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Run To The Beat relaunches at Speedmachine

14/03/2018, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 26074539
 
     
 
 
RUN TO THE  BEAT RELAUNCHES AT SPEEDMACHINE

A brand-new take on Run To The Beat will make its UK debut on the evening of Friday 25 May, as part of the inaugural Speedmachine festival, which is being built around the British leg of the 2018 FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy

The event combines running, music and motorsport, giving participants the unique opportunity to run 5 or 10k of the iconic Silverstone race circuit to the beat of a live DJ. Tickets go live today (Tuesday) on www.runtothebeat.co.uk.

With music proven to enhance people’s enjoyment of running by 15 per cent, Run To The Beat at Speedmachine provides the perfect location for participants to power their run with world-class live music from the Ministry of Sound’s Friday night takeover of the Main Stage.

Once runners are done, they will have the excitement of the festival to look forward to, with some of the country’s best independent street food vendors serving up delectable treats for all tastes. With the masters of dance Ministry of Sound playing late into the night, it’s the perfect way for participants to rev up for the weekend.

Individual day passes are available, as well as weekend and camping passes for runners who want to take in the full Speedmachine festival weekend experience. Other weekend highlights include FIA World Rallycross Championship, manufacturer test drives, e-gaming, and live music from Dizzee Rascal, Basement Jaxx DJ set and others.

Speedmachine will form the British round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy. Ultimately, the Speedmachine festival will deliver pure indulgence for fans of speed and cars across the May Bank Holiday weekend. 

Marc Webster, SVP, Mass Participation (EMEA), IMG, said: “We’re delighted to be re-launching Run To The Beat at Speedmachine this May. With all that the event has to offer, we felt this was the perfect time to bring it back and give runners an amazing opportunity to take in the twists and turns of the iconic Silverstone race circuit. 

“This is the just the first step for Run To The Beat in 2018 and we can’t wait to share more exciting news in the coming months on our next event,” he added “We look forward to welcoming runners of all ages to Silverstone for what promises to be a fantastic event.” 

Stuart Pringle, Managing Director, Silverstone Circuits, added: “We are delighted to announce Run To The Beat at Speedmachine Festival, Silverstone. With the popularity of Run To The Beat set to attract runners who love their music, this is a fantastic addition to the Speedmachine weekend. Along with the World Rallycross Championship debut at Silverstone, street food and music, Run To The Beat is the final ingredient to complete an exciting weekend line up.” 

General entries start at £30 for 5km or £40 for 10km, with junior runners £10 across both distances. 

World RX Media Office
Copyright free pictures and key media information can be downloaded via the World RX media office: www.fiaworldrallycross.com/media
 
 
Former champions Olsbergs MSE return to FIA World Championship stage

Former champions Olsbergs MSE return to FIA World Championship stage

08/03/2018, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 26008954
 
                                                                                                           07 March, 2018
Former champions Olsbergs MSE return to FIA World Championship stage
  • Successful Swedish outfit launches challenge for rallycross’ biggest title
  • Kevin Eriksson and Robin Larsson pumped-up for World RX success
  • Honda Civic and Ford Fiesta Supercars available for sale or private rental

Former champions Olsbergs MSE will return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for a full-season assault in 2018, fielding a two-car team for established race-winners Kevin Eriksson and Robin Larsson.
 
In partnership with Ford, OMSE lifted the World RX Teams’ laurels in 2014 – the same year as the squad clinched its third consecutive Global Rallycross crown. The team backed that up with the runner-up spot in the World Championship standings in 2015 and victory in Germany in 2016, before making selected appearances at the international pinnacle of the discipline last season.
 
Now, following its withdrawal from the GRC, OMSE has strengthened its commitment to the IMG-promoted events, across which it already runs the popular RX2 International Series for the World RX stars of the future. The Scandinavian rallycross outfit will run a brace of new-specification Ford Fiesta Supercars for Eriksson and Larsson in 2018.
 
“Concentrating our efforts in Europe and on the international stage offers a number of advantages,” explained OMSE CEO, Andreas Eriksson. “First and foremost, we are excited to see what our rapid new line-up of Kevin and Robin can achieve out on-track. Both have ably demonstrated their potential on the World Championship stage, and both are more than capable of fighting for the top step of the podium this season.
 
“2018 is a big year for Olsbergs MSE as we have developed an all-new car for the forthcoming campaign, fitted with our own latest-specification custom engine that has already proven itself as a winning powerplant.
 
“Olsbergs MSE now finds itself in a position where we have the availability through our sales and service department to both rent and sell Honda Civic and Ford Fiesta Supercars for World RX, European RX and RallyX Nordic use. Running these cars alongside our current drivers in these series allows us to remain competitive not only in terms of performance but also cost.”
 
Eriksson Jnr won the RX Lites Cup in 2014, triumphed behind the wheel of a Fiesta ST Supercar in World RX of Germany in 2016 and has two RallyX Nordic titles and a RallyX on Ice crown on his career CV – all by the age of 21. After a year spent competing in the World Championship with a different team – highlighted by a trio of top six finishes – the Swede is looking forward to returning to the OMSE fold.
 
“I’m thrilled to be heading into my third full season in World RX,” he enthused. “There’s no question that this is the toughest rallycross series around, with high-profile manufacturer involvement and the best drivers in the discipline – but equally, I am confident we have the tools at our disposal to truly take the fight to them. Pre-season testing has been positive, and I can’t wait to get out there and chase some trophies!”
 
Larsson sped to the FIA European Rallycross Championship in 2014, and counts no fewer than five podiums to his credit in World RX – including a win in Argentina – as well as three top ten championship finishes. After returning to European RX last year, the 25-year-old is fired-up to reassert himself as a consistent contender on the international stage.
 
“Racing in World RX with OMSE is a tremendous opportunity for me,” Larsson affirmed. “I feel I’ve proved in the past that I’m quick enough to push for race wins in the series, and that’s precisely what I intend to do this year. Sweden is renowned as a hotbed of rallycross talent, and between us, I’m confident that Kevin and I can put both the country and OMSE as a team firmly at the forefront of this sport.”
 
Founded by former Swedish Rally Champion Andreas Eriksson in 2005 and with bases in both Sweden and the USA, OMSE is a leading protagonist across the board. The company’s hugely successful Supercar Lites brand – as used in both RX2 and GRC Lites – is widely regarded as the blueprint for single-make rallycross feeder series and the ideal platform for the next generation of talent in the discipline.
 
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Team Peugeot Total goes full factory for 2018 FIA World RX title bid

Team Peugeot Total goes full factory for 2018 FIA World RX title bid

06/03/2018, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 25985860
  
 
 
TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL GOES FULL FACTORY FOR 2018 FIA WORLD RX TITLE BID

Peugeot is setting its sights firmly on a maiden FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy title win as it unveiled its latest 208 WRX challenger ahead of the 2018 season. The car is the first to be developed by Peugeot in-house following the decision to increase its level of factory support.

Having marked its swansong Dakar Rally appearance with a third consecutive victory at the start of the year, Peugeot is turning its attentions to its World RX effort under the revised Team Peugeot Total banner having competed as Team Peugeot Hansen between 2014-2017.

Despite the new name, the Hansen rallycross dynasty nonetheless remains integral to Peugeot’s 2018 World RX title endeavour, with nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb joined once more by seasoned race winner Timmy Hansen and his younger brother Kevin Hansen in an unchanged three-driver line-up.

World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy, commented: “We are delighted to see Team Peugeot Total not only continue its commitment to the FIA World RX Championship but do so with the full support of its factory team for the first time. Peugeot has been synonymous with World RX since we took the championship global in 2014 and the decision to bring its expert WRC and Dakar Rally winning team on board is both testament to its title aspirations and the fantastic platform World RX provides for manufacturers. 

Bellamy added: “Coupled with a driver line-up that needs no introduction in Sebastien Loeb, Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen, Team Peugeot Total will no doubt make a big impression this season.”

Team Peugeot Total will bring a significantly revised 208 WRX to the grid in 2018, with development focusing on making the 560 horsepower Supercar lighter, more powerful and easier to drive for Loeb and Timmy Hansen. Kevin Hansen will drive an evolution of the 2017-specification 208 WRX as a Team Peugeot-Hansen entry.

Bruno Famin, Peugeot Sport Director: “This marks the start of an exciting year for us, as the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be Peugeot’s key motorsport engagement in a factory capacity, with new rivals and a new environment. However, even though we have some past knowledge of the sport through the Peugeot-Hansen team, we have to be realistic, as our competitors are very experienced while we will have to train our team for this new discipline from scratch! 

“Despite this big challenge, we are aiming for some wins this season, then something more in the seasons beyond. We decided to participate in world rallycross because we firmly believe in the future of this sport: the sporting format, which is short and intense, is exciting, the audience, younger than in other categories, is still growing, and furthermore we also believe in the electric future of the championship. 

“So, we are preparing for this new generation of powertrain and new generation of fans right now, with the clear aim of promoting our current Peugeot 208 and its successor.”

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb will begin his third season of World RX competition with a clear aim to be fighting for wins and the title in 2018.

“My expectations are high for this year. Peugeot coming in as a factory team was exactly what was needed to take things up a level and enable us to fight for the championship. In the past we were close, but we were just missing a little extra. Now Peugeot’s official engagement can bring us that. We won’t have all the evolutions at the start of the year and that will make it difficult to fight for the championship from the beginning, but you never know: it all depends on how quickly we can develop. 

“From a driving point of view, rallycross provides probably the most intense experience you can have as a driver. The races are very short, but the sensation is really amazing: the cars are like big WRC cars to drive, with 600 horsepower, so it’s a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to the season.”

As a five-time World RX race winner and former championship runner-up, Timmy Hansen is also entering the 2018 season with lofty aspirations of his own. 

“I’ve never competed at such a high level before with a factory team, so it's an honour to be chosen to represent Peugeot at such an important time. We’re expecting the car to be better than ever with all the evolutions implemented by the Peugeot Sport engineers, so this certainly increases our opportunity to do well, but we’ve got to remember that there are some very strong rivals in this championship. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground. 

“My aim is simply to do as well as I can on every round, so that we can build on our progress step by step. I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel at the first round in Barcelona; then we will see where we are compared to the others.”

Fourteen-time champion and rallycross legend Kenneth Hansen will retain a key position within the bolstered 2018 effort in the role of team manager.

Team Peugeot Total will first be seen in action at the World RX Championship season-opener in Barcelona from 14-15 April.

World RX Media Office
Copyright free pictures and key media information can be downloaded via the World RX media office: www.fiaworldrallycross.com/media
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KRISTOFFERSSON WINS INAUGURAL WORLD RX EVENT IN AFRICA IN FRONT OF PACKED CROWD

KRISTOFFERSSON WINS INAUGURAL WORLD RX EVENT IN AFRICA IN FRONT OF PACKED CROWD

13/11/2017, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 24813195
 
 
KRISTOFFERSSON WINS INAUGURAL WORLD RX EVENT IN AFRICA IN FRONT OF PACKED CROWD
 
Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson entered the record books today as the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver won the first ever World RX event staged in Africa.  Former World RX Champion Mattias Ekstrom finished third and consequently secured the runner-up spot in the 2017 championship after a season-long battle with Petter Solberg.  Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Timmy Hansen claimed second at this weekend’s Gumtree World RX of South Africa – the 12th and final round of this year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.
 
In the final round of the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires  Frenchman Cyril Raymond rounded off a near-perfect season by taking his sixth win in the highly competitive seven-event feeder series.  Great Britain’s Dan Rooke had a troubled final when he rolled his car on lap two, causing the race to be red-flagged.  Despite this mishap, Rooke secured second in the 2017 standings.  Sondre Evjen and Tanner Whitten finished second and third in Cape Town. Belgium’s Guillaume De-Ridder claimed third in the end of year leaderboard.
 
“It’s fantastic to wrap up the teams’ and drivers’ championship and to also take the win at the final round of the season,” grinned 2017 World RX Champion Kristoffersson who won a staggering seven out of 12 events this season.  “The team has worked so hard this year and ten podium results is credit to how fantastic everyone has been. Obviously to break records in World RX is an amazing feeling but to have won the World Championship is so unbelievably special. It was a good weekend all round – I had a slow puncture in the semi-final but I got a really good launch in the final and when I got clear space I was able to manage the gap back from Timmy and Mattias, as well as manage the tyres well.  Thanks to everyone for such a memorable season – I’m really looking forward to being back with VW in 2018.”
 
Runner-up Hansen added: “This has been one of the best weekends I’ve had this year and it’s great to finish on a high including my two qualifying wins. I really wanted to take the victory for Peugeot and this weekend we were so close – I gave it everything I had in the final but I lost a little bit too much in the first lap to be able to get ahead of Johan. The 208 has been fantastic all year and it worked especially well at this track.”
 
Ekstrom’s reactions were fastest of today’s six finalists, rewarding him with the final Monster Energy Super Charge Award of 2017.  Despite losing his World RX crown to Kristoffersson, Ekstrom praised the new World Champion. “Sometimes you’re in front and sometime you’re behind – that’s just how it goes and Johan definitely deserves the win today and the World Championship too. Timmy was really fast this weekend too, but to be honest, everybody wants to win – World RX has now reached a level where everyone will battle for everything.”
 
When asked about the new Cape Town RX event, Ekstrom praised the enthusiasm of the South African fans.  “The grandstands were full this weekend and the atmosphere and support from everyone here was amazing.”
 
Solberg finished fourth in Cape Town and finished the season third in the driver standings – five points adrift of Ekstrom.   “Of course it’s a little bit disappointing not to take the silver,” admitted Solberg. “I am so proud of what we have done. Johan has broken so many records this year and the whole team, everybody in PSRX Volkswagen Sweden has worked and played so hard – this weekend and this year is because of them and I can’t thank them all enough.”
 
MJP Racing Team Austria’s Timo Scheider’s rounded out the top five in Cape Town after an impressive rookie season at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta.  Kevin Hansen finished sixth, the Swede having retired shortly after the start with transmission problems.
 
In what marked the final event for the Hoonigan Racing Division, America’s Ken Block showed fantastic pace. He led the event overnight and finished second in semi-final one but was later disqualified as his car was found to be underweight.
 
Nine-time WRC Champion Sebastien Loeb retired on the final lap of today’s second semi-final but rounded off the season fourth in the overall standings – 13 points ahead of his team-mate Hansen who ends the year in fifth place.
 
Home favourites Mark Cronje and Ashley Haigh-Smith received tremendous support on their World RX debuts but neither driver made the semi-finals.
 
Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, concluded: “Our first ever event in Cape Town was a resounding success – we’ve had over 27,000 people at Killarney this weekend and they were all treated to World Championship motorsport at its best. I think we’ve won over a lot of new support during our time in South Africa and the crowd really helped make this weekend a memorable event. Tickets for 2018 are on sale from tomorrow which will give people plenty of time to plan next year’s rallycross weekend. I’d like to thank the organisers and volunteers for all their hard work in putting on a great event and also to the City of Cape Town for its support in making this happen. I’m also very thankful that our sponsors and other commercial partners shared our vision and were so supportive of the inaugural Gumtree World RX of South Africa. This weekend was just the start of what I hope is a long and fruitful relationship for World RX in South Africa.  We finish the season on a high and congratulations to Johan Kristoffersson and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden for their incredible season and to the rest of the teams for their continued support.”
 
Penalties
World RX
Niclas Gronholm #68, loss of 10 Championship points for use of a seventh turbocharger in the season.
 
Mattias Ekstrom #1, five-second penalty in Q2 for causing an incident with car #44, pushing and overtaking.
 
Janis Baumanis #6, reprimand in Q2 for pushing.
 
Ken Block #43, disqualified from semi-final two after car was found to be underweight.
 
Mattias Ekstrom #1, relegated from second to third place in semi-final one for not respecting the priority of the driver on the standard lap at the Joker merge.
 
Timo Schedier #44, reprimand in semi final two for pushing.
 
RX2 
William Nilsson #6, five-second penalty in Q3 for causing an incident with car #96.
 
Championship Standings
The full World Championship standings can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com/standings
 
Event Results
Results from the Gumtree World RX of South Africa can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com/results
 
 
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Peugeot and Loeb confirms increased involvement in World RX as Block moves on

Peugeot and Loeb confirms increased involvement in World RX as Block moves on

05/10/2017, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 24372649
     
 
 
PEUGEOT AND LOEB CONFIRMS INCREASED INVOLVEMENT IN WORLD RX AS BLOCK MOVES ON
 
Peugeot will increase its involvement in next year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster with brand ambassador, Sebastien Loeb. Meanwhile, Ford and the Hoonigan Racing Division will no longer continue its World RX programme due to a change in company strategy.

Next year will mark the fifth consecutive season that Peugeot has been involved in the World Championship with the Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar. The French manufacturer won the World RX Teams’ Championship in 2015 and was vice-champion in 2016. With one round of the 2017 season remaining in Cape Town, South Africa, Team Peugeot-Hansen is currently second in the Teams’ Championship. 

The announcement made by Peugeot said: “The Peugeot 208's presence is fully justified in a spectacular and telegenic championship that offers international visibility to the Peugeot Sport team's know-how. World RX's global ambitions are in line with Peugeot's business growth plan outside Europe.”

Peugeot brand’s Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Philippe Imparato, said: "The goal of the 2018 season will be to win the title. To this end, we are strengthening the developments initiated by Peugeot Sport and studying the sports management system implemented by the Hansen family since 2014.”

As Peugeot strengthens its ties with World RX, Ford announced that  Hoonigan Racing Division will not compete in 2018. Dave Pericak, Global Director of Ford Performance, explained: “Although we have enjoyed competing in the exciting FIA World Rallycross Championship, it’s a natural time for us to take a break as the future of the series takes shape… rest assured, we remain absolutely committed to hot hatches and all things performance and think rallycross has a bright future.”

Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, concluded: “We are delighted that Peugeot and Sebastien Loeb will increase its involvement in World RX next season although we were disappointed to hear the news that Ford will withdraw from 2018 due to a change in company strategy.  We wish Ken and his Hoonigan Racing Division Team all the best for the future and thank them for their participation - we look forward to working them again at some point in the future. The World Championship is on a very exciting trajectory with new events in new territories planned over the next 24 months. We are fully engaged with current and prospective competitors regarding our vision for the future of the championship with the FIA and manufacturers on the introduction of electric cars which will not happen before 2020. We are speaking to a variety of new teams, manufacturers and venues who are interested in entering the World Championship from next season and are very excited about the future of our series.”
 
World RX Media Office
Copyright free pictures and key media information can be downloaded via the World RX media office: www.fiaworldrallycross.com/media
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EKSTROM WINS IN GERMANY AS EKS TAKE DOUBLE PODIUM FOR AUDI

EKSTROM WINS IN GERMANY AS EKS TAKE DOUBLE PODIUM FOR AUDI

02/10/2017, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 24344661
 
 
 
EKSTROM WINS IN GERMANY AS EKS TAKE DOUBLE PODIUM FOR AUDI
 
Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom won this weekend’s ALL-INKL.COM World RX of Germany, the penultimate round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy. Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Timmy Hansen finished runner-up in his Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar. Ekstrom’s team-mate Topi Heikkinen took third to make it a double podium for EKS and the Audi S1 EKS RX Quattro on the manufacturer’s home event.
 
One of the most notable drives of the weekend, however, was PSRX Volkswagen Sweden’s Petter Solberg who finished fourth. The Norwegian suffered from a broken collarbone, two broken ribs and a punctured lung from the previous round in Latvia but was determined to get back in the car this weekend to fight for second in the championship.  Solberg won Q3 and Q4 to finish as top qualifier. He went on to win his semi-final but lost time in the final after going wide in turn one.
 
Solberg explained: “I had to make a lot of preparation for this weekend – we made some special armour to go under my overalls to keep the collarbone still – but all the time I was a little bit scared, just waiting for the big bang and somebody to hit me from behind. I had a couple of nudges, but nothing big. The final was a shame – I really wanted the win, but actually what we have achieved is like a big win for me and for my family and the team.”
 
Finland’s Niclas Gronholm and Sweden’s Kevin Hansen both made a World RX final for the first time in 2017.  Hansen was on course for a podium spot but dropped behind Heikkinen on the third lap when he broke the rear-left suspension of his car.  He eventually finished sixth, one spot behind Gronholm who took his best result of the year in fifth.
 
Event winner Ekstrom, who won the 2016 World RX title at the Estering last year, commented: “It feels so good to take my fourth win of the season and to be alongside Topi again on the podium – I think it has only happened once before [at Hockenheim] and it’s always great to finish alongside your team-mate. Topi has been setting the benchmark with his starts and today he was fastest off the line again.  Now we go to the final round just one point behind Petter [Solberg] in the drivers’ standings.  Obviously the Championship title fight is over but I want to be the best of the rest so that is our only focus when we visit Cape Town for the first time next month.”
 
Runner-up Hansen added: “My last podium was in Belgium so it is a big relief to get back in the top three this weekend. I took quite a different approach to this race – you can’t force a good result but finishing second on a track where it is hard to overtake is a good result for me. It wasn’t an easy end to the final for me but it was enough for me to finish second place. I put my heart into this championship and it’s great to be here.  Kevin had a very impressive drive this weekend even though he is driving last year’s car – I wanted to be on the podium alongside my brother and hopefully that will happen one day soon.”
 
Third-placed Heikkinen added: “I have a really good team around me – it has taken me a bit of time to get used to the car this year and I’m very happy to be back on the podium beside Mattias.”
 
For the first time this year, Johan Kristoffersson failed to reach the final.  The 2017 World RX Champion lost time behind Kevin Eriksson in turn one of his semi-final and was sixth at the end of the first lap.  Meanwhile, last year’s Germany RX winner Eriksson tried to pass Hansen and spun – his Fiesta collected by both Sebastien Loeb and Kristoffersson who ran behind.  For the first time since Belgium in May, Loeb did not make the final.   
 
In the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Super1600, Hungary’s Krisztian Szabo retained his title. He had secured enough points after the semi-finals to take the title and finished Germany RX sixth overall. Latvia’s Artis Baumanis finished third in Germany and ends the season second overall.   Meanwhile, Jussi-Petteri Leppihalme finished second this weekend to end the season third overall.
 
Norway’s Lars-Oivind Enerberg was crowned the 2017 TouringCar Champion while Anders Braten and Philip Gehrman finished the season second and third respectively. The Germany RX TouringCar round was won by last year’s Champion Ben-Philip Gundersen while David Nordgard and Braten were second and third.
 
World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy, concluded: “Today we had two German manufacturers – Volkswagen and Audi – on the front row of the final which is a fantastic story on the marques’ home soil.  Well done to Mattias who took the win in front of 25,000 fans who came to the Estering this weekend to watch the penultimate round of World RX and of course it was great to see a double podium for EKS. It’s fantastic to see Timmy back on the podium for Team Peugeot-Hansen and of course we have crowned two new Euro RX Champions this weekend too so congratulations to Krisztian and Lars-Oivind too. Finally, I want to highlight the heroic effort of Petter who got back in the cockpit after his accident in Riga only two weeks ago, which just goes to show the passion and dedication of our World RX drivers. Now we have a six-week break before our final round of the year in South Africa as the World Championship visits Cape Town for the first time.”
 
The final round of the 2017 World RX season takes place at the Killarney International Raceway, just ten miles outside of Cape Town, which takes place from 10-12 November.
 
Penalties
World RX
Niclas Gronholm #68, loss of 15 Championship points for use of more than three engine seals in the year.
 
Davy Jeanney #17, fined €250 for late registration of tyres.
 
Timo Scheider #44, received a reprimand for causing a collision in Q3.
 
Sebastien Loeb #9, received a reprimand for pushing in Q3.
 
TouringCar
Steve Volders #77, reclassified last in Q3 R3 for causing an avoidable decision.
 
Super1600
Marcel Snoeijers #50, received a reprimand for pushing in Q4.

Results 
Full results can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com/results

Standings
Championship standings are available at www.fiaworldrallycross.com/standings

World RX Media Office
Copyright free pictures and key media information can be downloaded via the World RX media office: www.fiaworldrallycross.com/media
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Kristoffersson makes World RX history with four consecutive wins

Kristoffersson makes World RX history with four consecutive wins

04/09/2017, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 24010627
 
     
 
 
KRISTOFFERSSON MAKES WORLD RX HISTORY WITH FOUR CONSECUTIVE WINS
 
Johan Kristoffersson made rallycross history today as the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver became the first driver to win four consecutive rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy. It is also the Swede’s eighth podium in a row – another World RX record. Frenchman Sebastien Loeb finished second at the Bretagne World RX of France in front of a home crowd of 75,000 while reigning World RX Champion Mattias Ekstrom rounded out the podium.
 
In the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires, Frenchman Cyril Raymond was crowned the 2017 Champion on home soil.  There is still one RX2 round remaining [Gumtree World RX of South Africa] but Raymond seals the title early as no driver can mathematically beat him on points. Belgium’s Guillaume De Ridder finished runner-up, while Russia’s Vasily Gryazin took the third podium spot in his best finish of the year.
 
“This is fantastic, I am so confident with the car and it is a result of the hard work from the team,” enthused Kristoffersson, who has extended his lead at the top of the World RX driver standings over team-mate Petter Solberg by 46 points. Kristoffersson was also awarded the Monster Energy Super Charge Award for his rapid start off the line in today’s final.
 
The 28-year-old, who took a lights-to-flag victory, added: “The weather was on my side and I am lucky that I have such an experienced team-mate like Petter who I can take advantage of – his information is invaluable. Of course it’s always easy when we have two drivers who are pushing and learning from each other but the team-work from everyone within PSRX Volkswagen Sweden is something that money can’t buy. We are now leading the teams’ standings by 112 points and of course that is the main priority but we continue to work hard and hopefully the driver wins will continue at the same time.”
 
Runner-up Loeb, who led Kristoffersson after day one’s two qualifying sessions, added: “Of course I would have preferred to win but it was a fantastic weekend.  This time I felt that we were really in a fight with Volkswagen and that we could have finished on top of the podium. Johan [Kristoffersson] was so fast in the final but I had a good drive in conditions that were very tricky. Myself and Timmy were fighting at the top this weekend so it is looking good for the next couple of rounds.  I will aim for a win in Latvia but in rallycross anything can happen and we still have some areas where we need to improve. Like Johan said, it is good to have a team-mate who you can learn from – Timmy and I study the data and work well together, he was unlucky in the final.”
 
Last year’s World RX Champion Ekstrom was back on the podium for the first time since Hockenheim RX. “It’s great to be back in the top three – as a team we can be happy and build on this good result,” enthused Ekstrom.  “I am looking forward to both Riga and Buxtehude – we have tested at both tracks recently and hopefully we can be a bit closer to the top guys again. Small margins are very important in rallycross and hopefully we can nail qualifying next time and get back on pole for the semi-final.”
 
Hoonigan Racing Division’s Andreas Bakkerud finished fourth after a solid weekend in the Ford Focus RS RX Supercar.  A front-right puncture for Solberg in today’s final thwarted the Norwegian’s progress and he eventually finished fifth.  Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Timmy Hansen won the second semi-final in order to start on the front row of today’s final alongside Kristoffersson.  The Swede won Loheac RX two years ago but was unable to repeat the victory following a gearbox problem, forcing him to retire on lap four of the final.
 
America’s Ken Block finished seventh overall, the Hoonigan Racing Division driver having had an impressive weekend after lying third overnight after day one. Last year’s Euro RX champion Kevin Hansen finished eighth, while MJP Racing Team Austria’s Timo Scheider ended the event in ninth place. STARD’s Janis Baumanis rounded out the top ten, while EKS team-mates Topi Heikkinen and Reinis Nitiss finished 11th and 12th respectively.  
 
In the penultimate round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX), Norwegian Thomas Bryntesson took a well-deserved victory to be best of the 35 Supercars competing in the fully-subscribed category. “This is the best result of my career,” beamed Bryntesson who finished runner-up in RX2’s precursor, RX Lites last year. Hungary’s Tamas Pal Kiss finished runner-up, while the 2016 French Rallycross Champion Firmin Cadeddu took the third podium spot.  Sweden’s Anton Marklund finished fourth and continues to lead the standings by 18 points (despite a five-point penalty for receiving a third reprimand).

The battle for Super1600, meanwhile, heated up this weekend as last year’s Champion Krisztian Szabo took the win and moved one point ahead of Latvia’s Artis Baumanis in the overall standings. Frenchman Maximilien Eveno and Denmark’s Ulrik Linnemann finished second and third respectively.
 
Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, concluded: “Once again the Loheac RX organisers have put on a tremendous event. The passion from the French fans is extraordinary and despite the rain today, we still had 75,000 spectators visit Loheac this weekend. We had over 20 French drivers competing so there was plenty of support in the grandstands and it was fantastic to see a home driver finish on the podium across all four categories [World RX, Euro RX, Super1600 and RX2]. Sebastien [Loeb] has finished on the podium for the last four events so it was very fitting that he finished runner-up here this weekend in front of so many passionate French fans.  Congratulations to Johan [Kristoffersson] who once again put on another strong display in his Volkswagen Polo to extend his lead in the standings.”
 
Round ten of the World Championship moves to Eastern Europe as World RX prepares for the second-ever Neste World RX of Latvia in downtown Riga (15-17 September).
 
PENALTIES
WORLD RX
Emmanuel Anne #29, loss of ten Championship points for presenting a turbocharger for sealing after initial scrutineering.
 
Andreas Bakkerud #13, five-second penalty for pushing and overtaking in Q3.
 
Toomas Heikkinen #57, reprimand for pushing car #96 in Q3.
 
Kevin Hansen #71, reprimand for causing a collision and overtaking in Q3.
 
Ken Block #43, reprimand for pushing in semi-final one.
 
Euro Supercar
Jonathan Pailler #18, loss of ten Championship points for presenting a turbocharger for sealing after initial scrutineering.
 
Fabien Pailler #20, loss of ten Championship points for presenting a turbocharger for sealing after initial scrutineering.
 
Nabil Karam #35, loss of ten Championship points for presenting a turbocharger for sealing after initial scrutineering.
 
James Grint #27, disqualified from Q1 for pushing another car and causing a collision.
 
Riku Tahko #12, reprimand for pushing car #27 in Q1.
 
Robin Larsson #4, 15-second penalty for pushing car #102 in Q2.
 
James Grint #27, fined €500 for absence of an FIA Technical Passport at initial scrutineering.
 
Tore Kristoffersen #32, disqualified from Q3 for causing a collision with car #56.
 
Anton Marklund #92, reprimand for pushing car #24 in Q3
 
Patrick Guillerme #83, reprimand for not respecting the car beside him in Q3.
 
Tore Kristoffersen #32, five-second penalty for pushing and overtaking in Q4
 
Alexander Hvaal #53, reprimand for pushing in Q4.
 
Tommy Rustad #24, reprimand for pushing in Q4.
 
Super1600
Rokas Baciuska #14, €500 fine for not attending noise check at the correct time.
 
Timur Shigaboutdinov #89, reclassified last in Q1 for not respecting the car on the standard lap at the exit of the joker lap and causing a collision.
 
Jimmy Terpereau #37, fined €500 for "modifications which are not explicitly allowed by the present regulations” ("In pre-grid his car was found with a plastic film over both front wheels. When the film was removed and the car was pushed backwards, it was found that the tires left marks on the ground and were treated with some chemicals.”)
 
Jimmy Terpereau #37, reprimand for pushing car #17 in Q3.
 
Artis Baumanis #17, reprimand for pushing car #2 in Q3.
 
Rocas Baciuska #14, reclassified sixth in the final for pushing and overtaking.
 
Timur Shigabiutdinov #89, reprimand for pushing car #36 in semi-final two.
 
Timur Shigaboutdinov #89, reclassified last is semi-final two for pushing and overtaking.
 
Josef Susta #16, reprimand for pushing and overtaking in semi-final one.
 
RX2
Tanner Whitten #11, disqualified from Q2 for being underweight.
 
William Nilsson #6, ten-second penalty for pushing car #26 in Q4.
 
RESULTS
Full results from Bretagne World RX of France can be found at the following link: http://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/results
 
STANDINGS
Latest World RX Championship standings can be found on the following link: http://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/standings
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Silverstone to host World RX festival event from 2018

Silverstone to host World RX festival event from 2018

03/01/2017, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 20770439
 
     
 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 02/01/2017
 
SILVERSTONE TO HOST WORLD RX FESTIVAL EVENT FROM 2018 
 
The FIA World Rallycross Championship has signed a deal with Silverstone circuit to host a new motorsport event in 2018 which will include World RX race action and other festival elements.
 
The event will form the British leg of World RX replacing Lydden Hill as the Kent-based circuit nears the end of its contract.  The move comes at a pivotal time in rallycross history with the sport due to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year and continue its rapid growth.
 
Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director at IMG, commented: “We have been in talks internally at IMG for some time about creating a large scale motorsport festival weekend and we are delighted that Silverstone is able to share our vision for the future.”
 
More details about the event weekend will be released in the upcoming months.
 
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World RX announces draft 2017 calendar

World RX announces draft 2017 calendar

18/10/2016, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 19811949
     
For immediate release 17/10/2016
WORLD RX ANNOUNCES DRAFT 2017 CALENDAR
 
The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy has announced its draft calendar for 2017.  The calendar, which is subject to confirmation by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, consists of 12 rounds including an all-new race at Killarney race circuit in Cape Town, South Africa (11-12 November). 
 
Barcelona will form the opening round for the first time (1-2 April).  The teams will then cross into neighbouring Portugal for round two at Montalegre which will take place on22-23 April. A return to the legendary Hockenheimring follows, which will see World RX join the highly-acclaimed DTM series again for its season-opening weekend (5-7 May).
 
No date changes have been made to World RX rounds in Great Britain, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Canada and France.  The Latvian RX round will take place two weeks earlier next year, with the event scheduled on 16-17 September.  Buxtehude in Germany will once again form the penultimate round of the World Championship, and will also take place two weeks earlier (30 September – 1 October).  The 2017 season will finish in Cape Town as rallycross visits the continent of Africa for the first time (11-12 November).
 
Building on the success of this year, the FIA European Rallycross Championship will again run at five World RX rounds as it did in 2016, but with Loheac joining the series in place of Belgium (Spain, Norway, Sweden France and Latvia).  The Super1600 Championship will comprise of six rounds (Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, France, Latvia and Germany) while the competitive TouringCar series will be made up of five events (Spain, Belgium, Great Britain, Norway, and Germany).
 
RX2 – the newly-branded RX Lites Cup – will follow a revised calendar in 2017 and include seven rounds, two of which will be held outside of Europe for the first time (Belgium, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Canada, France and South Africa). 
 
2017 WORLD RX CALENDAR*
  1. SPAIN – BARCELONA – 1/2 APRIL
  2. PORTUGAL – MONTALEGRE – 22/23 APRIL
  3. GERMANY – HOCKENHEIM – 4/5/6 MAY
  4. BELGIUM – METTET – 13/14 MAY
  5. GREAT BRITAIN – LYDDEN HILL – 27/28 MAY
  6. NORWAY – HELL – 10/11 JUNE
  7. SWEDEN – HOLJES – 1/2 JULY
  8. CANADA – TROIS-RIVIERES – 5/6 AUGUST
  9. FRANCE – LOHEAC – 2/3 SEPTEMBER
  10. LATVIA – RIGA – 16/17 SEPTEMBER
  11. GERMANY – ESTERING – 30 SEPTEMBER/01 OCTOBER
  12. SOUTH AFRICA – CAPE TOWN – 11/12 NOVEMBER
*Subject to confirmation by the FIA World Motor Sport Council in December
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EKSTROM CROWNED NEW WORLD RX CHAMPION AS ERIKSSON WINS GERMANY RX

EKSTROM CROWNED NEW WORLD RX CHAMPION AS ERIKSSON WINS GERMANY RX

17/10/2016, International, Motorsport - Rally, FIA World RallyCross , Article # 19799565
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For immediate release 16/10/2016
EKSTROM CROWNED NEW WORLD RX CHAMPION AS ERIKSSON WINS GERMANY RX
 
Sweden's Mattias Ekstrom has been crowned the new FIA World Rallycross Champion after scoring enough points at today’s German RX round to secure him the title with one round of the World Championship still remaining. Olsbergs MSE driver Kevin Eriksson took the Germany RX win, claiming his first every victory in the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy. Petter Solberg finished second, while fellow Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud claimed the third podium spot.
 
Driving for his own EKS rallycross team, Ekstrom finished fifth this weekend and is now 30 points ahead of last year’s World RX Champion Solberg in the drivers’ standings. Even if Ekstrom does not complete the final round of the Championship in Argentina, a maximum score for Solberg would only draw the Norwegian level and Ekstrom would still win on countback of victories.
 
“This is probably the best day in my whole motorsport career - it feels like I have electricity running through my whole body,” grinned the new rallycross champion, Ekstrom. 
 
He continued: “I have a lot of amazing memories: from winning the Swedish Touring Car Championship back in 1999, my first DTM title in 2004, my Race of Champions win against Loeb in Paris, and also against Michael Schumacher in 2007, then my second DTM title.  Now I’m the new World RX Champion and this feeling beats it all because when I started EKS from scratch less than three years ago, this was my dream.  I have always wanted to go to an FIA prize-giving ceremony and now I finally can.  This is a huge effort for my family, the team and all the guys who have worked to make this happen.  To become an FIA World Champion is what I have always wanted and it is the best feeling in the world.  Obviously, I owe a lot of gratitude to my employer, Audi Sport. My bosses gave me permission to compete at the Estering in order to maximise my chances of winning the title. That couldn’t be taken for granted, and I’m very thankful for this. I hope that by clinching the big trophy, I was able to put a smile on their faces.”
 
Today’s event was won by Sweden’s Kevin Eriksson who started on the second row of the grid of the final.  Solberg was fastest to the first corner which awarded him the Monster Energy Super Charge Award, but Eriksson stunned his competitors as he pulled off a sideways move from the outside and managed to take the lead, which he retained for the rest of the race.
 
“I am speechless,” explained Eriksson, who has become the seventh different winner in World RX this year.  “I saw Petter lead off the start and planned to stay behind him but then I saw an opportunity to go on the outside and hoped for the best. Somehow it worked! I felt I had really good speed throughout the weekend and to beat these guys you need to be driving at your very best. This weekend, everything came together and we got the consistency I needed to take the win.”
 
Second-placed Solberg was first to congratulate Eriksson on his debut World RX victory.  “I am very impressed by Kevin.  He won the Swedish Championship last weekend and now he has gone one better and take his first World RX victory, which was very well deserved – especially when I had a clear line into turn one and my car is very good on the gravel.”
 
Solberg continued: “To be honest, I am sad that the Championship is over for me.  I have been fighting all year for my third World RX title and I hoped it would go down to the final round and the team were really motivated. It is so important for me to thank my amazing team - I may be the guy driving the car, but the car was so fast this weekend, I think one of the fastest on the track. I can only say thank you for all the hours they have spent in the last two weeks, making small changes which could make a difference for us. They have worked so systematically; second here is a great win for the whole PSRX team. Finally, Mattias is a very worthy winner, he has won a lot of races this year and been very consistent – big congratulations to him and to EKS.”
 
Hoonigan Racing Division’s Andreas Bakkerud was relieved to make it home in third place, after suffering from smoke inhalation for the duration of today’s final.   He took up the story: “I had exhaust fumes and smoke in the cockpit for all six laps of the final – I have never wanted to see the chequered flag so much in my life! Then in the middle of the race, I also lost my gear lever which made life even more difficult.”
 
Reigning FIA European Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen continued his fantastic form this season in the Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar to finish fourth overall in Germany. The 18-year-old commented: “It was nice to be back in the World Championship this weekend. The first day was a little difficult but I knew that our work had taken us in the right direction during Sunday morning’s warm-up. I don’t really know what happened in the final. The first turn was just crazy. Someone hit me and I ended up fourth, for the second time this year. With two fourth places and the European title in the bag, I am pleased with my season.”
 
Meanwhile, Volkswagen RX Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson entered the event with a mathematical chance of taking the Championship to the final round, which continued into the final, but a puncture on lap three while running fourth put him out of contention and he eventually finished the event fifth overall.  Solberg’s second-place finish has seen the Norwegian move back to second in the overall leaderboard – four points ahead of Kristoffersson. 
 
Sixth place was taken by Ekstrom’s team-mate Topi Heikkinen.  The healthy points score taken by Heikkinen and Ekstrom this weekend has seen EKS extend its lead over Team Peugeot-Hansen in the Teams’ Championship by 17 points going into the final round of the season.
 
Elsewhere, America’s Tanner Foust started his second World RX event of the season with Volkswagen RX Sweden but was hampered by some minor problems on day one, which meant he did not qualify for today’s semi-finals.
 
Germany also marked the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for both Super1600 and TouringCars, where both championships went down to the wire.  In the Super1600 Championship, Hungary’s Kirsztian Szabo won in his Skoda Fabia and took the 2016 title by one point over Denmark’s Ulrik Linnemann who finished third in Germany. Egor Sanin finished runner-up in today’s event.  In the overall standings, Kasparas Navickas ends the year third overall. 
 
The TouringCar Championship proved just as close as Ben-Philip Gundersen triumphed over Sweden’s Magda Andersson by just one point. It was David Nordgard who won today’s event, followed home by Andersson and Anders Braten in third.  Third overall in the points at the end of 2016 is Fredrik Magnussen.
 
World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy, concluded: “Congratulations to Mattias Ekstrom who has become our new FIA World Rallycross Champion after forfeiting his first DTM race in over 15 years. Both Mattias and EKS have worked relentlessly since entering full-time in 2015 and for Mattias to have won in both DTM and now in rallycross proves what a natural talent he is behind the wheel.  To become World RX Champion is no easy feat - we have some of the best drivers in the world competing in our Championship. Well done to Kevin Eriksson and Olsbergs MSE who took the first win of the year, Kevin’s pace during today's final was extraordinary. Congratulations also to Krisztian and Ben-Philip who are our new Super1600 and TouringCar Champions – it was very exciting to see both Championships being won by just a point and just goes to show how competitive both these categories have become. On top of the exhilarating on-track action, we’ve also had a sell-out crowd in Germany this weekend and it’s always encouraging to see how popular our sport has become.”  
 
The season-closer to this year’s World RX Championship will take place in Rosario, Argentina, at the end of November as rallycross returns to South America for the third year.
 
Full results from Germany RX can be found on the following link:
 
Championship standings can be found at: www.fiaworldrallycross.com/standings
 
 
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