Rallycross 2023

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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