Supercar wins for Baumanis, Jansen and Piquet as World RX lands in Norway

European Super1600 leader Janis Baumanis (Ford Fiesta) won the fifth round of the Estonian Rallycross Championship at Vasalemma to further extend his lead at the top of the championship. Otto Taht (Mitsubishi Evo) finished second with Baumanis’ Reinsalu Sport stable mate Renee Pohl (Ford Fiesta) also making it to the podium. Ricardo Bortkevits (Mitsubishi Evo) finished fourth with Andri Oun (Ford Fiesta) fifth and Oliver Oberg (Subaru Impreza) sixth. Arvo Kask (Volkswagen Golf) won the joint Super1600 / Junior1600 final, ahead of Andre Kurg (Lada Amara) and Mihkel Varul (Peugeot 206). Rommi Pukk (BMW 318) won the TouringCar final.

Five Supercars took part in the fourth round of the Rallycross Challenge Europe at Valkenswaard in Holand, where Belgian Jos Jansen (Ford Focus) won ahead of Roman Stepanenko (Citroen C4), who had taken the lead at the start of the final. Jansen survived a close call with the final corner sand trap to take the win, while Austrian Max Pucher (Ford Fiesta) completed the podium. Jonny Verkuringen (Subaru Impreza) finished fourth with Oleg Grishin (Skoda Fabia) fifth. Renault Clio driver Egor Sanin won again in Super1600, ahead of Artis Baumanis (Renualt Twingo) and Peter van de Wege (Toyota Yaris). Davy Leysen (BMW E36) headed home a trio of Belgian podium finishers in SuperTouringCars+, he was joined on the podium by Ludo Hermans (Ford Escort) and Kristof Tauwenberg (Volvo C30). Czech driver Roman Castoral (Opel Astra) proved to be the class of the field in SuperTouringCars- and claimed victory ahead of Jos Sterkens (Volvo C30) and Joel Strackx (Honda Civic).

Recently crowned Formula E champion Nelson Piquet (Ford Fiesta) won the seventh round of the American-based Global Rallycross Championship in Washington DC, his first victory in the series. Swedish driver Patrik Sandell (Ford Fiesta) joined Piquet on the front row of the grid and followed the leader throughout the final to finish second, with points leader Ken Block (Ford Fiesta) completing the podium and extending his margin to Sebastian Eriksson at the top of the standings. Steve Arpin made it four Ford Fiestas in the top four, while Tanner Foust (Volkswagen Beetle) broke the trend in fifth, having lost out to the pair ahead in a battle for third. Eriksson finished sixth and maintains his second position in the championship standings. In the Lites category, Alex Keyes won his second event of the season ahead of Oliver Eriksson and Miles Maroney.

Former WRC driver Guy Wilks will make his second World RX start with JRM Racing in a Mini RX Supercar at Loheac next month. Wilks made it to the final on his rallycross debut at Lydden Hill, and will partner debutant Guerlain Chicherit in the team at Loheac. “I’m hugely excited to be back on the World RX grid at Loheac,” said Wilks. “Lydden was a bit of a trip into the unknown but reaching the final was fantastic and that’s given me confidence heading to France. I’m a lot more comfortable in my own ability when it comes to driving in rallycross and understanding the race craft that’s required to be successful.”

Ahead of the eighth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Norway this weekend, championship leader Petter Solberg welcomed the arrival of the 19 Supercars that had flown by airfreight in a Boeing 747-400 from Montreal to Trondheim for the event, at the end of last week. Solberg, who performed for fans and media in his ‘breathed on’ Citroen Xsara WRC, was joined by Andreas Bakkerud at Trondheim airport.

Former driver Ron Wright (80) died recently, he had been ill with cancer since the start of the year. A regular competitor until the late-1980s, Wright was well known, specially at events in the south of England, and one of many to successfully race Minis. When the Mini eventually began to show its age Wright upgraded to a BDA-engined Fiesta bought from Trevor Reeves. However, Wright deserves to be better known for the contribution he made to rallycross after he stopped racing. A tireless member of the British Rallycross Drivers Association, Wright held various committee positions over a period of more than a decade and was a key part of the organisation when it re-established the British championship. We extend our sympathies to his family and many friends.

Johan Kristoffersson sealed the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia title at Gellerasen with his 10th win from 10 starts in the series. The Swede started the two races from the front row of the gird, and has won the title with four rounds remaining.

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