Lautamaki in Finland, Peu in France, Steffen in Belgium in Germany!

16 June Skoda Fabia driver Jukka Lautamaki wins the second round of the Finnish Rallycross Championship at Honkajoki, as early leader Mikko Ikonen spun his Eklund Motorsport-built Saab 93 on the second lap and was collected by Ari Perkiomaki. Pole starter Riku Takho inherited the lead on the second tour, but broke his BMW Mini’s front suspension while taking avoiding action. He eventually finished third, behind Janne Rinta-Kauhajarvi, finding off a challenge from Ari-Pekka Niemi in the final corners. A week after racing a Ford Fiesta in World RX for the STARD team, Joni-Pekka Rajala reverts to his Supernational Ford Escort and wins at Honkajoki ahead of Mika Perttula. Juha Rytkonen wins the Autocrossi final.

The second round of the 2018 RX Academy joins the Finnish Championship event and it was Polish driver Oskar Leitgeber who dominates the single-make category. The rallycross newcomer held top spot throughout the event to take the points lead. Sami-Matti Trogen finishes second for the second round in succession, with Marko Muru completing the podium, using a first lap joker to overcome Marat Knyazev for third.

17 June The fourth round of the French Rallycross Championship takes place at Faleyras and, on the annual visit to the Bordeaux circuit gets a new winner at Samuel Peu takes his first win of the year, finally bringing Guerlain Chicherit’s winning run to an end. Peu had a little luck to help him on the way, inheriting victory in semi-final two after Fabien Chanoine (Clio) and Julien Febreau (208) crashed out of the race in the last corner. The win placed Peu on the front row of the grid alongside Antoine Masse who won the first semi. The final is halted in the first lap and is restarted without Kevin Jacquinet (Fiesta) and Adeline Sangnier (DS3). Masse had led the first start, but at the restart stalled his DS3. Peu led from the start, Masse fighting back into contention but finishes 0.3s behind Peu. Chicherit places third to maintain his championship lead. Yvonnick Jagu (Skoda Fabia) takes his second successive Super1600 victory while Valentin Comte claims the Clio Cup win and Divisions Three and Four fall to David Vincent (Clio) and Xavier Goubill (Peugeot 306).

For no better reason than it is (we think) unique and rather cool, here’s a pic of Nicolas Beaucle’s Division Three (two-litre, two-wheel drive) Mercedes A Class at Flayeras.

The event is also used to publicly launch the Faleyras Academy which has been created with RX2 champion Cyril Raymond (below) to offer an advanced driving and coaching school on the challenging rallycross track. The academy will use Renault Twingo R1s, similar to the car in which Raymond first sprung to prominence in the French championship.

17 June The Belgian Rallycross Championship ventures to Buxtehude where it runs alongside the German championship. With the German series mandating standard pump fuel, the two series are split and local hero Andreas Steffen races his Fiesta with the visitors while Dietmar Brand (Golf VR6) beats Victor Smolski’s Audi S4 in the German series. Steffen wins the Belgian event, holding off a challenge from Kristian Szabo, the double European S1600 champion having a run out in a VW Polo Supercar run by Volland Racing. Johnny Verkuringen (Subaru Impreza) is third and best of the Belgians.

17 June Former MSA Supernational Rallycross Champion Tony Lynch scores victory in the fourth round of the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship at Blyton Park in his Ford KA after first-corner contact dropped challenger Patrick Ryan down the order. The Vauxhall Nova driving Irishman climbs back to second behind Lynch, while Marc Jones finishes third in a Toyota MR2. Luke Mason wins the Production category final from Sue Lane and Daniel Flintcroft, while Ryan Taylor wins the Classic final in a BMW E30 and Paul Davis scores victory in the Production 4×4 class in a Subaru Impreza. 2018 newcomer Luke Constantine remains unbeaten in the Clubmans Junior category and continues to lead the overall championship.

17 June Alois Holler dominates the latest instalment of the Austrian Rallycross Championship at Greinbach in his Ford Focus to beat the Mitsubushi Evo and Volkswagen Polo of Christoph Holzner and Tristan Ekker in the Supercar final. European Rallycross Supercar racer CsuCsu wins the Super1600 final in a SET Promotion-built Renault Twingo, as Volkswagen Golf racer Karl Schadenhofer claims the SuperTouringCars+ final in a Volkswagen Golf. Czech driver Roman Castoral yet again won the SuperTouringCar- final in his Opel Astra and Daniel Karlovits drives his Honda Civic to victory in the SuperTouringCars -1600cc final.

15 June One of the most enthusiastic and generous supporters of rallycross, Tom Hvaal, died. He was 52 and had been suffering from cancer. Hvaal’s name had been seen on more rallycross cars than perhaps anyone else’s over the last 15 or more years. A successful businessman, Hvaal indulged his passion for rallycross by backing drivers at every level of the sport. That extended to the racing of his two sons, Alexander and Joachim, the former a two-time European Championship event winner in 2013 (below). Hvaal’s brother, Even, also flew the flag successfully, as did his daughter Ada Marie. An unassuming but enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of the paddock, Hvaal enabled many to race.

18 June Ken Block and Steve Arpin will race a pair of Ford Focus RS RX Supercars in the second round of Americas Rallycross at COTA, which will be held on July 14 as a day-night single-day event. The cars that raced in the World Rallycross Championship in 2016 and 2017 are being redeveloped by Loenbro Motorsports, the two drivers set to run together as a Hoonigan Racing and Loenbro Motorsports combined effort.

21 June Travis Pastrana has announced that he will make his ARX debut at COTA next month in the third Vermont Sportscar-run Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI raced in the season-opener at Silverstone by David Higgins, partnering Patrick Sandell and Chris Atkinson. “I can’t wait to get back into the 600hp Subaru WRX STI rallycross car in Austin with the ARX series,” said Pastrana. “Rallycross is a blast and fans are going to enjoy the track and all the action at COTA, I’m really looking forward to it.”