Bakkerud wins, EKS and Tohill crowned, Hansen awarded

The final round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship took place at Rosario in Argentina for the final time last weekend, before the series’ season finale moves to South Africa next year, and it was Hoonigan Racing Division driver Andreas Bakkerud (Ford Focus) who led from lights to flag in the six-lap final to win his third event of the season. Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Polo) finished second to secure him runner up spot in the Drivers’ standings, one point ahead of Bakkerud and outgoing champion Petter Solberg (Citroen DS3), who lost out on an overall rostrum on wins’ countback. Solberg had dominated the qualifying stages in Argentina but had his hopes of a second win of the year dashed in the semi-finals due to first-chicane contact. Toomas Heikkinen (Audi S1) finished third, having already secured the Teams’ Championship with EKS team mate Mattias Ekstrom (Audi S1) in the semi-finals. Ekstrom finished fifth in the final, the pair sandwiching Timo Scheider (Seat Ibiza), who made his third start for the Munnich Motorsport team and finished fourth. Robin Larsson (Audi A1) was sixth.

Less than a week after the 2016 World RX season finished, the top three drivers and the teams champions were awarded their trophies at the FIA Awards Gala in Vienna on Friday evening, where an EKS Audi S1 was also on display alongside the other FIA World title winning cars. FIA European Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen was also awarded, the young Swede receiving the FIA Rookie of the Year award, voted for by members of the FIA Drivers’ Commission.

Derek Tohill (Ford Fiesta) won the final round of the Irish Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park to claim the IRX title for the first time in his career. The double European Rallycross Champion dominated the event and won both the Supercar final and Superfinal to secure the crown. Noel Greene (Mitsubishi Mirage) finished second in the Superfinal with outgoing IRX champion Willie Coyne (Opel Corsa) third overall having won the Modified final ahead of Patrick Ryan (Vauxhall Corsa), who finished the Superfinal fourth. John Ward (Peugeot 106) won the Stockhatch 16v final while Dan McDonnell won the single-make Ford Fiesta final. Shane Duggan (Nissan Micra) claimed victory in the Junior final and the category title, while Patrick Donoghue (Peugeot 205) won the rally car final and Terry McKay was victorious in the Buggy A final.

Supporting the final round of the World Rallycross championship in Roasrio was the Argentine National CarX series, now in its third year. Federico Villagra (Ford Fiesta) won the Maxi Rally final, ahead of Augusto D’Agostini (VW Gol) and Hernan Kim. In the N4 category, Leo Nazareno (Mitsubishi Evo) claimed victory with Levy Diego (Mitsubishi Evo) second and Frederico Santillan (Mitsubishi Evo) third.

Former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz, son of former FIA European Rallycross Champion Franz Wurz will test a World RX for the first time early next week, when he drives a World RX Team Austria Ford Fiesta at Greinbach. The news comes just days after Jenson Button gave the strongest indication yet that he has firm plans to create his own rallycross team in the future, following an interview live on Channel 4’s coverage of the final round of the F1 championship in Abu Dhabi.

FIA World Rallycross Championship commentator Andrew Coley has been announced as hosting the MSA British Rallycross Championship Night of Champions for the 2016 season, which will take place on February 4 next year, the exact date of the 50^th Anniversary of rallycross.