Ken Block in Projekt E. RX Italia returns as France hits trouble. Portugal and Czech events.

31 July    The FIA makes the first public statement about it’s new for 2021 electric rallycross series. The result of a tender that was run last year under the working title ‘Junior eRX’, the first iteration of the eRX2 car – features an interim ‘prototype’ composite bodyshell on an RX2 Supercar Lites chassis. The new championship is scheduled to run at six events in europe and will be on an ‘arrive-and-drive’ basis. The four-wheel drive all-electric have been re-engineered by QEV Technologies and produce 250kW. “We are delighted that through the launch of the FIA eRX2 Championship we are able to provide a cost-effective entry point for younger drivers to become part of rallycross’s electric future,” said Gyarfas Olah, FIA Off-Road Commission President.

31 July   RX Italia confirms that the rescheduled Italian Rallycross Championship will begin with a double-header event at Maggiora on 29-30 August, the track running in reverse direcion on the first day and the ’normal’ way around on Sunday. The events will be run behind closed doors and without spectators but will be livestreamed.

31 July    Projekt E reveals that Volland Racing will join the championship. There is no information on what car Volland will run in the series, or who will race, but the crack German team has become the dominant force in Super1600 using Skodas before switching to Audi A1s. Volland Racing could join Projekt e for its final round of 2020 at Nurburgring in December.

2 August    Polish racer Zgigniew Staniszewski (Ford Fiesta) wins the Czech Championship event at Sedlcany. Czech Marek Joura (Mitsubishi Mirage) finishes second with Austrian Alois Holler (Ford Fiesta) completing the podium. There is Polish sucess in Super1600 too where Radoslaw Raczkowski (Skoda Fabia) takes the win while evergreen Czech racer Roman Castoral (Opel Astra)  is best of the two-litre TouringCar field. Tomas Marchal (Skoda Rapid), Jiri Matejka (Skoda Felicia) and Pavel Koutny (Mitsubishi Lancer) win the three Historic classes

2 August   The Portuguese Championship continued into its third round at Castelo Branco where Jose Lameiro (Skoda Fabia) took the Supercar victory after on-the-road winner Joao Novo (Citroen DS3) was penalised three seconds for moving out of lane at the start. Super1600 is the strongest class in the Campeonato de Portugal de Ralicross and the winner was Jose Queiros (Peugeot 206). Leonel Sampaio (Citroen Saxo) was best of the National 1.6 class, Andreia Sousa (Peugeot 306) won the National two-wheel drive class and Rafael Rego (Peugeot 106) was best of the Junior class. The Kartcross win was collected by Rui Nunes (Semog Bravo) and Nuno Godinho (Smog Buggy) topped the Super Buggy final.

2 August    Viktor Vranckx (Kamikaz) takes victory on both days of a double-header event for Cross Cars run at Mettet in Belgium. Six Juniors take part in the event but the senior class has 23 starters. Dany Born (Peeters Autosport) also doubles up and win on both days

4 August   Projekt E and STARD reveal details of a new Citroen C3-based car for the all-electric rallycross series. Based largely on Citroen Racing’s C3R5, the new option comes hard on the heels of news that Ford Performance is supporting customer options for the Ford Fiesta equipped with STARD’s REVelution electric powertrain that is used in Projekt E. STARD can offer turn-key Citroen C3 ERX for €374k and the 450kW/1000Nm, four-wheel racecar is eligible for rallycross, hillclimbs and other disciplines. The use of customer parts from Citroen Racing offers easy servicing for car owners.

4 August   GRX SET name Finnish Rallycross Champion Juha Rytkonen as the driver of its Hyundai i20 Supercar for the Finnish round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Kouvola. Rytkonen has moved to rallycross having been successful in rallies and won the 2019 Rallicross SM series in Finland with a Ford Fiesta.

4 August   The opening rounds of the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship which were scheduled to take place at Pembrey this weekend are cancelled because of the ongoing control measures in place around the COVID-19  pandemic. The events have been rescheduled to November 7-8. The championship will now begin at Lydden Hill on 12 September.

5 August   Rallycross France suffers a major blow with three of the rescheduled four events cancelled as control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic continue. The announcement from the series is not specific on which event remains, but makes it clear that the French ASN (the FFSA) will now decide the future of the 2020 French Rallycross Championship and its associated Cups. “When the organisers told us every day of the evolution of their situation with the local authorities, their partners, their volunteers, we tried to help them, to reassure them, to re-motivate them. But in regions that have been hit in recent weeks, rightly or wrongly, and in particular in Mayenne and Brittany, the solution was becoming too burdensome for the organisations. We must therefore accept their decision despite the disappointment. I know these decisions have divided and will divide but we must accept them. And we must support them more than ever in this difficult time. Reason has taken over passion. Regarding the fate of the French Rallycross Championship and Cup, we have to wait for the official communication from the FFSA. And we trust them to make the best decision,” said championship boss Jean-Jacques Benezet.

5 August    Ken Block is named as the driver a Ford Fiesta ERX for the first round of the Projekt E series at Holjes on 22-23 August. It will be Block’s first rallycross appearance outside the US since the Hoonigan Racing Ford team ended it’s World RX campaign at the end of 2017. “I am stoked to take part in the world wide first ever electric rallycross race in the STARD Ford Fiesta. The Projekt E car is rad!” said the American racer.

Calendar    Real racing has been back over the last few weeks.We are doing the best to keep our calendar of events and where you can watch rallycross in 2020 up to date for you. Postponed and cancelled events remain shown but marked as a record of the carnage wrought on the 2020 schedule by Covid-19.