Changes

The shape of the 2012 European Rallycross Championship is now clear; the dates have to be approved by the World Motor Sport Council in December, but that is the usual process and it is unlikely that there will be any change to provisional schedule published after Tuesday’s Off-Road Commission (ORC) meeting. The calendar comprises the maximum permitted ten events and, as expected, includes the return of events in Finland, Germany and Hungary which had been dropped from the 2011 calendar after been ranked at the bottom of the 2010 championship. To make space for the returning events, three of the 2011 rounds were similarly due to be dropped as a result of the event grading system.

Two became three when the ORC accepted the withdrawal of Poland from the 2012 championship. Ranked in the top five of this year’s events, Poland would have retained its place comfortably but has withdrawn to allow redevelopment work at the Słomczyn track to take place (see Poland plans a break). Thus it was necessary for only two races to be removed in order to make way for the three returning events and the organiser breathing a deep sigh of relief is the RCC-SÜD Großpetersdorf at Greinbach in Austria: had Poland remained in the series, Austria, ranked eighth would not have been awarded a 2012 event.

The event ranking is produced by combining the reports of the FIA Observer and the Stewards of the Event at each round, these officials taking into account all aspects of the way in which the event is organised and run, with their judging weighted to give the Observer’s findings greater importance. The Swedish round of the championship at Höljes was judged the best of the year and stands head and shoulders above all other events. The second to sixth-placed events are very closely matched, a little more than 1% separating them. It’s similarly close between seventh to ninth places but the Czech event was quite clearly the lowest scoring of the year. Among the seventh to ninth, Norway too might count itself fortunate.

Events

The ORC has also proposed a number of changes to the way in which events are run, most notably an increase in the number of starters in the finals where grid sizes will rise from six to eight. The details of this change also mean that two drivers will progress from C to B and from B to A finals, with 20 drivers qualifying for the finals. All three finals will be run if there are at least 17 qualifiers, the A and B final only if there are at least 11 qualifiers and only the A final if there are fewer than 11. The rule requiring that there be at least eight starters in a class in order for it to be awarded championship points is to be removed, meaning all classes will be awarded points at all events irrespective of the size of entry.

During the 2011 championship there was some variation in the order in which the classes were run and it is now formally proposed that each event organiser will be able to decide whether to run TouringCar or Super1600 first.

Technical

The discussion and proposals regarding a restriction on the number of engines used has now also taken its final shape. Competitors will now be expected to complete an entire event with one engine (in Supercar this extends to two turbochargers per event). A driver who changes an engine during an event will be penalised eight places on their position at the end of the qualifying heats; so a driver who has qualified on pole for the A final but who has changed an engine will be reclassified eighth (second on the B final grid). To police the use of engines and turbos, scrutineers will seal engines at the sump/block and cylinder head/block as well sealing the turbochargers across the restrictor, compressor and turbine housing.

These issues will be examined in more detail in the November issue of Rallycross World magazine.

• 2012 FIA European Rallycross Championships: 
• April 7-9, Great Britain, Lydden
• April 27-29, France, Dreux (subject to final track approval!)
• May 25-27, Austria, Greinbach
• June 1-3, Hungary, Nyirád
• June 22-24, Norway, Hell
• June 29-July 1, Sweden, Höljes
• August 3-5, Belgium, Maasmechelen
• August 10-12, Holland, Valkenswaard
• September 21-23, Finland, Kouvola
• September 28-30, Germany, Buxtehude

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