Rally and rallycross and why drivers can do both

Drivers who have made the cross

by Rallycross World |

This weekend the current FIA World Rallycross Champion and one of his predecessors are taking part in the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Arctic Rally Finland.

Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_Kristoffersson02SWE20TB502
Johan Kristoffersson has shwon no problems in mixing racing, rally and rallycross.

Both Johan Kristoffersson and Mattias Ekstrom have regularly taken part in rallies during their careers and, as two of the outstanding motor sport ‘allrounders’ of the era, have no problem switching between rally, rallycross or race.

Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_49616968218_d06770cdc7_k
Mattias Ekstrom is returning to rallying at this weekend’s WRC Arctic Rally Finland.

The first ever rallycross event was won by perhaps the greatest motor sport allrounder ever, Vic Elford was good at everything, right up to and including F1.

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Perhaps the greatest allrounder, Vic Elford won the first rallycross.

It is perhaps easier for the rallycross driver to adapt to rallying than for the rally driver to drop into rallycross; having your opponents quite literally knocking on your door is not always easy for rally drivers to adapt to even if they rarely have much difficulty in terms of basic speed.

Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_loeb-_worldrx_2018_loheac_day3_action-0315_44427354921_o
Rally drivers sometimes have problems in traffic…

The raw speed that the best rallycross drivers can deliver has stood many of them in good stead when trying rallies. Most notably Petter Solberg attributed his explosive speed from the very start of a stage to the skills and driving style learned as a youngster in rallycross. It’s a pattern now being followed and replicated by his son Oliver.

Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_IMG_1018
Petter Solberg bought back and restored the Volvo he raced before his move to rallies.
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Solberg talkes with Per Eklund and Thomas Radstrom in Norway 2007.
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_Petter Solberg_PRT_04.05
Solberg returned to rallycross after rallying and became its first World Champion.
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_RallyX Nordic, Tierp (SWE)-3_07.10
Oliver Solberg raced in rallycross junior categories and the won RallyX Nordic in a Supercar.

Another young WRC charger, Teemu Suninen, also moved from rallycross to rallying. Thomas Radstrom and Jonny Milner are among those who built rally careers on rallycross foundations.

Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_Suninen_2012__L3493
Young Finn Teemu Suninen did rallycross before moving to rallies.
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_Jonny Milner_Peugeot 205_Lydden_(GBR) 16.04
Jonny Milner used rallycross to start his rally career.
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_IMG_0824
Thoams Radstrom started his career in rallycross and returned after his WRC days.

With the FIA World Rallycross Championship now under the same management as the FIA World Rally Championship might we see closer links and more open attitudes towards rallycross being both a credible training ground for future rally drivers and an alternative occupation for those who have ‘made it’? In the past it has been completely normal for drivers to do both disciplines, Bjorn Waldegard, Stig Blomqvist and, of course, Per Eklund all matched rally and rallycross.

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In common with his compatriot Per Eklund, Stig Blomqvist maintained his own rallycross car.
Stig Blomqvist raced his private Audi in the 1984 British Rallycross Grand Prix.
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_Eklund_Sweden_1990
Eklund has mixed rally and rallycross throughout his career.
Bjorn Waldegard (the green Porsche) mixed rally and rallycross.

Sebastien Loeb was a great asset to World RX while he was in the championship and who would not be interested to see what Sebastien Ogier could do in rallycross?

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Ogier’s rally career is coming to an end, why not rallycross next?
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_IMG_6041
Best of rivals, Solberg and Loeb went head-to-head in rally and rallycross.
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_2016_08_FRA_LOEB_(302)
Loeb’s time in rallycross with Peugeot was great for World RX.
Rallycross World | Rallycross and rally drivers, Loeb, Solberg, Eklund, Ogier, Blomqvist_2016_03_BEL_LOEB_(576)
Loeb was one of the few to beat Kristoffersson in the VW Polo.
The final in France 2018 pitched Loeb, Solberg, Kristoffersson and Ekstrom against each other.

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