Seven days in rallycross, October 30

France has been celebrating the success of the Ladies Cup initiative that ran within the Twingo Cup series supporting the French Rallycross Championship this year. The series provided a separate final for the best female competitors in the Twingo Cup. The first ‘Coupe des Dames’ champion is Lucie Grosset-Janin who tried her hand in rallycross during the 2013 season and put in a full campaign this year. “The season has been very satisfying and rewarding, both in the Coupe des Dames in the Twingo Cup,” she said “My lap and my result in the last race showed good progress! Nothing is more encouraging than the last weekend of the season that has left me a good foundation to build on next year.” Grosset-Janin’s progress during the year also saw her become increasingy competitive within the main Twingo Cup series, challenging more experienced racers and qualifying for the semi-finals in five events and making it to the final at the last round of the series at Dreux where she finished sixth.  Grosset Janin took the series title ahead of Sandra Vincent and Catherine Chartrain. At the end of the year Grosset-Janin was also classified eighth in the FFSA’s Junior Championship. Having attracted a full eight-car field for the final round of the year, the Ladies Cup has been judged a success and is scheduled to be included in the 2015 French championship alongside the Twingo and Junior cups.

Former European champion Knut Ove Borseth is set to return to rallycross in 2015 and has announced plans for a two-car team to challenge for glory in the FIA European Rallycross Championship as part of a plan that aims to allow the squad to progress to the World championship in the future. “We will be back where should be, on the track. Competing and inspiring the youngsters in our Drive for Life organisation through the exciting spectacle that rallycross is”, said Borseth. Drive for Life boss Borseth will assume the role of lead driver in the team, which will add a second Ford Focus Supercar to its lineup. The identity of the second driver has not yet been announced. Technology company Dogu has also announced that it will be a sponsor of the team.

Hoping to close a difficult season on a positive note, Liam Doran has confirmed that he will race in the final round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, and given some details on why he has been missing from the field since July; his licence suspended following an incident during the British round of the World championship at Lydden in May in which a Ford RS200 driven by his father – in a demonstration event that formed part of the supporting programme to the event – caught fire. “It had already been a difficult weekend from my point of view … when I saw my Dad’s car in flames on the start line, with him stuck inside, all I wanted to do was get him out. It was a completely freak set of circumstances, and while I can’t go back at change it, I do regret the way things went down. I lost my temper, and that wasn’t the way I wanted things to happen. But my Dad’s life was in danger, and I’d like to believe that anyone would do the same under equal circumstances. As a result of what happened I had my licence taken away, and with the legal proceedings, I was advised not to comment publicly,” said Doran who will take part in the Gymkhana Grid event in Madrid this weekend prior to racing in the World RX final in Argentina at the end of the month.

Meanwhile World RX Champion Petter Solberg will spend this weekend taking part in the Condroz Rally in Belgium where he will share a Citroen C4 WRC with Phil Mills who partnered the Norwegian to his 2003 World Rally Championship and contested 152 WRC events with Solberg. “I must admit, I don’t know so much about the rally, except that it’s a very, very popular event with fans and competitors. But, having competed in World RX of Belgium earlier this year, I do know about the country and just how much those guys love their motorsport. The atmosphere at the race was incredible and I’m sure it will be the same when we get to the start of the rally,” said Solberg.

Renis Nitiss is also in this weekend’s Gymkhana Grid event and had a trick up his sleeve to try and learn a lesson from Ken Block…

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpMFTE55NQo[/tube]

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