Evjen’s Euro RX bid, full house as RallyX Nordic pairs with Finnish champ at Kouvola

19 August In a topsy-turvy day of Swedish Touring Car Championship action on and off the track at Karlskoga, World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson gains the championship lead in his VW Golf TCR after the four PWR Racing SEATs, including that of race winner Mikaela Ahlin-Kotulinsky, were disqualified after technical inspections found the exhaust systems did not comply with regulations. Ahlin-Kotulinsky – who has also raced in rallycross in RX2 and the British RX150 series – had made history by becoming the first female winner of an STCC race. Kristoffersson’s STCC year has been one of frustration; frequently able to out qualify the field, the BOP has left his VW at a disadvantage over race distances.

21 August RX2 front runner Sondre Even announces plans to race a Volkswagen Polo in the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercar in Latvia next month. The 20-year-old Norwegian is close to the end of his third year in the RX2 category in which he has won events in both the RX2 International Series (Riga 2016) and the RallyX Nordic series. He will remain with JC Raceteknik for the move to Supercar.

23 August The RX150 series that is part of the British Rallycross Championship events announces that GT racer Tom Onslow-Cole will be a guest driver in the August Bank Holiday Monday event at Lydden. Onslow-Cole previously drove in rallycross in 2015, racing in RX2 in the Turkish World RX event at Istanbul Park, a drive he won in a talent search. At Lydden he’ll be joined in the RX150 field by 2016 British champion Dan Rooke and World RX commentator Andrew Coley.

24 August The final round of the Finnish Rallycross Championship takes place this weekend at Kouvola where national drivers will battle for the title at the same time as going head-to-head with the RallyX Nordic field which makes its first appearance in Finland. Riku Tahko (MINI) leads the Finnish series into its final round while the RallyX Nordic title race has Thomas Bryntesson (Fiesta) and Oliver Solberg (Citron DS3) level on points with one round remaining after Kouvola. The entry boasts 23 Finns alongside ten Nordic Supercar entries.

24 August A day of mixed news for the RX Academy begins with the shocking news that Troy Dowel has withdrawn from the series having been diagnosed with Leukemia. The young Australian was taken ill while travelling in Ireland. The RX Academy announces the participation at Kouvola of accomplished kart racer Juho Valtanen. The five-time Finnish champion placed third in the CIK FIA World Championship in 2017.

24 August Timur Timerzyanov reveals pics of the Dodge Dart that he will race in the President’s Cup event at his home track in Kazan on 26 August. Timerzyanov owns the unique Dodge (raced by Brice Menzies) having managed to acquire it when it should have been crushed. “I got it for the parts but decided it would be better if I put it together,” said Timerzyanov who raced the sister car four times in 2013, splitting the season with Travis Pastrana.

Pics: STCC / JC Raceteknik / RX Racing / RallyX Nordic / RX Academy / Timerzyanov