New Supercar winners and national champions crowned across Europe

Former Super1600 racer Eric Faren claimed his first Supercar victory at the final round of the RallyX Nordic Championship at Sovalla. Faren won the final in wet and slippery conditions after Lukas Walfridson (Renault Clio) who has crossed the line first was demoted to sixth for pushing off Peter Hedstrom (Ford Fiesta). Hedstrom finished second with Kevin Eriksson (Ford Fiesta) third. The result was enough to secure Eriksson the Supercar title in his first season at the sport’s highest level. Faren ended up second in the standings with Walfridson just pipping 2014 champion Sebastian Eriksson to third. Eriksson missed the final round of the series while away on GRC duty. Tobias Svard (Skoda Fabia) finished fourth at Sovalla ahead of Fredrik Tiger (Ford Focus) and Walfridson. In the Supercar Lites category, Kevin Hansen took the championship lead at the Intermediate Classification but retired from the semi-finals with broken steering. Tobias Brink won both the semi-final and final to cement the title, while Thomas Bryntesson finished second and Andreas Wernersson came home third.

Jos Jansen (Ford Focus) started on pole at the latest round of the Belgian Rallycross Championship, held at Maasmechelen. Jochen Coox (VW Scirocco) made the best start, the pair duelling throughout the race until Coox out braked himself after Jansen had taken his joker and conceded the lead. Jansen won, Coox finished second. Dennis Remans (Ford Fiesta) won the Super1600 category ahead of Thijs Heezen (Ford Fiesta) despite having to take the joker lap twice having jumped the start. Euro RX driver Davy Van Den Branden (Citroen DS3) finished third. In SuperNational+ 2000, Kristof Bex (Volvo S40) won ahead of Luc Maris (Volvo 242) and Steve Volders (Ford Escort). Marc Vleeschouwers (Toyota Corolla) won SuperNational- 2000 after Martijn Van Hove (BMW 1 series) was demoted to eighth for contact with Steve Stessens (Opel Corsa).

The final round of the Estonian Rallycross Championship took place at Kulbilohu where FIA European Championship Super1600 driver Janno Ligur (Ford Fiesta) finished top after the heat stages in Supercar before winning the final. Fellow Euro RX Super1600 driver Janis Baumanis (Ford Fiesta) retired from the final and was classified fifth, but managed to score enough points to seal the title. Oliver Oberg (Subaru Impreza) finished second with Ricardo Bortkevits (Mitsubishi Evo) third and Vadzim Kishkurna (Ford Puma) fourth ahead of Baumanis. Andri Oun (Ford Fiesta) also retired. Siim Saluri (Citroen C2) won the joint Super1600 / Junior1600 final, with 2015 Super1600 champion Arvo Kask (Peugeot 206) second, leading home Junior1600 title winner Mihkel Varul (Peugeot 206) in third. Margo Soomets (BMW 318) won the TouringCar final ahead of Kalmer Vaht (Lad) and Rommi Pukk (BMW 318), the top three positions reversed in the championship standings.

Andretti Autosport driver Scott Speed (VW Polo) won on both days of the Global Rallycross Championship at Los Angeles to close in on Ken Block (Ford Fiesta) in the title race, who failed to make it to the final on Saturday. Top qualifier Tanner Foust (VW Polo) finished second with Patrick Sandell (Ford Fiesta) third. Sverre Isachsen (Subaru Impreza) scored Subaru’s best result of the season in fourth, while Steve Arpin (Ford Fiesta) finished fifth. On Sunday it was Brian Deegan (Ford Fiesta) who chased Scott home with Foust earning another podium in third. Sandell finished fourth with Arpin again fifth. Block suffered propshaft failure at the start of the final. Olsbergs MSE drivers Oliver Eriksson and Austin Cindric shared the spoils in the Supercar Lites category, Eriksson winning on Saturday ahead of Cindric before finishing third behind his team mate and Miles Maroney on Sunday. On Saturday, it was Alex Keyes who completed the podium finishers.

European Championship campaigner Tamas Karai (Skoda Fabia) won the seventh round of the Austrian Rallycross Championship at Greinbach, which was also a round of FIA Central Eastern Zone Rallycross Championship, Hungarian, Solvakien and Czech Republic Rallycross Championships. World RX Team Austria owner and driver Max Pucher (Ford Fiesta) finished second with former circuit racer Tamas Pal Kiss third, driving the Ford Fiesta used by Chris Brugger in the Canadian and Norwegian World RX events this year. Alois Holler (Ford Focus) finished fourth with Zoltan Vass (Mitsubishi Colt) fifth and Zoltan Harsanyi (Mitsubishi Evo) sixth. Mario Petrakovits (VW Polo) won the Super1600 final ahead of Hungarian “Luigi” (Skoda Fabia) and Attila Mozer (Skoda Fabia). Czech driver Roman Castoral (Opel Astra) won the SuperTouringCar- final ahead of Jakub Bittman (Peugeot 206) and Bruno Csirmaz (Honda Civic) while Volkswagen Golf driver Karl Schadenhofer won the SuperTouringCar+ final with Gerald Woldrich (Mercedes C Class) second and Attila Toth (BMW E36) completing the podium.

Alexander Hvaal won in the Norwegian Championship at Momarken, driving the ex-Frode Holte Volvo C30, where 14 Supercars took part. Another former European Championship event winner, Morten Bermingrud (Ford Focus) finished second with Stian Hafsengen (Renault Clio) completing the podium and sealing the championship crown in the process. Knut Ove Borseth (Ford Focus) finished fourth with Stein Egil Jenssen (Ford Focus) fifth and Jarle Nytrae (Ford Focus) sixth. European TouringCar racer David Nordgard raced the unmissable pink Ford Focus formally driven by Bo Fredrikson but rolled while leading his heat three race. Terje Morstad (BMW E46) won SuperNational Class Three, while Jonas Dalseth Jacobsen (BMW) won the SuperNational Class Two final, which featured a number of EuroRX TouringCar front runners, including Christian Sandmo (Mazda Rx8) who finished second and Ben-Philio Gundersen (Ford Fiesta) who was classified seventh. In SuperNational Class One it was Thomas Harberg (Citroen Saxo) who claimed victory. Frode Leirhol (VW Wankel) won RCN Class One while Nicholas Andersen (Ford Escort) was victorious in RCN Class Two and Ole Markus H.Jorgen (VW Golf) won the Rallycross Junior Cup final ahead of Marius Bermingrud (Honda Civic).

The ‘home of rallycross’, Lydden Hill, is planning a serious overhaul, with plans announced this week already submitted to Dover District Council. The new-look Kent venue would feature the erection of a part two storey, part three storey spectator hospitality building, two grandstands, a two storey building comprising competitor hospitality and administration and scrutineering facilities. Also included are plans to use a currently disused entrance to ease congestion on the A2 on busy weekends. In addition to the race circuit facilities, the venue plans to build 14 engineering units, and will hold non-motor racing activities such as driver training, track days, car shows, craft fairs and hot air-ballooning. The British circuit is asking for members of the motorsport community to support the new plans by either writing to or emailing Dover District Council, or by heading to the council’s website. The reference number is DOV/15/00827. Find more information here.

The MSA British Rallycross Swift Sport championship is running a test day at Pembrey in South Wales on Friday where full and half day sessions are being run for beginners and experienced competitors. Head here to find out more.

Multiple Female Trials World Laia Sanz will race an RX Lites at the tenth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship which takes place at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend. The Spaniard is incredibly successful in her field, with 10 European titles in Women’s Trials, six titles in the Trial of Nations, three Female Enduro World titles and gold medals in Cross Enduro at X Games to her credit. Sanz is also an experienced Dakar competitor and in 2015 finished as the highest ever female rider in ninth overall. “I am thrilled to participate in BarcelonaRX. At the same time I’m a little self-conscious because it is totally new for me, but I like everything that runs on gasoline,” she said.

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