Bakkerud wins in Hell as rallycross stars plan Goodwood outing

Andreas Bakkerud is the only key component in the Hoonigan Racing Division team that isn’t fresh to World RX for 2016. The team, car and infrastructure is all new for the FIA World Rallycross Championship this term, but it took until just round five for Bakkerud to secure victory for Ken Block’s squad.

Bakkerud (Ford Focus) led the final in Hell, Norway from pole position and was never headed, having won all four of the qualifying sessions (a new record) and first semi-final. The only man that looked likely to beat Bakkerud, Russian Timur Timerzyanov (Ford Fiesta), started on the front row of the grid and took his joker on lap one. The former European Champion closed the gap on the leader but was forced to slow with a puncture sustained on lap four. Timmy Hansen (Peugeot 208) was second in his Peugeot-Hansen run 208, while Mattias Ekstrom (Audi S1) maintained his championship lead of five points over Petter Solberg by finishing third in a weekend where neither he or title rival Solberg (Citroen DS3) had the ultimate pace. The Norwegian finished fourth, with Sebastien Loeb (Peugeot 208) fifth and Timerzyanov sixth.

In the FIA European Rallycross Championship, Kevin Hansen (Peugeot 208) won every time he hit the circuit to dominate the weekend. Home driver Tord Linnerud (VW Polo) finished second while Tamas Pal Kiss (Peugeot 208) scored his first Euro RX podium in third, passing Jerome Grosset-Janin (Peugeot 208) on the final lap despite having a puncture, Grosset-Janin suffering from engine woes. Peter Hedstrom (Ford Fiesta) was fourth. Grosset-Janin was fifth and Fredrik Salsten (Peugeot 208) sixth. In the TouringCar category Philip Gerhman (Ford Fiesta) claimed victory with Per-Magne Royras (Mazda RX8) second and Fredrik Magnussen (Ford Fiesta) third. Thomas Bryntesson closed the gap to Cyril Raymond to just a single point in the RX Lites Cup with victory over the Frenchman in Norway. Simon Olofsson finished third.

British driver Andrew Jordan will drive an EKS Audi S1 World RX Supercar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week. Jordan made his debut for Mattias Ekstrom’s team in Italy last season and will act as wildcard and reserve driver this year. He will drive the Audi at Goodwood alongside his current Ford Focus British Touring Car. Liam Doran is also expected to take part in the FOS, while Ken Block will display is Ford Focus RS RX and drive his ‘RX43’ Fiesta with which he shot his Gymkhanan 8 video last year. The EKS team will also display an Audi S1 Supercar at Le Mans this weekend.

The third round of the Dutch Rallycross Championship was held at Valkenswaard, where the two Supercar entrants, Johnny Verkuringen (Subaru Impreza) and Wil Teurlings (Volvo S40) raced with the SuperTouringCars +2000 during the heats but sat out the final. In the final, it was Steve Volders (Ford Escort) who claimed victory in the category ahead of Kristof Bex (Volvo S40) and Bert Bosmans (Volvo 242). In SuperTouringCars -2000 Danny De Beuckelear (Volvo C30) won with Peter Van De Wege (Toyota Yaris) second and Claudia Smits (Ford Fiesta) third. Davy Van Den Branden (Citroen DS3) won for the first time in Holland of the season in the Super1600 division ahead of Peter Vingerhoets (Peugeot 206) and Pascal Roumans (Ford Fiesta), while Pim Garvelink headed home Jordi van Weert and Sem Lahaije in the RST Junior Cup final.

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