Seven days, October 3

In a week when the FIA signalled the beginning of a new era for rallycross by approving the formation of a World championship for 2014, another era came to an end when the Lyngas Motorbane at Drammen in Norway hosted the last event it will run before the track is ripped up and the former quarry becomes a landfill site. First used in 1972, the dramatic track hosted the Norwegian round of the European championship 25 times until 2004. The organising NMK Drammen hopes to continue its involvement in rallycross and is looking for an alternative venue. Last Saturday’s event (September 28) drew a good entry of drivers eager to drive the track one last time. Fresh from a brace of victories in the European championship Alexander Hvaal drove his Citroen DS3 Supercar and won the event ahead of Morten Bermingrud’s C4 and Stein Egil Jenssen’s Ford Focus. A notable entry in the Supercar class was Stian Hafsengen’s ex-Iversen RS200, still resplendent in its original livery. There was a good entry from the Supernational classes, the large capacity section won by Terje Morstad who unseated this year’s champion Stian Haugan. Jan Gabrielsen (Mazda RX8) won the TouringCar section ahead of Anders Braten (Fiesta), Asgeir Taraldsen (Peugeot 206, Super1600), Lise Marie Sandmo (Honda Civic, Junior), Olav Fredriksen (Volvo S40, Supernational class two) and Fredrik Magnussen (Ford, supernational class one) also take class wins at the event.

The Rallycross Challenge reached its conclusion at Sosnova in the Czech Republic where Patrick Van Mechelen won the event with his Ford Fiesta Supercar to claim the series victory over Pavel Koutny’s similar machine.  Ulrik Linnemann rounded out his season with a trip to the Czech Republic and promptly took a comfortable Super1600 win in his Peugeot 206, Sven Seeliger (Fiesta) and Eric Guillemette (Clio) finishing between him and series winner Stanislav Susta’s Skoda Fabia. There was also a Danish winner in TouringCar where Jakob Teil Hansen finished first in his Fiesta, leading home Jos Sterkens who takes the series title in his Volvo C30.

The Swedish ASN has approved plans for the STCC (Swedish Touring Car Championship) to run Rallycross Supercar Scandinavia in 2014. A six-race calendar is planned, four of the events run in conjunction with STCC qualifying events at Knutstorp, Mantopr Park and Tierp Arena. The fourth venue, and two events that will be run on ‘traditional’ rallycross tracks have yet to be announced. Yokohama will provide control tyres for the series  which will also feature a class for Supercar Lites.

Off the track, GRC series winner Toomas Heikkinen has signed up with V&V Sport Management, a Finnish operation that, among others, also represents World Rally Champion-elect Sebastien Ogier. Heikkinen moves to V&V with the clear intention of taking part in, and winning, the 2014 World Rallycross Championship. The news prompted us to dig out a short video (below) we’ve have not previously published and let you ride a couple of laps at Hyvinkaa with Heikkinen.

The entry for the British Rallycross Grand Prix, to be run at Croft on October 20 in a double-header with the final round of the British championship on the 19th, will include Anton Marklund who will use the event to continue the development of his VW Polo Supercar. Andy Scott will also take part in the event in which he plans to use his European championship Peugeot 208. Belgian Jos Jansen is also slated to appear in his Ford Focus.

The British championship element of the weekend will see the spotlight fall on the lower categories after Julian Godfrey (Fiesta VI) completed a hat trick of titles by finishing second in the penultimate round of the series at Pembrey. Godfrey was set to take the event win but a last lap spin dropped him to second place and gifted Pat Doran (Citroen DS3) his first victory of the year. Kevin Hansen won the Junior championship by taking the class win at Pembrey where Graham Rodemark put his name to the Swift Sport series and Marc Scott emerged as the RX150 champion.

British race track and rallycross venue Mallory Park is put into administration. The circuit has been involved in legal disputes regarding noise and its planning consent for some time. With restrictions on use of the circuit being enforced, its management have placed the company that runs the circuit into administration while a solution for the future of motor sport at the track is worked out.

FIA European Rallycross Champion in Super1600, Reinis Nitiss and GRC Lites champion Joni Wiman are both set to race Supercars for the first time this weekend. The pair are scheduled to drive at Kinnekulle in the final round of the Swedish championship, Wiman in an OMSE Fiesta and Nitiss in an ex-Hansen Citroen C4 run by TT Motorsport.

As attention turns towards 2014, the UK’s Swift Sport series is running a taster day at it’s testing venue near Silverstone on October 12, in which you can try your hand in one of its rallycross cars for just £39!

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BgZOc16tj8&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL-v_oxKAKvp5IrtEoLxAIu90d9N2UH85_[/tube]

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