Seven days, September 26

The big event of the last week was the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship at the Estering where Timur Timerzyanov sealed his second successive title in an event that was dramatic to the end. The detail of the event has already been covered here, so we’ll concentrate on the end results. Alongside Timerzyanov, Reinis Nitiss (Super1600) and Derek Tohill (TouringCar) were confirmed as champions while Timmy Hansen was the recipient of the newly introduced Rookie of the Year award and younger brother Kevin Hansen became the first JRX champion in a showdown finish with William Nilsson. Extrovert Norwegian Supercar racer Andreas Bakkerud scrambled into the final of the last event of the year, his weekend having begun with an epic four-day hitchhike to the track from his home in Bergen – this the result of a rash promise made at the start of the year in the event of him getting onto the podium before the final round.

Away from the FIA series, it was a busy weekend as the French championship completed its penultimate event with a second visit to Essay for the ‘Rallycross Normandie’. Champion-elect Jerome Grosset-Janin extended his win tally to six. With closest rival Fabien Pailler down in seventh place, Grosset-Janin added significantly to his advantage at the top of the table as he led home Alain heu (Citroen C4) and Rodolphe Audran (Peugeot 207). Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Renault Clio)  became the Super1600 champion by taking the event win over Laurent Chartrain (C2) and David Olivier (Twingo) while Christophe Saunois (Toyota Corolla) and Jimmy Terpereau (Audi A3) topped Divisions Three and Four. Cyril Raymond added another victory and became the first champion in the new Renault Twingo Cup.

The Norwegian championship reached its conclusion at Skien where Stian Haugan guided his Citroen Xsara-based Supernational to another event win and with it the championship title ahead of Herbjorn Haug (Mercedes C) and Rune Engesvoll (Lexus) who flanked him on the event and championship podiums. Thommy Tesdal (Opel Corsa) took the Super1600 event win but lost the championship by just two points to Trond Marthinsen while Lars Oyvind Enerberg was best of the TouringCar pack on the day and at the end of the year. The Supercar category has not been well supported for most of the year, but drew a bigger entry here and was won by the Subaru Impreza of Morten Stensrud. Lise Marie Sandmo placed fifth in the final round of the Junior championship, but hung to take the title by just one point over Joakim Ronevik who was sixth, the event win being taken by Marte Marthinsen.

The GRC moved to the dirt track adjacent the superspeedway at Charlotte for its latest instalment. At the end of a dramatic event it was Scott Speed (Fiesta) who emerged with the victory ahead of marque colleagues Brian Deegan and Toomas Heikkinen. The latter, having bagged a handful of wins and been on the podium at every event, did enough here to put his name to the series title on a day when double champion Tanner Foust got tangled up in all the rough stuff and failed to make it to the final.

The GRC lites also got a champion at this event, Joni Wiman winning for the fifth time to put his name on the title and complete a Finnish lockout of the GRC crowns.

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