Spa World RX off. Hallman takes iRacing win. British RX delayed again.

1 November    Tommi Hallman becomes the fifth winner in as many rounds of the iRacing Rallycross World Championship. The fifth event in the nine-race series took place on a virtual Hell circuit in Norway. In his first iRacing win, Hallman led home Mitchell deJong and Illari Lamminsivu who won the opening event of the series on the same track. Real world rallycross racers did well in the event, Hallman joined in the final by Rasmus Tuominen and Jonathan Pailler.

3 November    Following restrictions imposed by the British government, the organiser of the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy is forced to adjust its calendar again. The 7-8 November events planned for Lydden are postponed and rescheduled to take place on 5-6 December. The late December date listed for BRX is also postponed with the the organiser promising: “The season finale will take place in January 2021 with a date to be confirmed in due course.”

4 November    The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps announces that Spa World Rallycross of Benelux is cancelled. The statement from the circuit refers to the “postponement of the second edition of SpaWorld RX of Benelux” and to the event being moved to 22-23 May 2021. Effectively this is a cancellation of the 2020 event and announcement of a 2021 date. The statement also said: “The current health situation in Belgium and throughout Europe has force the organisers into taking this joint decision … Furthermore, the various restrictive measures taken recently by several governments, such as those relating to travel, make the situation extremely complicated for holding the Spa World Rallycross of Benelux.”

Obituaries    Rallycross in Britain lost one of its most dedicated advocates last month (21 October) when John White died. Different generations will recognise White for different areas of achievement, few perhaps realise the full scope of his involvement in motor sport and in particular rallycross and autocross. A competitor until the second half of the 1980s, White was also an entrant and staunch supporter of other competitors, most notably his son-in-law Dave Ward who carried the black and orange colours – of JE White Motors, the copmpany run by White for six decades – successfully in autocross, rallycross and into circuit racing. At the same time as this White became more involved than ever on the organisational and regulatory side of motor sport. As chair of the regional association in home area (AEMC) he also served on the British ASN’s Autocross and Rallycross Sub-committee, rising to become its chairman and also serving on the Speed Committee. White was also chairman of the BARC’s South East centre and a licensed Clerk of the Course and Steward. White lived a full life and gave much to motor sport, to his family and friends we extend our best wishes.

Irish rallycross was shocked by the recent death of Noel Greene on 26 October. A stauch supporter of rallycross in Ireland, Greene raced a Mitsubishi Supercar and was active into this year’s disrupted championship. Our best wishes to his family and friends.

This weekend     As far as we know, there is no real world rallycross this weekend. iRacing continues at Sonoma and there are events scheduled for Portugal and Argentina on 14-15 November. 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.