofferssons makalösa svit på tretton raka superpole-segrar.
- Det är dags att ta den där segern. Jag har ju ett psykologiskt övertag på Johan nu, säger Ole Christian med ett skratt.

Senaste helgen drabbade teamkompisarna samman i Årjängs backtävling, där Veiby lyckades knäppa världsmästaren på näsan.

Just den interna kampen mellan Kristoffersson och Veiby är en av förklaringarna till att Kristoffersson Motorsport toppar teammästerskapet med 32 poäng.
- Vi pushar varandra till att bli bättre båda två, säger Johan och drar en parallell till succéåren 2017 och 2018 när han tog hem sina två första mästerskapstitlar.
- Det är egentligen samma kombination som jag och Petter hade i PSRX. Ole Christian har också en rallybakgrund och bidrar med den erfarenheten.

Att hjälpas åt - men också att tävla på lika villkor.
- Det är precis som under PSRX-tiden, helt öppna dörrar inom teamet, inga hemligheter mellan förarna. Då var det Petter som delade med sig av all sin erfarenhet till Johan. Nu är Johan den som drar ett jättestort lass för att hjälpa våra övriga förare, säger teamchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson.

Ett samarbete som ska lyfta Veiby i mästerskapstabellen.
- Självklart vill vi ha upp Ole på pallplats i VM. Det är vårt största mål förutom att behålla mästartitlarna, säger Tommy, som inte tillåter någon lättja i teamet trots ledning i båda mästerskapen.
- Vi vet att vi har de rätta verktygen för att hålla oss kvar där uppe, men vi måste fortsätta vara knivskarpa i varje situation. Vi vill absolut inte bjuda in de andra teamen i matchen. För att lyckas med det måste vi ödmjukt göra vårt jobb varje gång, menar Kristoffersson, som själv har några EM-rundor på Lydden Hill i bagaget.

Men sedan 90-talet har det hänt en del på den klassiska banan, ändringar som har gjorts efter senaste VM-tävlingen 2017.
- En ny förstasväng som är mer bankad och en annorlunda joker, säger Johan och ser fram emot att testa nymodigheterna.

En som redan har gjort det är Ole Christian som tävlade på banan i sydöstra England så sent som förra året.
- Tekniskt sett är det en enklare bana än till exempel i Höljes, så jag tror det kommer att bli jämnare race än senast. För oss gäller det att fortsätta göra det vi har gjort tidigare. För egen del är ett av målen att kunna plocka några poäng ifrån kvalet också. Det har jag inte gjort hittills.

Noll mästerskapspoäng börjar Sondre Evjen på, men det är inte så konstigt. Den 25-årige norrmannen gör sin debut i rallycross-VM i en av teamets tre eldrivna Volkswagen RX1e, som ersättare för Gustav Bergström.
- Det här ska bli riktigt kul. Jag har länge haft lust att testa en av elbilarna i WRX. Jag har pratat lite med Johan och han säger att det är en väldigt rolig bil att köra, säger en förhoppningsfull Evjen.

Tävlingshelgen på Lydden Hill börjar med träning kl 12 på lördag.

23-07-19 CE Dealer Team reaches FIA World RX half-time at legendary Lydden Hill
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will head to the UK and the most classic rallycross track in the world, as the edge-of-the-seat FIA World RX season hits half-time at Lydden Hill.

It was on the iconic Lydden Hill circuit, located just outside Kent in England, where the first-ever rallycross race was held back in 1967. For the first time since entering the sport’s new sustainable 100% electric era last season, the World RX is now back at Lydden Hill.

Niclas Grönholm holds second in the drivers’ championship heading into the UK-round. The Finn had a challenging event last time in Sweden and is looking to bounce back at Lydden Hill.

”It will be nice to go back to Lydden Hill after a long break from the World RX. The track has undergone some construction since its last outing in the championship, and I was lucky to drive there last year. I feel that the track is now even better than before. It is time to make a proper comeback after the eventful race in Sweden, and I am looking forward to go racing again,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Klara Andersson heads to the UK as seventh in the standings, just a few points behind third in the ultra-tight championship standings. The Swedish star is a former winner at Lydden Hill, having won a national event earlier this year.

”A special weekend awaits as we return to the birthplace of rallycross, Lydden Hill. An iconic track that I was lucky enough to try earlier this year with a cross car race that I won. With good memories from the track, it will be exciting to race on such an iconic track with our all-electric PWR RX1e. I am looking forward to continuing working hard with the team, and fight for important points in the championship,” said Klara Andersson.

After salvaging crucial points from a tough race weekend in Sweden, CE Dealer Team holds second in the teams’ championship going into the fourth round of the season.

”We are excited to return to Lydden Hill, where rallycross has such a long history. The team and its partners have used the time since Sweden to try to further improve our performance, and hopefully we will be more competitive again. It is really small margins this year, so we really need to be on it from the beginning of the weekend,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

CE Dealer Team will receive strong support at Lydden Hill with a lot of guests from hosting dealer SMT and other partners of the programme.

Volvo Construction Equipment will display the latest electric machinery and services at Lydden Hill, including a press event on Friday, and service the race weekend with course vehicles – creating the best possible conditions for the jaw-dropping racing at the legendary event.

The FIA World RX of United Kingdom weekend starts on Saturday with practice sessions, followed by the competitive action with SuperPole and the first two heats later in the day. Sunday features heats three, four and the finals.

The action is broadcast LIVE worldwide on TV – as well as through the RX+ online streaming platform and SVT for Swedish viewers.

The full World RX of United Kingdom schedule is available here.

23-07-19 Rallycross’ electrifying new era set for British debut
‘Birthplace of Rallycross’ Lydden Hill ready to welcome World RX for the first time in six years

On 4 February, 1967, the discipline of rallycross was born at Lydden Hill. Following a six-year absence, this weekend (22-23 July) the FIA World Rallycross Championship returns to its spiritual home.

Tucked away in the ‘Garden of England’ in Kent, Lydden Hill initially featured on the World RX calendar from 2014 to 2017. Now, the circuit is preparing to host the championship’s latest-generation, 500kW (680bhp) all-electric beasts – capable of sprinting to 100km/h from a standing start in an eye-watering 1.9 seconds – for the very first time in Britain.

Johan Kristoffersson leads the charge, as he seeks to embellish his extraordinary CV with a sixth career crown. Three from three so far in 2023, the Swede – who competes for Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS – currently holds a 27-point margin over second-placed Niclas Grönholm.

Timmy Hansen – the driver who has pushed Kristofferson hardest over the past few years – will be fired-up to maintain his momentum off the back of his first podium finish of the campaign at Höljes earlier this month. Younger brother and Hansen World RX Team stablemate Kevin Hansen, meanwhile, has a particular affinity with Lydden Hill...

“It’s the home of rallycross and personally, I’ve had a lot of great memories there,” revealed the 25-year-old. “I essentially began my rallycross career at the track and won in both Suzuki Swifts and RX Lites, so for me, it’s great to be back.”

Since Hansen last raced at Lydden, there have been significant changes. Turn One is now banked and considerably wider than it used to be – encouraging more side-by-side battles and overtakes – and incorporates a jump on the exit, just after the merge with the all-new joker.

Three drivers with more recent experience of the circuit are CE Dealer Team duo Grönholm and Klara Andersson as well as Kristoffersson’s team-mate, Ole Christian Veiby. Andersson won on her Lydden Hill debut in an RX150 buggy in April as part of the British Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser.

Nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb spearheads the attack for Special ONE Racing in a Lancia Delta Evo-e RX, which pays homage to one of the most iconic cars in WRC history.

Also competing at Lydden is the FIA RX2e Championship, with Britain’s Catie Munnings aiming to fly the flag for the home nation in round three of the all-electric series’ 2023 campaign.

All of the action weekend-long will be broadcast live on RX+. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while race weekend tickets are available to buy here.

Entry lists and the full event timetable can be found here.

website: fiaworldrx.com

23-07-17 Munnings set to continue 2023 RX2e campaign with #YellowSquad at Lydden Hill
British driver Catie Munnings will continue her 2023 campaign in the FIA RX2e series, the official all-electric support category to the FIA World Rallycross Championship, this weekend at Lydden Hill.

Having raced with #YellowSquad in the opening two rounds of the season in Norway and Sweden, Munnings has secured a deal to race in her home round of the campaign. Driving alongside team-mate Isak Sjökvist in the season so far, Munnings has improved with every outing, winning heat races in both Norway and Sweden, and impressing with a series of fast starts.

In the ultra-competitive field of single-specification RX2e machinery, having only just missed out on a final appearance in the opening two rounds, mainly due to circumstances outside her control in the semi-final stages, Munnings will enter her home round targeting at least a final start, on the back of scoring a sixth Extreme E career podium in Sardinia recently.

The FIA World Rallycross Championship package returns to Lydden Hill for the first time since 2017 this weekend, the circuit where rallycross was created in 1967. The circuit has evolved over the years, most recently with a new-look wider gravel opening corner and jump immediately afterwards. Munnings has raced at the venue previously, in a production-based Suzuki Swift, but like most of the field in RX2e, not on the recently revised layout.

Munnings currently lies ninth in the 2023 RX2e standings, while team-mate Sjökvist leads the points’ table.

Catie Munnings
#YellowSquad Driver
I’m very happy to have made it happen to get to Lydden Hill for round three of RX2e. It’s been very last minute and I’m very grateful to everyone that has been involved in putting this together. Again #YellowSquad has been fantastic and I’m really excited to continue our story together.

As Kenneth Hansen would say, it’s important to keep the ball rolling. It’s important for me as a driver to get some consistent seat time in a car that I know and in a championship and discipline I’m still learning. Rallycross is still really new to me but I’m enjoying every moment and the progress we’re making is great.

I’m excited to enter my home race. It’s a big one for me to compete at and hopefully we can have a really great weekend there in front of the home crowd.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
We are all delighted that Catie will continue with us for the Lydden Hill event. Not only has she done a really good job so far in Norway and Sweden, but I know very well from my own experience that every driver wants to compete in their home round of the World Championship.

It will be a special one for Catie I’m sure, but like with all drivers once she is in race mode the target will be the same as any other race weekend. She and Isak have been working really well together this season. We didn’t feel things fell our way in Sweden last time out, but we are working as hard as possible to help both drivers get the best result they can as we return to a venue that everybody loves.

23-07-13 Evjen debuterar i VM
Lydden Hill är nästa arena för rallycross-VM där det kommer att bli ett nytt namn på startlinjen: Sondre Evjen.
- Det här ska bli riktigt kul. Jag har länge haft lust att testa en av elbilarna i WRX, säger Evjen som tar plats i en av Kristoffersson Motorsports bilar istället för Gustav Bergström.

Den 25-årige norrmannen från Ål är en rutinerad herre när det gäller bilsport i allmänhet och rallycross i synnerhet, med erfarenhet från såväl RallyX som EM. Han har också ett förflutet i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS/KMS.
- Jag körde 2019 och sedan även 2020, men den säsongen blev ju avkortad på grund av corona, säger Evjen, som tog hem EM-bronset under den stympade pandemisäsongen.

Förra året gjorde han några tävlingar i EM för JC Raceteknik med en seger i Lettland som avslutning.
- Jag var tvåa i Hell, tvåa i Strängnäs och vann sedan i Riga, så det kändes bra där.

I år har han dock inte suttit i en rallycrossbil - hittills - men han har funnits i tankarna hos teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.
- Vi diskuterade inför säsongen om vi skulle kunna göra något till EM, men det gick inte riktigt att lösa. Nu när Gustav har annat uppdrag var Sondre den första jag tänkte på, säger Tommy, som har följt norrmannen genom åren, med intresse.
- Jag såg potentialen när han var hos oss, även om det också fanns saker han behövde lära sig. Nu har han gått i skola hos Joel i JC och mognat som förare. Han är duktig på att läsa av konkurrenterna och placera sig på rätt ställe på banan. Han hamnar sällan i problem.

Än så länge är det bara för tävlingen på Lydden Hill som uppgörelsen gäller, men det kan bli tal om fler tävlingar.
- Man vet aldrig vad som händer framåt. Jag ser Sondre som en extra resurs och en tänkbar reserv hos oss. Jag vill också ge honom möjligheten att visa upp sig och få komma upp på banan igen.

Evjen tar emot den möjligheten med stor entusiasm och glädje.
- Jag ser verkligen fram emot det här, även om det förstås också är lite nervöst. Jag kan inte ha alltför stora förhoppningar utan får känna mig för, försöka hitta flytet och lära känna bilen.

Evjen kommer dock att ha en mycket rutinerad mekanikerbesättning på sin bil och så finns förstås experthjälpen att få från Ole Christian Veiby och Johan Kristoffersson.
- Jag har pratat lite med Johan och han säger att det är en väldigt rolig bil att köra. När jag körde “Bettan” i EM så var det med ganska lika setup som Johan hade. Vi får hoppas att det fungerar så med elbilen också. Han och Ole Christian kommer att få svara på många frågor, lovar Evjen, som hoppas på att inhoppet inte ska vara en engångsföreteelse.
- Jag kan egentligen inte säga något mer om det, men om det låter sig göras så är jag intresserad.

I vilket fall får Sondre Evjen chansen att visa upp sig i bästa VM-teamet på Lydden Hill nästa helg.

23-07-04 Sjökvist maintains RX2e series lead with home podium at Höljes
Racing in the home round of the FIA RX2e series for both the team and himself, #YellowSquad driver Isak Sjökvist claimed a second successive podium to maintain his points lead.

It was a challenging weekend for the entire single-specification field at one of the discipline’s halo events, the ‘Magic Weekend’ at Höljes, regarded as one of the jewels in the crown of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Second fastest in Heat 1, Sjökvist thereafter battled in traffic, received contact from other cars, and struggled to find clear air. Regardless, he qualified fourth in the Ranking stages, despite heavy rain changing the track conditions significantly for Sunday’s running.

Second in semi-final two elevated Sjökvist to the final, and in a hectic encounter, in which he lay fifth at one stage and was in the thick of the action, the Swede survived final-lap drama to finish third, and maintain the same gap at the head of the points’ table that he had coming into the event.

In the sister RX2e machine from #YellowSquad, Catie Munnings made her second career start at Höljes, and like team-mate Sjökvist spent much of her weekend starting on the outside of the grid. She impressed with a stunning around-the-outside move to climb the order during those qualifying races and consistently improved throughout the weekend in the most difficult conditions, but just missed out on a place in the final.

The third round of RX2e will take place as part of the British FIA World Rallycross Championship event at Lydden Hill on July 22-23.

Catie Munnings and Isak Sjökvist
#YellowSquad Drivers
Isak Sjökvist:
I had a bit of bad luck in the qualifying heats, then managed to get a P2 in the semi-finals and in the final it was mud everywhere and a bit of chaos. I had a really great run in the final and got a bit held up by other drivers on track. We were P5 for a few moments and there was some contact, but we made it to the podium. I’m satisfied with the result, it’s the best result we could get from this weekend I think. I struggled a bit with my self-confidence but we go to the next race at Lydden Hill with two podiums in our pocket already this season.

Catie Munnings:
I had a really challenging weekend at Höljes. We had a full dry, hot tarmac day on Saturday, then Sunday was full wet, but I really enjoyed the experience and there was a lot of good racing through the heats. I was happy to take another heat race win but unfortunately, we missed out on the final. When we took the joker we had the gap to be in the top three, but got stuck in some traffic and couldn’t get through. I ended up P5 after a spin, so it wasn’t the best semi-final but I’m very happy to have experienced such a technical track in the wet and the dry.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
It was a tricky weekend with different conditions over the two days. We found ourselves on the outside of the grid a lot, but both drivers made good starts generally and were sometimes able to get ahead, but also got forced wide into the gravel on other occasions. Catie made an amazing move around the outside, and both drivers did really well in every condition. Our pace was good, Isak battled his way through a difficult second day to get onto the podium and maintain the same advantage in the points he had coming here, which will be important in the coming races. I’m proud of our drivers and the whole team, it is a pleasure to work with these great people.

23-07-04 CE Dealer Team salvages points from challenging World RX home round in Sweden
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment fought hard throughout a challenging and wet ”Magic Weekend” at Höljes in Sweden – the third round of the all-electric 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

As a sunny Saturday turned into a rainy Sunday, challenging track conditions made the racing a lottery in Höljes.

Niclas Grönholm fought hard all weekend at the slippery Höljes track, ultimately finishing fourth in the semi-final, and just missing out on the final.

The Finn is still second in the drivers’ championship.
”We struggled from start to finish this weekend, not much to say really. It is a weekend to quickly forget. I am looking forward to a few weeks off, to recharge and come back stronger next time,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Klara Andersson got a strong start to her first-ever FIA World RX race on home soil, claiming an emotional win in heat one.

The Swedish rallycross star was denied a place in the final after a puncture in her semi and is currently seventh in the standings.

”A tough weekend with a lot of ups and downs. It was fantastic to win the first heat, and it felt like a really good start to the weekend. Today it was raining all day, which was new for me with this type of car. So, there was a lot of learning. In the semi, it felt like we got the setup right, but unfortunately, I got a puncture. The potential is there, and we take a lot of lessons and important points with us from this weekend,” said Klara Andersson.

CE Dealer Team salvaged crucial points to hold second place in the teams’ championship, as the team continues its all-electric journey at the next round in Great Britain in three weeks’ time.

”Not the result we wanted. We were struggling all day to find the pace, and in the semi-final, we finally had the pace as Klara had really good lap times. But it was a bit too late. We need to keep on working, that’s it. Recharge our batteries, do our homework, and come back stronger. Rest assured that we will,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

The team enjoyed strong support from its partners who had over 400 guests on site, including exhibitions for the massive Höljes crowd with the latest cutting-edge machinery and products from Volvo Construction Equipment, Swecon, Engcon and more.

Results and standings after the FIA World RX of Sweden: https://bit.ly/3C9nzyK

23-07-04 Larsson sets the pace and claims Holjes podium on Euro RX return with JC Raceteknik
Double European Rallycross Champion and reigning Nitrocross title-winner Robin Larsson starred on his return to the FIA Euro RX series at Holjes in Sweden.

Returning to a JC Raceteknik-run Audi S1 Supercar (RX1) for the first time since 2021, Larsson set the pace at the legendary ‘Magic Weekend’ event, in both wet and dry conditions, setting a string of fastest times in Heats 2, 3 and 4 to secure Top Qualifier position.

The Swede then won semi-final 1 from the front in challenging conditions to secure pole position for the final. But, with rubber laid down on the front row from a weekend of launches in the qualifying races, the first row of the grid didn’t aid Larsson in getting a good start in the final. He battled in traffic, took an early joker and having been held up, just missed out on taking the lead on the final lap, crossing the finish line in second.

Triple European Rallycross Champion and DRR JC Nitrocross driver Andreas Bakkerud meanwhile also returned to the Magic Weekend where he had won in Euro RX and World RX previously. Bakkerud qualified third in the Intermediate Classification, thanks to two second overall times in Heat 3 and Heat 4. He started on the front-row for a rain-hit semi-final one alongside team mate Larsson, but suffered a puncture on the opening lap of the race and was unable to progress to the final.

Mats Ohman raced a third Audi S1 for the JC Raceteknik squad and qualified for the semi-finals but unfortunately had a spin in the wet conditions while battling for a place in the final and was classified 10th on his return to Euro RX.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“It’s always special to race at the Magic Weekend with our team and we had some fantastic support from the Swedish fans. We had brilliant pace, even with only a short test for Robin and Andreas in the days before. I was confident we could be quick in the dry, but the pace in the wet on Sunday was very pleasing, the work the team did all weekend was very good. Robin was very quick and he deserved the victory, that’s for sure, and Andreas was very unlucky in the semi-final both with the front-row start and the low grip there, and then with the puncture. Maybe we should go back to Holjes later this year and try get some revenge. Let’s see…”

23-07-04 Kristoffersson conquers conditions for home soil success in Sweden
Multiple world champion adds fourth ‘Magic Weekend’ victory to career CV

Defending FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson maintained his unbeaten start to the 2023 campaign with a home soil triumph at Höljes today (2 July).

Having already left his adversaries trailing in Portugal and Norway, another dominant display saw Kristoffersson clinch an emphatic 38th career victory, cheered on by nearly 25,000 enthusiastic fans at rallycross’ legendary ‘Magic Weekend’.

Mastering both Saturday’s searing heat and Sunday’s showers in Sweden’s Värmland region, World RX’s very own magician cast a spell over his rivals to set an electrifying pace, winning all four heats, his semi-final and the all-important final to extend his championship lead to 27 points.

“That was almost the perfect weekend,” the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS star reflected. “I think this track might be the trickiest one to drive in the wet, but it’s also very rewarding when you get it right and we had great pace and good starts throughout, which was key. It’s always nice to win, of course, but to do so in Sweden in front of such a big crowd and with my family here is extra-special.”

Kristoffersson took the chequered flag more than four seconds clear of closest pursuer Timmy Hansen. The 2019 world champion bounced back from disappointing results in the opening two rounds at Montalegre and Hell to secure his first trophy of the season, getting the better of Ole Christian Veiby in the final to seal the runner-up spoils for Hansen World RX Team.

Veiby similarly ascended the rostrum for the first time in 2023 in third, pleased with his performance but ruing a couple of late mistakes. Following a difficult start to the weekend with an error in the SuperPole session and an off-track excursion in heat one, Kevin Hansen wound up fourth, winning the second semi-final but losing time behind Timo Scheider in the final after running wide on the exit of the joker.

Both Scheider and Guerlain Chicherit saw their efforts plagued by punctures. The German managed to reach the finish line in fifth for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, but in his first final appearance of the year, the Frenchman was forced to park his Special ONE Racing Lancia Delta Evo-E RX on the second lap.

Neither Niclas Grönholm nor Klara Andersson progressed to the final on a frustrating weekend for CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment, with nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb another driver to exit proceedings at the semi-final stage.

In the supporting FIA RX2e Championship, Ole Henry Steinsholt banished the memory of a nightmarish Hell curtain-raiser to claim his breakthrough victory. First-time winners also celebrated in the FIA European Rallycross Championship, with Patrick O’Donovan defeating a trio of former champions to prevail in Euro RX1 and Espen Isaksætre’s triumph setting up an intriguing title showdown in Euro RX3.

The 2023 World RX campaign continues at Lydden Hill in the UK – the circuit where rallycross was born more than half-a-century ago – on 22-23 July.

FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 5 laps
2. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 4.268s
3. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 7.773s
4. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 9.637s
5. Timo SCHEIDER (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport + 44.001s
6. Guerlain CHICHERIT (FRA) Special ONE Racing + 4 laps

Full results for all categories can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

23-07-04 Podium för Linnemann
- Michalak snubblande nära finalkörning trots lördagens strul
Det var en sprudlande glad Ulrik Linnemann som tog Hedströms Motorsports VW Polo Supercar hela vägen till final och podium, när årets svenska EM-deltävling i rallycross avgjordes på Höljesbanan i norra Värmland.

Teamets danske förare från nordjylländska Skivum, Ulrik Linnemann, fortsatte på inslagen väg i tävlingens fjärde kvalomgång, som kördes under svåra förhållanden på en regnblöt och därmed såphal bana. Linnemann bemästrade halkan ypperligt, rullade mål på åttonde tid och säkrade finalkörning.
- Ulrik har varit stabil, jämn och levererat riktigt bra körning hela helgen, berömmer teamchef Peter Hedström.

Väl i semifinal satte Linnemann en bra start, var tvåa efter Marklund in i första väg och kunde avverka varven i raskt tempo och ta andraplatsen efter nämnde norrlänning.
- Jag är väldigt nöjd med bilen som funkat perfekt och att få köra final i Höljes inför den underbara publiken är bara fantastiskt, säger Ulrik Linnemann.

Finalen blev rafflande redan från start, där Patrick O´Donovan tryckte på och knuffade på Linnemann som höll ledningen.
- Det var hårt skubb in i andra sväng, han tryckte på och knuffade, fortsätter Ulrik.
Britten fortsatte trycka på och Linnemann fann till slut för gott att släppa honom utför banans snabbaste parti på tredje varvet i stället för att bli avtryckt på den regnhala Höljesbanan. Linnemann kunde sedan ratta VW Polon mål som trea och kan summera en härlig helg.
- Vilken härlig stämning det är här i Höljes, att få vinna två heat här och vara med på podiet i finalen är fantastiskt, sprudlar Linnemann efter prisutdelningen.

Teamets Hyundaiförare Anders Michalak försökte med allt han hade att reparera resultatet från gårdagens oturliga kvalomgångar och var mycket nära att lyckas. Men det fattades till slut två poäng för att komma in i semifinal, trots att han tog en solklar heatseger med stor marginal. Teamchef peter Hedström summerar.
- Jag lider med Anders och förstår hans frustration, trots att han åkte mycket fort när all funkade, så ville det sig bara inte denna helgen.

Vi kan också avslöja att det blir mer körning för Ulrik Linnemann hos Hedströms Motorsport.
- Jag kör finalen med Polon i Tyskland på Estering, det ska bli kul att fortsätta där, avslutar Linnemann.

23-07-04 Kristoffersson överlägsen i Höljes
Ännu en seger, ännu en fullpoängare.
Johan Kristoffersson är fullständigt fenomenal i inledningen av rallycross-VM. I Höljes kom den tredje raka segern inför 24 100 åskådare.
- Det är aldrig enkelt och det var supersvåra förhållanden, men det här blev den näst intill perfekta helgen, säger Kristoffersson.

Arvikaföraren var totalt överlägsen när han tog sin fjärde seger på den legendariska banan i norra Värmland, faktiskt ännu mer överlägsen än han har varit tidigare under säsongen. På de tre tävlingarna hittills har Kristoffersson varit snabbast varje gång han har nått mållinjen med sin Volkswagen RX1e. Det imponerar till och med på honom själv:
- Arton heat och fortfarande inte ett stenskott i framrutan. Det är helt sanslöst!

Samtidigt gladdes han åt att teamkamraten Ole Christian Veiby tog sin första pallplats för säsongen, som trea i mål.
- Kul att ha honom på pallen igen. Det förtjänar han.

Lördagen i Höljes började precis som de tidigare tävlingarna. Johan Kristoffersson tog sin trettonde raka (!) seger i superpole, tufft utmanad av teamkompisen Ole Christian Veiby. Sju hundradelar skilde till slut till femfaldige världsmästarens fördel.
- Att jag ändå lyckades vara snabbast där gav mig en fördel under resten av helgen i och med att jag fick innerspåret.

Veiby var nära att snuva sin teamkompis, precis som i Hell.
- Då skilde det väl en tiondel, den här gången bara sju hundradelar. Nästa gång kanske, säger Ole Christian med glimten i ögat.

I lördagens första heat blev det en säker etta-tvåa för Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-paret. Kristoffersson och Veiby var i täten även i sitt andra heat, men tidsmässigt klämde sig Kevin Hansen in mellan Volkswagen-duon, som ändå låg i topp totalt efter första dagen.

Johan fortsatte på den inslagna vägen under söndagen, suveräna starter och två nya heatsegrar. Etta i kvalet - förstås - och tre mästerskapspoäng inhämtade.
- Det är bara att skicka ett stort tack till teamet för att vi har en fantastisk bil som är lätt att anpassa till skiftande förhållanden, säger en ödmjuk Johan, som var än mer överlägsen när regnet började falla i Höljes.

Ole Christian hade en lite struligare kvalificering, fick en punktering i tredje omgången och tappade placeringar. I fjärde hade han farten, men förlorade viktiga sekunder när en bil snurrade framför. Därmed gick han miste om möjligheten till en poäng i kvalet, fyra totalt, men ändå en plats i främsta ledet i semifinalen.

För Gustav Bergströms del blev det en märklig tävlingshelg. På grund av åtagandet i Carrera Cup avstod han lördagens båda kvalomgångar. I söndagens första heat hade han något bra på gång, men snurrade när styrningen krånglade. I sista kvalomgången fullföljde han sin första runda för helgen och plockade en sjundeplats inför semifinalen.
- Det var ju svårt förstås när det blev problem med styrningen, men jag hade ändå bra fart och snabbaste varvtid.

I semifinalen kom han inte riktigt fram från sitt bakre startspår, men utmanade ändå Sébastien Loeb ända till mållinjen.
- Jag var absolut blind in i första kurvan. Jag försökte hela vägen, men det går inte att lyckas med att ta utsidan i sista svängen.

Till final tog sig däremot de båda teamkamraterna Veiby och Kristoffersson. Den sistnämnde utan några som helst problem, medan Ole Christian fick nöja sig med en andraplats efter Kevin Hansen.

I finalen gjorde Kristoffersson processen kort med sina konkurrenter. Upp i ledning och en eriksgata fram till seger med fyra sekunders marginal.
- Det är alltid gôtt att vinna, men det är superspeciellt hemma i Sverige med familj och vänner på plats och med den atmosfär som Höljes alltid bjuder på.

Bakom Johan tog sig Ole Christian upp till andra plats i starten från sitt fjärdespår.
- Jag fick en riktigt bra start. Tyvärr gjorde jag ett litet misstag som gav Timmy en lucka att smita förbi, säger Veiby.

Precis som i Hell blev det en duell med storebror Hansen och den här gången gick Timmy segrande ur den striden.
- Jag tycker vi har förtjänat mer från de två första tävlingarna, så det var verkligen superskönt att vara tillbaka på pallen.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-chefen Tommy Kristoffersson var både nöjd och stolt efter helgens insats.
- Väldigt kul att Ole Christian är tillbaka på pallen igen. Han och Johan jobbar otroligt bra tillsammans. Det är en svårslagen duo.
- Gustav hade en tuff uppgift, kom hit sent och fick problem med styrningen. Men han hade snabbaste varvtid i ett av sina heat och visar att det finns där i honom. Jag hoppas verkligen att han fortsätter satsa på rallycross.

Och vad säger man om Johan Kristoffersson, sportens gigant?
- Han är en fantastisk tillgång för teamet. En stark individ med det stora ego som krävs för att lyckas, men också en teamspelare med välvilja att alltid hjälpa andra.

Överlägsen på torrt underlag, den här helgen ännu mer överlägsen när det blev blött.
- Om du är en duktig chaufför ger det större utslag på blött underlag. Johan har en otrolig förmåga att känna av hur mycket fäste det finns, en förmåga han har visat många gånger i olika sammanhang.

Kristoffersson leder nu mästerskapet med maximala 69 poäng, 27 före tvåan Niclas Grönholm. Veiby ligger fyra med 35.

I teammästerskapet ökade KMS sin ledning till 32 poäng.
- En stark laginsats av hela teamet. Så oerhört mycket jobb bakom kulisserna, inte minst av Per Johansson som gjorde ett otroligt bra jobb med starterna, summerar Tommy Kristoffersson. 23-07-04 Timmy Hansen gets 2023 back-on-track with home Höljes podium
Former FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen got his 2023 season with the Hansen World RX Team back-on-track after second-place at the famous ‘Magic Weekend’ in Höljes, Sweden.

The multiple World Championship-winning team entered the third round of the campaign having increased the pace of its all-electric Peugeot 208 RX1es at the first two rounds in Portugal and Norway, but had endured a worst-ever World RX result at Hell last time out.

Hitting the ground running at the Höljes circuit, the Hansen squad had at least one car inside the top three times throughout the qualification sessions - Timmy Hansen setting the third best time in Heat 1 while Kevin Hansen, the 2016 European Rallycross Champion, was second fastest in Heats 2, 3 and 4 to finish second in the Ranking stage, one place ahead of brother and team-mate Timmy in the sister 208 RX1e.
The team faced difficult track conditions through the weekend - a dry day on Saturday giving way to wet conditions on Sunday - with the squad improving the pace of the 208 RX1es on the wet track throughout the second day.

Starting on pole for the second semi-final, Kevin Hansen overtook the race leader during the encounter to claim victory and move forward to the final, while Timmy Hansen also progressed to the final for the first time in 2023.

In the main event, Timmy ran third on the opening lap before making an overtake for second later on lap one, en-route to his podium return, shadowing event-winner Johan Kristoffersson and climbing to fifth in the Drivers’ standings.

Kevin Hansen meanwhile had a difficult start to the last race of the weekend, then touched a wall on his joker lap exit and lost time. He battled back, and just missed out on a podium place. The combined results mean the Hansen World RX Team closes the gap to second in the Teams’ Championship.

World RX returns to the UK and the Lydden Hill circuit for the fourth round later this month (July 21-23).
Kenneth Hansen said: “This is a good result for us and it’s always nice to be on the podium here in Sweden. It could have been two cars on the podium I think, until Kevin just touched a barrier and lost a little time, so it shows we had good speed. It’s a good step forward, but we still need to keep working to have the performance to be able to win the races outright. We will keep pushing to be able to do that - that’s what we do!”

Kevin Hansen said: “We had good speed this weekend and were the only ones to really challenge Johan [Kristoffersson] on pace. In the dry we were improving a lot now that we have found something that’s more comfortable to drive. In the wet we made big steps also. It’s the first time we’ve used the latest software and car setup in the wet but I did a bad launch in the final, then the wipers and washers didn’t work correctly so I couldn’t properly see, and I made a mistake in the joker. The speed after that was great and I closed on P3 but needed another lap to be able to get on the podium.”

Timmy Hansen said: “I’m very happy with this result. Of course, you go into every race wanting to win, and if you don’t want to be on the top you may as well not be here. So we’re doing everything we can to be winning again too. Johan [Kristoffersson] had another incredible weekend - when it started to rain today he just checked out. The battle for second though was super tight and Ole Christian [Veiby] just made a tiny error and I went on the inside. It just shows how small the margins are. For the team, it’s fantastic to be back on the podium, especially considering they had to rebuild the car after the first two races. This reward is for them, and it feels like now I have started my championship.

23-06-20 Isachsen godt fornøyd med comebacket
Sverre Isachsen endte på en tiendeplass i sitt comeback i rallycross, og var godt fornøyd etter sitt første billøp på fem år.
- Først og fremst var det veldig morsomt å kjøre igjen, og jeg må takke min gode kompis Frank Valle, som jeg fikk kjøre bilen til, mine gamle mekanikere og trofaste sponsorer for at dette lot seg gjennomføre, sier Sverre Isachsen.

Isachsen, som vant EM tre år på rad, og senere kjørte profesjonelt i USA, gjorde comeback i EM med en Ford Fiesta Supercar på Lånkebanen utenfor Hell i helgen. Etter en liten test i Sverige var han spent på hvordan det skulle gå.
- Jeg er ganske fornøyd med egen kjøring. Det er klart jeg hadde drømt om en finale, men nivået er høyt i toppen. Og denne bilen passer nok ikke min kjørestil helt perfekt, men jeg synes jeg hang greit med og det var veldig morsomt å kjøre igjen. Og det var hyggelig å møte så mange fans som syntes det var morsomt at jeg kjørte igjen, og ikke minst at vi hadde den gamle dekoren på bilen.

Isachsen hadde flere gode tider, men det ble ingen finaleplass denne gangen. Det var for øvrig landsmann Sivert Svardal som vant EM-runden på Hell, mens svenske Johan Kristoffersson vant VM-klassen. Nå lurer mange på om det blir mer kjøring for Isachsen?
- Ja, jeg lurer på det selv også. Det ga definitivt mersmak, men det koster både tid og penger å drive med rallycross. Jeg må tenke meg litt om, men jeg ser ikke helt bort fra at det kan bli flere løp, avslutter Sverre Isachsen.

23-06-19 McConnell storms to Oklahoma victory in Nitrocross season-opener
Getting the 2023-2024 Nitrocross season off to a brilliant start at the brand-new and insane Mid America Outdoors Oklahoma track, Swedish-American Nitrocross Championship team Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and JC Raceteknik (DRR JC) claimed the top three qualifying positions for the all-important final, before finishing 1-2 in the Group E category to begin the season in style.

Jamaican star Fraser McConnell started the final from pole position, thanks to finishing second in the Battle Final and then winning his Heat. In the final, McConnell led on lap one on the insane new track, and fended off a strong challenge for victory during the encounter to secure his third career win. Meanwhile, he also claimed the Yokohama Tire Fastest Lap award.

The result, and points accumulated through the qualifying stages of the event, means that McConnell leads the Drivers’ Standings after the opening single-header weekend.

Making his debut in Nitrocross and the all-electric FC1X Group E machine, IndyCar driver Connor Daly impressed with his pace and qualified for the grand final, ending his race in eight place.

Fraser McConnell (JAM), Group E:
“This is such a stacked feeling, I’m going to remember this one for a long time. Massive thanks to the DRR JC team. Timed practice was my favourite time in a car ever on Friday, the dirt then was like gold and I can’t wait to drive on more of that. The atmosphere was incredible and the championship table is quite a picture – I can’t wait for the next round in Utah.”

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“It was a great weekend. Unfortunately we didn’t get a pre-event test due to thunderstorms, but when we got going the pace was there from the first lap, with all of our cars. We qualified 1-2-3 into the final, then in the final we had a big fight and were able to finish 1-2 on the podium. We could have had a podium-lock out but that’s how it goes sometimes. We can leave here happy that we have brought good form into this season, and we’re really looking forward to the next race in Utah.”

23-06-19 Hansen World RX Team endures hellish result in Norway
The Hansen World RX Team endured a weekend to forget in the second round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Hell, Norway, following incidents on track for both of the team’s drivers.

Having made steps to close the gap to the front of the order following the opening round of the season in Portugal two weeks earlier, the Hansen World RX Team and drivers Timmy and Kevin Hansen entered the weekend in Hell with high hopes.

Changes to the all-electric Peugeot 208 RX1e machines through the Norwegian encounter also improved the performance step-by-step on the hillside circuit, as round-one podium finisher Kevin Hansen set the second best time in Heat 1, with team mate 2019 World RX Champion Timmy Hansen third overall, to get qualifying underway.
Never making it to pole position and the favoured inside spot on the grid, the Hansen brothers several times tried an outside move in the opening corner and Kevin Hansen finished second in the Ranking order after Heat 4.

But for Timmy Hansen, his weekend was cut short in Heat 4. Pushed onto the grass over the finish line while trying to overtake another car, the #21 208 RX1e leapt into the air. When it landed, the Blue Light came on to signify a large impact, meaning that the single-specification battery pack used by all World RX cars needed to be checked by specialists, putting Hansen out of the event. The other competitor from the incident was disqualified.

For Kevin Hansen in the #71 208 RX1e, in the Semi-Finals he made another good start, but contact on the way into turn one caused a front-right puncture, which ended his hopes of making the Final.

The team now looks ahead to its home round of World RX at Höljes in Sweden (July 1-2).
Kenneth Hansen: “It was a tough ending to a weekend where we worked and found some good things. We found speed and some surprises to us that helped us move forward, but the ending was not good - first with Timmy’s incident and then with Kevin’s puncture. It’s just one of those weekends, but now we are only looking forward to try and start on a new platform at the next races to get closer to the top. We will continue to work with that objective.”

Kevin Hansen: “The weekend didn’t end like we wanted. I had a great start in my Semi-Final, was almost completely clear of Johan Kristoffersson into turn one but we had contact and I got a puncture directly. It felt like we had a good car and could challenge for the podium and if we put everything together we could challenge Johan for the win. This is rallycross and anything can happen but unfortunately for us we were on the wrong side of what can happen. It’s a really big shame, overall though we qualified well and we’re making good progress. We will bounce back.”

Timmy Hansen: “The big race now for the team is to get my car ready for the next round in Sweden so I can be on the start grid again. That is not going to be easy. There were a lot of good signs this weekend. What we’re working on is taking the battle to win some races and this weekend we got a lot closer to be able to do that. Hopefully we can be back for the next race to prove what we can do. Things can change quickly and we will keep pushing. We have big motivation in the team to move forward for better results in the coming races.”

23-06-18 Sjökvist wins RX2e season-opener in Hell with #YellowSquad
Swedish sensation Isak Sjökvist drove to an empathic victory in the opening round of FIA RX2e at Hell in Norway with #YellowSquad to claim an early championship lead.

Racing in #YellowSquad’s first-ever all-electric RX2e event, Sjökvist was fastest in the opening two Heats of the Norwegian encounter, supporting the FIA World Rallycross Championship, and only lost ground following first corner contact from other cars in Heat 3.

Keeping his cool, the 21-year-old former kart racer took top position in the Ranking stages, then won his Semi-Final from the front, before managing the Final while under pressure throughout to secure a second career RX2e win, and maximum points to hold the championship lead.

Catie Munnings also delivered a strong opening-round performance in the sister #YellowSquad machine, despite a relative lack of rallycross experience compared to many of her rivals.

A first-ever RX2e race win in Heat 3 and third overall time was a strong finish to Saturday’s proceedings and Munnings qualified sixth in the Ranking, in the strong field. However, while showing fast pace in the Semi-Finals to battle for a place in the Final, contact from another car at the joker merge cost Munnings time, putting her out of contention.

The second round of RX2e will take place as part of the Swedish FIA World Rallycross Championship event at Höljes in two weeks (July 1-2).

Catie Munnings and Isak Sjökvist
#YellowSquad Drivers
Isak Sjökvist:
This weekend exceeded our expectations, and it feels really great to pull off such a result so early in the season. There’s still a long way to go. We need to be humble and there is a lot of work to do, but this is a great start to our time together and I’m sure this will help us moving forwards. In the Final the track conditions were very challenging so I took it cautiously and managed the lead. For sure I felt pressure from behind but I kept things together and took the win. The season is long, there are a lot of young talents in this championship, and it is going to be tough, but this weekend has been very good.

Catie Munnings:
I haven’t got much tarmac experience and this weekend was very much like circuit racing, until the gravel started to break up, so it’s been a fantastic opportunity for me to learn, especially from Isak who has so many years in karting. I’ve really enjoyed working with #YellowSquad and I’m so pleased for the whole team with Isak’s win. Overall I’m very happy with the steps I made through the weekend. The Heat win on Saturday felt great, but it was a shame to get taken out of the Semi-Final and there was nothing I could do from there. The damage was done, we had good pace and I was catching P3 in front which would have put me into the Final but we ran out of laps. On the whole it’s been really good and I’m looking forward to the next race in Holjes.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
What a weekend! To win our first-ever RX2e event is fantastic and represents a huge effort from the whole team, so the first thing I must do is say thank you to them all. Isak delivered a stunning performance, not just for winning as much as he did, and driving so well in the Final, but for managing the car, and the first corners in the way he did. It was the perfect start to the year. For Catie, her pace was very good and had things gone differently in the Semi-Final she would for sure have been in the Final and challenging for the podium, so we look forward to the next race with her.

23-06-18 Niclas Grönholm claims sixth straight FIA World RX podium for CE Dealer Team in Norway
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment turned around a challenging start to the FIA World RX weekend at Hell in Norway to claim a sixth consecutive podium finish.

Niclas Grönholm secured his spot in the final by winning the semi-final from pole position, for the second event in a row. The Finish star then pushed reigning champion Johan Kristoffersson all the way to the line, ultimately finishing in second position.

This means the Finnish driver’s sixth straight podium for CE Dealer Team in the FIA World RX, moving him up into second place in the championship standings.

”It has not been an easy weekend; we have been really working hard. It feels good to head home with a second place and a solid points haul after all. We need to keep working hard, stayed focused and try again in the next race at Höljes,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Klara Andersson claimed her so far best result of the season with fourth.
The Swedish star had a mixed start to her Sunday, as the team had to change the ECU in her car just minutes before the third heat. Recovering from that, Andersson made her second appearance in the final this season.

Andersson holds fifth in the drivers’ standings, just one point short of third place.
”We had some issues in the semi-final, so I was really lucky to be able to make the final. There I got a very good launch but got hit twice. After that, the wheels were pointing in every possible direction, so it was not easy to drive that’s for sure. We did not have so much luck this weekend, and I hope we can come back stronger in Sweden,” said Klara Andersson.

With both cars making it to the final for the second event running, CE Dealer Team moves up to second in the teams’ championship.
”To once again get both cars into the final, and claiming a sixth consecutive podium, is of course great. But everything is not perfect yet, as we still have challenges to overcome. The team and all of our partners will continue to work tirelessly in the coming weeks to hit the ground running at our home event in Sweden,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

The World RX weekend in Norway saw Volvo Construction Equipment showcasing its electric products together with its partners, including the debut of the 100% electric Volvo CE L120H Electric Conversion as an official course vehicle.

The FIA World RX championship continues in just two weeks’ time at the team's home venue Höljes in Sweden and the legendary “Magic Weekend”.

Results and standings after the FIA World RX of Portugal: https://bit.ly/3WMUmDo

23-06-18 Kristoffersson keeps cool to win as tempers flare in Norway
Four female drivers reach rallycross finals in Hell
On a weekend when tempers flared both on and off-track, Johan Kristoffersson produced an ice-cool performance in Hell to win World RX of Norway today (18 June), with female drivers notably reaching the final in three of the four categories.

Kristoffersson was untouchable around the undulating Lånkebanen circuit, maintaining his flawless SuperPole record before dominating all four heats, his semi-final and the final to tally his 37th career victory in the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s milestone 100th round.

That secured the five-time world champion a second consecutive maximum score behind the wheel of his Volkswagen RX1e, extending his advantage at the top of the title standings to 13 points.

“The field is getting tighter and tighter, but we went to Montalegre and were quick and now we’ve come here, to a very different type of track, and we’ve been quick again,” Kristoffersson reflected. “It’s been a challenge with the track conditions constantly changing, and I played it smart and tried not to get involved in too many incidents. Now, we look ahead to Höljes. Driving there with these new electric cars will be super-fun!”

Behind the Swede, a brutal battle played out for the honour of finishing ‘best-of-the-rest’. Ultimately, it was Niclas Grönholm who prevailed in that particular fight as the Finn secured the runner-up spoils for CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment.

In only his second outing in World RX’s electric era, double DTM champion Timo Scheider ascended the podium for the first time in almost three years with a stellar performance behind the wheel of ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s SEAT Ibiza RX1e.

Klara Andersson took the chequered flag fourth, replicating the result that she achieved on her impressive World RX debut in Hell last summer. On an historic day for the sport, compatriot Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky placed a superb third on her debut in the supporting FIA RX2e Championship, with Cristina Gutiérrez fifth in the same race and Mandie August a career-best fourth in Euro RX1.

Home hero Ole Christian Veiby finished fifth in the World RX final for Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS. The Norwegian collided with Timmy Hansen in heat four, ruling the 2019 world champion out of the remainder of the event and leading to an angry confrontation.

Nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb completed the World RX finalists in his Lancia Delta Evo-e RX, while Kevin Hansen exited proceedings at the semi-final stage after picking up a puncture in a Turn One clash with Kristoffersson.

In RX2e, Isak Sjökvist got his title challenge off to the perfect start with a win first time out for Hansen Motorsport junior outfit #YellowSquad. Sivert Svardal described his breakthrough Euro RX1 victory as ‘the best day of his life’ after holding off defending champion Anton Marklund by the tiniest of margins. Nils Volland was similarly a first-time winner in Euro RX3, leading home a Volland Racing one-two-three.

The season continues on 1-2 July with another full bill of racing at Höljes in Sweden – rallycross’ legendary ‘Magic Weekend’ – featuring World RX, RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3.

FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 5 laps
2. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Dealer Team + 1.755s
3. Timo SCHEIDER (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport + 3.675s
4. Klara ANDERSSON (SWE) CE Dealer Team + 5.438s
5. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 6.372s
6. Sébastien LOEB (FRA) Special ONE Racing + 6.798s

Full results for all categories can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

23-06-18 Drömöppning för Kristoffersson
Johan Kristoffersson har fått en drömöppning på årets VM-säsong i rallycross. I Hell tog han sin andra raka seger, den 37:e totalt i karriären, och utökade sin ledning i mästerskapet.
- Strålande! Det har varit superbra hela helgen, säger en trygg och självsäker Kristoffersson.

För Ole Christian Veiby blev det en femteplats vilket bidrog till utökad ledning i teammästerskapet.

Helgen i Hell - den 100:e deltävlingen i rallycross-VM - började med ännu en superpole-uppvisning av Kristoffersson. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren tog sin tolfte kvalseger av lika många möjliga. Teamkamraten - och för dagen födelsedagsfirande - Ole Christian Veiby gjorde verkligen allt han kunde för att sätta stopp för Johans svit men det fattades en tiondels sekund.
- Det var riktigt svåra förutsättningar ute på banan och väldigt lätt att göra ett misstag. Det var en av de gånger under helgen då jag inte var helt nöjd med hur bilen var anpassad, säger Kristoffersson.
- Jag tror faktiskt Johan hann bli lite nervös där och han var tvungen att göra något extraordinärt för att ta hem den och det gjorde han, konstaterar Veiby glatt.

Johan fick i och med snabbaste tid det innerspår som gav honom möjlighet att kontrollera hela kvalificeringen. Samma visa fyra gånger: Johan först ut efter första svängen med hjälp av innerspåret och därefter defilering till mållinjen.
- Det har varit små detaljer att justera, men det känns tryggt att vi har kunskap och verktyg för att få de svar vi behöver för att det ska fungera bättre.

För Veiby blev det mer hetluft genom kvalet, inte minst i fjärde omgången där han fick ta kamp mot Sébastien Loeb och Timmy Hansen.

Med en punktering som följd hasade sig Veiby i mål, men säkrade ändå fjärdeplatsen. Veiby fick dock en bestraffning för sammanstötningen med Hansen och flyttades ner till andra led i semifinalen.
- Jag vet inte vad jag ska säga om det egentligen. Jag försöker bara hålla bilen rakt, säger Ole Christian.

I semin var det Kristoffersson som råkade ut för en tuff uppvaktning. Kevin Hansen pressade Johan inåt men den femfaldige världsmästaren höll emot och kom ut i ledning, medan Hansens attack medförde en punktering. Därmed kunde Kristoffersson köra hem semifinalen och säkra pole position i finalen med sin Volkswagen RX1e.
- Det kunde lätt ha blivit punktering där när jag blev tryckt inåt, men som tur var träffade curbsen mitt under bilen.

Även i finalen tog sig Kristoffersson helskinnad genom första svängen genom att hålla sitt spår längst in.
- Därifrån var det sedan ganska kontrollerat in mot mål. En fantastisk start på året. Pojkarna i teamet gör ett strålande jobb, så nu ser jag fram emot Höljes.

Ole Christian Veiby var i finalen åter inblandad i tuffa närkamper och förlorade sin baklucka längs vägen. Han körde i mål som femma.
- Utan baklucka och vinge blev det hopplöst att försöka hänga på dem framför. Tyvärr lite för dåligt betalt för bra körning även den här gången, menar Ole Christian.

Veiby plockade ändå elva poäng och tillsammans med Kristofferssons 23 innebär det utökad ledning i teammästerskapet. KMS har där nu 69 poäng mot 56 för andraplacerade CE Dealer Team.

I förarmästerskapet har Kristoffersson seglat ifrån till ledning med tretton poäng före Niclas Grönholm. Ole Christian Veiby är kvar på sin fjärdeplats med 23.

För Gustav Bergström blev det en ny tung helg, där han slutade fyra i semin och därmed missade finalen.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson kunde än en gång summera en lyckad tävlingshelg för Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS.
- Jag hade den största respekten inför den här helgen. Det är lätt att tro att man bara kan ställa ut skorna efter framgången i Montalegre, men det har varit ett oerhört dedikerat jobb från hela teamet.
- Lite frustrerad att vi inte får bättre betalt för Ole och Gustav. Båda har tempot för mer poäng, men på det stora hela har vi haft två otroligt bra helger. Johan gör sitt jobb klockrent och sätter inte en fot fel på hela helgen, den här gången heller. Superstarkt!

VM rullar vidare med hemmatävlingen i Höljes om två veckor.

23-06-15 Lettland nästa för Dennis Rådström och Johan Johansson i Rally-EM
Rallyföraren Dennis Rådström, Torsby, kör i helgen sin andra deltävling i Rally-EM för säsongen tillsammans med kartläsaren Johan Johansson från Valdemarsvik. I sin Ford Fiesta Rally2 från GN Motorsport med däck från MRF väntar Rally Liepaja.

Dennis och Johan körde för en månad sen sin första internationella tävling på över två år, och den första i en fyrhjulsdriven bil, när de körde Polens EM-tävling. Det var den första av totalt tre EM-starter för Dennis och Johan, som avslutas på hemmaplan i Royal Rally of Scandinavia i Värmland i juli. Del två i EM-äventyret körs under helgen på de snabba grusvägarna i Lettland.
– Vi har kört ett test inför tävlingen, och ett riktigt bra test. Vi har provat nya saker på bilen som känns bra. Det är lite skillnad nu också när vi har några mil i ryggen i denna bilen, så vi fick bilen bättre än inför Polen. Det går grymt fort även här i Lettland. Vi ska göra en bra rekognosering som vanligt och göra bra noter. Fredagens kval kommer bli avgörande här, så gäller att vi sätter en bra tid där. Sen är de bara att njuta av helgen, säger Dennis.

Tävlingen startar på fredag med en kvalsträcka, som avgör startordningen för rallyt. Tävlingen startar på lördag, och avgörs med 10 sträckor med målgång på söndag.
– Äntligen är det rally igen. Jag ser fram emot denna tävling tillsammans med Dennis och GN Motorsport. Nu har vi blivit lite mer varma i kläderna efter Polen, och börjar känna bilen bättre. Såklart är det en stor och tuff utmaning på dessa snabba vägar, och med motstånd på väldigt hög nivå. Men vi ska göra jobbet, och verkligen ha kul denna helgen. Känslan är mycket bra, säger Johan.

Resultat, tidsschema och startlista: https://bit.ly/43XS1I7

23-06-15 CE Dealer Team heads to Norwegian Hell for second FIA World RX round
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will continue its challenge for the FIA World RX titles this weekend at the legendary circuit Hell in Norway.

Hell is the track where the team made its highly anticipated debut in the all-electric FIA World RX last year – a programme driving the shift to improved sustainability and diversity in motorsport and the construction equipment industry by highlighting the excitement that a move to an electric future offers.

The team arrives in Norway from a promising premiere in Portugal two weeks ago where it kicked off its ground-breaking second season.

Niclas Grönholm arrives as third in the drivers’ championship after a podium in the Portuguese curtain raiser. The 27-year-old Finn looks to continue his fight for the World Championship title at the track where he took his first ever FIA World RX win in 2019.

”The first race in Portugal was really encouraging, and I think we have something good to build on for the rest of the season. Everybody in the team along with our partners are eager to score good results. I have a nice feeling going to Norway, where I had great results in the past. We will as always do everything we can to get big points, and chase that first win of the season,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Swedish rallycross star Klara Andersson made her World RX debut at Hell last year, reaching the final in her first RX1e appearance and is currently fifth in the standings.

”I am extremely excited to come back to Norway where we made our World RX debut last year. I have great memories from there and I look forward to build on the momentum from Portugal. It’s always a great atmosphere around the track in Hell, and I can’t wait to get going and fight for the podium,” said Klara Andersson.

As both 100% electric PWR RX1e race cars raced the final in Portugal, CE Dealer Team shares second in the teams’ championship.

After a promising start to the season in Portugal, the team and our partners have worked hard to further improve our operation. This is crucial to reach our highly set goals of even better overall performance. Hell was a good circuit for us last year and while we expect even tougher opposition this year, our ambition is to secure an even stronger result this year,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

The World RX of Norway weekend starts on Friday with practice sessions. The competitive action starts on Saturday with SuperPole and the two first heats. Sunday features heat three, four and the finals.

The action is broadcast LIVE worldwide on TV – as well as through the RX+ online streaming platform and SVT for Swedish viewers.

The full World RX of Norway schedule is available here: https://bit.ly/3X5XDxC

23-06-15 #YellowSquad reveals stunning new RX2e liveries ahead of trip to Hell for season-opener
Swedish rallycross driver development team #YellowSquad has revealed a pair of stunning new liveries as it gears up for the opening round of the FIA RX2e series this weekend, supporting the Norwegian round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Hell (June 17-18).

RX2e event-winner Isak Sjökvist and Extreme E race-winner Catie Munnings will line up for the rallycross title-winning #YellowSquad team as it embarks on its maiden electric programme, falling in line with parent company Hansen Motorsport’s target of net zero emissions by 2040.

The team’s single-specification, four-wheel-drive, 270kW machines will be easily distinguishable on track in 2023, adorned in #YellowSquad’s signature strong and fun yellow livery, which has been given an aggressive twist for the new season.

The yellow base colour has been synonymous with successful programmes for the team in Crosscar, RallyX Nordic, RX2 and NRX NEXT previously and continues for 2023, with subtle differences indicating the two drivers’ cars.

21-year-old Sjökvist’s machine has a white front panel on the nose to help distinguish the Swedish title-contenders car from the front, which will also use white wheels. For 25-year-old Munnings, her #YellowSquad RX2e car has a black front panel, accompanied by black wheels, as the British driver embarks on her second-ever RX2e event this weekend.

Both drivers joined the team for a testing and training programme in Sweden last week in preparation for the season-opener in Norway, before the squad heads for its home round of the series at Höljes just two weeks later.

Catie Munnings and Isak Sjökvist
#YellowSquad Drivers
Catie said: Testing with #YellowSquad for the first time last week was really good as I started to work closely with Eric, Isak, Kevin and Timmy (Hansen). It was really useful to have Kevin and Timmy’s experience of electric rallycross cars, and it was a great couple of days. Going through setup options like we did was not the sort of thing I’d done before with this car, so that was great looking ahead to Norway.

I’m really looking to lean on the team’s experience this weekend, and targeting a great result. The liveries look amazing, it’s been a huge effort by the team to get ready for the season, and I can’t to get racing – the team definitely looks the part!

Isak said: From my side it was a really great testing. It was so useful and we gathered a wealth of knowledge for how the car is working. We can take those tools into this season, which is an opportunity I’m really excited about.

When I looked at the car for the first time I was impressed and I think we’re really going to stand out on track. It's the first race of the season for us, so I’m excited for the challenge and will be driving with all my heart and soul.

Eric Färén
Team Principal
The cars look fantastic. Of course, you always go through the process with the designers and know how the cars are going to look, but until the livery is applied to the cars for real, you never know 100% how the finished product is going to be. I have to say, we’re delighted with how they have turned out, and from seeing the cars on track in testing too, they look even better at full speed.

Our pre-event test in Sweden went well, I’m pleased with how both drivers got on, and importantly they worked together well. We have a good feeling in the team heading to Hell!

23-06-15 Håller Kristofferssons supersvit?
Femfaldige världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson dominerade stort i rallycrossens VM-premiär i Portugal. Deltävling nummer två går i Norge kommande helg.
- Jag är helt säker på att det kommer att bli mycket jämnare och mer kamp den här gången, säger Kristoffersson, som leder mästerskapet med sju poäng.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren markerade sin suveränitet i Montalegre redan i superpole-kvalet - Johans specialmoment. Sedan superpole - ett enda kvalvarv för att avgöra startpositionen i första heatet - infördes förra säsongen har han vunnit 11 av 11 kval med sin eldrivna Volkswagen RX1e. Hur är det möjligt?
- Det gäller att våga satsa allt på ett kort och inte göra något misstag.

Och för varje gång Johan är snabbast blir han än mer sugen på att utöka sviten.
- Absolut att det är lite prestige med i bilden också. Det här var ett moment som jag, Petter Solberg, Mattias Ekström och Sébastien Loeb efterfrågade redan 2017-2018. Det är häftigt, ett enda varv, du mot klockan och inga ursäkter, säger Johan.

Tuffast konkurrens fick Kristoffersson av stallkompisen Ole Christian Veiby, som satte rejäl press.
- Jag fick till ett bra varv, men trodde nog att han skulle överträffa det, säger Veiby. Den där föraren från Arvika har ofta något lite extra att komma med.

Ett lyckat kval kan ge efterverkningar på hela helgen.
- Det är viktigt med en bra superpole. Börjar man hamna längre ut i spåren är det svårt att göra något eftersom det är så många bra och jämna förare, säger Veiby som själv fick erfara att hamna i en negativ svit i premiären.
- Q1 var bra, men så tappade jag lite i Q2 och då blev det startspår längre ut och svårt att ta sig fram i fortsättningen.

Veiby slutade fyra, men med mersmak.
- Tycker nog vi var förtjänta av mer än P4, med tanke på den fart vi hade.

Veiby har tillsammans med Kristoffersson analyserat premiärhelgen noggrant och därefter gjort en lika ingående analys av vad som väntar på Lånke-banan i Hell. Hemmamark för norrmannen, eller?
- Jag har närmare till Höljes och känner mig väl egentligen mer hemma där, men det är klart att det är många norrmän på plats i Hell och många norska flaggor som vajar.
- Det är en fin bana med duktiga arrangörer. Inte lika krävande bana, vare sig för bilen eller för föraren, så jag tror det blir tuffare och jämnare än i Portugal, säger Veiby, som laddade upp inför avresan med en svettig golfrunda i sommarheta Kongsvinger.

Kristoffersson å sin sida tog en rejäl cykeltur i den 30-gradiga värmen hemma i Arvika.
- Det ser ut att bli varmt i Hell också, fast kanske inte riktigt lika hett, tror mästerskapsledaren.

I VM-tabellen ståtar Johan med 23 poäng, sju fler än tvåan Kevin Hansen. Förväntade utmanaren Timmy Hansen ligger på sjunde plats efter en besvärlig premiärhelg.
- Men jag tror att Timmy blir en stark konkurrent. Han har varit snabb där uppe, historiskt sett.

Det har också Kristoffersson själv, han som förra året vann den allra första VM-deltävlingen med elbilar just i Hell. Efter första tävlingshelgens seger är han given favorit även denna gång på Lånke-banan.
- Det är små marginaler, superviktigt att lyckas i varenda heat. Inga små misstag tillåtna.

Teamchefen i Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS, Tommy Kristoffersson, var förstås nöjd med utdelningen i Montalegre. Seger för Johan och nio poängs ledning i teammästerskapet för KMS.
- Det var en bra premiär för oss, men det var också en bana som gynnade oss, med en bil som passade bankaraktären perfekt. Det kommer att bli tuffare nu, så det är viktigt att vi inte slår oss till ro. Rätt inställning är vad som gäller, säger Tommy, som även den här gången släpper ut en tredje bil i RX1, rattad av Gustav Bergström.

Bergström hade en tung premiärhelg, där han var inblandad i en rejäl smäll.
- Jag är fullständigt övertygad att Gustav inte kommer att låta sig nedslås av det. Jag är helt säker på att han kommer att ladda på precis som vanligt.

Stallchefen har givetvis höga ambitioner med sitt kompetenta gäng.
- Vi har absolut som mål att befästa vår position i toppen av mästerskapen.

23-06-14 Robin Larsson, Andreas Bakkerud, & Monster Energy Return to Partner with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC in Nitrocross
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC (DRR JC) is thrilled to announce the return of Robin Larsson, the reigning Nitrocross champion, Andreas Bakkerud, the runner-up position in the previous season with Monster Energy will be returning as their primary partner for the upcoming Nitrocross Group E season.

Nitrocross is a thrilling motorsport event that features high-speed racing, intense jumps, and exciting off-road action. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC has been a dominant force in the Nitrocross circuit not only winning the team championship last year, but also finishing an astonishing one, two, three in the drivers championship.

As one of the world's leading energy drink companies, Monster Energy has a long history of supporting high-performance athletes and sports teams. Their support of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC reflects their commitment to supporting the best in the business and their passion for adrenaline-fueled sports.

Monster Energy will support Robin Larsson and Andreas Bakkerud after their championship winning season in 2022-23. Larsson and Bakkerud took home the team championship for DRR JC and finished first and second in the driver’s championship.

Larsson, a seasoned driver with an impressive racing pedigree, has consistently showcased his remarkable talent and determination. His driving style and strategic approach have propelled him to the pinnacle of motorsport success. With his return to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC, Larsson aims to build upon his previous achievements and push the boundaries even further.

Larsson expressed his excitement about returning to the team and the upcoming Nitrocross season.
"I am excited to return to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC for the upcoming season. The team's unwavering commitment to excellence and their relentless pursuit of victory align perfectly with my own ambitions as a driver. Together, we have achieved great success in the past, and I believe that the 2023-2024 season holds even greater promise for us. I look forward to continuing this incredible journey with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC."

Bakkerud, renowned for his incredible driving talent and thrilling performances, established himself as one of the most formidable competitors in the Nitrocross arena. His remarkable achievements, along with his engaging personality, have made him a fan favorite around the world. With Bakkerud's return to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC, the team is confident in their ability to challenge for the championship title.

"I am thrilled to be back with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC for the upcoming Nitrocross season," expressed Bakkerud. "The team's professionalism, dedication, and unwavering support have always impressed me. Together, we have accomplished great things, and I am confident that we can continue to push forward and make a run for the championship. I can't wait to get back on track and give the fans something truly special."

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC team co-owner, Dennis Reinbold, expressed his enthusiasm about the return of Larsson, Bakkerud, and Monster Energy,

"We are excited to have Monster Energy back on board with us for another season of Nitrocross," said Reinbold. "Their support has been instrumental in our success in the previous season, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them."

“We are thrilled to have Robin and Andreas back with us for the upcoming season of Nitrocross. Robin's remarkable achievements as the reigning NitroCross champion highlight his exceptional skills on the track, and we have no doubt that he will continue to deliver exceptional performances. Andreas proved himself as an extraordinary driver last season, showcasing his skills and determination on the track. His passion for racing aligns perfectly with our team's ethos, and we believe his presence will continue to elevate our performance."

The upcoming Nitrocross season promises to be the most exciting yet, and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC is ready to take on the competition with the support of Monster Energy. The team will be competing in a variety of events throughout the season, with the season opener scheduled for June 16th & 17th in Jay, Oklahoma.

23-06-13 0-100 in the blink of an eye: World RX marks major milestone in Hell
Popular Lånkebanen circuit to stage 100th round in series’ history

The FIA World Rallycross Championship will reach a milestone in Hell this weekend (17-18 June), as World RX of Norway plays host to the all-action, edge-of-the-seat series’ 100th round – with a fabulous feast of electrifying entertainment in prospect.

World RX was founded in 2014, building upon the success of the popular FIA European Rallycross Championship, which had been captivating crowds across the continent for the best part of four decades.

Over its nine-year existence to-date, the World Championship has attracted some of the biggest stars in the sport, from Petter Solberg, Mattias Ekström, Johan Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen – all of whom went on to clinch the coveted crown – to late Gymkhana hero Ken Block, 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and even multiple Olympic Games cycling gold medallist, Sir Chris Hoy.

Kristoffersson and Hansen are still very much at the forefront of the fight for honours this year, competing respectively for Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS and Hansen World RX Team. The former is chasing an extraordinary sixth career title at the highest level; the latter – champion in 2019 – is firmly focussed on stopping his compatriot in his tracks.

WRC record man Loeb is similarly in the mix, after returning to rallycross this season behind the wheel of Special ONE Racing’s striking Lancia Delta Evo-e RX, a retrofitted model channelling the spirit of the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale and sporting an evocative 1980s-inspired livery.

In evidence of its commitment to fostering diversity and sustainability in the sport, World RX was delighted to welcome Klara Andersson to the fray last year, as the Swede became the first permanent female competitor since the series’ inception. Not only that, but she advanced to the final on her debut in Hell, beating – amongst others – CE Dealer Team stablemate Niclas Grönholm, a multiple event-winner.

Her reward was a long-term contract with the team, and on the basis of her impressive performance in the Montalegre curtain-raiser earlier this month, a second podium to add to her historic top three finish in Portugal last year can certainly not be ruled out.

Andersson is far from the only rapid female racer in the field in Norway. In the supporting, all-electric FIA RX2e Championship – which gets its five-round 2023 campaign underway this weekend – women make up 40% of the grid, with Extreme E front-runners Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Cristina Gutiérrez, Catie Munnings and Laia Sanz all set to do battle for glory.

The calibre of the RX2e entry list is underscored by the fact that last season’s top three finishers – Viktor Vranckx, Isak Sjökvist and Nils Andersson – are all back in action, while World Championship heavyweights Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS and Hansen World RX Team are both running junior outfits in the series, in the shape of Team E and #YellowSquad.

In the third round of the Euro RX1 campaign, Anton Marklund will be aiming to belatedly kick-start his stuttering title defence, having been arguably the fastest driver so far this year but – for a variety of reasons – having yet to stand on the top step of the podium.

The SET Promotion ace has been out of luck in Hell recently, too – losing a breakthrough World RX victory there due a technical infringement in 2019, and then finding himself muscled out of the lead at the start of the Euro RX1 final in 2022 – so he returns seeking redemption and hoping that the old adage ‘third time’s a charm’ rings true.

In Euro RX3, finally, while Damian Litwinowicz is currently two-from-two in 2023, there are a whole host of local heroes aiming to unseat him in Norway, with Volland Racing stablemate Espen Isaksætre, Škoda star Jens Hvaal and Martin Kjær – the Cooper Tires ‘Racer of the Weekend’ at Montalegre – all poised to pounce on home soil.

So the scene is set. Last summer, World RX launched its new electric era in Hell with a sensational sporting show. Ten months on, the most spectacular and exciting cars on the planet are ready to light up Lånkebanen once more...

The weekend will get underway with official practice at 09:00 CET on Saturday (17 June), followed by the heat races, semi-finals and all-important finals. All of the action will be broadcast live on RX+. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while race weekend tickets are available to buy on the gate.

Entry lists and the full event timetable can be found here.

fiaworldrx.com

23-06-12 Conor Daly to Drive for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC in Round 1 of the 2023-24 Nitrocross Season
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC is thrilled to announce that IndyCar sensation Conor Daly will be joining the team for Round 1 of the highly anticipated 2023-24 Nitrocross season. Daly, known for his remarkable talent and dynamic driving style, will bring his immense skill and versatile experience to DRR JC as they embark on this exciting new chapter.

Daly's entry into Nitrocross marks a significant milestone in his illustrious career. Having established himself as one of the brightest stars in the IndyCar series, Daly's versatile driving capabilities make him a perfect fit for the challenging world of Nitrocross racing. His exceptional car control, daring overtakes, and relentless determination will undoubtedly captivate fans and bring a new level of excitement to the sport.

Daly shared his excitement: "I'm incredibly excited to join Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC and compete in the upcoming Nitrocross race in Oklahoma. The chance to test my abilities in this intense, adrenaline-fueled series is something I've been anticipating. I'm grateful to the team for believing in me and providing this incredible opportunity. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and showcase what we can achieve together. I also want to thank Travis Pastrana and Nitrocross for all of their help and effort in getting this program together."

DRR JC welcomes Savage for Him, We The People Holsters, and Eight Eleven as valued partners joining the team behind Daly. Their support and collaboration will undoubtedly enhance the racing experience and contribute to the continued success of Daly and the entire team. Savage for Him offers bold, long-lasting scents of eco-friendly laundry detergents and dryer sheets, while We The People Holsters offers unmatched quality and craftsmanship. Eight Eleven, an Indianapolis-based company, matches IT talent and experts in accounting, finance, legal, marketing/creative, and human resources to prospective companies.

Team co-owner, Dennis Reinbold, expressed his enthusiasm for having Daly on board: "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Daly to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC for the first round of the

2023-24 Nitrocross season. Conor's proven talent and racing prowess make him an ideal addition to our team. We have no doubt that his unique skills will significantly contribute to our success in this thrilling motorsport discipline."

Nitrocross, a captivating blend of off-road racing, extreme sports, and high-speed action, has gained a massive following over the years. Known for its challenging tracks, daring jumps, and technical terrain, Nitrocross pushes drivers to their limits, demanding exceptional skills and bravery. Daly's participation will undoubtedly elevate the level of competition and make Round 1 of the 2023-24 Nitrocross season an unmissable event.

Brett Clarke, president of Nitrocross: “We are thrilled to welcome Conor to the field for Round 1. His top-flight resume in multiple disciplines, including INDYCAR, NASCAR, and more, shows the excitement of motorsport’s best for Nitrocross’ unique brand of high-adrenaline racing. We’ve been looking to have Conor in the series for a number of years now and we’re excited to make this happen on the much-anticipated new track at Mid America Outdoors. Travis and Conor have built up a close relationship since the pandemic, challenging each other in everything from iRacing, Nitro Circus’ offshore power boat invitational, 24 Hours of Lemons all the way to the Daytona 500. We look forward to seeing him put on a show and compete against Travis and a stacked field in Oklahoma.”

The Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC team and Daly will collaborate closely to prepare for the upcoming race, working diligently to fine-tune their car setup and strategies to optimize performance.

Round 1 of the 2023-24 Nitrocross season will occur on June 16th-17th at MidAmerica Outdoors in Jay, Oklahoma. The all-new multi-surface track promises to be transformational. Purpose-built to Pastrana’s design from a virtually blank canvas, it has grown into a massive rollercoaster over the span of three months, encompassing all of his craziest ideas, including over 150-feet of overall elevation change, a huge banked hairpin turn – the biggest berm ever in rallycross – tight snaking corners and an over-under Joker lap split. Renowned track builder Nate Wessel anticipates that “This is going to blow people’s minds. There has never been anything designed or built like this on the planet for these types of cars.”

23-06-09 #YellowSquad signs British star Munnings for 2023 RX2e Programme
British star Catie Munnings will compete in the FIA RX2e series that supports the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2023, having signed for Swedish team #YellowSquad.

Munnings is no stranger to electric motor sport. An event-winner in Extreme E, she made her RX2e debut last season at Holjes in Sweden, and will return to the Swedish venue this year, following her maiden appearance with #YellowSquad in the opening round of the campaign at Hell in Norway later this month (June 17-18).

George Megennis poses with the #YellowSquad Supercar Lites machine during a test at Strängnäs Motorstadion. Thursday, August 5, 2021.

A regular front-runner in Extreme E alongside teammate Timmy Hansen, 25-year-old Munnings’ signing for the #YellowSquad team that sits within the wider Hansen Motorsport structure is significant.

As part of arguably the most successful team in rallycross history, Susann Hansen became the first and so-far only female to win a European Rallycross title when she secured the 1400 Cup crown in 1994.

Continuing that legacy, Munnings will become the first female to drive within the wider Hansen Motorsport family in a decade, when she lines up in the single-specification, 270kW, four-wheel-drive all-electric RX2e machine in Hell next week.

George Megennis poses with the #YellowSquad Supercar Lites machine during a test at Strängnäs Motorstadion. Thursday, August 5, 2021.

Munnings, who reacclimatised herself with an RX2e machine during an ice racing event in Andorra over the winter, and a private test at the Circuit de Calafat in Spain recently, will join full-time #YellowSquad driver Isak Sjökvist in the team for the events she contests.

The FIA RX2e series will support the FIA World Rallycross Championship for five rounds in 2023, in Norway, Sweden, UK, Belgium and Germany, running from June to August.

Catie Munnings
#YellowSquad Driver
I have a very unique position working with Timmy Hansen, who’s been my team mate in Extreme E for three years now, and it seems like the natural progression to continue working with the wider Hansen team outside of that. It has been a big aim for mine for some time to race in a major rallycross series.

#YellowSquad has a wealth of knowledge, and I think this programme is the most effective way for me to develop my skills, while also having a good chance of challenging for some decent results. I’m looking forward to building on the relationship I have with the family and team. My mission is always to do as well as possible and to keep developing my side-by-side race craft.

I really enjoyed the test in Calafat recently, it always impresses me how fast the car feels when you accelerate for the first time on tarmac, and I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun with it this year.

Eric Färén
Team Principal

We’re delighted to have Catie join #YellowSquad for at least the first two rounds of RX2e. Having two drivers in the team is always mutually beneficial, so we can all work together to get the most out of the weekend.

Although Norway will be new to Catie we’ve had good success at that circuit in recent years and will work to get her up to speed as quickly as possible, while she has already raced in Holjes which will really help. It’s also great that Catie has such a strong relationship with the wider team, we can’t wait to take on this competitive field in Norway and see where it can take us.

23-06-06 Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky gör RX2e debut
" Värmländskan kommer tillsammans med Team E att köra de 3 första deltävlingarna i det helt elektriska RX2e mästerskapet.
" Åhlin-Kottulinsky kommer starta säsongen i Hell, Norge, följt av "hemmarace" i Höljes.
" Första testet med ZEROID X1 gjordes tidigare i år på Calafat banan i Spanien.

6:e juni 2023 - Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky kommer att delta i RX2e mästerskapets 3 första deltävlingar: Premiären i Hell, Norge - Värmlands rallycross stolthet Höljes - Anrika Lydden Hill i England, där Mikaela tog en 3:e plats förra året i NRX Next. Mikaela kommer att teama upp med Nils Andersson där de tillsammans representerar Team E. "När möjligheten kom att testa RX2e bilen i Calafat tidigare i år var jag inte sen att tacka ja! Efter att ha kört några rallycrosstävlingar förra året fick jag mersmak, och därmed kom planen med Team E och RX2e upp", säger Mikaela. "För mig är det en fantastisk möjlighet att få mer körtid, och målet är att steg för steg lära mig mer om den elektriska ZEROID X1 bilen som vi kommer tävla med, RX2e som mästerskap och rallycross i allmänhet" adderar värmländskan.

Team E är ett nystartat team med fokus på teamets tre E: Equality, Engagement and Electrification. Ett jämställt rallycross team med en kvinnlig förare och en manlig förare, med målet att inspirera till en mer hållbar sport samt mer mångfald inom motorsporten. Mikaela kommer bilda teamets duo med Nils Andersson, 2022 bronsmedaljör i RX2e mästerskapet.

Mikaela ansluter därmed till serien som var det första inom FIA och rallycross att vara 100% elektrisk. Elektrisk motorsport är inget nytt för Mikaela med 2 säsonger bakom sig i Extreme E, däremot blir det första elektriska rallycross-serien som hon kör. "Jag anser att RX2e är en väldigt bra väg till rallycrossens elit, en serie som tävlar under samma helger som VM-serien och med otroligt duktiga förare. Absolut rätt serie att köra i för att utmana sig själv och bygga ännu mer erfarenhet." uttrycker Mikaela.

Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky är första kvinna att vinna ett race i STCC, samt ta en topp 3 placering i mästerskapet (Silvermedaljör 2021) som sedermera har följts av 2 säsonger i Extreme E, och en 3:e pågående. Under första säsongen placerade hon sig totalt på en 3:e plats, och förra året landade hon och Rosberg X Racing teamet på en 2:a plats. I år med 4 race körda ligger teamet bestående av Mikaela och Johan Kristoffersson på en total 3:e plats.

Inför RX2e säsongen testade Team E ZEROID X1 bilen i Calafat, för att hitta rätt i bilen och hitta speed inför stundande säsong. "Vi hade en bra testdag på Calafat och det blev en naturlig bra start för Team E. Banan i sig bestod mycket av asfalt som jag har större erfarenhet av, de kommande banorna tror jag kommer bli mer utmanade. Men det är det jag är här för, samla så mycket körning som mycket! Jag ser detta som ett mycket bra komplement till min körning i Extreme E, och hoppas även på fler tävlingar. Jag är otroligt glad att tillsammans med mina partners Glosser och Lecab komma till start till de 3 första deltävlingarna, så får vi se om det kan blir fler längre rallycross-tävlingar fram. Däremot är detta inte mitt enda program som komplement till Extreme E, utan jag kommer även presentera ett till inom kort…" avslutar Mikaela.

Årets första deltävling för RX2e kommer gå av stapeln i Hell, Norge den 17-18 juni. Mer information om RX2e finns på: www.fia-rx2e.com.

23-06-04 Kristoffersson conquers changing conditions with Montalegre masterclass
Super Swede starts as he means to go on in Portugal
Defending champion Johan Kristoffersson launched his quest for a sixth FIA World Rallycross Championship crown in peerless fashion in Portugal today (4 June), mastering mixed conditions to climb onto the highest step of the podium for the 36th time in his career.

As the second season of World RX’s electric era got underway at Montalegre, Kristoffersson was imperious come rain or shine, setting the pace in all four heats to earn the top spot in the intermediate classification – and, more importantly, the accompanying three championship points.

From there, the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS star dominated his semi-final, before staving off a fast-starting Kevin Hansen in the final and surviving a first corner attack to retain the lead.

As is so often the case when Kristoffersson is in clean air, all that his rivals would subsequently see of him was the rear of the Volkswagen RX1e disappearing ever-further into the distance, and the Swede went on to take the chequered flag just under five seconds clear of his nearest pursuer. On a weekend characterised by thunder and lightning strikes, it was a fittingly electrifying performance.

“I’m super happy,” enthused Kristoffersson. “We did a good job over the winter, and to be able to show the results of that feels great. This place just keeps on surprising and to win here, you have to overcome so many challenges – just when you think you have everything under control, the weather and track conditions change again! The car was an absolute weapon throughout so big thanks to everybody in the team for making this possible.”

Hansen World RX Team struggled for speed slightly on the opening day of action in Portugal, but the Swedish squad fought back on Sunday and ultimately, it was Kevin Hansen who scooped the runner-up spoils behind the wheel of his Peugeot 208 RX1e. The 25-year-old had to contend with a puncture on the last lap – obliging him to get his elbows out to fend off a feisty Niclas Grönholm as he exited the joker.

CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment similarly showed improved pace on day two, with Grönholm at times Kristoffersson’s closest competitor. After finding himself forced wide at the beginning of the final, an early joker strategy paid dividends for the Finn, who duly ascended the rostrum at Montalegre for the third season in a row.

Kristoffersson’s team-mate Ole Christian Veiby finished fourth at the end of a solid if unspectacular weekend, with Klara Andersson displaying strong pace on her way to fifth at the scene of her history-making podium appearance last September. Nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb slipped to sixth after picking up a puncture, as the returning Frenchman delighted fans with his all-out approach in Special ONE Racing’s evocative Lancia Delta Evo-e RX.

Amongst the leading protagonists, it was Timmy Hansen who missed out most. The 2019 world champion saw his bid unravel on the last lap of the second semi-final, when slight contact with team-mate Kevin Hansen sent the Peugeot into a spin that subsequently also collected the Volkswagen of Gustav Bergström.

Repeat winners in Euro RX thrillers
In the second round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship, Enzo Ide replicated his 2022 result in Portugal by racing to victory again to soar to the joint top of the title table. The Belgian was a factor throughout, with the fastest time in heat four vaulting him to the summit of the standings, although he lost out to Nyirád winner Janis Baumanis in the first semi-final.

The Audi driver ran second to Baumanis for much of the final, too, but the Latvian – who got ever-quicker as the weekend progressed – was always going to struggle to maintain his position, having to serve a double joker as punishment for a jump-start. The RX Team Latvia ace ultimately wound up third behind René Münnich, with pole-sitter and reigning champion Anton Marklund restricted to sixth by a problem at the start.

In Euro RX3, Damian Litwinowicz maintained his perfect record so far this year as he overcame Volland Racing team-mates Espen Isaksætre and Nils Volland to cement a second consecutive success, in so doing extending his advantage in the chase for the series’ crown.

The season continues on 17-18 June with a full bill of racing in Hell, Norway, featuring World RX, Euro RX1, Euro RX3 and the opening round of the 2023 RX2e campaign.

FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 5 laps
2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 4.728s
3. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Dealer Team + 4.907s
4. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 5.373s
5. Klara ANDERSSON (SWE) CE Dealer Team + 6.655s
6. Sébastien LOEB (FRA) Special ONE Racing + 8.884s

Full results for all categories can be found at fiaworldrx.com

23-06-04 CE Dealer Team and Niclas Grönholm starts 2023 FIA World RX season on the podium
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment started its ground-breaking second season of the all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship with a podium finish.

Niclas Grönholm took his 100% electric PWR RX1e race car to third place, scoring his fifth consecutive FIA World RX podium, as team-mate Klara Andersson finished in the top five during the Portuguese curtain raiser.

Niclas Grönholm showed his FIA World RX title ambitions right from the start by winning his first heat of the weekend at the legendary Montalegre circuit.

He then progressed to start from the front row in the weekend final and the Finnish star was fighting for the win, but had to settle for third following a challenging start.

”I am happy to start the season with a podium and how the team worked so hard all weekend. We have once again had a weekend with a lot of ups and downs. I was hoping to finish a bit higher, but I guess this was what we deserved. It was great to get a 1-2 in the semi-final in front of our guest and partners together with Klara. In Norway, we will try to go for an even stronger and more consistent weekend,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Klara Andersson was competitive from the start, winning one heat on her way to the semi-final where she finished second behind Niclas Grönholm.

The Swedish rallycross ace would go on to finish fifth, after getting caught on the outside of turn one in the eventful final.
”I felt like we did a good job this weekend. I developed and progressed a lot, but I still have so much to learn. I want to thank the team and Jussi for really pushing me this weekend. I am happy with my overtake in the final, it was a nice one. It was quite difficult after turn one, it’s really challenging on the outside line there. I am still happy, we did our best, and now I am super excited for the next race in Norway,” said Klara Andersson.

A solid points haul in Portugal sees CE Dealer Team sharing second place in the teams’ championship ahead of round two which will take place in Hell, Norway, in two weeks’ time.

”While it’s good to start the season with a podium finish, it’s not exactly what we wanted. We still have work to do. Overall, I think we have taken steps forward, and it feels good to have both cars in the final. It’s just two weeks until Norway, and we really need to put our heads together to see where we can find a bit more speed. Rest assured that we won’t leave any stone unturned as we continue to push forward,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

Results and standings after the FIA World RX of Portugal: /www.fiaworldrallycross.com

23-06-04 Kevin Hansen claims second in season-opener for Hansen World RX Team despite puncture
Kevin Hansen claims second in season-opener for Hansen World RX Team despite puncture
Swede Kevin Hansen overcame storms, contact, and punctures en route to second place in the opening round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Montalegre, Portugal, to lie second in the early season Drivers’ standings.

Having built pace through the weekend in an event hit by changeable weather and track conditions, the former European Rallycross Champion finished second in the first Semi-Final to secure a second row start for the all-important Final.

In the main event, Hansen made the best start driving the all-electric #71 Peugeot 208 RX1e, nosing ahead to briefly lead the Final in the run to Turn One. On the outside line, the Swede braked early to attempt an undercut, slotting into second for much of the race. However, contact sustained in the first corner meant by the end of the fourth lap, the left-rear tyre on the electric four-wheel-drive machine was fully deflated.

Using all his skill and experience, Hansen survived the joker lap section to remain in front of the chasing pack and achieve a strong maiden result of the campaign.
Driving the #21 208 RX1e, 2019 World RX Drivers’ Champion Timmy Hansen qualified third in the ranking stage, having set the second fastest time overall in Heat 4. However, while challenging for a place in the Final on the last lap of the first Semi-Final, he had a spin in the closing corners. Hansen’s rotated car was then collected by another competitor, putting both out of the race.

The Hansen World RX Team lies second in the Team’s Championship standings, with drivers Kevin, second, and Timmy, seventh, in the Drivers’ standings respectively. The team now prepares for round two later this month in Hell, Norway (June 17-18).

Kenneth Hansen said: “The weekend has been more difficult than we expected, but in the end, we had good speed so we can be happy with that. We struggled a little at the beginning of the event and we didn’t really know why.

“We tried a lot of things and we made progress in the end. It’s a pity that Timmy went out in the Semi-Final, but that’s rallycross and these things happen, but it was great to have Kevin in second place because he had good speed. We are not at winning pace yet, but we are working hard and looking forward to Norway to see what we can do there.”
Kevin Hansen said: “I had some contact in Turn One of the Final and started to smell something already on lap one. Then from lap three I started to feel some vibration and at the start of the last lap the tyre exploded on the straight.

“We fought all the way to the end. This is rallycross and so many things happen all the time. It’s a very good result for me and the whole team to start the season. Even if it was hard at the start of the weekend we never stopped believing. We worked so hard to try and improve. We will continue to do that and I’m looking forward to the next race.”

Timmy Hansen said: “It was a bad ending to a weekend that was looking pretty good. Kevin had a strong race in the Semi-Final and was in front of me after the jokers. I shouldn’t have gone for a move on him in Turn Nine, but the racer in me in the heat of the moment wanted to take every opportunity.

“Most of all I’m happy that Kevin made it to the Final and he ended up having a brilliant race, hanging on to second with a puncture. We have worked hard, and in the end our pace was not so bad, but we need to keep working to find more performance.”

23-06-04 Johan oslagbar i VM-premiären
Världsmästaren visade sin klass direkt i premiären av rallycross-VM. Johan Kristoffersson gjorde rent hus och vann samtliga heat, inklusive finalen.
- En superbra helg. Den kunde inte bli bättre för min del, säger Kristoffersson.

Ole Christian Veibys fjärdeplats gör också att Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS har tagit täten även i teammästerskapet. Otur däremot för teamets tredje förare, Gustav Bergström, som kraschade in i en snurrande bil i semifinalen.

Montalegre i Portugal bjöd i vanlig ordning på oberäkneliga förutsättningar. De våldsamma skyfallen som inledde veckan uteblev dock, så tävlingen kunde genomföras under ganska likvärdiga förutsättningar.

Johan Kristoffersson visade hur som helst ingen pardon med konkurrenterna i premiären av den andra säsongen av helelektriska rallycross-VM. Den femfaldige världsmästaren var helt omutlig från start till mål i sin Volkswagen RX1e. Snabbast i alla fyra kvalomgångarna, säker seger i semifinalen och sedan en stabil finaltriumf, trots att Kevin Hansen utmanade rejält.
- Kevin la på en riktig rökare där, så det blev lite panik in mot första kurvan, konstaterar Johan som ändå höll ledningen.

I finalen visade sig också det luriga vädret i de portugisiska bergen, när regnet smög sig på lagom till start.
- Vädret har ändrat sig en hel del under helgen. Det gör det lite extra jobbigt, mycket funderingar på däckstrategi och ändringar hit och dit. I finalen blev det riktigt halkigt, så det var svårkört.

Kristoffersson plockar med sig 23 poäng från den första tävlingshelgen, tjugo för finalsegern och tre för bästa kvalresultat. Komfortabelt, som det verkar.
- Det kanske såg lätt ut, men det var verkligen ingen lätt helg, säger mästerskapsledaren.

På fjärdeplats i förarmästerskapet ligger Ole Christian Veiby med tolv poäng.
- Jag hade en bra förstadag, med bra pace. där vi var etta och tvåa, men sen blev det besvärligt med startpositioner långt ut och långt bak. Det var svårt att göra något, fick kämpa ordentligt i semifinalen.

Veiby var dock en av få som lyckades med rena omkörningar, en på Niclas Grönholm och så i semifinalen mot Guerlain Chicherit, där norrmannen tråcklade sig förbi och säkrade en finalplats. I finalen fick han än en gång kämpa bakifrån.
- Jag startade som femma och kom ut som trea, men tappade lite effekt på sista varvet. Kevin Hansen hade ju punktering mot slutet, så en pallplats fanns där. LIte dåligt betalt, men ändå bra med poäng till teammästerskapet, konstaterar Veiby.

I teammästerskapet plockade Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS ihop 35 poäng, vilket ger en ledning med nio före närmsta konkurrenter. Stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson var förstås nöjd:
- Vi har varit bra med redan från testen förra helgen och i kvalomgångarna den här helgen, men det är ändå ingen garanti för att det ska lyckas när finalerna drar igång. Men Johan visade att han har ett starkt psyke och Ole Christian toppade bland andreförarna. Det är guld värt för oss i teammästerskapet.

För den tredje KMS-föraren, Gustav Bergström, blev det däremot en tung start på säsongen. I tredje kvalomgången drabbades han av ett tekniskt problem och i den fjärde blev det ett besök i en mur. I semifinalen fanns en finalplats inom räckhåll, men när Timmy Hansen snurrade kunde inte Bergström undvika kraschen. Det blev en våldsam smäll där Bergström drabbades av smärtor, men lyckligtvis klarade sig utan skador.
- Lite ont i huvudet bara, rapporterar en mörbultad Bergström.

Totalt sett ändå en mycket lyckad helg för teamet. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS lämnar Portugal med huvudet högt. De dubbla titelförsvararna leder båda mästerskapen inför andra deltävlingen i norska Hell om två veckor.
- Ett fint kvitto för oss! Ett otroligt fint teamjobb hela helgen, där chaufförer, ingenjörer och alla andra har samarbetat superbra, avslutar Tommy Kristoffersson.

23-06-01 Successful official test sets Hansen World RX Team up for Portuguese opener
After months of analysis, meetings, development, and planning, the Hansen World RX Team is set to get its 10th FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign underway at Montalegre in Portugal this weekend (June 3-4).

With the Hansen team’s Peugeot 208 RX1e machines adorned in an all-new 2023 livery, the design linking the squad’s past, present and future together, drivers Timmy and Kevin Hansen got acclimatised to the evolved all-electric machines at a three-day official pre-season test in Portugal last weekend.

Operating its own run plan that focused on chassis development and changes to the control software systems in the twin-motor, 500kW, four-wheel-drive all-electric cars, both Hansen drivers – 2019 Drivers’ Champion Timmy and 2016 Euro RX Champion Kevin – set competitive times, while working with the Hansen engineers to give them the best opportunity to compete for success in the upcoming races.

The season opener at the Montalegre Circuit is regarded among rallycross drivers as a favourite venue. Located high in the Vila Real region of Portugal, the track is home to big kerbs and fast, flowing gravel sections. The joker lap, a route that each driver must take once in every race, was moved for 2022 and remains in the same location on the run to turn two.

The Hansen squad has rich history in Portugal. Team Principal Kenneth Hansen claimed eight victories in the country during his driving career, while brothers Timmy and Kevin have both finished on the podium at the Montalegre Circuit previously.

Following the opening round of World RX this weekend, the championship heads to Norway (June 17-18), then to the Hansen World RX Team’s home event in Sweden for the famous ‘Magic Weekend’ (July 1-2).

When and where to watch:
All of the action is broadcast on the RX+ All Live platform via the World RX website.

Saturday June 3 (local time: GMT+1)
SuperPole: 11:50
Qualifying Heat 1: 13:30
Qualifying Heat 2: 15:30

Sunday June 4 (local time: GMT+1)
Qualifying Heat 3: 10:30
Qualifying Heat 4: 13:00
Semi-Finals and Final: 15:00

Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Hansen World RX Team
We are very pleased with how testing went. We tried a lot of different steps that we wanted to learn and get feedback from.

That data means that we will be more sure of what to do in certain situations and what will happen when we do certain adjustments. The few times that we were focussing on lap times we were quick, so we are happy.

Going into the race this weekend we’re looking forward to being on the grid and racing in Portugal. It will be interesting to be side-by-side with the others, after all the work we’ve done, and to see what we can achieve.

Kevin Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team
Testing went well. We focussed on our own things and tried to improve step-by-step.

Of course, you never know if people are running flat-out, so it’s going to very interesting heading into Saturday and seeing where we stand.

I’m feeling good in the car, and there is a big improvement from last year, so thank you to the team for working so hard to put us in a better position. Hopefully now we can fine tune the car even more for each race and fight for the championship.

Timmy Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team

We’ve been driving faster around this track than we have ever done before in testing and the car has been feeling great

We feel very well prepared going into the weekend. We had some good times but still have something left in the bag for the race I think, so it’s going to be exciting to get the season started.

23-06-01 CE Dealer Team charged up for start of historic second World RX season in Portugal
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will open chapter two of its journey in the all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship with the Montalegre curtain raiser this weekend.

The 2023 season will see the team sporting a fresh look with an all-new livery, which was revealed earlier this week, bringing it in line with a new modern design language for Volvo CE products.

New key partners have strengthened the team for the upcoming season - including Parker Hannifin, a global leader in motion and control technologies - alongside the strong existing line-up of partners Ascendum, CTEK, Engcon, SMT, SSAB and Swecon.

The winter has seen the team working tirelessly on technical upgrades of the car to improve performance, including the areas of suspension, weight balance and reliability.

After announcing a multi-year commitment to the FIA World RX earlier this year, CE Dealer Team has extended its contracts with Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson who will continue the team's ground-breaking journey on track.

The 26-year-old Finn Niclas Grönholm took CE Dealer Team's maiden World RX-victory in Portugal last season on his way to third in the championship standings.

The seven-time winner is keen to fight for the overall title this year.
”No matter where you are in your career, it’s always exciting to start a new season. The team and our partners have put in a great effort during the winter to improve the car, and I hope we can achieve our ambitions of fighting at the very top,” said Niclas Grönholm.

”I expect the racing to be even tighter this year, and I have a really good feeling going into the second season together with the team. I cannot wait to get started this weekend at Montalegre, a track we achieved amazing success at last year.”

23-year-old Klara Andersson wrote history last year as the first-ever female to finish on the World RX podium. The Swede is looking to build on a promising debut season at the top level of world rallycross.

”I am super excited to start my second season in the World RX and it feels fantastic to do it at the amazing Montalegre circuit. It will no doubt once again be a tough season, as we face the toughest competition in the world. But I am keen to continue my development and my first podium finish last year definitely left me with a taste for more,” says Klara Andersson.

The all-electric World RX season premiere features a highly competitive grid, where CE Dealer Team will face experienced opponents such as reigning World Champion Johan Kristoffersson and nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb who returns to the championship.

”The team has worked tirelessly since the conclusion of last season to improve the car and the whole organisation ahead of the new season. We got a promising start to our ground-breaking journey in the all-electric World RX last year, but we are far from satisfied. We will have to fight very hard for each millimetre on track as we raise our ambitions for 2023 to fight for the overall crown. And it’s a challenge we are ready for,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

CE Dealer Team made a mark on the sport last year, debuting with the series’ first-ever gender equal full-season driver line-up – a key part of the team and its partners’ ambition to drive the shift to improved sustainability in society and highlight the excitement that a move to an electric future offers.

The World RX of Portugal action starts on Saturday with practice sessions, SuperPole, and the two first heats. Sunday features heat three, four and the finals.

The action is broadcast LIVE worldwide on TV – as well as through the RX+ online streaming platform: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/rx-plus/all-live/
The full World RX of Portugal schedule is available here: www.fiaworldrallycross.com

23-05-31 VM-premiär med snabbare bilar
Äntligen dags! Den andra säsongen av helelektriska rallycross-VM rullar igång i Montalegre, Portugal, kommande helg.
- Den nya bilen är mycket snabbare och så mycket roligare att köra. I år kommer vi att få se jämnare racing och fler omkörningar, säger femfaldige världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson, med sikte på en sjätte titel.

Den store rallycrossdominanten Kristoffersson tog i stor stil sin femte VM-titel 2022 när det första mästerskapet med elbilar avgjordes. I teammästerskapet blev det också seger för Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS där Johan kamperade ihop med Ole Christian Veiby. Nu har utvecklingen gått ett år framåt och det är häftigare och snabbare bilar som publiken kommer att få se. Den största förändringen på den tekniska sidan är att de båda motorerna, fram och bak, nu samarbetar med varandra tack vare ny programvara. Det gör att bilen känns mer konstant fyrhjulsdriven. Kristoffersson förklarar vad det innebär för körningen:
- Det ger möjligheten att placera bilen annorlunda på banan, mer flexibelt. Tidigare var man tvungen att ha bilen i ett optimalt spår.

Förutom detta har förstås teamen gjort sina egna förbättringar, baserade på fjolårets erfarenhet. En fingervisning gavs under gångna helgens gemensamma test i Montalegre. Kristoffersson är mycket nöjd med utfallet av de tre testdagarna.
- Vi fick gjort det vi skulle och svar på uppdateringarna. Eftersom detta var enda testet försökte vi göra tester som inte var enbart banspecifika utan kan gälla även på andra banor. Där har man väl lite fördel av att vara gammal i gamet. Det var tre riktigt roliga testdagar med en riktigt äkta rallycrossbil!

Att säsongen startar på hög höjd i Montalegre har inte Johan något emot, tvärtom.
- Det är en så häftig bana! En del nyheter i år också. I jokern tål man verkligen inga avvikelser. Där finns bara ett spår, säger Kristoffersson, som var överlag snabbast bland VM-förarna under testdagarna med sin Volkswagen RX1e.

Johan Kristoffersson är förstås storfavorit till ännu en VM-titel, men det finns vassa konkurrenter och en av de vassare har Johan i stallkompisen och fjolårsfyran Ole Christian Veiby.
- Han blir svår att tas med, men det är också bra att vi är två i toppen. Ifall det skulle krångla för mig så finns han där. Dessutom är det tre banor i början som jag tror passar Ole Christian bra, med hans rallybakgrund, säger Kristoffersson.

Veiby själv gjorde comeback i rallycross förra året och landar nu i en mer hemtam miljö efter fjolårets lyckade insats.
- Det känns bra att komma tillbaka till något jag känner till. Jag känner mig hemma.

Det visade norrmannen också genom att vara snabbast på ena dagens tester.
- Jag är med helt där uppe på tiderna. Jag har väl börjat närma mig Johan, så det vore kul att vinna någon tävling i år också.

Veiby är också nöjd med utvecklingen av bilen och gillar dessutom att tävlingskonceptet har ändrats. Nu delas åter poäng ut efter kvalomgångarna (5 poäng till snabbaste förare) och finalerna får tre startled.
- Det är lite tillbaka till det gamla, men man har behållit superpole-kvalet, vilket är bra.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS kommer, precis som förra året, till start med tre bilar i premiären, och precis som då är det Gustav Bergström som sitter vid ratten i den tredje bilen. Bergström kommer dock inte ha med kampen om mästartiteln att göra eftersom han har andra åtaganden som gör att han inte kan köra alla tävlingar. Portugal och andra deltävlingen i Norge är än så länge spikade för förra årets vassaste nykomling.
- Nu är jag inte rookie längre, så det får bli nya mål, men vilka de är håller jag för mig själv, säger Bergström, som hade lite blandade känslor efter testdagarna.
- Det tog lite för lång tid innan vi fick ordning på setupen, men tredje dagen gick det bättre. Jag var snabb på svårare underlag, när det var blött, så vi får försöka hitta mer fart på torrt också.

Vädret har varit minst sagt växlande i Portugal under testdagarna och tiden därefter.
- Det har varit sol på morgonen och sedan tokregnat och även åskat varje dag, berättar Bergström som i övrigt också gillar banan i Montalegre.
- Det är en cool bana, teknisk och ganska svår.

Stallchefen Tommy Kristoffersson ser förstås ingen anledning att sikta lägre den här säsongen, med samma förarbesättning och i stort sett oförändrat manskap även i övrigt.
- Vi hade bra bilar förra året. Det visade sig att våra duktiga ingenjörer hade rätt i sina idéer. Årets testdagar har visat att de investeringar vi har gjort på bilen har gett utslag. Därför har vi givetvis ingen annan ambition än att försvara vår position och vinna både förar- och teammästerskap.

Tommy tycker också att uppladdningen inför säsongen har varit bra, inkluderat förberedelsetävlingarna i RallyX.
- Jättebra! Visst blev det någon resultatmiss på grund av punkteringar och annat, men träningen kunde inte ha varit bättre. Våra förare fick åka mycket i trafik och teamet fick jobba ihop sig.

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS har således en stabil grund att stå på inför 2023-säsongen.
- Inte minst tack vare våra trogna samarbetspartner, Volkswagen, Bauhaus och Red Bull förstås. Vi vill svara upp till deras stöd genom att leverera goda resultat, avslutar Tommy Kristoffersson, som också gläds extra åt att tävlingarna i år kommer att visas i Sveriges Television.

23-05-31 Parker Hannifin strengthens CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment in FIA World RX
Parker Hannifin, a global leader in motion and control technologies, will join the CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment as a new partner for season two of the 100% electric FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Parker Hannifin joins other partners (SSAB, CTEK and Engcon) and independent construction equipment dealers (Swecon,

Ascendum and SMT) who partnered with the team during the first season and remain as partners for season two.

The now renamed CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment is committed to working with like-minded partners including Parker Hannifin to continue to drive a sustainable and diverse change in motorsport and the construction industry.

This spirit for innovation is also demonstrated through the recent launch of the L120H Electric Conversion wheel loader – a 20-ton electric solution developed in partnership between Volvo CE and Parker.

Parker shares similar values with regards to both sustainability and diversity and believes that electromobility plays a key role in responding to our global climate challenge. With more than 100 years' experience developing reliable and optimised solutions, Parker is accelerating the adoption of electrification and digitalization in vehicles.

The team’s race car will also benefit from an update, with a fresh new look bringing it in line with a new modern design language for Volvo CE products, as shown on the L120 Electric Conversion wheel loader.

The edge-of-the-seat 2023 FIA World RX season starts on June 3-4 at Montalegre in Portugal, for a total of ten rounds in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Learn more about CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment: www.cedealerteam.com

23-05-30 CE Dealer Team unveils striking new livery for electric 2023 FIA World RX season
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment has unveiled a striking new livery for its second season in the ground-breaking all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship.

The team will field a pair of 680hp 100% electric PWR RX1e rallycross cars for World RX stars Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson in 2023.

“The car looks epic, it looks fast, it looks exciting and it’s a perfect fit for our charge for the top fight in the 2023 FIA World RX,” said Klara Andersson, CE Dealer Team driver.

“The team has done an amazing job during the winter in the preparations for the season, with everyone really showing a strong commitment. And to finally be able to reveal the livery is a great moment for all involved. We are ready to go!”

The yellow, black and orange livery carries a fresh look, bringing it in line with a new modern design language for Volvo CE products – as the team features strong backing from partners Ascendum, Babcock, CTEK, Engcon, Parker Hannifin, SMT, SSAB and Swecon.

CE Dealer Team has confirmed a multi-year commitment for its successful and ground-breaking electric FIA World Rallycross programme ahead of the 2023 season – driving the shift to improved sustainability and diversity in society and highlighting the excitement that a move to an electric future offers.

The edge-of-the-seat 2023 FIA World RX season starts on June 3-4 at Montalegre in Portugal, for a total of ten rounds in Europe, Africa, and Asia – including an all-new and exciting season finale in Hong Kong on November 11-12.

Learn more about CE Dealer Team: https://www.cedealerteam.com/

23-05-29 Battle lines drawn: World RX warriors primed for action in Portugal
2023-spec electric beasts to be let off the leash at Montalegre
The second season of the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s ground-breaking electric era will race into life at Montalegre this weekend (3-4 June), as World RX of Portugal prepares to welcome some of motorsport’s most fearless drivers and fearsome cars for a feast of electrifying edge-of-the-seat entertainment.

Montalegre hosted the very first World RX event back in 2014, and the popular Portuguese circuit – nestled high up in the picturesque Vila Real mountains in the north of the country – will similarly raise the curtain on the championship’s tenth campaign, with myriad doorhandle-to-doorhandle duels in prospect in a series that blends the very best aspects of circuit racing and rallying in a captivating head-to-head format.

The first of ten rounds on the calendar between now and the middle of November features a number of intriguing plotlines. Having clinched an extraordinary fifth World Championship crown last year, Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) is seeking a sixth title in 2023 in his Volkswagen RX1e to further stake his claim to ‘Greatest Of All Time’ status – but the Swede has a host of high-calibre rivals all determined to stop him in his tracks.

Chief amongst them is Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team), the driver who has finished runner-up to Kristoffersson in each of the past two seasons – losing out in an agonising final day tiebreak in 2021. The two Swedes clashed at Montalegre last September and have engaged in countless close battles in the sport’s top tier – with many more surely in prospect over the coming months.

Hansen and his team-mate – fellow multiple event-winner and younger brother, Kevin Hansen – will take to the track in a pair of Peugeot 208 RX1es whose livery has undergone a ‘back to the future’ off-season makeover, with the addition of striking red accents in celebration of the team’s previous successes.

Niclas Grönholm has earned a bit of a ‘nearly man’ reputation in recent campaigns, finishing third in the standings in 2021 and 2022 and only being denied a proper title shot in 2019 by a bout of appendicitis. The Construction Equipment Dealer Team star triumphed in Portugal last year and the year before, so is hoping to complete the hat-trick this weekend.

The Finn’s CEDT stablemate Klara Andersson made history at Montalegre eight months ago in becoming the first female to reach the rostrum in top flight international rallycross history. Having signed off her rookie season with arguably her finest performance to-date at Germany’s Nürburgring last November, the 23-year-old Swede is aiming to build upon her impressive progress in her sophomore campaign.

Another newcomer to establish himself amongst the sport’s grandees in 2022 was Gustav Bergström, who sped to three consecutive podium finishes for Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS and is now targeting the next step. Ole Christian Veiby in the sister VW, meanwhile, has his sights solidly set on breaking his World RX duck following an accomplished comeback that yielded top three results in half of the rounds, despite suffering from more than his fair share of ill-fortune.

Four-time Free Skiing World Champion Guerlain Chicherit indulged a personal passion project last year in reviving an automotive icon – the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale – and bringing the classic Italian hot hatch right up to the present day in the shape of the retrofitted, all-electric Lancia Delta Evo-e RX, which made its World RX debut in the season finale at the Nürburgring and proved to be competitive straight off the bat.

The Frenchman is lining up two Lancias under the Special ONE Racing banner in 2023, with a second car for compatriot Sébastien Loeb, who returns following four seasons away from the grid. During his previous stint in the series, the nine-time FIA World Rally Champion achieved a brace of victories and 15 further rostrum appearances from 36 outings – the third-best podium strike rate in World RX history. Can the WRC’s record man take the fight to Kristoffersson second time around?

Completing the field in ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s SEAT Ibiza RX1e is double DTM Champion, Timo Scheider – another championship returnee and a driver with recent electric experience from Extreme E. The German – a veteran of 42 World RX starts to-date – is renowned as a tough competitor on-track, so will be sure to put up a fierce fight.

SECONDS OUT, ROUND TWO IN EURO RX SCRAPS
Alongside the eagerly-anticipated World RX curtain-raiser, Montalegre will also play host to the second round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship campaign – and following a rip-roaring season-opener at Nyirád last month, expectations are high for another thrilling contest.

In Euro RX1, five of the top six finalists from Hungary are back in action, with Janis Baumanis bidding to maintain his winning start, while defending title-holder Anton Marklund – who was crowned champion for a third time in Portugal in 2022 – aims to convert his Ford Fiesta’s raw pace into a tenth career triumph. The pair collided spectacularly on the exit of the Montalegre joker last September, and another close duel looks guaranteed.

In Euro RX3, Damian Litwinowicz arrives as championship leader after becoming a first-time winner at Nyirád, but the Pole is likely to face a stern challenge from Volland Racing team-mate Espen Isaksætre – not to mention a plethora of rapid Portuguese racers, with no fewer than ten homegrown heroes all hoping to make local knowledge count.

The weekend will get underway with official practice at 10:00 local time (11:00 CET) on Saturday (3 June). All of the action will be broadcast live on RX+. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while race weekend tickets are available to buy on the gate.

Event entry lists and the full timetable can be found here: https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/championship/calendar-2023/world-rx-of-portugal/

fiaworldrx.com

23-05-29 Mats Ohman claims stunning double RallyX Supercar victory in Finland
1 Swedish driver Mats Ohman made his first rallycross start in almost three years in the fifth and sixth rounds of the RallyX Series at Kouvola in Finland, and, driving a JC Raceteknik Audi S1 Supercar, claimed back-to-back wins in the Supercar AM category.

Ohman qualified on the second row for the Supercar Am final at the famous Finnish circuit on Saturday but climbed through the field to make it to the front of the order, and stormed to a first-ever Supercar final win.

On Sunday, in the Supercar Pro semi-final Ohman made the best launch to take the lead on the opening lap of the race, in his S1 Supercar adapted to drive with hand controls. However, a minor error dropped him down the order. But, in the Supercar Am final just a few minutes later, Ohman made the best start from the front row and never looked back en route to a historic result for both himself, JC Raceteknik and rallycross as a whole.

15-year-old Lukas Andersson had a difficult weekend in the Supercar Lites division, the former CrossCar Junior champion initially hampered by a strange electrical issue. JC Raceteknik used all its experience to resolve the problems and Andersson delivered a mature performance, battling in traffic for much of the double-header. Fifth in the final in round five, after a fast start in the semi-final in round six he was caught in turn one drama and the damage to his Lites machine meant his weekend went no further. He lies third in the championship with two rounds remaining.

RallyX now takes a break, and will return for the Norwegian round of the series at the end of August.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“I cannot really put into words what Mats’ results this weekend means to me personally and to the whole team. His smile after the final on Saturday was one of the best moments in my career. Mats has so much passion for this sport, he has done a lot behind the scenes that nobody really knows about and he is an amazing driver. For him to get his first Supercar win with us in JC is incredible. And then to repeat it on Sunday, is fantastic. After his amazing start in the Supercar Pro semi-final on Sunday it would have been nice to be in that final too, but we’re very happy. For Lukas it was a character-building weekend. We eventually found the problem, a part of the wiring loom we have never had issues with before, but he drove very well to make the most of the situation and we will prepare over the summer to fight for the championship in the last two weekends.”

23-05-29 Scheider completes World RX grid with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport
Experienced German has achieved success in a wide variety of disciplines
Timo Scheider – one of the most versatile and successful drivers on the modern motor racing scene – will return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2023 for the second season of the series’ electric era, after inking an 11th-hour deal to rejoin ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport.

A former sparring-partner of future Formula 1 star, Nick Heidfeld – who himself tried his hand at rallycross in the FIA RX2e Championship last year – Scheider went on to clinch back-to-back DTM crowns in 2008 and 2009 and has similarly achieved success in sportscar circles, winning both the Spa 24 Hours and Nürburgring 24 Hours and achieving a podium finish in-class in the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours.

The 44-year-old German has competed on-and-off in World RX since 2015, predominantly for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport. He reached the rostrum for the first time with the runner-up spoils in Catalunya in 2017, and has advanced to the final on 11 occasions, placing eighth in the overall classification in both 2020 and 2021.

Following a year’s absence from the grid, Scheider is now set to take to the track in the same SEAT Ibiza RX1e that René Münnich drove last season, which is due to be replaced by an upgraded model later in the campaign. The team owner will continue to do battle in Euro RX1, after setting a fastest heat time during the Nyirád curtain-raiser in Hungary last month.

The 2023 World RX season will get underway at in Portugal next weekend (3-4 June). The edge-of-the-seat globe-trotting series then travels throughout Europe, before concluding with long-haul double-header events in Cape Town (South Africa) and Hong Kong (China) in the autumn.

“I’m super-stoked to be back in World Rallycross with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport,” enthused Scheider. “We’ve had a lot of fun together in the championship in the past and obviously also enjoyed some success.

“We know things will be tough to begin with in last year’s car, but the new car is due to be ready later in the season and that should allow us to take a decent step forward and fight with the others. In the meantime, I’m really excited to get to Montalegre – to see my World RX friends again, hopefully a lot of fans and to go racing!”

“We are delighted to welcome Timo back to the team,” added team manager, Dominik Greiner. “He has long been a member of the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport family and we have enjoyed many good times together.

“While the SEAT Ibiza RX1e will be new to him, he has gained a lot of relevant electric racing knowledge from Extreme E over the past two years and with his skillset and experience, I have no doubt that he will very quickly be on the pace. We look forward to an exciting season together.”

fiaworldrx.com

23-05-26 Bakkerud and Larsson return to Holjes Magic Weekend with JC Raceteknik
Former European Rallycross Champions Robin Larsson and Andreas Bakkerud will return to the series with JC Raceteknik for the Holjes Magic Weekend in Sweden this July (1-2).

The RX Cartel drivers will storm back onto the European scene racing a pair of JC Audi S1 Supercars at one of the biggest rallycross events in the world.

Seven-time World RX race-winner and 2021 Euro RX Supercar Champion Bakkerud is a double victor of the Magic Weekend event, claiming Supercar wins in 2013 (Euro RX) and 2016 (World RX), while double Euro RX Champion and reigning Nitro Rallycross Champion Larsson is also a headline Holjes winner, in the RallyX Nordic series in 2020.

While Swede Larsson last raced an internal combustion engine Supercar in the 2021 Nitro RX campaign, Norwegian driver Bakkerud recently raced a JC Audi in the Danish rounds of RallyX with JC, claiming a best result of fourth across the weekend, but challenged for the win on both days.

Both drivers have full-time programmes elsewhere in 2023, so head to Holjes without the pressure of scoring championship points. That leaves the RX Cartel drivers able to target the best results possible from the single-header event, in a bid to make it to the front of the field in what is for both, their home round of the season.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“Holjes is rallycross. Some of the best memories of my career in Europe are at Holjes, and to go back with Robin and Andreas, two of the very best rallycross drivers in the world, will be a lot of fun. The track is demanding, even if everybody knows it well, getting everything right is not easy and we will have to work hard to get to the front because being in the fight for the final might not be so difficult, but getting to the top step of the podium will be hard. That’s what we do though, we work hard to win and we can’t wait to get to the Magic Weekend. Hopefully there are a lot of fans there to cheer us on too, that makes a lot of difference!”

Andreas Bakkerud (NOR):
“The Magic Weekend is the biggest rallycross race of the season. A festival from start to finish! It’s also my favourite rallycross track in the world, so if there’s a race I want to do, its Holjes! The win in 2013 is still high up there in my memories. I occasionally see that final on YouTube from time-to-time, it’s a old hand-held camera that filmed the final which makes it feel even older. My podium streak from 2012 to 2018 is also special. Even though we didn’t win in Denmark last month, it was good to be back in the Audi. It’s a fast car – we just have to get better off the line. The target is the podium and if the opportunity is there, then of course we’ll go for the win. The Magic Weekend has always been a race where I bring partners and a gathering of the BakkerudBLUE army. I can’t to do Hell this year, so I hope we can come in numbers to Holjes!”

Robin Larsson (SWE):
“It feels really good to be coming back to home soil, especially to Holjes. It’s always a special feeling driving in Sweden, in front of friends, family and Swedish people. It’s been a while since I drove a Supercar in Europe so it will be fun to be in the Audi in the European Championship. It will be hard to just jump in and get a result, the competition will be tough but we will do a short test in the week before, so we will hopefully go there feeling good. It’s a while since I drove in Holjes, but I’ve been there a few times and hopefully we can get up to speed. I go there without any pressure, but when you get to the start line and you want to win. But, there’s a lot of good drivers in Nitro and we are at the front there, so we need to show what we can do against the European drivers. Hopefully we can start the weekend strong from free practice and go from there. I’m really looking forward to it.”

23-05-16 Fresh motivation for Hansen World RX Team’s 2023 title challenge
Pioneering rallycross team Hansen Motorsport has released a revealing sustainability report for the 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship season, the year in which rallycross’ top flight switched to all-electric cars and the Swedish outfit took further steps in its target of net-zero emissions by 2040.

In recent years, Hansen Motorsport has – and continues to – undertake a self-critical review of its actions to make substantial changes in a bid to lessen carbon emissions.

Changes made within the over 30-year-old Swedish squad – widely regarded as the most successful team in rallycross history – have resulted in some impressive reductions, as outlined in its newly-published sustainability report.

For 2022, the team’s carbon footprint has been measured at 278.7 TCO2e, indicating a 57.9% reduction from 2019, and an over 40% reduction from 2021, as part of the team’s R-R-R slogan: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.

While still on the road to net-zero, Hansen Motorsport is currently offsetting the remainder of its footprint by supporting a Mexican wind farm project with partner ALLCOT to achieve its carbon neutral status. In a bid to further help the overall cause, the firm is also releasing its work and findings to others, including promotors and partners, to be united for climate action.

Becoming signatories to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Race to Zero further highlights the team’s efforts, along with being FIA 3-Star (Sustainability Accreditation) and ISO 14001:2015 (International Organisation for Standardisation) certified.As part of the UN Global Goals mission for 'Sustainable Development', Hansen Motorsport is making significant strides under 17 different headers, including key topics such as health and wellbeing, equality, sustainability, and consumption.

Amongst those endeavours, the Hansen squad has made many ‘small’ changes that all add to the overall target. Within the ISO 14001 vision of always striving to be better with constant improvements, initiatives like using tap water from HQ in reusable bottles and removing all single-use bottles and cups from both race weekends, and at HQ, contribute to the goal. The HQ premises itself runs on 100% renewable electricity, and operates a ‘No Person – No Lights’ policy.

Not just focusing on its own output, Hansen Motorsport has also created incentives for fans to travel to events in more sustainable ways, while supporting WWF programmes, and highlighting issues in the vicinity of race weekends, such as local wildfires during the Portuguese World RX round.

Susann Hansen, Head of Sustainability, said:
Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Hansen World RX Team
"Hansen Motorsport has never been afraid of leading. Leading is what we strive for each day, whether it's on or off the race track."

"When we had the opportunity to go fully electric in the FIA World Rallycross Championship it was jumping into something new. It was scary, but it was the right thing to do. We felt this is the moment when we also had the opportunity to take our environmental commitments to a new level."

Susann continued:
Kevin Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team
"We were the first rallycross team to join UNFCCC Sports For Climate Action and the first to get the FIA 3-Star Accreditation."

"Now we are also the first in publishing a sustainability report, and to be offsetting by supporting wind power technology.

"Leading can be difficult, but we have never hesitated on our decision to make every day count and work to constantly try to improve the environmental situation. We love motorsport and we want to keep on racing for trophies, while also racing for a healthier planet too."

23-05-14 Sammanställning av Supercupen i Rallycross i Haninge
Deltävling 1 och 2 – 13-14 maj
Den 13-14 maj arrangerade Haninge Motorklubb de två första deltävlingarna i Supercupen i
Rallycross. I tävlingen deltog klasserna 2400 cc, 2150 cc och RCH – Historisk klass. Dessutom
Crosskartens värstingklasser Xtreme och Xtreme Junior.

Här följer en sammanställning av resultaten.

Klass Supernationell 2400 cc

Den 13-14 maj arrangerade Haninge Motorklubb de två första deltävlingarna i Supercupen i Rallycross. I tävlingen deltog klasserna 2400 cc, 2150 cc och RCH – Historisk klass. Dessutom Crosskartens värstingklasser Xtreme och Xtreme Junior.

Här följer en sammanställning av resultaten.

Klass Supernationell 2400 cc
Deltävling 1 Deltävling 2
Förare Klubb Förare Klubb
1 Daniel Wall MSK Kvarnvingarna Rasmus Olsson Karlskrona MK
2 Jim Jansson MK Team Westom Marcus Naessen SMK Nyköping
3 Anders Johansson Team Mikro BSK Daniel Wall MSK Kvarnvingarna

Deltävling 1
Rasmus Olsson, Karlskrona MK kom totalt trea i Supercupen 2022. Nu hade en bra början på dagen. Han vann alla tre kvalomgångarna och gick till finalen. Där hamnade han på femte plats. Daniel Wall, som vann cupen 2022, hade oerhört tajta och spännande fighter med Jim Jansson
men drog till slut det längsta strået.

Deltävling2
Nu gick det bättre för Rasmus Olsson som vann den andra tävlingen.

Klass 2150 cc
Deltävling 1 Deltävling 2
Förare Klubb Förare Klubb
1 Oskar Hellström Strängnäs AMS Kim Andersson Orust MS
2 Isac Torlamb Tjust MK Oskar Hellström Strängnäs AMS
3 Niklas Eriksson Laxå MK Isac Torlamb Tjust MK

Deltävling 1
Kim Andersson, Orust MS, lyckades bra i kvalen, men kom på fjärde plats i finalen. Oskar Hellström körde sig till en välförtjänt seger.

Historisk Rallycrossklass - RCH
Deltävling 1 Deltävling 2
Förare Klubb Förare Klubb
1 Peter Fransson Vimmerby MS Peter Fransson Vimmerby MS
2 Mats Kjellin Ljusdals MS Mats Kjellin Ljusdals MS
3 Kjell-Åke Hellkvist Dalby MK Kjell-Åke Hellkvist Dalby MK

Deltävling 1
Oj, i den här klassen var Peter Fransson totalt överlägsen i sin fina, knallgula VW 1303. Han vann alla kvalen och i finalen.

Deltävling2
Peter Fransson var lika oslagbar i den här tävlingen

Deltävling2
Även för Kim Andersson gick det bättre under söndagen.

Crosskart Xtreme
Deltävling 1 Deltävling 2
Förare Klubb Förare Klubb
1 Jonatan Hoffman Haninge MK Jimmy Bergander Haninge MK
2 Hampus Strand Haninge MK Jonatan Hoffman Haninge MK
3 Emil Naessen SMK Nyköping Stefan Agerheim Haninge MK

Deltävling 1
I Xtremeklassen var det trist för Alex Lindeqvist, Haninge MK. Han segrade i alla kval- omgångarna, men i semifinalen hände något med karten så han blev stående på startplattan några sekunder. Det innebar att han inte gick till final.

Deltävling2
Under lördagen kom Jimmy Bergander inte i mål i flera av heaten. Det gick bättre på söndagen.

Crosskart Xtreme Junior
Deltävling 1 Deltävling 2
Förare Klubb Förare Klubb
1 Charlie R Sebom Haninge MK Charlie R Sebom Haninge MK
2 Loke Pettersson Haninge MK Loke Pettersson Haninge MK
3 Kalle Björk Haninge MK Kalle Björk Haninge MK

Deltävling 1
Charlie hade en bra dag, vann alla kvalen och finalen.

Deltävling2
Hela helgen har varit framgångsrik för Charlie. Han har vunnit alla heat som han har kört i.

23-05-10 Supercupen i Rallycross drar igång i Haninge i helgen
Deltävling 1 och 2 – 13-14 maj
Den 13-14 maj arrangerar Haninge Motorklubb de två första deltävlingarna i Supercupen i Rallycross. Tävlingen körs på Högstabanan söder om Stockholm.

I tävlingen deltar klasserna 2400 cc, 2150 cc och RCH – Historisk klass. Dessutom deltar Crosskartens värstingklasser Xtreme och Xtreme Junior.

Första start bägge dagarna är 09.30. Därefter tre kvalomgångar och finaler.

Här följer resultaten från Supercupen 2022. Förare märkta med en asterisk är anmälda till helgens tävling.

Klass Supernationell 2400 cc
1* Daniel Wall MSK Kvarnvingarna
2* Anders Johansson Team Mikro
3* Rasmus Olsson Karlskrona MK

Klass 2150 cc
I SM-serien 2023 är två deltävlingar körda.
Kim Andersson placerade sig som tvåa resp. trea i tävlingarna.
1* Kim Andersson Orust MS
2 Filip Martinsson Orust BsK
3* Mats Engström SMK Motala Bil

Historisk Rallycrossklass - RCH
Bilen måste vara tillverkad före 1974.
1* Peter Fransson Vimmerby MS
2 Mattias Härnered Enköpings MK
3* Anders Klasson Tjörns MF

Högstabanan • Haninge • www.haningemotorklubb.se
Crosskart Xtreme
Förarna är över 16 år.
1* Jimmy Bergander Haninge MK
2 Algot Hammarqvist Åtvidabergs MK
3* Alex Lindeqvist Haninge MK

Crosskart Xtreme Junior
Förarna är 12–16 år.
1* Kalle Björk Haninge MK
2 Anton Söderholm Simrishamns MK
3* Loke Pettersson Haninge MK

Resultat kommer fortlöpande att läggas ut på www.tavlingsconsult.com/ Gå till länken live.

Om Supercupen
Målsättningen med Supercupen är att utöka och säkerställa tillväxten inom Svensk Rallycross. Under 2023 består serien av fem tävlingar. Deltävling 3 och 4 arrangeras av MK Team Westom den 3-4 juni. Deltävling 5 – Finalen – körs hos Götene MK den 9 september.

Högstabanan
Så här hittar du till banan: Kör väg 73 (Nynäshamnsvägen) till avfart Dalarö. Kör några kilometer mot Dalarö så visar en skylt vänster till Högstabanan. Adressen till Högstabanan är Åvavägen 27, Haninge, sökbar på Google Maps.

23-05-08 Andersson claims third RallyX win in four rounds at Tierp
Rising rallycross star Lukas Andersson delivered another performance beyond his years of experience at Tierp in Sweden to claim a third RallyX Supercar Lites victory from four races with JC Raceteknik.

Entering the event following double victory in the opening rounds of the championship at Nysum in Denmark, 15-year-old Andersson made his maiden appearance at Tierp as RallyX returned to the Swedish venue for the first time since 2019.

Building pace throughout the opening practice sessions and Q1, Andersson set the fastest time in Q2 on Saturday, and qualified for the second row of the final. But, while working to climb the order in turn one of the final, he was pushed into a wall and retired from the race.

In round four on Sunday, Andersson set the fastest time in Q2 and Q3, won his semi-final and withstood big pressure in the final en route to his third win in four starts, to re-take the championship lead.

Also racing under the JC banner, Supercar racer Daniel Thoren made a maiden start in an Audi S1 and increased his performance throughout the weekend to secure a pair of podiums with P2 on Saturday and P3 on Sunday in the Supercar AM category.

As part of the RallyXtream weekend, JC also ran cars in the SXS Nordic event, in which Martin Johansson finished best of the JC cars in eighth after the four-stage encounter, Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky was 10th and Philip Gehrman was 18th.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“Overall we’ve had another very good weekend and it’s fantastic for Lukas to get another win. It was hard for him coming here without knowing the track, but he progressed well on Friday and Saturday and was unlucky in the end not to be on the podium. On Sunday he again showed how fast he is at learning and had a great day! I’m proud of him. For Daniel it was a positive first weekend in the S1 Supercar and it’s great for him to take home trophies, and it was brilliant to run the SXSs in this new RallyXtream weekend, the concept is great and we look forward to the future with it.”

Lukas Andersson (SWE):
“When we started on Friday I didn’t know the track at all which was very hard, it’s a very technical track and it took some time to learn it. Once I got on top of it I found good pace and in Q2 on Saturday we showed that by taking the best time. Unfortunately, I got put into the wall in the final and it was over. But, Sunday was a new day with new hopes, we had good pace from warm up and we kept that going all day. I pushed myself as hard as I could. It paid off in the end, getting to the front for the final. I took the start and I drove as fast as I could. Out of joker, my spotter, which is my brother Isak, told me to keep to the inside to defend the place – it was tight but we did it. It’s been a really fun weekend and I’m really happy.”

23-05-07 Dubbelseger och punkteringar för KMS
Kristoffersson Motorsport kom tillbaka starkt i RallyX med en dubbelseger i lördagens runda. Johan Kristoffersson vann före teamkompisen Ole Christian Veiby.
- Riktigt, riktigt bra. Allt var bra egentligen, utom punkteringen på slutet, säger Kristoffersson som stoppades av en punktering i söndagens runda när han var på väg mot andra raka segern.

Efter den tunga säsongsstarten i Nysum var ordningen återställd i lördagens runda 3 av RallyX i uppländska Tierp. Johan Kristoffersson dominerade fullständigt och tog hem dagens alla starter: tre kvalrundor, semifinalen och finalen. Därmed tog han också täten i totalställningen av RallyX för supercar.

Stallkompisen Ole Christian Veiby fick en rejäl revansch för sin tråkiga helg i Danmark genom att följa Johan till mållinjen som tvåa efter övertygande körning hela dagen.
- Det var kanonbra. Jag var inte så långt ifrån att rå på Johan heller, säger Ole Christian.

Det var till och med så att Veiby gjorde ett rejält försök att utmana den femfaldige världsmästaren när han var ända uppe i stötfångaren på stallkompisen.
- Det var kanske inte meningen att komma riktigt så nära, men det gick jäkla fort där, upp emot 160-170 km/h. Men jag tror att publiken tyckte det var kul att se.

Därmed blev det alltså dubbelt KMS högst upp på prispallen, där Johans son Colin också fick vara med och ta del av segerglädjen.

Söndagen började i samma stil för Kristoffersson som åter var snabbast i samtliga tre kvalomgångar.
- Starterna var bra, farten var bra och jag tycker att jag själv också var riktigt på hugget och inte gjorde några misstag, menar Johan.

Veiby däremot fick problem med drivningen i första kvalomgången och fick ta sig an en rejäl uppförsbacke. men löste det med två tredjeplatser och därmed en fjärdeplacering totalt i kvalet.
- Q2 var riktigt bra och även Q3 fungerade fint.

I semifinalen såg han också ut att ha en finalplats väl inom räckhåll som tvåa ut från starten. Men även denna gång var marginalerna emot Veiby. En smäll bakifrån betydde punktering och till slut kunde norrmannen inte försvara sig mot attackerna och slutade fyra, precis utanför finalfältet.
- Jag blev påkörd av två stycken, en fixade punktering på ena sidan och en tog hjulupphängningen på den andra. Det är surt när andra kommer och förstör för en.

Det blev alltså Johan Kristoffersson som fick försvara Kristoffersson Motorsports färger i finalen av den fjärde rundan. Med nio raka racesegrar i ryggen under Tierp-helgen och ännu en fantastisk start i finalen var det upplagt för seger nummer två, men en punktering satte stopp för den perfekta helgen. Johan fick styra åt sidan och låta övriga förare göra upp om segern. Kevin Eriksson vann före Johans VM-teamkompis Gustav Bergström.
- Det var en del hålor och jag visste att det kunde hända. Kanske tog jag lite för mycket vinkel där, analyserar Johan.

Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson kunde summera en betydligt bättre helg än i Danmark.
- Ett tråkigt slut, men annars en bra helg. Våra förare var etta och tvåa när allt fungerade. Väldigt bra starter. De har vi fått bra ordning på.

Nästa omgång i RallyX går i Kouvola, Finland, sista helgen i maj, men där kan inte Kristoffersson Motorsport delta eftersom det också är testhelg inför VM i Portugal. Återstår att se om KMS-förarna dyker upp i de avslutade deltävlingarna i norska Grenland och i Höljes.

I totalställningen leder Johan Kristoffersson trots finaldebaclet med 104 poäng, en före Kevin Eriksson, efter halva säsongen. Och eftersom man får räkna bort en dubbelhelg i sammandraget, så kan Kristoffersson köra om mästerskapstiteln i de två sista deltävlingarna.

För Johan gäller härnäst andra deltävlingen i Extreme E, i Skottland kommande helg. Därefter väntar VM i början av juni.
- Men det känns för avlägset än så länge. Först ska jag till Skottland, därefter vara hemma i en vecka. Sedan börjar jag fokusera på VM.

I KMS-verkstaden blir det däremot fokus på VM redan kommande vecka, med sikte på Lousada i Portugal.
- Vi har fått bra träning i RallyX, precis som vi ville. Nu är det hem till verkstaden i några veckor. Det är extremt mycket jobb som ska göras, men vi har bra personal som kommer att lösa det, avslutar Tommy Kristoffersson.

23-05-04 Mästarteamet siktar på nya VM-titlar
Två VM-titlar ska försvaras. Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS går förstås in i andra säsongen av helelektriska World RX med stora förväntningar på sig.
- Vi är väl förberedda. Det finns inget annat mål än att kämpa om båda gulden, säger teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Årets VM-säsong inleds i Montalegre, Portugal, första helgen i juni. Mästarteamet från Arvika har tre bilar i stallet och förarna är samma som förra året: femfaldige världsmästaren Johan Kristoffersson, fjolårsfyran och teammästaren Ole Christian Veiby samt förra årets bästa rookie, Gustav Bergström.
- Vi har gjort det vi kan för att optimera våra bilar ytterligare, men jag är helt säker på att de andra teamen också har gjort det. Det ska bli spännande att se vilka som har gjort hemläxan bäst, säger Johan Kristoffersson.

Kristoffersson är van att ha stora förväntningar på sig efter sina mästartitlar -17, -18, -20, -21 och -22. Nu är det fjärde gången han kommer till start som regerande mästare - ett jagat byte.
- Det ska bli kul. Det var tuff konkurrens redan förra året och nu kommer även en sån som Sébastien Loeb och alla vet vad han går för.

Men alla vet också vilken kapacitet Johan har, inte minst teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.
- Johan är vårt ankare, som också ska vara en lagspelare för Ole Christian och Gustav. Vi bygger mycket runt honom.

Johan Kristoffersson har preparerat med lite vinterrally, Race of Champions och tävlingar i Extreme E och RallyX.
- Det tar alltid bort lite spänningar att få tävla, oavsett vad det är. Känns bra att jag har fått möjlighet att köra en del under vintern.

Ole Christian Veiby har varit flitigare med rallyframträdanden, med en imponerande andraplats i Rally Sweden som kronan på verket.
- Rallyuppladdningen har varit perfekt. Visst, det är skillnad på rally och rallycross, men det blir många mil i kroppen, säger Ole Christian, som gjorde comeback i RX förra året, med den äran.
- En imponerande comeback av Ole Christian, men vi hade en del tekniska problem på den bilen, så han fick inte riktigt visa hela sin kapacitet. Han hade behövt köra mycket, men var den av våra förare som fick minst antal varv, säger Tommy Kristoffersson.

När nu Kongsvinger-bördige Veiby är klar för sin andra säsong i mästerskapet så är det en förare med större lugn som ställer sig på startlinjen.
- Jag känner mig mer självsäker och kan sänka axlarna redan från start. Det gick relativt bra för mig förra året, men det blir lättare att komma tillbaka i år och bygga vidare på det vi inledde då.

Ole Christian vet vad han ska förbättra.
- Jag behöver komma in i tempot snabbare under tävlingshelgerna.

Förutsättningarna för detta är också bättre i år.
- Då var många banor nya för mig. Nu vet jag mer vad som väntar.

En av favoritbanorna är den i Montalegre, Portugal, där Veiby slutade tvåa gånger två förra säsongen.
- Det är där vi ska göra vårt försäsongstest och även köra säsongspremiären. En fin bana som passar oss bra.

Teamchef Kristoffersson ser med tillförsikt på Veibys andra säsong i teamet.
- Ole Christian är dedikerad och otroligt fokuserad. Han har hängt mycket i verkstaden i vinter och jobbat tillsammans med teamet. Vår förhoppning är att han ska vinna race i år och vara med och kämpa om pallplatserna i totalen. Men han blir också mycket viktig för oss i teammästersskapet.

Gustav Bergström är den tredje Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS-föraren. Bergström övertygade under sin debutsäsong i VM med smart körning och överraskande fina resultat.
- Det gick bra förra året, men jag siktar på att göra ännu bättre ifrån mig i år, säger Gustav.

Vintern har han ägnat mycket åt iskörning och gokart, men förstås också analys av fjolårets VM-säsong.
- Det finns mer att hämta. Jag var nog lite för snäll i många situationer förra året. Men annars är det mycket att titta på hur Johan gör - copy and paste.

Tommy Kristoffersson var imponerad av den unge stockholmarens debut:
- Han imponerade stort, med sitt lugn och sin kloka körning. Gustav har en naturlig talang.

Även Bergström tar hjälp av RallyX i Tierp för att putsa till rallycrossformen. Det återstår dock att se hur många VM-tävlingar Gustav kommer att köra eftersom han även har andra åtaganden. Ett race i taget gäller för hans del.

KMS-teamet har alltså samma föraruppställning även 2023, men också oförändrad personalsammansättning i övrigt. En styrka menar stallchefen:
- Det är samma ingenjörer och mekaniker - ett otroligt starkt gäng. De räddade oss flera gånger förra året med sin enorma kompetens och arbetsvilja, säger Kristoffersson berömmande.

Den uppskattningen riktar också Tommy åt annat håll. Lojala samarbetspartner är man alltid betjänt och beroende av i motorsportsbranschen.
- Det är tuffa tider med tanke på världsläget, så vi värnar förstås om alla som gör den här stora elbilssatsningen möjlig, och de är många. Volkswagen, Bauhaus och Red Bull är våra bärande stöttepelare och vi är ödmjukt tacksamma för deras långvariga och trogna stöd. Vi ska göra allt vi kan för att vårda det förtroendet!

23-05-03 Ahlin-Kottulinsky, Andersson and Thoren line up for JC Raceteknik in Tierp RallyXtreme event
Experienced Swede Daniel Thoren has acquired a JC Raceteknik Audi S1 Supercar and will make his maiden appearance in the car in the third and fourth rounds of the 2023 RallyX Series at Tierp in Sweden as part of the RallyXtreme weekend (May 6-7), while Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky and Martin Johansson will be active in the SXS part of the event.

Thoren is a former RallyX Nordic podium-finisher, and has raced a number of different Supercar machines in both RallyX and Euro RX events.

Earlier this year, Thoren travelled to Nysum in Denmark to fulfil an ambition of testing an Audi S1 Supercar with JC Raceteknik, and enjoyed the experience so much that he has subsequently bought a car to be run under the JC banner, that he will himself race this weekend. Thoren has raced at Tierp before, but his weekend ended with a substantial accident. He will be hoping for better fortune this weekend in the competitive headline Supercar field.

Also racing under the JC Raceteknik umbrella in what is expected to be one of the biggest motor sport events in Scandinavia this year, 15-year-old Lukas Andersson will continue his maiden senior rallycross campaign in the Supercar Lites division, on the back of stunning the rallycross world just over a week ago, when he won the opening two rounds of the RallyX series at Nysum in Denmark in the single-make category.

Alongside the rallycross element of RallyXtreme, drifting and rally sprints will also take place, as will rounds of the Nordic SXS series, in which JC Raceteknik will run cars for STCC and Extreme E event-winner Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, who finished on the podium in NRX NEXT last year with JC Raceteknik, and fellow Swede Martin Johansson.

Find details about the RallyXtreme weekend in Tierp here.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“We’ve known Daniel for a few years and he has a lot of passion for rallycross – you can see that by how much he has helped support other drivers and events. It’s great to have him in the team, and we’re really looking forward to Tierp. We had a positive first test in Nysum, initially just for fun, then when the opportunity for Daniel to get more involved came up, the test in Arvika was much more about preparing for his first race with us, and it went well. I’m excited to have him in the team for this weekend, alongside what we are doing with Lukas this year in Supercar Lites, and the cars we are running for Mikaela and Martin in SXS this weekend.”

Daniel Thoren (SWE):
“I had always wanted to have a go in an Audi, so it was great to drive the car in Denmark. Then the opportunity came to buy this car and it took me about 10 minutes to say yes. Joel and his team will run the car, and take care of it as if it is their own, but I of course wanted to race it as soon as possible. With Tierp being the next race, we decided to go for it. I had more than my fair share of problems last time I raced there, and most sensible people would have stopped driving after that, but I really love this sport and I am thrilled to go be going back there this weekend. The plan is to enjoy the weekend, and then we will see what we will do for the rest of the season.”

Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky (SWE):
“I’m super happy to be racing this weekend. It will be the first SXS event for me in Sweden, so it will be a lot of fun. I returned to doing rallycross events with JC again last year, so it really feels like home to race in a SXS with Joel and his crew. It’s a good opportunity for me to get some good seat time, ahead of the next Extreme E event in Scotland. It will be challenging for sure, you don’t even get a track walk it’s just to go out there and do the best you can, so for me it’s just about getting seat time, experience and having fun!”

23-05-03 KMS jagar revansch i Tierp
Efter en tung premiär i RallyX kommer ett revanschsuget Kristoffersson Motorsport till den andra tävlingshelgen i Tierp.
- Ur träningssynpunkt var det en bra helg i Nysum och jag fick trots allt med mig många poäng, säger Johan Kristoffersson, som ligger tvåa i Supercar-klassen.

Precis som i Danmark är det “doubleheader” som gäller i den uppländska motormetropolen, en tävling på lördag och en på söndag. Dessutom visar flera andra motorsportgrenar upp sig under RallyXTream-helgen. Bland annat kommer Kristoffersson att gästspela i SXS.

Men huvuduppgiften är förstås att försöka ta hem årets första rallycrosstriumf och att ta sig förbi ledande Kevin Eriksson i sammandraget. Teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson är hoppfull.
- Det som var bra i Danmark var att vi hade tempot. Både Johan och Ole Christian hade topptider när allt fungerade, men vi fick en del driftstörningar och punkteringar som vi inte har råd med.

Teamets båda Volkswagen Polo GTI Supercar har fått en del omvårdnad i verkstaden och är redo för den tuffa racing som RallyX brukar bjuda på.
- Så sett är det perfekt träning inför VM. Visst, det kräver sitt att ta starten och hålla ledningen till mållinjen också, men det är bättre träning att få fatta svåra beslut i trafik och att lösa problem som dyker upp längs vägen, menar Johan.

Kristoffersson lyckades trots svårigheter och strul ändå summera en andra- och en femteplats under första tävlingshelgen.

Värre var det för stallkamraten Ole Christian Veiby som - efter tekniska problem - missade båda finalerna.
- Det var allt på en gång. Vi hoppas på mer tur den här gången, säger Ole Christian.

Han får nu stifta bekantskap med en ny bana.
- Jag körde Porsche i Tierp för tio år sedan, men det fanns ingen rallycrossbana när jag var där senast.
- Arrangemanget lovar gott. Det är ett fint koncept, så jag hoppas det kommer mycket folk.

23-04-30 Seventh heaven for brilliant Baumanis in Nyirád thriller
Latvian star prevails in crowd-pleasing Euro RX opener
Janis Baumanis began the 2023 FIA European Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser at Nyirád Racing Center this weekend (29-30 April) feeling under the weather. He ended it standing on top of the podium following an epic season-opener in front of a capacity Hungarian crowd.

Behind the wheel of his Peugeot 208, Baumanis was one of the pace-setters from the outset in the high-calibre Euro RX1 field, bolstering a heat win with a brace of further top three times to soar to the summit of the intermediate standings ahead of Audi driver Enzo Ide and impressive home hero Máté Benyó.

From there, the Latvian – a former European Super1600 (now Euro RX3) champion – led the first semi-final from lights-to-flag. He subsequently did the same in the all-important final, winding up just under a second clear of his closest pursuer to tally a maximum score of 23 championship points with his seventh career victory.
“It’s a great feeling!” Baumanis acknowledged. “This is for RX Team Latvia for all the long hours everybody has put in. We only got the team together and started to assemble the car in March, so they deserve this result so much. It’s unbelievable. It’s also for my mother, who celebrated her birthday on Friday. This win is my gift to her.

“It’s been a tough weekend. I’ve been feeling really bad and my neck has been very sore, but I tried not to think about it too much and did some ‘mind yoga’ in the car to keep calm! Thankfully, everything ran smoothly without any technical problems, which was so important, and I need to say a big thanks to all the amazing spectators here at the track and all the Latvian fans who cheered me on. Nothing can be better than this.”

If Baumanis’ weekend – illness aside – was relatively trouble-free, the same could not be said for many of his rivals in the ‘Red Cauldron’. Indeed, the story of the eventual runner-up – defending champion Anton Marklund – was a real rollercoaster ride.

After describing his Ford Fiesta as ‘the worst car he had ever driven’ following FP1, Marklund and the SET Promotion team dug deep to turn the situation around. Fastest in heat one, the Swede looked poised to pick up from where he had left off at the end of last season, but then a first corner crash in heat three – when contact with Tamás Kárai sent him into a spin, following which he was collected by an unsighted Sivert Svardal – threatened to entirely derail his bid.

The damage appeared to be terminal and ruled Marklund out of heat four, but the SET Promotion crew produced a herculean effort to get their driver back out on-track for the semi-finals, which – courtesy of his earlier results – he snuck into by the skin of his teeth. He rewarded them by twice battling his way through from the rear of the grid, placing third in the semi-final to book his slot in the final and then unleashing a scintillating turn-of-speed to secure the runner-up spoils.

The rostrum was completed by Patrick O’Donovan, who also had a story to tell. Suspension damage in heat three prompted what the British teenager quipped were ‘pre-celebratory donuts’, but he bounced back in fine style to top the timesheets in heat four. He then exploited an early joker strategy in the semi-final to advance to the final, where he got the better of Ide to cement his first Euro RX1 podium finish in only his second outing.

The Belgian took the chequered flag fourth to cap another strong weekend, with Benyó a superb fifth in his older Peugeot. Fans’ favourite Andreas Bakkerud was in the mix for a trophy until he retired on the penultimate lap. Countryman Svardal – who once again challenged the series’ big names in his family-run Volkswagen Polo – was similarly out-of-luck, his weekend curtailed by the heat three contact with Marklund.

POLE POSITION FOR LITWINOWICZ IN TITLE HUNT
In Euro RX3, Damian Litwinowicz rebounded from a first heat coming-together with Jens Hvaal to prevail in heat two and set further top three times in the remaining two heats, putting him on pole position for the second semi-final. He proceeded to win the race – twice, after the first attempt was red-flagged due to a roll for João Ribeiro – and thereafter controlled the pace in the final to seal his breakthrough victory in the class.

The Pole was chased home by team-mate Espen Isaksætre – who topped two of the four heats on his debut for Volland Racing and maiden visit to Nyirád – and local star Balázs Körmöczi, who confidently took the fight to the all-conquering Audis and put on a spectacular show for the appreciative audience. Hvaal, fellow Škoda star Jan Cerný – who hit the wall in his pursuit of the podium – and Hungary’s Ferenc Ficza rounded out the top six, as Saturday pace-setter Nils Volland’s weekend unravelled on day two.

The Euro RX campaign will continue on 3-4 June at Montalegre in Portugal, in support of the opening round of the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

FINAL RESULT: EURO RX1
1. Janis BAUMANIS (LVA) RX Team Latvia 5 laps
2. Anton MARKLUND (SWE) SET Promotion + 0.901s
3. Patrick O’DONOVAN (GBR) Team RX Racing + 1.600s
4. Enzo IDE (BEL) Enzo Ide + 2.628s
5. Máté BENYÓ (HUN) Korda Racing KFT + 4.648s
6. Andreas BAKKERUD (NOR) Andreas Bakkerud + 2 laps

FINAL RESULT: EURO RX3
1. Damian LITWINOWICZ (POL) Volland Racing 5 laps
2. Espen ISAKSÆTRE (NOR) Volland Racing + 0.565s
3. Balázs KÖRMÖCZI (HUN) Szada Ring Racing KFT + 2.685s
4. Jens HVAAL (NOR) Jens Hvaal + 6.660s
5. Jan CERNÝ (CZE) Pajr S.R.O + 13.223s
6. Ferenc FICZA (HUN) EAK M-Sport KFT+ 4 laps

Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com

23-04-23 Ready to rumble in the ‘Red Cauldron’
All-star line-up prepares for battle in Hungarian Euro RX opener
The 2023 FIA European Rallycross Championship gets underway at Hungary’s Nyirád Racing Center this weekend (29-30 April), and the scene is set for a sensational scrap between proven champions, home heroes and some of the sport’s brightest rising stars.

Fast, technical and undulating in equal measure, Nyirád returned to the Euro RX calendar last year for the first time in almost a decade, serving up a mouth-watering feast of high-octane entertainment in the ‘Red Cauldron’ – so-called due to the distinctive colour of its unsealed surfaces, having been built on the site of a former bauxite quarry. Popular amongst competitors and spectators alike, it has been described by American racing legend Tanner Foust as his ‘favourite track in Europe’.

The ‘Red Cauldron’ is now preparing to roar once again – to the sound of 32 Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 cars, not to mention thousands of enthusiastic trackside fans cheering on their heroes behind the wheel.

EURO RX1: A HIGH-CALIBRE CONTEST
The Euro RX1 field is headlined by defending champion Anton Marklund, who is bidding to add a fourth career crown to his impressive CV this year. The Swede, who competes for SET Promotion, triumphed in Hungary last season, and the two drivers who joined him on the podium that day – Enzo Ide and Ulrik Linnemann – are both similarly back for more.

Double European Rallycross Champion Andreas Bakkerud left it late before lodging his entry in a Kárai Motorsport Sportegyesület-prepared Audi S1; the Norwegian will team up with fans’ favourite and three-time European Autocross Champion Tamás Kárai – one of six Hungarian drivers on the grid.

Other homegrown talents include László Kiss – a former national title-winner – and Máté Benyó, who recently won the 2023 Hungarian Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser at Máriapócs.

Last year’s Euro RX1 championship runner-up Janis Baumanis returns with an all-Latvian team, while event-winner René Münnich is also sure to be a contender in his trusty SEAT Ibiza. Highly-rated young gun Sivert Svardal was a finalist at Nyirád last year, and fellow rising star Patrick O’Donovan – the reigning British Rallycross Champion – now has at his disposal a potent ex-Hansen Motorsport Peugeot 208 WRX. His father – 2007 British title-winner Ollie O’Donovan – joins him in the unique Proton Iriz RX.

EURO RX3: A NEW WINNER AWAITS
In Euro RX3, multiple title-winning outfit Volland Racing brings a quartet of Audi A1s for Damian Litwinowicz – the highest-placed returnee – Espen Isaksætre, Nils Volland and João Ribeiro, all of whom have prior podium form in the series. The team will similarly service the car of local driver Zsolt Szíjj ‘Jolly’.

Although the Audi has unquestionably been the machine to beat over the last few seasons, Volland is arguably facing its toughest challenge yet. Giant-killing Czech ace Jan Cerný came within a whisker of victory at Nyirád last year, while fellow Škoda star Jens Hvaal was a revelation on his championship debut at the Nürburgring back in November.

Former French Junior Rallycross Champion David Bouet makes his bow at international level in a Renault Clio, and Ferenc Ficza – who previously participated in the FIA World Touring Car Championship – has recently made a successful transition from circuit racing to rallycross, beating multiple title-holder Roman Castoral to honours in the domestic series’ Super Touring Cars - 2000 class last year.

Adding an extra element of intrigue into the mix, whoever climbs onto the top step of the podium this weekend will be a first-time winner in Euro RX3 – so let battle commence!

Racing will get underway with heat one at 15:45 CET on Saturday (29 April), with all of Sunday’s action – from heat two onwards – to be broadcast live on RX+. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be purchased here, while race weekend tickets are available to buy on the gate.

Event entry lists can be found here: Euro RX1 / Euro RX3

fiaworldrx.com

12-04-24 Rising star Andersson delivers stunning Supercar Lites debut performance with double Danish victory
Swede Lukas Andersson became the youngest-ever Supercar Lites winner on his debut weekend in the highly-competitive category of the RallyX series at Nysum in Denmark.

Stepping up from the Crosscar Junior division with special dispensation from the Swedish ASN to race before the usual minimum age, the 15-year-old set third fastest time in the first Free Practice session of the season, competing against drivers with up to 10 years’ experience in the category.

The former Crosscar Junior champion improved his performance throughout the opening day of the double-header event and qualified for the final thanks to third position in his semi-final race. In the final, Andersson ran fifth after the opening corner, but used a mix of fantastic pace and experience beyond his years to climb up the order, then took the lead on the final lap to claim an emphatic maiden win.

In round two on Sunday, Andersson set the fastest time in both Q1 and Q2, then later won his semi-final from the front of the order and dominated the final to secure a second-successive win along with the maximum possible points for Sunday, meaning the rising star leaves the opening weekend leading the series ahead of the reigning Lites champion.

Also racing for JC Raceteknik in the RallyX season-opener, World Rallycross and Nitro Rallycross event-winner Andreas Bakkerud returned to an Audi S1 Supercar for the event and set leading pace. The Norwegian star challenged for victory in the final on Sunday but lost out while attempting an overtake for the lead with two corners to go, but proved both his own speed and that of the championship-winning machine.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“It was an amazing weekend for Lukas. We did some small tests last year with the car and we felt he had to speed. We asked permission from the Swedish ASN for him to get his license one year earlier than he should. I told all of the guys at the federation that he would earn the right to have it, and he has. I have to say even I was a bit surprised on Saturday. To qualify for the final was already a very good job, then the pace he showed in the final was from another planet. I’m so, so proud of him and how calm he has been all weekend. The car has been in top condition every time he’s come off track. He was brilliant on Sunday, fastest in Q1 and Q2, dealt with the traffic well in Q3 then in the semi-final and final his performance was just a fairy tale.

For Andreas, it was a late entry for him to race. It was great to have him try the car – he hasn’t driven it for a long time and it was nice to have his feedback. The pace we had was very good, we were the fastest but had bad traffic all of the time in the races. But, it proves the car is capable of winning.”

Lukas Andersson (SWE), Supercar Lites:
“I was just taking this weekend as training to get experience of the car, but it went much better than expected. I was surprised to be third in practice on Saturday, then I just drove and pushed the car as much as I could and it turned out very well. Both races were brilliant, I’m very happy with the results, and it still hasn’t sunk in that I got a full sweep of points on Sunday. The team has been amazing, the car was amazing and everything was right. It all turned out great. I’m really looking forward to the next race in Tierp (in two weeks). It’s going to be a big event there. I really enjoy this car and I love to race in this class, it’s really fun.”

23-04-23 Peter på pallen igen! - Tävlingshelgen gav mersmak på RallyX
Med flera punkteringar i bagaget från igår, så var läget inte helt perfekt för Peter Hedström att överglänsa gårdagens seger i RallyX. Men trots ny punktering och kubbningar slutade dagen på pallen igen, samtidigt som Calle stundtals levererade mycket hög nivå på körningen.

Dagens prestation i teamet får man ändå säga gick till Calle Ward, som med bara gårdagens tävlingserfarenhet och tolv varv på Westom i Arvika, fullkomligen glänste i Q2. Ward ryckte starten och ledde heatet från start till mål. Tiden räckte till en imponerande fjärdeplats i kvalomgången. Calle har nu fått blodad tand och vem vet, vi kanske får se han på rallycrossbanan igen.
- Det här var väldigt roligt, bilarna går ju som raketer, skulle smakat bra med en pallplats, men man vet ju aldrig, det kanske blir någon mer chans, säger Ward efter racehelgen.

Peter inledde dagen med att rycka starten före Kevin Eriksson, men slog i hårt på curbs och punkteringen var ett faktum. Även i Q2 blev det problem efter lite hårda tag i första kurvan.
- Jag var helt enkelt för för hårdhänt mot bilen.

Sista kvalomgången var det en fokuserad Hedström som levererade en bestämd körning från start till mål.
- Hade en något sen inbromsning, den kostade totalsegern i Q3, men var bara en sekund efter Johan ändå, fortsätter Peter.

Det blev hårda tag även i finalen, men Peter körde smart och höll sig undan större smällar. En strategi som gav utdelning i forma av ny pallplats då han slutade trea efter Kevin Eriksson och Yuri Belevskiy.
- Det har varit en fantastisk helg, etta igår och trea idag. Bilen har varit helt perfekt och det har jag mitt fantastiska team och även Solberg att tacka för, jag använde exakt samma inställningar som Oliver körde på i Höljes, avslöjar Peter Hedström.

Nu går färden hemåt mot Torsby för hela Hedströmsteamet som direkt vid hemkomsten börjar förbereda testa med en för teamet helt ny förare.
- Jag kommer avslöja mer om detta under veckan, avslutar Peter lite hemlighetsfullt.

RallyX 2023
Resultat Deltävling 2
Supercar Pro
1. Kevin Eriksson, SWE, Honda Civic
2. Yury Belevskiy, CHE, Audi S1
3. Peter Hedström, SWE, Hyundai I20 WRC
4. Andreas Bakkerud, NOR, Audi S1
5. Johan Kristoffersson, SWE, VW Polo RX
6. Ole Christian Veiby, NOR, VW Polo RX

Supercar ProAm
1. Ulrik Linnemann, DNK, Ford Fiesta
2. Victor Vranckx, BEL, RX2E
3. Maiko Tamm, EST, Ford Fiesta
4. Stefan Christensson, SWE, Ford Fiesta
5. Morten Schnack, DNK, Ford Focus
6. Calle Ward, SWE, VW Polo
7. Dennis Römer, DNK, VW Polo RX
8. Magnus Dall, DNK, Renault Clio RS

Tabeller efter deltävling 2.
Supercar Pro
1. Kevin Eriksson, SWE, Honda Civic, 52
2. Johan Kristoffersson, SWE, VW Polo RX, 50
3. Peter Hedström, SWE, Hyundai I20 WRC, 46
4. Andreas Bakkerud, NOR, Audi S1, 41
5. Yury Belevskiy, CHE, Audi S1, 41
6. Ole Christian Veiby, NOR, VW Polo RX, 9

Supercar ProAm
1. Maiko Tamm, EST, Ford Fiesta, 14
2. Ulrik Linnemann, DNK, Ford Fiesta, 12
3. Victor Vranckx, BEL, RX2E, 11
4. Stefan Christensson, SWE, Ford Fiesta, 10
5. Morten Schnack, DNK, Ford Focus, 10
6. Calle Ward, SWE, VW Polo, 7
7. Dennis Römer, DNK, VW Polo RX, 4
8. Magnus Dall, DNK, Renault Clio RS, 3

23-04-23 Problemfylld helg för KMS
Det blev en tung start på säsongen i RallyX för Kristoffersson Motorsport. Problem kantade helgen för såväl Johan Kristoffersson som Ole Christian Veiby.
- Vi hade förberett oss väl och kom hit med gott självförtroende, men det mesta gick emot. Kan inte minnas när jag var med om något liknande senast, säger teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Det blev en intensiv helg för teamet i och med att premiären i Nysum, Danmark, bjöd på dubbeltävling lördag-söndag. Det innebar mycket intensiv körning och tätt mellan heaten. Får man problem blir det mycket jobb.
- Så sett var det ändå en bra helg. Pojkarna i teamet har jobbat otroligt bra. Vårt teamwork har fungerat perfekt. Och för Johan och Ole Christian blev det bra körning i tät trafik. Vi har absolut fått med oss mycket matnyttigt från helgen trots allt, menar Tommy.

Stallchefen sticker dock inte under stolen med att man hade mycket större förhoppningar resultatmässigt.
- Självklart vill vi vinna när vi åker på tävling och det hade vi förutsättningarna för, men jag brukar säga att när man håller på med en supercar är det som att ha en patient på intensiven. Man vet aldrig vad som kan hända.

För Johan Kristoffersson blev det ändå en skaplig start på helgen. I lördagstävlingen var han totalbäst i kvalet och slutade sedan tvåa efter Peter Hedström.
- När det gick som det skulle så gick det ändå fort, tycker Johan.

Under söndagen fortsatte Johan att vara snabbast på varvtiderna. Han satte också raskaste tiden i tredje kvalomgången och blev än en gång kvalbäst. I semifinalen fick han nöja sig med andraplatsen, vilket innebar andra startled i finalen. Kristoffersson fick en bra start och var på väg att avancera, men i andra kurvan bar det rakt fram - punktering…
- Jag har aldrig någonsin fått en punktering på det viset. Vet inte hur det gick till, säger en förundrad Kristoffersson.

Han slutade därmed femma, men kunde ändå summera helgen som tvåa totalt i RallyX-sammandraget.
- Ganska otroligt ändå efter allt som hände.

För Ole Christian Veiby var det däremot riktigt nattsvart av flera olika skäl som han själv inte kunde påverka.
- Problem med bilen och så hände det en hel del saker ute på banan också. Jag fick ett danskt wienerbröd i alla fall. Det kanske var helgens höjdpunkt, konstaterar Veiby lite lätt ironiskt.

Under lördagen missade han finalen och när det äntligen såg ut att lossna i söndagens semifinal så rasade motorn. Det var bara att parkera.
- Q3 gick ganska bra och så såg det okej ut även i semifinalen, men då ville inte motorn längre. Vad ska man säga?

KMS åker hem och slickar såren för att därefter satsa vidare mot nästa tävling i Tierp.
- Vi kommer tillbaka! Vi lär oss av de problem vi hade och tar med oss de positiva sakerna från helgen, lovar Tommy Kristoffersson.

23-04-22 Vinnare i Danmark!
- Peter Hedström sprudlande glad efter segern över Kristoffersson i finalen
Trots minimala förberedelser och en fjolårssäsong med bara två tävlingshelger, visar Peter Hedström att han blir att räkna med i årets RallyX. På Danska Nysumbanan tog han hem segern före mångfaldige VM-segraren Johan Kristoffersson.

Med blott nio testvarv i bagaget på Westombanan lastade Peter Hedström teamets Hyundai och drog mot Jylländska Nysum. Förhoppningarna var inte så värst höga, men en final kändes realistisk om allt gick Peters väg.
- Jag hade väl inga större förväntningar, men när jag var två tiondelar efter Kristoffersson på träningen och kände att bilen gick som en raket, förstod jag att det här kunde bli riktigt bra, säger Peter Hedström.

Första kvalet lämnade dock övrigt att önska, en dålig start och fyra i dammet.
- Fick ändå en bra tid och med en raketstart i Q2 och snabbaste tid där, så tändes det ett ljus.

I tredje kvalheatet rycker sedan Peter starten, men glider ut lite och får en tryckare i sidan, han slutar på femte plats i omgången. Kvalpoängen räcker till en total andraplats i kvalet.

Semifinalen blev en hårdkokt historia, där Peter ryckte starten men fick en tryckare av Belevskiy som passerade tack vare påkörningen och sedan en till av hemmaföraren Linnemann som gick pang rakt i sidan. Linnemann föll dock på eget grepp och Belevskiy fick tidstillägg för tilltaget så Peter segerade i semifinalen. Detta placerade Peter i finalens första led tillsammans med Johan Kristoffersson.
- Det var rättvist, Belevskiy tjänade tid och placeringar på tilltaget, säger Peter.

Peter får i finalen till en bra start, styr in och vrider upp sin Hyundai.
- Jag var något före Johan och han var snäll som inte tryckte ut mig, men kanske också smart som inte ville dra på sig straff.

Fem heta varv senare så kan Peter rulla över mållinjen som segrare, trots Johan Kristorrserssons attackförsök bakifrån.
- Härligt, det var svettigt, men äntligen en seger med Hyundaien, riktigt kul och bra för självförtroendet nu när jag inte kör så mycket. Att kunna visa att både jag och Hyundaien är vinnare!

Calle Ward i teamets VW Polo Supercar gjorde en mycket fin debut, låg tvåa efter Q2 i Supercar Pro Am, men fick sig en smäll i Q3 och sinkades sedan av transmissionsproblem som gjorde att han valde att avstå finalen.
- Det hade kunnat sluta riktigt bra, fick några fina varvtider, trots att det inte kändes helt perfekt ännu med körningen, analyserar Calle.

Nu laddar Calle och Peter om för morgondagens deltävling nummer två.
- Ska åka ut och få till en bra warmup, sen ökar vi därifrån, säger Calle och Peter i mun på varandra.

RallyX 2023
Tabell efter deltävling 1.

Supercar Pro
1. Peter Hedström, SWE, Hyundai I20 WRC, 28
2. Johan Kristoffersson, SWE, VW Polo RX, 27
3. Kevin Eriksson, SWE, Honda Civic, 23
4. Yury Belevskiy, CHE, 22
5. Andreas Bakkerud, NOR, Audi S1, 18
6. Ole Christian Veiby, NOR, VW Polo RX, 9

Supercar ProAm
1. Maiko Tamm, EST, Ford Fiesta, 14
2. Ulrik Linnemann, DNK, Ford Fiesta, 12
3. Victor Vranckx, BEL, RX2E, 11
4. Stefan Christensson, SWE, Ford Fiesta, 10
5. Morten Schnack, DNK, Ford Focus, 10
6. Calle Ward, SWE, VW Polo, 7
7. Dennis Römer, DNK, VW Polo RX, 4
8. Magnus Dall, DNK, Renault Clio RS, 3

23-04-20 Mot ”Happy Day” i Danmark - Peter och Calle ser fram mot gemensam premiär i RallyX Nordic
Som teamet tidigare meddelat i sociala medier så blir det Calle Ward och Peter Hedström som kör teamets Supercars i helgens premiär av RallyX-serien. Peter skakar här av den sista rattrosten på Westombanan och sedan är det Danmark nästa för teamet!

Hedström tävlade ifjol sporadiskt med två inhopp, ett i RallyX och ett i EM. I år kan det bli en mer långsiktig satsning.
- Det passade bra just nu, Hyundaien var ledig till Nysum och jag kan lägga mer fokus på mitt tävlande just nu, säger Peter Hedström.

Någon fortsättning med den bilen för Peter efter Nysum, det är däremot mer osäkert.
- Det finns flera intressenter som vill hyra, så det är mer osäkert om jag kan fortsätta i Hyundai, men jag är sugen på en hel säsong ändå, menar Peter.

Peter gör en snabb shakedown på Hyundaien på Westombanan innan avfärd på torsdagseftermiddagen.
- Kände mig lite ringrostig de första varven, men nu har jag städat bort den värsta rattrosten, ler Peter efter några varvs adrenalinpåslag runt Arvikabanan.

Med till Nysum kommer Calle Ward, som tidigare kört både rally-SM och som vann hela Top Driver i rally 2010. Calle går in med sitt eventföretag Happy Day som partner hos teamet och ser fram mot både framtidens samarbete med Peter och även sin rallycross-debut. Calle kommer starta i den nya Supercar Pro Am-serien i RallyX, med Hedströms Motorsport VW Polo Supercar.
- Det här ska bli kul, det känns bra att kunna åka dit utan att ha någon press på sig, menar Calle.
Peter tror Calle kan ta för sig på den Jylländska Rallycrossbanan under helgen och kände direkt att Ward har kapacitet.
- Absolut, när vi tidigare testade på Westombanan så konstaterade jag att Calle har det där lilla extra redan efter några varv, det är få chaufförer som testat och imponerat på mig så fort.

Peter och Calle kommer tillsammans också skapa nya möjligheter för allmänheten att få uppleva adrenalinstinna Supercars från insidan och känna på när runt 600 hästkrafter skickar iväg bilen till 100 km/h på två sekunder.
- Det ska bli intressant med det här samarbetet och att utveckla medåkningen, säger Peter Hedström.

Calle fyller i.
- Peter och jag har haft lite tidigare samarbeten och det ska bli riktigt spännande att kunna utveckla de här produkterna tillsammans med Peter.

Teamet kör i natt mot Nysum och årets premiär i RallyX, där det under helgen kommer köras två deltävlingar, en på lördag och en på söndag.

23-04-20 Hansen World RX Team and XPEL align for robust 2023 title fight
Multiple World Rallycross Championship-winning outfit, Hansen World RX Team, has formed an alliance with XPEL ahead of a title-challenge for the 2023 FIA World Rallycross season.

Hansen Motorsport – the most successful rallycross team in the history of the discipline – has been operating at the forefront of rallycross for over 30 years. As the sport has moved into a brand-new era of all-electric machines at the highest level, with the Hansen squad one of the few teams to have won in both the internal combustion and electric eras so far, the mixed-surface racing remains as intense and dynamic as ever.

XPEL is a market leader in protection solutions in the automotive, marine, home, office, and commercial sectors. Striving to provide the best possible products, services, and support for customers and its installer network, XPEL operates in over 55 countries around the globe, delivering unparalleled service.

For 2023, a partnership between two of the most innovative firms in their respective fields will mean the Hansen World RX Team’s Peugeot 208 RX1e machines will enjoy protection from XPEL’s Paint Protection Film (PPF). PPF, a virtually invisible urethane film, will protect the vehicle's paint from damage as Swedish driver pairing Timmy Hansen, the 2019 World RX Drivers’ Champion, and Kevin Hansen, the 2016 European Rallycross Champion, take on the 2023 World RX season.

PPF will be utilized predominantly on the front of the 208 RX1e machines, but, in the harsh environment of a rallycross race, where stones, mud and dirt are constantly thrown up by the four-wheel-drive 500kW vehicles, PPF will be used in all areas of the cars that endure the most impact from the elements.

The partnership is two-fold. Not only will the Hansen cars be kept in the best possible condition as they race around the world, but XPEL’s products will also be developed in the off-road arena, having already refined its catalogue in top-flight U.S. series, such as IndyCar.

The World RX season commences at Montalegre, Portugal (June 3-4) before travelling through Europe, concluding with flyaway races in South Africa and Asia (Hong Kong), as the campaign ends in November.

Kenneth Hansen, Hansen World RX Team, said:
“As rallycross continues to grow and becomes more relevant in the world today with the switch to electric cars, more eyes than ever are going to be on our cars and drivers.

“That’s why this partnership with XPEL is so exciting for us, as we work to keep our cars looking as good as they possibly can, whatever is thrown at them in the harsh cut-and-thrust nature of a World RX weekend."

Kenneth continued:
“We have been in this sport a long time, and while we have developed what we do in every single area - from the technology in the cars to driver analysis, our setup in the paddock to how we work with the media and partners - keeping the cars looking good in this harsh environment is always a challenge.

“As a team we never stop working to push the envelope so, together with XPEL, developing its products under extreme conditions is a great motivation for us too.”

Michael Mejia, Marketing Director at XPEL, said:
"Hansen World RX Team is a great partner for XPEL. Not only are they the most successful team in rallycross history, but they will help us reach a global audience of performance enthusiasts throughout the World Rallycross Championship season.

“What better way to showcase the durability of XPEL’s protective products than by applying them on a rallycross car that will race in all elements on three continents."

23-04-20 Vårkänslor för Kristoffersson och Veiby
Kristoffersson Motorsport ger sig in i hetluften i helgens RallyX-premiär i Nysum.
- Ska bli roligt att få tävla igen och Nordic brukar bjuda på gammal hederlig rallycross, säger Johan Kristoffersson, som tillsammans med Ole Christian Veiby kommer att ratta teamets supercar-bilar.

KMS har riggat sina två Volkswagen Polo Supercar GTI inför dubbeltävlingen på Jylland i Danmark och har hunnit med ett kort test hemma på Westombanan.
- Bilarna har fått lite kärlek i verkstaden i vinter, med ganska små medel visserligen, men vi åker iväg väl rustade för att ta upp kampen om segern, säger teamchefen Tommy Kristoffersson.

Ole Christian Veiby kommer att sätta sig i den KMS-byggda Polon som Johan körde förra året, medan femfaldige världsmästaren tar hand om den bil som teamet köpte in 2022.
- Det är roligt med Nordic att man kan gå hemma i verkstaden och smågreja för att hitta saker att förbättra, tycker Johan Kristoffersson.

Supercar-tävlingen är indelad i två klasser, där alla förare kvalar tillsammans, men finalerna är separata, en för professionella och en för amatörer.
- Ska bli kul att räjsa mot Ole och så kommer Peter Hedström och Kevin Eriksson också.

Efter årets inledande tävlingar i rally och Extreme E är det nu tillbaka till den bekanta rallycrossmiljön där han har dominerat i många år.
- Från snö och is i rally och en massa sand i Extreme E tillbaka till rallycrossbanan. Det känns bra.

Nysum har han tävlat på en gång tidigare, för två år sedan.
- Då var det hårda tag, men nu är banan omgjord en del där det small som mest den gången. Det är en halvteknisk och rolig bana med både snabba och långsamma partier.

För teamkompisen Ole Christian Veiby är det första besöket i Nysum och det i en bil som han inte har tävlat med förut.
- En hel del nytt för min del och ett bra startfält. Det blir nog tät racing, så det gäller att hålla sig undan de värsta problemen, säger Veiby.

För första gången det här året går stora flyttlasset från verkstaden utanför Arvika.
- Kul för både chaufförer och personal att få komma ut igen efter en lång vinter. Vi lever för att tävla, säger teamchef Kristoffersson.

Planerna så här långt sträcker sig även över andra tävlingshelgen i RallyX, i Tierp. Där finns också en ambition att ta med rallybilen för att delta i en sprint under multievenemanget norr om Uppsala, 6-7 maj.
- Tierp ser vi fram emot. Det verkar kunna bli ett bra arrangemang, där man samlar flera grenar på ett och samma ställe, säger Ole Christian Veiby, som dock först siktar in sig på en topplacering i Danmark.

23-04-20 Klara Andersson signs multi-year contract with CE Dealer Team for electric FIA World Rallycross
Rallycross star Klara Andersson has signed a multi-year contract with Construction Equipment Dealer Team (CE Dealer Team) to keep racing in the ground-breaking and all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship following a historic debut season in 2022.

“Chances like these are one in a million opportunity and I am beyond grateful for their belief in me as a driver. I’m super excited to see what we can achieve together in the future,” said Klara Andersson.

“Starting my FIA World RX career with CE Dealer Team last year was amazing and to continue with them for 2023 and beyond is really inspiring for me as a young driver. I’m very happy to keep racing with my team-mate Niclas, we work really well together. Now I’ve done my rookie year and I’ve learned so much, it’s time for the next step forward.”

The 23-year-old Swede wrote history with the team last year when she became the first-ever female driver to claim a FIA World Rallycross Championship podium finish and ended seventh overall on her debut season.

“We are delighted to have Klara onboard with us in a long-term setup after a really impressive first FIA World RX season,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

“No matter who you are, your debut season in a FIA World Championship is a baptism of fire. And Klara handled it like a driver with considerably more experience than she has, taking leaps forward in her personal development throughout the season. We look forward to a thrilling journey ahead, challenging the boundaries and norms of motorsport together.”

Klara Andersson will once again team up with experienced rallycross driver Niclas Grönholm who finished third overall last year – together racing a pair of 680hp 100% electric PWR RX1e race cars.

The duo is an incremental part in CE Dealer Team and its partners’ commitment to leading a sustainable and diverse future, both on and off track.

The edge-of-the-seat 2023 FIA World RX season starts on June 3-4 at Montalegre in Portugal, for a total of ten rounds in Europe, Africa, and Asia – including an all-new and exciting season finale in Hong Kong on November 11-12.

Explore the full calendar and further information about the CE Dealer Team programme here: cedealerteam.com

23-04-17 Loeb is back – in a Lancia: A legend returns
Special ONE Racing confirms pair of Delta Evo-e RXs for upcoming World RX campaign
Global motorsport legend Sébastien Loeb will make a full-time return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship this year behind the wheel of a Lancia Delta Evo-e RX, after joining forces with countryman Guerlain Chicherit in a two-car line-up at Special ONE Racing.

World RX – which blends the very best aspects of circuit racing and rallying in a captivating head-to-head format – is entering the second season of its electrifying new era in 2023, with a globe-trotting calendar set to bring its adrenaline-pumping, edge-of-the-seat spills and thrills to fans throughout Africa, Asia and Europe. And Loeb very clearly wants to be a part of it.

The Frenchman is a driver whose reputation precedes him. Nine times an FIA World Rally Champion – with 80 individual wins to his name – he is statistically the most successful competitor in top-flight rallying history.

In evidence of his versatile skillset, he has also finished runner-up on the gruelling Dakar Rally on three occasions, reached the overall rostrum in the Le Mans 24 Hours and triumphed four times in the Race of Champions. In 2014 and 2015, he was a multiple race-winner and top three championship-finisher in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, and last year he was crowned champion in electric off-road series Extreme E.

Rallycross fans will fondly remember Loeb’s three seasons spent competing in World RX in a Peugeot 208 WRX from 2016 to 2018 – yielding a brace of victories and 15 further podium appearances from 36 outings. His ratio of top three finishes to starts is the third-best in World RX history, and in his final campaign, he was the only driver to prevent Johan Kristoffersson from taking a clean sweep of event wins.

Five years on from his departure, the Haguenau native is back, and in a uniquely compelling partnership, he is linking up with another icon in the shape of the Lancia Delta Evo-e RX – a car that channels the spirit of the much-loved Lancia Delta Integrale, which ruled the WRC roost in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Between them, Loeb and the Delta Integrale can lay claim to no fewer than 17 WRC titles.

“I’m from a generation that was brought up seeing wins by Lancia Deltas in rallying, so naturally I have a weakness for this car,” the 49-year-old acknowledged, “but when Guerlain spoke to me the first time about tackling a rallycross season with it, I thought he was mad! Then I tried the car last December and was immediately won over by its dynamic qualities. I have great faith in this project and I can’t wait to champion it on tracks around the world.

“I’m very motivated for the challenge, and I think rallycross is the ideal discipline for electrification because we have a lot of power and the races are short. These cars are exciting to drive, and World RX is the perfect platform to promote their evolution. The show on-track is just amazing, with great fights and even more spectacular action than before, and now we have the opportunity to attract a whole new generation of fans.”

The team behind the project – Special ONE Racing – was born out of GCK Motorsport, whose founder, four-time Free Skiing World Champion Chicherit, gave the Lancia a promising debut in the 2022 World RX season finale at Germany’s Nürburgring. Like Loeb, fellow Frenchman Chicherit is an experienced rallycross protagonist, with more than 40 starts to his name at the highest level and a trio of top five finishes.

“It’s a dream of mine to be able to align two cars from my own brand with World RX, one of which is entrusted to a sporting legend,” he enthused. “The scene is set to see Special ONE Racing become a top-notch team. From this season, we’ll have the opportunity to make history, becoming the first to have a retrofitted car win a World Championship event. Let’s get going!”

As a new player in the mobility landscape, Special ONE’s aim is to manufacture and distribute exclusive, eco-friendly retrofits of classic sports vehicles, with the team’s brace of new-generation, 500kW (680bhp) electric rallycross beasts – designed and built by GCK Performance and capable of out-accelerating a Formula 1 car to 100km/h – based on the road-going Delta Evo-e. Special ONE Racing has committed to run its pair of Delta Evo-e RXs in World RX for at least three seasons.

The 2023 World Championship campaign will get underway at Montalegre in Portugal on 3-4 June, prior to travelling throughout Europe and concluding with long-haul double-header events in Cape Town (South Africa) and Hong Kong (China) in the autumn.

fiaworldrx.com

23-04-13 Junior CrossCar star Andersson graduates to RallyX Supercar Lites with JC Raceteknik
Rising Swedish rallycross star Lukas Andersson will step up to the Supercar Lites category this year for a full campaign in the Nordic-based RallyX series with title-winning team JC Raceteknik.

15-year-old Andersson switched to the JC Raceteknik squad within the Junior CrossCar division of RallyX Nordic for 2022, having claimed a trio of victories in the 2021 campaign en route to the Junior title.

Last year he finished on the podium in the opening four rounds of the RallyX campaign, with a trio of second-place results, then climbed to second in the standings with an emphatic final round victory at Strangnas in Sweden.

Having since elected to step up to Supercar Lites, Andersson has been handed exemption to race in the category before the usual minimum age of 16-years-old, and is only the second driver to be given that opportunity by the Swedish ASN, following Oliver Solberg’s early graduation in 2017.

Andersson tested the Lites car with JC Raceteknik before the winter off-season, and has completed some shakedown running this spring ahead of the opening round of RallyX in Nysum later this month.

The RallyX season will be held over five weekends, with events in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“Over the last few years we have really focused on helping young talents, be that in rallycross or rally, and having Lukas coming into our team last year was another element of that. We tested with him and the Supercar Lites car after the last round in Strangnas last year, and I think he can deliver some surprises this season. The level at the front in Supercar Lites is always high and there are some very experienced drivers competing, but we will do our best to help Lukas improve step-by-step through the course of the campaign.”

Lukas Andersson (SWE):
“This is the biggest step I’ve ever made in motorsport. I’m super-excited to get this opportunity and to make this big step – I think it will be so fun and an amazing experience to do the full season and I’m really looking forward to it. If I’m going to make it in this sport I think it’s good to make this step early. I have big goals – I want to be World Rallycross Champion one day! We haven’t done a lot of testing and I’m still learning about the car, but the little testing I have done has been really fun. I don’t have big hopes or expectations for this season, it’s a learning year so we will see where we get to. It’s great to make this step with JC Raceteknik, it’s a really good team that helps me with so many things on and off track, so it’s the best place for me to be.”

23-04-11 CE Dealer Team confirms long-term FIA World RX commitment and extended contract with Niclas Grönholm
Construction Equipment Dealer Team (CE Dealer Team) confirms a multi-year commitment for its successful and ground-breaking electric FIA World Rallycross Championship programme – driving the shift to improved sustainability and diversity in society and highlighting the excitement that a move to an electric future offers.
• Multi-year FIA World RX commitment
• Extended contract with rallycross star Niclas Grönholm
The team claimed bronze in the FIA World RX drivers’ and teams’ championships, as well as the first-ever female FIA World RX podium finish during its debut season.

The ambition is set higher for 2023.
“We reached our initial goals for the first season by winning races, finishing in the top three overall and highlighted a more diverse and sustainable motorsport world,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.

“But we are far from satisfied. We will continue to push the envelope, both on and off track. The future is electric, inclusive, and exciting – something we will continue to work hard for. And our long-term goal of challenging for the FIA World Rallycross titles have not changed.”

CE Dealer Team has signed a multi-year extension with experienced World Rallycross driver Niclas Grönholm, son of two-time World Rally champion Marcus, who will keep racing the 680hp 100% electric PWR RX1e rallycross car this season.

The Finnish driver finished third overall in 2022, claiming one victory and a total of four podium finishes.
“I am thrilled to get continued trust to move forward in our ground-breaking FIA World RX journey together, something that really motivates me ahead of the challenges to come,” said Niclas Grönholm.

“While we had a strong first season for the team, I’m never satisfied until we are at the very top. And that’s just what we have worked very hard for throughout the winter. The opposition will no doubt be just as tough this season, but we continue to work in earnest to achieve our goals. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of my PWR RX1e!”

The team-mate to Niclas Grönholm will be revealed on April 13th at 10:00 CEST.

The team continues to receive strong support from several independent dealers of Volvo Construction Equipment heading into the 2023 season, including ASCENDUM, SMT and Swecon, as well as backing from prestigious industrial partners, including Engcon, SSAB and CTEK, who together share a commitment to leading a sustainable future.

Volvo Construction Equipment will also continue to support the FIA World RX promoter as the Official Construction Equipment Supplier in 2023, showcasing its growing range of electric construction equipment and innovative services to a global audience.

The edge-of-the-seat 2023 FIA World RX season starts on June 3-4 at Montalegre in Portugal, for a total of ten rounds in Europe, Africa, and Asia – including an all-new and exciting season finale in Hong Kong on November 11-12.

Explore the full calendar and further information about the CE Dealer Team programme here: cedealerteam.com

23-04-08 JC Raceteknik signs Bakkerud set for RallyX at Nysum
Norwegian rallycross star Andreas Bakkerud has signed to race in the opening rounds of the RallyX series at Nysum in Denmark later this month with JC Raceteknik in an Audi S1.

JC Raceteknik was a regular podium-finisher in the Supercar category of RallyX last season with its EKS-built Audi S1s, and enters the 2023 summer campaign with the same objectives, on the back of an incredible performance in the 2022-2023 Nitro Rallycross Championship campaign, in which the squad, together with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, locked out the top three places on the overall podium.

Seven-time World Rallycross Championship event-winner and three-time European Rallycross Champion Bakkerud recently finished second overall in the Nitro RX season, winning events for the Monster Energy RX Cartel DRR JC squad. He will continue his relationship with the JC outfit to return to the RallyX series to contest the opening round on April 22-23.

The Nysum circuit is regarded as one of the ‘old-school’ rallycross venues, with fast and technical sections, while the joker lap has been moved for 2023 to earlier in the lap.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“We got to know Andreas better over the last year in Nitro Rallycross and it’s great to be able to continue working with him for the opening round of RallyX at Nysum. He has a huge personality that so many people love and a huge amount of rallycross experience. You of course learn something new every time you go out on track, especially in different cars and having to adapt to different situations. We go into every race we do wanting to get the best result possible, so we will be trying hard to reach the podium and fighting for the top step in Denmark.”

Andreas Bakkerud (NOR):
“Nysum is a race I have often seen from home and it’s a track that I’ve always wanted to go to, it has a very special and unique configuration with the over-under track layout. You have a tunnel, a very fast section with two kicker jumps so I’m very, very excited to get my hands on the Nysum track. At the same time, I’ve never driven the JC Audi before, even though it’s very similar to the EKS Audis. It’s going to be interesting and hard to get into the car and try to perform straight away but I feel that I’ve been in this situation many times before. I’m very eager to get this season going and I’m pumped to drive a petrol rallycross car again after the season in Nitro RX where we raced the electric cars. This is a good way to get mileage and get warmed up for the rest of the year. It’s going to be a fun one.”

23-04-03 #Yellowsquad to support rising star O’´Donovan in 2023
Reigning British Rallycross Champion and FIA RX2e race-winner Patrick O’Donovan will be supported by #YellowSquad in his 2023 rallycross programmes.

O’Donovan became the youngest-ever British RX title-winner last year, aged just 18-years-old, while he also secured wins in the RX2e series for all-electric cars in Riga and Belgium.

For 2023 he has come into the wider Hansen Motorsport family as part #YellowSquad, as he progresses to race a Peugeot 208 WRX in the FIA European Rallycross Championship and Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy.

Reigning British Rallycross Champion and FIA RX2e race-winner Patrick O’Donovan will be supported by #YellowSquad in his 2023 rallycross programmes.

O’Donovan became the youngest-ever British RX title-winner last year, aged just 18-years-old, while he also secured wins in the RX2e series for all-electric cars in Riga and Belgium.

George Megennis poses with the #YellowSquad Supercar Lites machine during a test at Strängnäs Motorstadion. Thursday, August 5, 2021.

For 2023 he has come into the wider Hansen Motorsport family as part #YellowSquad, as he progresses to race a Peugeot 208 WRX in the FIA European Rallycross Championship and Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy.

O’Donovan’s family-run effort, Team RX Racing, will operate the Peugeot 208 WRX through 2023, but the rising star will receive experience and support from #YellowSquad in his exploits.

George Megennis poses with the #YellowSquad Supercar Lites machine during a test at Strängnäs Motorstadion. Thursday, August 5, 2021.

While Hansen Motorsport is focused on alternative energies with its primary programmes and the all-electric new era of the World Rallycross Championship, assisting young talents to become the stars of the future is a core part of the company’s wider policy through #YellowSquad. Based on his previous performances, O’Donovan fills that role perfectly.

Euro RX will be run over six rounds in 2023, starting with a standalone event in Hungary later this month, before joining World RX for five further rounds in Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and Germany. The British Rallycross Championship runs events in England, Wales, Ireland and France, with the opening round of the season taking place a Lydden Hill this weekend (April 8 & & 10) where O’Donovan will race the Peugeot 208 WRX for the first time.

Patrick O'Donovan
#YellowSquad RX1 Driver
“My family has a lot of history in motor sport and rallycross so to be supported #YellowSquad this year, and all the success and experience that comes from the Hansen family is very special for me. The car is an absolute beast and it feels really good to be in a position where we can head into Euro RX and 5 Nations BRX with competitive equipment. We really worked hard on assessing what to do this year, and I think this is a great step forward in my career.

"Ultimately my goal is to be in the World Championship and hopefully fight for the title, so these years are all about gaining as much experience as possible. I believe racing the Peugeot 208 WRX in RX1 will do just that. I know some of the circuits now from my time in RX2e and in 5 Nations BRX, and I can’t wait to get racing this weekend at Lydden Hill. Going to the Hansen Motorsport workshop last week was special, while we’re running the car in our own team this year we have a special relationship and it’s amazing to be aligned them.”

Kevin Hansen
#YellowSquad Founder
“We’re really pleased to have Patrick in our #YellowSquad line-up for 2023. He was one of the front-runners in RX2e last year and he’s the British Rallycross Champion in Supercar, so for sure he is one of the future stars of rallycross. At 18-years-old he’s super-talented so we’re beyond excited that he has come into the #YellowSquad family.

"Team RX Racing will run his operations in one of our previous internal combustion engine Peugeot 208 WRXs, so we look forward to seeing how he gets on and we will support him throughout his campaign as a driver. Hopefully he can challenge for the European title – he has the talent and good experience for his age. We know the 208 is a good car so we hope he can find his feet in it and challenge for victorie

23-03-28 Fresh motivation for Hansen World RX Team’s 2023 title challenge
Multiple World Championship winning team Hansen Motorsport is taking a fresh approach into its FIA World Rallycross Championship assault in 2023, the second year of the discipline’s new electric era.

The most successful team in rallycross history retains the services of former World Champion Timmy Hansen and European title-winner Kevin Hansen for an eighth season working together as team mates, racing the Swedish squad’s Peugeot 208 RX1e machines.

But, while the driver and car combination has a familiar look, behind the scenes there’s a fresh out-look for the squad’s second term in World RX’s electric transition, as the series once again goes global for 2023.

Having made its biggest ever investment to competing in top-flight rallycross in it’s over 30-year history for last season – with an increased focus on sustainability and environmental awareness – just making it to the grid for the inaugural round of the campaign was a significant achievement for privateer outfit Hansen Motorsport.

Podium contenders from the outset, the Hansen World RX Team hit the front of the field with victory in Spain amid nine rostrum appearances through the season last year, to finish second in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ standings.

Now, adding lessons learned from last year to an intense winter of analysis and development at Hansen Motorsport’s Götene workshops in Sweden – led by Kenneth and Susann Hansen – the squad is focused on channelling its new visions, ideas, inspiration and motivation into a 2023 title challenge.

The World RX season commences at Montalegre, Portugal (June 3-4) before traveling through Europe then concluding with flyaway races in South Africa and Asia (Hong Kong), the campaign finishing in November.

Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Hansen World RX Team
"This season feels different and we are grateful to have Timmy and Kevin on board as drivers."

"Many people think that this is just how it is because we are family, but it is not granted that they will drive for us, so we are grateful that we have two very strong drivers in the team to try and fight for both titles this season.

"We have tried to be clever, to lift different stones to try and find small things here and there that can help us move forward in 2023. We have done many things; we don’t know if it will be enough but definitely, we will be stronger and faster than before. For sure our competitors will be stronger also, but we have done our homework as well as we believe we can with the recourses we have. We have also worked on the driver development which has been valuable and great fun too, so it will be really interesting to see what will happen this year.”

Kevin Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team
"Our team is the strongest and most historical team in rallycross history, so to continue our journey together is fantastic."

“It’s really great to be confirmed for another season in World RX. Last season was a massive step forward for World Rallycross with the important switch to electric technology, and there has been a lot of hard work by the team back at the factory all winter to improve on what we achieved last season.

"With the analysis we have done, we hope to make a good step forward. You never know how far that will take you but with the brand-new calendar and the second year of this new electric era 2023 promises to be absolutely incredible. I’m more than excited to kick off and I feel like that I’m in a great place for a title challenge. We’ll put everything on the table and do everything we can to end up as World Champions by the end of the final round in Hong Kong.”

Timmy Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team
"Now we have more stability, being able to look properly into the year we have already done with these cars and try to improve."

“I expect this year to look quite different. Last year was all about finishing the cars in time to get them out on track to start the season, and a lot of things in all the teams was a bit rushed.

"I expect that all the cars in the championship will be faster, and we’re right on board on that train pushing flat out to have the best possible package for this season – a fast car, strong team and Kevin and I being ready again to tackle the season as team mates again. It does feel very different to last year, I’m excited to get going and keen to see where we are at the first event in Portugal. Still, there’s loads of work to do until we get there and we’re working flat out.”

23-03-28 Hansens ready to ‘put everything on the table’ for 2023 title tilt
Multiple world champions targeting more rallycross glory

Hansen World RX Team says it has left no stone unturned in its preparations for the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign, as the Swedish squad promises to be ‘stronger and faster than before’ with an unchanged driver line-up of Timmy and Kevin Hansen and the potent Peugeot 208 RX1e.

The most successful outfit in rallycross history – with multiple European Championship titles for founder Kenneth Hansen, the 2019 Drivers’ World Championship crown for Timmy Hansen and three Teams’ World Championship triumphs – Hansen World RX Team was a front-runner again at the highest level last year, tallying no fewer than nine podium finishes including victory in Catalunya.

Those results yielded second place in the Teams’ World Championship standings and the same position for Timmy Hansen in the Drivers’ table, as the Swede once more proved to be Johan Kristoffersson’s closest competitor. Younger brother and 2016 European Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen wound up just 13 points behind in fifth, and the pair will remain on-board as team-mates for an eighth consecutive season in 2023.

The driver and car combination might be familiar, but bolstered by the experience gained and lessons learned during the course of World RX’s inaugural electric campaign last year, Hansen World RX Team is taking a fresh approach into its 2023 title tilt.

Following an intense winter of analysis and development at its Götene workshop, the squad is firmly focussed on channelling its new visions, ideas, inspiration and motivation into a concerted championship challenge.

The second season of World RX’s electric era will get underway at Montalegre in Portugal on 3-4 June, before travelling through Europe and concluding with flyaway races in Cape Town and Hong Kong in the autumn.

Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal, Hansen World RX Team, said:
“This season feels different. We are grateful to have Timmy and Kevin on-board as drivers; many people think this is just how it is because we are family, but it is not granted that they will drive for us, so we are grateful that we have two very strong drivers in the team to try and fight for both titles this season.

“We have tried to be clever, to lift different stones to find small things here and there that can help us move forward in 2023. We have done many things; we don’t know if it will be enough but definitely, we will be stronger and faster than before. For sure our competitors will be stronger also, but we have done our homework as well as we believe we can with the resources we have. It will be really interesting to see what will happen this year.”

Kevin Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team, said:
“It’s really great to be confirmed for another season in World RX. Our team is the strongest and most historic in rallycross history, so to continue our journey together is fantastic. Last season was a massive step forward for World Rallycross with the important switch to electric technology, and there has been a lot of hard work by the team back at the factory all winter to improve on what we achieved. With the analysis we have done, we hope to make a good step forward.

“You never know how far that will take you, but with the brand new calendar and the second year of this new electric era, 2023 promises to be absolutely incredible. I’m more than excited to kick off and I feel like I’m in a great place for a title challenge. We’ll put everything on the table and do everything we can to end up as world champions by the end of the final round in Hong Kong.”

Timmy Hansen, Driver, Hansen World RX Team, said:
“I expect this year to look quite different. Last year was all about finishing the cars in time to get them out on-track to start the season, and a lot of things in all the teams were a bit rushed. Now we have more stability, being able to look properly into the year we have already done with these cars and trying to improve.

“I think all the cars in the championship will be faster, and we’re right on-board that train pushing flat-out to have the best possible package for this season – a fast car, strong team and Kevin and I being ready to tackle the season as team-mates again. There’s still loads of work to do, but I’m excited to get going and see where we are at the first event in Portugal.”

www.fiaworldrallycross.com

23-03-21 Asia-Pacific debut for World RX with Hong Kong season finale
Waterfront circuit to stage series’ first city centre event in multi-year deal
An entirely new venue will play host to the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship season finale, as Hong Kong prepares to bring down the curtain on the series’ second campaign of all-electric competition on 11-12 November.

Following a whistle-stop tour through Europe during the summer and then a return to South Africa in October, World RX – which blends the very best aspects of circuit racing and rallying in a thrilling, head-to-head format – will expand its horizons by venturing to the Asia-Pacific region for the very first time, where the champion will likely be crowned.

The ground-breaking, edge-of-the-seat series will cap its tenth season of competition in a city that shares myriad mutual synergies with rallycross’ top-tier – from cutting-edge technology to an increasingly sustainability-centred approach – while firmly reinforcing its global status.

Organised locally by the Hong Kong Automobile Association (HKAA) and supported by the Cultural, Sport and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the race weekend – the inaugural edition of a three-year agreement – will serve up a double-header of electrifying action, with a round on each day. It will take place in Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront Event Space, right next to the iconic Victoria Harbour, where an all-new circuit will stage the first city centre contest in World RX history.

World RX of China, Hong Kong was officially announced today (21 March) during a launch ceremony at the city’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel, attended by a host of VIPs and key media.

Arne Dirks, Managing Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said:
“We are thrilled to confirm Hong Kong as the venue for the final two rounds of the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship. Just being here today, it is clear to see what a spectacular location we are in, and what a magnificent backdrop Victoria Harbour and the central business district will provide for our high-stakes season finale and first-ever city race. It has been a pleasure to collaborate so positively and proactively with both HKAA and HKSAR to turn this vision into reality. Hong Kong – let’s race!”

Dr. Ringo Lee Yiu Pui, President, Hong Kong Automobile Association (HKAA), said:
“We are pleased to see international motorsport return to Hong Kong. With over 100 years of history, the HKAA is experienced in organising major events, and we are proud that Hong Kong will become the first venue in the Asia-Pacific region to welcome the FIA World Rallycross Championship, bringing the ultimate in motorsport entertainment to our city. On behalf of the HKAA, I would like to thank (event promoter) Teamwork Creative Events, as well as all the sponsors and construction partners for making this happen.”

Wesley Wan, MH, Chief Consultant of World RX (HK) Management, said:
“Motorsport is my passion, and as a fast-paced and exciting city, we believe Hong Kong is the perfect place to host such a fast-paced and exciting event as World RX. Everyone agrees the site for the rallycross track has the best backdrop in the city, and with most of the circuit surrounded by grandstands, spectators will be able to see all of the action. It will be maximum entertainment, and with a multi-year contract, this is just the beginning!”

Lung-Nien Lee, FIA Vice-President for Sport Asia-Pacific, said:
“It is the FIA’s mission and responsibility to lead motorsport into a low-carbon future, to reduce its environmental impact and contribute to a greener planet. World RX being fully electric is in-line with the FIA’s commitment to sustainability and acting as a technological laboratory. I would like to congratulate World RX, the Cultural, Sport and Tourism Bureau of the HKSAR and the HKAA for not only organising this event but also showcasing Asia’s commitment to environmental sustainability.”

2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship Calendar
April 29-30 Euro RX1/RX3 Euro RX of Hungary, Nyirád
June 3-4 Round 1 World RX of Portugal, Montalegre
June 17-18 Round 2 World RX of Norway, Hell
July 1-2 Round 3 World RX of Sweden, Höljes
July 22-23 Round 4 World RX of United Kingdom, Lydden Hill *
August 5-6 Round 5 World RX of Benelux, Mettet *
August 19-20 Round 6 World RX of Germany, Estering
October 7-8 Rounds 7/8 World RX of South Africa, Cape Town *
November 11-12 Rounds 9/10 World RX of China, Hong Kong *
* Subject to track homologation

All content contained within this email is rights-free for editorial use. Find all news releases, images and videos in the World RX News Room. For further content, visit the championship website: fiaworldrx.com

23-03-20 DRR JC wins Nitro RX Drivers’ and Teams’ Titles in emphatic style
DRR JC are the 2022-2023 Nitro Rallycross Championship Drivers’ and Teams’ Champions, following an intense triple-header last weekend of the season at Glen Helen, California, where the campaign was concluded with DRR JC drivers locking out the final podium – and the new Group E Drivers’ champion Robin Larsson standing on the highest step of all.

In the second year of a partnership between American team Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Swedish concern JC Raceteknik, the team secured the most wins, podiums, TQs of any team in the series, before netting the Teams’ title and all three top positions in the Drivers’ Championship.

Monster Energy RX Cartel DRR JC drivers Robin Larsson (x2 Euro RX Champion) and Andreas Bakkerud (World RX event-winner and Euro RX Champion) entered the final weekend of the first-ever season for the all-electric FC1-X machines Nitro Rallycross’ Group E category in the title hunt.

In a triple-header event, with full individual rounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, championship leader Larsson’s weekend got off to a difficult start, with eighth on Friday, as Bakkerud closed the points’ gap with his second victory of the season.

Bakkerud was again on the podium on Saturday and Sunday, and while Saturday also didn’t go fully to plan for Larsson. But, by Saturday evening the DRR JC squad had done enough to put the Teams’ title out of the reach of its rivals.

In the very last day of the season (Sunday) Larsson delivered one of the overtakes of the campaign on outgoing champion Travis Pastrana in the semi-finals to progress to the final, and then climbed from the second row to the grid to P3 and then P2 on the opening lap, took an early joker and drove to the front to secure victory, and the title, in style.

Bakkerud entered the last day of the season with a chance of winning the crown, and ended up on the podium, with second in the overall standings.

Robin Larsson (SWE), Group E:
“It’s been a hell of a season. It was way too close for me this weekend, things went up and down but I pulled off a really good start in the last final and it was so nice to have all three DRR JC guys on the podium. We started strong in the first race and we finished strong in the last – thanks to everybody, it’s been a blast! I knew I had to finish the job today and take it to the finish line, and finally it’s done. It’s over!”

Andreas Bakkerud (NOR), Group E:
“If we look at the bigger picture this year, I wrecked two cars in different incidents and it was also a difficult start to the year [with the passing of Ken Block]. For me to be here at the end is a big up to the team, what they did in ERX last year working all night long to get myself and Fraser back on track [after big crashes] means the world. The team put us in a position we could go race. We have the best car, shown here in Glen Helen where we finished first, second and third even though I didn’t take any big risks. I’m just very happy, and very happy for Robin. He has been so stable this season, if there is one champion that is well deserved, it’s Robin.”

Jamaican star Fraser McConnell also entered the final weekend of the season mathematically in contention for the Drivers’ crown, and across the weekend delivered a pair of second place finishes, on Friday and Sunday, the latter performance all the stronger while under instruction to ensure enough points were scored to keep all three DRR JC machines in the top three of the Drivers’ Championship. And, he duly did, finishing third in the standings with one of the standout performances of the season, including a maiden outright win, a bag full of Top Qualifier positions and pace and maturity beyond his experience.

Fraser McConnell (JAM), Group E:
“It was difficult that we had rain for the last final of the year, it was an intense race, mud was coming up on the windscreen but I gave it my all. We had important orders to get a 1,2,3 in the Drivers’ Championship. DRR JC put on a hell of an effort for us all year so the least we could do was repay them with a 1,2,3 and we did that. The season has been incredible, we didn’t have much expectations, it was all about having fun and getting seat time against great competition, but part way through the season we knew we had a shot of doing well. Two years ago I would have been looking up to these guys saying ‘one day I hope to be racing them’ and now I’ve beaten quite a few of them. I’ve really enjoyed it, racing in this field has been incredible.”

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“What an amazing season. We were one of the first teams to commit to the new Group E category in Nitro Rallycross for this year, and it has been incredible. Andreas, Robin and Fraser have all delivered some amazing performances, and to win the Drivers’ title with Robin after working so closely with him in RallyX Nordic, Euro RX and the World Championship is very special – even more so after a very difficult Nitro season in 2021. Andreas is a star, everyone knows that and he has had to fight back this year for a number of reasons. He should be proud of himself, because we are proud of him! And Fraser has produced some drives I didn’t expect, against very, very strong competition, so well done to him too. But, there would be no success without our AMAZING team. Whatever they are asked they do, without a second thought. And, they always do it brilliantly. They are the best team in the paddock, maybe in any paddock. I cannot thank them enough, and I hope they enjoy this success as much as I do.”

23-02-08 Mattias Ekström appointed World RX Sporting Director
Former FIA World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekström has joined Rallycross Promoter (RXP) as the series’ Sporting Director ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Ekström’s new role will see him work closely alongside Executive Director Arne Dirks and the rest of the RXP team as well as all key stakeholders, to develop and grow World RX in every area as the series prepares to embark upon the second season of its exciting electric era.

The Swede brings with him a wealth of experience. World Rallycross Champion in 2016 – when his EKS outfit similarly lifted the Teams’ laurels – Ekström has finished inside the top two in the overall standings on four occasions, confirming his status as one of the most successful drivers of the current generation.

One of the most versatile drivers in the sport, the four-time Race of Champions winner has similarly excelled in a number of other disciplines, from touring cars – with titles to his credit in both DTM and ETCR – to rallying and cross-country competition. Now, he is set to turn his unquestionable talents to helping to guide World RX into its second decade.

Q: Mattias, welcome back to World RX. You’ve returned in a slightly different capacity to before...

Mattias Ekström: Yes, it will be a bit different now I’m not racing in the championship, but it’s great to be back – even more so with such an exciting challenge ahead of me! I’ve been in and around rallycross ever since I was a kid, watching my father compete in the European Championship in the 1980s and ‘90s. It’s a discipline I love, one that has brought me a lot of success and one that I am convinced has a very bright future.

Q: What exactly will your new role entail?

ME: A bit of everything, to be fair! As Sporting Director, I will represent Rallycross Promoter in all sporting matters relating to the World Championship, from the format to commercial and sponsorship affairs and in broader terms, the overall product. I’m keen to bring the benefit of my experience to really strengthen the series at this important stage in its history. That means I’ll be working closely with the drivers, teams, circuits, partners and the FIA, as well obviously as Arne [Dirks] and the rest of the Rallycross Promoter team.

Q: Why have you chosen to take on this new challenge?

ME: As I say, even though I didn’t start competing in rallycross myself until 2013, it is in some respects where everything began for me – certainly it is what inspired me to follow in my father’s footsteps and pursue a career in motorsport. In its short nine-year history, World RX has already shown its potential to capture fans’ imagination in a way that few other disciplines are capable of doing. There’s no denying that for various reasons, it has been a tough few years, but everything I have seen since Rallycross Promoter took over and the start of the electric era convinces me that the best is yet to come. All the ingredients are there to attract new generations of fans and make this championship a real blockbuster success.

Q: How do you regard World RX’s electric transition last year?

ME: For me, electric technology and rallycross are the perfect match. I’ve been a big advocate for electric racing for a number of years, and nowhere is better-suited to this than rallycross. The length of the races mean drivers can really exploit the full power and potential of these amazing cars, and if we want to get the manufacturers back in and more teams and sponsors involved – which is clearly one of the major goals – being more sustainable is the only way forward. In the future, all motorsport will be judged on how sustainable it is; the time to act is now. That’s why World RX has such a trump card to play – it allows manufacturers and private teams to showcase their technological expertise without harming their green credentials. It’s win-win.

Arne Dirks, Rallycross Promoter Executive Director, added:
“We are delighted to be bringing Mattias on-board at RXP. He is a very familiar face in the motorsport world and somebody whose reputation for success and forward-thinking precedes him. He knows the rallycross business inside-out and is obviously extremely well-connected and respected in the industry.

“His addition to the team adds another layer of credibility at an exciting time for the World Championship, as we race full speed ahead towards the second season of our new electric era. I have no doubt that Mattias will play an absolutely key role in helping to drive the series to ever-greater heights and I look forward to working with him.”

All content contained within this email is rights-free for editorial use. Find all news releases, images and videos in the World RX News Room. For further content, visit the championship website: fiaworldrx.com

23-02-06 DRR JC’s McConnell stars in Calgary Nitro RX ice encounter
DRR JC driver Fraser McConnell starred in the latest round of the 2022-2023 Nitro Rallycross Championship season in Calgary, Canada, while both Robin Larsson and Andreas Bakkerud also made the Super Five Final in the format-adapted event.

For the second event in a row, and despite much less ice racing experience than any of his rivals, Jamaican star Fraser McConnell saw off all-comers in the Battle Brackets section of the event in Calgary. In the penultimate weekend for the first-ever season of the Group E Nitro RX category, McConnell claimed the Top Qualifier position, his third of the season, in front of a packed sell-out crowd.

However, with higher than expected temperatures and the ice surface suffering, Nitro RX organisers changed the format for the final day of the event, with further Battle Brackets leading to a pair of finals. In the ‘Super Five’ final for five of the FC1-X machines, McConnell qualified on pole position and led from the front to secure victory. However, due to the format changes, no championship points were awarded for the Calgary weekend.

Racing the Monster Energy RX Cartel DRR JC FC1-X machines, Nitro RX Championship leader Robin Larsson and fellow former European Rallycross Champion Andreas Bakkerud were, as ever, right in the mix throughout the weekend, and like stablemate McConnell, qualified for the Super Five final on Sunday afternoon.

Starting from the front row of the grid, Larsson took his joker lap at the first opportunity, followed by Bakkerud, but with the ice melting in the long extra-route, the studs were torn from the pair’s tyres, and the grip lost meant they struggled to climb back to the top three positions. But, with no points awarded for the weekend, the pair remain first and second in the standings with just a double-header at Glen Helen to round out the season next month.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“We came here looking to build on our performance from Trois-Rivieres and I think overall we did that, but the conditions were very difficult for everybody here. It was not an easy decision for the organisers to not award points and change the format for Sunday, but it was important to put on a show for the fans and we did that. Fraser has really impressed me with his drives in these winter races, and Robin and Andreas are so good at delivering when the conditions are tough. Now we look to the final weekend, where we will do every single thing we can to bring home these championships!”

23-01-23 DRR JC scores Top Qualifier result and Podium finish in first Nitro RX Trois-Rivieres ice race
American-Swedish Nitro Rallycross Championship team DRR JC maintained its advantage at the head of the 2022-2023 season standings with a strong performance in the series’ first-ever ice race weekend in Canada.

Entering the event holding the top three positions in the Drivers’ standings, the amalgamated Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and JC Raceteknik squad secured the Top Qualifier position amid a top-three lock-out in qualifying during the seventh round of Nitro RX’s headline Group E category, then took another podium finish in the final race of the weekend to maintain the lead in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ standings.

Drivers’ Championship leader Robin Larsson finished third in qualifying on Saturday, one place behind Monster Energy RX Cartel DRR JC team mate Andreas Bakkerud in the all-electric FC1-X machines.

Racing under floodlights again on Saturday – race day – Larsson was second in both his heat race and semi-final, then delivered a strong and mature drive to climb to third position in the final and hold the place to the finish in challenging, changeable conditions where ice dust was a significant factor.

Bakkerud meanwhile had won his semi-final, but while battling in the middle of the field in the all-important, eight-car final, was forced off the track by another competitor. While his rival was disqualified for the move post-race, Bakkerud made it to the finish line in seventh, and remains second in the series’ standings.

Robin Larsson (SWE), Group E:
“This was a hard weekend, but a lot of fun to drive the cars in these conditions. Overall we can be happy about the event, we achieved a strong result in the end and took a lot of good points for the championship. I’m really looking forward to the next race in Calgary in two weeks.”

In opposite conditions to those of his native Jamaica, Fraser McConnell stunned the Scandinavian stars of Nitro RX by taking the Top Qualifier result on Friday evening, beating far more experienced drivers to win the Battle Brackets section of the event. On day two, McConnell was twice second in the heat and semi-final stages, then battled hard to finish fourth in the final and remains third in the Drivers’ standings.

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“It was not easy for any of us this weekend, but I’m very pleased with the job of the whole team. Fraser did a great job to be TQ on day one, then Robin delivered again on Sunday to take another podium. Andreas could have been right up there too, but had a hard time in the final. We learned a lot and we will start with a better base setup on the cars at the next ice race.”

23-01-16 JC Raceteknik heads to Canada for Nitro RX ice races with championship lead
The DRR JC squad, created out of Swedish team JC Raceteknik and American collaborators Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, head to Canada this week to compete in the first ever Nitro Rallycross Championship ice race.

On the back of a strong start to the 2022-2023 Nitro RX campaign, DRR JC drivers hold the top three positions in the Drivers’ standings, with double FIA European Rallycross Champion Robin Larsson leading the charge, ahead of World RX race-winner Andreas Bakkerud and RallyX Nordic race-winner Fraser McConnell.

The first-ever Nitro RX campaign for all-electric FC1-X cars began at the birthplace of rallycross, Lydden Hill (UK) last summer, where Larsson claimed a maiden Nitro RX win. In round two at Strangnas (Sweden), the team made history, securing the top five finishing positions in the final – a first for any team in a top-level rallycross event – with Bakkerud winning ahead of Larsson, Johan Kristoffersson, McConnell and Ole Christian Veiby.

Nitro RX then headed stateside, where at ERX Motor Park (Minneapolis) Larsson and McConnell continued the podium run after an epic effort by the whole DRR JC team to repair badly damaged cars for McConnell and Bakkerud overnight so they could complete the event.

At Glen Helen (Los Angeles), McConnell secured a first Nitro RX victory ahead of Larsson and Bakkerud in another podium lock-out, while Bakkerud finished third in the first round of a Wild Horse Pass (Phoenix) double-header, Larsson then securing a fourth win of the season for the team the very next day.

Four rounds of the season remain over three events, with two rounds held in the next three weeks running on ice circuits. This weekend, the event takes place at the Trois-Rivieres circuit famous for hosting World RX (albeit in summer) from 2014 to 2019.

DRR JC heads into the weekend with eyes on securing strong results, using experience of racing in ice events in Scandinavia with Supercar Lites machines, and extending its lead at the head of the standings

Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“We had a very strong 2022 element to this season, and after a huge effort from every single person in our team, based on both sides of the Atlantic, it’s been great for them to have a break and spend time with their families over Christmas. Now we are fully focused on the job in hand. There are four races to go, but the two ice rounds will be totally new for everyone with the Group E FC1-X. We have raced on ice a lot back home with the Supercar Lites, so hopefully some of that experience will serve us well and we can secure good points. We are in a nice position in the championship, but this is rallycross, anything can still happen so every one of us needs to stay 100% focused on the job in hand right until the end of the season.”

23-01-13 Ingen rallycross och crosskart i SM-veckan
Det väder som varit under den senaste tiden gör att anläggningens banan inte kommer hålla för en rättvis tävling för rallycross och crosskart. Rallytävlingen genomförs som planerat.

Det är torsdagens bilsport med rallycross och crosskart som nu tyvärr måste ställas in. Detta utifrån det väder som varit och den ställtid i planeringen som SVT som sändande TV-bolag behöver för att planera om i sin produktion från SM-veckan.

Rallysprinten på söndagen den 5 februari körs som planerat.

Även SM Esport i Touring Car avgörs under veckan på plats i Arena Skövde.

https://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/rx-plus/all-live/

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