SDRX reveal as World RX gears up for 2015

The week started with the big reveal of the eight teams and two individual drivers that will contest this year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship as ‘permanent’ entries. The 18 drivers were present at the championship launch at the Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona which will play host the series later this year on a new bespoke rallycross track that will sit within the F1 circuit.

While some teams had already confirmed driver lineups, the launch event revealed the new SDRX squad in which World Champion Petter Solberg is joined by Liam Doran, and also the individual entry for Timur Timerzyanov who will drive an OMSE-run Fiesta. All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport also named Alx Danielsson as the second driver alongside team boss Rene Munnich in its new Audi A3s. In addition to the permanent entries, JRM Racing was present with one its MINI RX racers and American drivers Dave Mirra and Danny Way who are set to begin their season with the British team at Hockenheim next month.

In addition to his full WorldRX season with Volkswagen Team Sweden, Johan Kristoffersson has confirmed a campaign in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. Using the series for additional seat time and to keep his race skills honed, Kristoffersson is returning to the scene of great success in 2012 and 2013 when he won 20 races and two championships over two seasons.

Olsbergs MSE has also named its drivers in the GRC and RallyX Scandinavia series. Joni Wiman will return to the GRC as defending champ, joined in the team by Lites graduate Mitchel De Jong.  Kevin Eriksson and Sebastian Eriksson will driver Supercars in Sweden. RX Lites also features in the OMSE season, Austin Cindric and Oliver Eriksson racing in the US while Kevin Eriksson will contest the RX Lites Cup at World RX events and Sandra Hultgren joins the squad in Sweden.

The opening round of the Dutch Rallycross Championship took place at the Eurocircuit at Valkenswaard last weekend. The series has returned to being officially called rallycross after many years of using ‘rallyracing’, but the new year opened with a small entry and no starters in the Supercar category. Four cars showed up in Super1600, Nikita Misyulya, taking a convincing victory ahead of Peter Van De Wege and Willem Veltman. Dennis Van Rijn couldn’t make the start of the final due to problems just before the start. In the upto two-litre Supernational category Belgian Marc Vleeschouwers grabbed a surprising victory ahead of Patrick De Decker, the pair going ahead after Martijn Vanhove’s BMW 1M suffered suspension problems. The Belgian pair Kristof Bex and Steve Volders battled for the over two-litre Supernational win, Bex crossing the finish-line first with his Volvo.

Cars from the RX150 category that races in the British Rallycross Championship will take part in beach races at MCN Live in Skegness this weekend. Class champion Marc Scott will be joined by BRC points leader Andy Scott and Euro RX newboy James Grint at the event in which former RX150 champion Leo Forster will return to action.

[portfolio_slideshow]