Seven days in rallycross, January 9

Ahead of appearing at this weekend’s Autosport International, British Rallycross Championship promoters Lydden Hill Race Circuit have released a calendar for the 2014 BRC. The schedule lists six events, starting with a two-day event at Lydden on March 29-30 and ending at Croft in October. A major change for 2014 is an outing to the Eurocircuit at Valkenswaard in Holland on April 13 for round two, only the second time that the British championship has ever been to the Dutch venue, the last time being in 1995 when Dermot Carnegie was the winner in his Metro 6R4. The British series will also visit Knockhill on May 11, Pembrey on July 27 and Lydden again for the Bank Holiday event on August 24-25. The MSA British rallycross Grand Prix is pencilled in to run the day after the series finale at Croft.

FIA rallycross championship Rookie of the Year in 2013, Timmy Hansen is in the running for the Driver of the Year award from Swedish magazine Bilsport. Hansen has already been named as the magazine’s rallycross driver of the year and is now, along with the winners of all other categories, in the public vote for the overall title. Anyone can vote until January 25, just click here.

Also in search of public support is the Chateauroux venue in France. The owners of the site on which the popular halt on the French Rallycross Championship sits have plans to build a new motor sport complex – that will include a rallycross track – but have run into opposition from a group opposing the development. There is now a growing campaign in favour of the new track being built, but more support is needed. More details at the Chateauroux website, and you can also sign the online petition in favour of the new track.

Swedish rally driver Ramona Karlsson recently visited Prodrive in her continued efforts to make it into the World Rallycross Championship.

Finnish star Toomas Heikkinen has been training hard in recent weeks to regain fitness after an operation to remove pins inserted in his legs after his 2012 X-Games crash. This weekend he gets the chance to try his fitness in a racecar as he takes part in the fourth round of the Andros Trophy ice racing series at Isola 2000. Heikkinen will drive a Fiesta, or at least what looks like a Fiesta, for the Sainteloc team; the spaceframe car boasting a mid-mounted three-litre V6 engine and four-wheel steering. “It’s going to be interesting for me to find out how the car works. On the driving side I think I understand but I will need to learn about how we use the tyres for example and what the circuit is like. So I can’t wait to get started!” said Heikkinen who will get a test outing the car ahead of the event.

While Heikkinen and the Andros circus play in the snow, race fans from Britain and many other countries will descend on Birmingham’s NEC this weekend for Autosport International. Among the rallycross interest will be the launch of the 2014 BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship. The six-event calendar was announced last month and will have its final round at Croft, see the onboard video below.

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[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9Ir91V5NbA&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL-v_oxKAKvp5IrtEoLxAIu90d9N2UH85_[/tube]