Dubourg leads Andros Trophy. Nordic racers ready for ice. Solberg in FIA Hall of Fame. Paddon to rallycross.

26 January The penultimate points-scoring Andros Trophy race of the season takes place at Lans-en-Vercors where JB Dubourg extends his championship lead. Dubourg wins the first Elite Pro race of the weekend and places third in the second. The series heads to Super Besse this weekend where the title will be settled between Dubourg and Aurelien Panis. There is then the non-points finale at the Stade de France in Paris on 9 February.

28 January Kevin Hansen will return to Supercar Lites this weekend when he races with Team Faren in the SM Week. An ice event held at Sundsvall as part of a televised weekend of winter sport, the SM Week event will be Hansen’s first competitive outing in a Lites car since he won the RX2 series in 2015.

29 January JC Raceteknik will contest the RX2 season with Sondre Evjen, Ben-Philip Gundersen and Jimmie Walfridson. The Swedish team will begin its 2019 season in this weekend’s SM Week at Sundsvall where its three drivers will be joined by former Swedish rally champion Pelle Wilen. “In RX2 we are aiming to be on the top of the podium at the end of the season. We have good drivers and equipment to do that, and the goal is the same in Rally X Nordic too. The SM week race will be an exciting and fun competition. It is a completely new track, so it be equal conditions for everyone. Pelle is our ice racer who has been driving with us for several years, so it is great to have with him with us,” said team boss Joel Christoffersson.

30 January Former World Rally and World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg is inducted into the FIA’s Hall of Fame. Solberg was one of 17 WRC title winners to be added to the Hall of Fame, they join the F1 drivers included in the launch selection. “With the World Rally Champions now joining the Formula One World Champions in the FIA Hall of Fame, it adds another storyboard that documents a fascinating journey through time, both with the drivers, co-drivers and their machinery,” said FIA President Jean Todt.

31 January The new GRC Europe series announces that former works Hyundai World Rally Championship driver Hayden Paddon will race in the single make Titans category this year, driving a Pantera RX6. “I have been in Rallying for a long time, so Rallycross is not completely new to me, but I will have to adapt to cars racing alongside me. GRC Europe will be a new challenge and I am looking forward to taking it on, joining the other drivers throughout the year and trying to be competitive”, said the New Zealander.

31 January The 2019 ARX calendar is announced. The US-based series enters its second year with a six-event schedule and two new venues introduced. The championship will take place over five weekends, rounds two and three a double-header. Round one will take place on a new track at Mid Ohio on 8-9 June, the series then moving to Gateway Motorsports Park in Illinois for a double-header weekend on 13-14 July. ARX joins World RX at Trois-Rivieres in August, then moves to COTA in September before returning to Mid Ohio for the final round in October.