RX season review: JRX

The JRX International Series joined the FIA European Rallycross Championship for six events in 2013, and a produced a championship fight that went right down to the wire.

Heading into the opening for the junior rallycross series in Hungary, Kevin Hansen was arguably the driver to beat in the JRX division, based on his success in the category’s first year of competition in 2012. However, at the first event Hansen struggled with a down-on-power engine and was forced into damage limitation mode. While Hansen struggled, compatriot Magda Andersson took pole position for the final.  Beaten off the line by William Nilsson, Andersson took her joker on the first lap, Nilsson reacting taking his on the second. It was close between the pair as they exited the joker, Andersson being forced into the barriers on the outside of the final corner and out of the race. Nilsson won, with Finnish youngster Pasi Pukema second and Hansen third.

The second round in Finland brought Nilsson’s first pole position of the season and a dominating display in the final to take his second victory, ahead of Magda Andersson. Hansen again struggled and retired from the final, but was classified third. Norway one week later marked the halfway point of the season and another victory for Nilsson who passed pole-sitter Kevin Hansen in the closing laps of the final when the leader made a mistake. Magda Andersson finished third, ahead of Ada-Marie Hvaal who made her first start of the year.

Round six at Holjes, Sweden was the scene of the tide turning, with the run of form going the way of Hansen, who was dominant. Despite making a poor start in the final, he took his joker early and caught and passed Andersson before she took hers. With a brave move over the jump the young Swede seized the lead from Nilsson and took the win. The series visited Austria for the penultimate round, where Hansen again dominated. Despite spinning out in heat three he took maximum points from the event to close the championship gap to Nilsson to just one point. Nilsson finished the Austrian round second, with Andersson again on the podium in third.

Nilsson and Hansen entered the final round in Germany ready for a battle for the championship, but with fast championship regular Andersson and one-off driver Oscar Solberg contesting the event anything could still happen. Andersson and Solberg were quick, but not as quick as Nilsson and Hansen, the latter coming out on top at the Intermediate Classification to draw level on championship points with Nilsson. The pair shared the front row for the final, but Nilsson had no answer to Hansen who dominated the final and seized the championship title from Nilsson at the very last opportunity. Nilsson came home a well-deserved second with Solberg (son of Henning) third. Magda Andersson rounded out her season with fourth place to claim third overall in the championship standings.

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