RX1 on its way as FIA seeks new World RX promoter. CARX set to resume.
by Rallycross World |
9 October Among the decisions taken at the third 2020 meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council is approval for a new naming convention for rallycross cars in FIA championships. From 2021 Supercar will become RX1, the new FIA electric championship referred to as ‘junior’ in its development phase will become RX2e and Super1600 will become RX3. The electric Supercar scheduled to be introduced to World RX in 2022 will be called RX1e, leaving the internal combustion engined cars to continue in the European Championship as RX1.
11 October What appears likely to be the only rallycross event in France this year took place at Essay where Laurent Bouliou (Peugeot 208) was best of a field of ten Supercars to take the victory. Bouliou is top qualifier, getting ahead if Romauld Delaunay (Citroen DS3) on Sunday. Delaunay had been fastest in the first two qualifiers on Saturday and qualified second before winning the second semi-final. After winning semi one, Bouliou started from pole and went on to bag the win while Delaunay hit problems and ended up last in the eight-car final. Nicolas Briand (Peugeot 208) places second ahead of Rallycross France veteran David Meslier (Citroen DS3). Jimmy Terpereau (Citroen C2) wins the Super1600 final having been top qualifier and the winner of semi one. Nicolas Eouzan (Renault Twingo) qualifies second but slips in the finals and ends the day seventh, semi-final two won by David Deslandes (Skoda Fabia) who then chases Terpereau home in the final. Dylan Dufas (Twingo) is third. Benoit Morel (Ford Fiesta) is best of 16 Division Three starters and Jean-Francois Blaise (Peugeot 206) wins the slender five-car D4 event. Five of the new Clio Cup cars turn out for the event, Kevin Portal taking the win while Alizee Poitier wins the Twingo final.
11 October The MNASZ Hungarian Rallycross Championship visits the RabocsiRing at Mariapocs for its fifth round where Laszlo Kiss takes the win. Returning to the sport after a lengthy break and taking the wheel of the Peugeot 208 last used by his brother Tamas Pal, Kiss is immediately competitive, qualifying third and then beating top qualifier Tamas Karai to win semi-final one before taking victory in the final. Mate Benyo (Skoda Fabia) places second in the final with Karai third ahead of Peugeot 208 pairing Mark Mozer and Attila Mozer and “CSUCSU” (Citroen DS3) in sixth place. The event has 15 classes (!), winners in the leading categories are Balazs Kormoczi (Suzuki Swift) who is best of the Super1600 field and joined on the podium by “Kistuki” (Fabia) and Andras Ferjancz (Fiesta). The three SuperTouring (Supernational) classes won by, over 2000cc Zion Gabay (BMW E36), upto 2000cc Gyorgy Janzer (Renault Clio) and upto 1600cc Janos Robert Repasi (Fabia). Csanad Szabo is best of the 12 runners in the Suzuki Swift one-make Junior category.
13 October The 5 Nations British Rallycross Championship expands on its announcement of last week by confirming that the British championship will now add events at Lydden Hill on 7-8 November and 19 December. The new dates replace events at Knockhill and Pembrey that are now postponed. The scheduled November date at Mondello Park in Ireland has now also been abandoned. The new November date will be a double-header weekend with racing running into darkness ands ending with fireworks, while the December event will be run over a single day. Entries will be managed to prioritise championship contenders who took part in round one in August.
13 October One of the few championships to begin racing early in 2020, CARX has confirmed that it will resume its season after a six month break. The new event will be at La Fortaleza de Oreste Berta, close to Alta Gracia in the province of Cordoba with racing scheduled from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October to form rounds two and three of the Argentine and South American Championship.
14 October FIA publishes a press statement announcing a tender to find a new promoter for the FIA World Rallycross Championship. the statement says: “The announcement follows discussions between IMG and the FIA, in which IMG has expressed a desire not to continue as the World RX promoter in 2021 and 2022. Discussions between the FIA and IMG are ongoing.” Crucially for all aspects of the championship the statement also says: “The FIA remains committed to ensuring the ongoing success of the Championship.”
Per Madsen We are sorry to record the death, after a short ilness, of Per Madsen (73) on 11 October. Most recently madsen was President of the Norwegian ASN (the NBF) from 2017 until May of this year when he passed the reins to Finn Eirik Eilertsen. Madsen was a leading figure in the Norsk Motor Klubb and particularly at NMK Drammen where he was involved in the glory years of rallycross at Lyngas. He was the chairman of Hell RX at the time of his death. Our best wishes go to Per’s family and many friends.
This weekend Attention will be focused on Catalunya where the seventh and eighth rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship take place at Barcelona this weekend. Rounds one and two of the FIA European Ralycross Championship for Super1600 are also on the agenda. Elsewhere, the RX Italia returns to Maggiora for rounds three and four in a double-header weekend that also features the CEZ series. And PTRX goes to Montalegre for its latest counter. 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.