All to play for in RallycrossRX

As the 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship enters its closing stages, the ultimate reward for a year long effort is about to be realised by four drivers, those who can claim the European title in each of the RallycrossRX divisions.

Supercar is the closest of all the classes, and with 56 maximum points still available over the last two events in Austria and Germany the permutations are far too complicated to work out who needs to do what at this stage. Four drivers remain within a shot of the crown, with Timur Timerzyanov sitting in the driving seat, heading the order fifteen points ahead of team-mate Timmy Hansen. With Timerzyanov’s consistent year long performance he certainly holds most of the cards but Hansen is quick, and his smooth driving style will suit the Austrian circuit this weekend. Just five points behind Hansen, French driver Davy Jeanney has been on the front row of the final for the last two years in Austria, and following a podium at his home event last time out is looking for his first win at European level. If he and Hansen can close the gap on Timerzyanov in Austria by even a little it will make for an incredible final round just a week later in Germany. Fourth in the table, and the last man who can mathematically lift the crown is Norwegian youngster Andreas Bakkerud. Looking at the table alone things may not look good for the LD Motorsport driver who sits 28 points behind, but he has taken emphatic victories at the last two rounds in Sweden and France and is brimmed full of confidence. All he needs to do to be in with a shout of the title at the last round is to leave Austria having taken two points out of Timerzyanov’s margin.

The bare fact is that if Timerzyanov leaves Austria 29 points ahead of his nearest rival he will be lift the crown, but with the highly competitive nature of RallycrossRX this season, that is unlikely. While the focus for title chase is on four drivers, many more are more than capable of winning events and taking points away who crave them most. Anything can still happen.

Super1600 and TouringCar are slightly more straight forward for their leaders, but by no means wrapped up. Reinis Nitiss has been the revelation of the season in Super1600, and has taken four wins in his first full year, having visited the final at every event. If he dominates Austria in the same way he has at other events this season he will lift the crown. Without taking an event maximum, all the Latvian Set Promotion driver needs to do is take two more points away from the event than team mate Ildar Rakhmatullin, and not get beaten by Eric Faren by four points, or by Ulrik Linnemann by 13 points.

TouringCar leader Derek Tohill is in a similar position to Nitiss and is within touching distance of his second European crown. As with Nitiss, if Tohill takes maximum points in Greinbach he will take the championship spoils back home to Ireland. Even if he doesn’t win, his rivals are up against it to try and push him off the top spot. Roman Castoral has the best chance, the experienced Czech driver will only stop Tohill taking the title if doesn’t get beaten by more than two points. Three other drivers still hold a mathematical chance of overhauling Tohill, but with Pauwels 42 points behind, Larsson 46 behind and Lundh 48 off top spot they have their work cut out.

JRX returns in Austria having taken a break while the rest of the field travelled to Loheac two weeks ago. William Nilsson has headed the order since the category’s first event in Hungary and is four points ahead of pre-season favourite Kevin Hansen, who won last time out in Sweden. Magda Andersson has proven her speed this season and is third in the table, she could easily win at either of the last two rounds.

With everything to play for across the board, RallycrossRX is in for an incredibly interesting week.

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