World RX to star on BBC Top Gear

The FIA World Rallycross Championship will feature on the BBC’s Top Gear programme this Sunday evening [8 Mar] at 20.00 GMT on BBC2. In the programme, presenter James May will drive a World RX Supercar while co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond act as May’s spotters. The feature was filmed late last year at Lydden Hill, and features a number of World RX stars including Petter Solberg, Timmy Hansen, Andreas Bakkerud and Liam Doran. World RX event winner and US-Top Gear presenter Tanner Foust is on hand to offer May advice.

Finnish World RX driver Toomas Heikkinen has completed a busy off-season period in the Andros Trophy Ice-Racing series, racing a Mazda France entered Mazda 3, run by the Sainteloc Racing team. Heikkinen finished seventh overall and top rookie, helping Mazda France lift the teams’ title while experienced team mate Jean-Philippe Dayraut clinched the overall crown. “I had a lot of fun, but most of all I learned so much. The Andros Trophy is actually a very specialised discipline, so it is not easy to get to grips with quickly. But now I am starting to get an idea and I would really like to come back next year and have another go,” said Heikkinen, who is now focused on the start of the World RX season. “My plans should be announced in a couple of weeks’ time, so I’m looking forward to that and another busy season ahead. For the moment I’m busy with training and preparation.”

Petter Solberg will continue celebrating his FIA World Rallycross Championship title this weekend in his hometown of Spydeberg, Norway on Saturday. The Norwegian will drive his Citroen Xsara WRC through the centre of the town “flat out.” When Solberg won his WRC title in 2003, 10,000 fans attended a similar occasion. “It’s such an honour that Spydeberg commune is giving my World RX title this kind of attention,” said Solberg. “It’s going to be a fantastic night – I can’t wait to give my local commune a show to celebrate.”

World RX has announced a multi-year deal with new logistics partner GAC. The deal means that cars can now be transported around the World by air as well as sea, a service that will be used for the first time this season when cars are flown between the Norwegian and Canadian World RX rounds.

Irish tarmac rally specialist Geoffrey Dolan will race the ex-Christopher Evans Opel Astra in the British Rallycross Championship this season, (read here). 2014 British Championship runner-up Steve Harris will race the Citroen DS3 previously used by Pat Doran, while Doran himself will race the second of the three cars that were campaigned by the LD Motorsports in the World Rallycross Championship last season. Vauxhall stalwart Gary Dixon appears on the Croft entry list in a new Vauxhall VX220, replacing his Vauxhall Astra.

The first round of the BTRDA Clubmans rallycross Championship takes place in England this weekend, but reigning champion Kieran Curran has been forced to withdraw from the event through illness. He plans to return for the second round of the series at Pembrey in June.

Eight drivers are entered in Supercar for the first round of the Belgian Rallycross Championship at Maasmechelen this weekend, where Johnny Verkuringen will race the ex-Patrick Van Mechelen Subaru Impreza. Super1600 will also be present, alongside a healthy entry in SuperNational + and SuperNational -.

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