Bakkerud wins Nitro RX. Tamm, Liimatainen and Peu in Estonia, Finland and France.

30 July / The Estonian championship goes to Kehala for its penultimate round and ahead of a long break before October’s final round. Mart Tikkerbar was top qualifier but at the end of the weekend it was Maiko Tamm’s similar Mitsubishi Lancer that passed the chequer first. Marko Muru led the way in Super1600, the top qualifier went on to win the final ahead of Sergei Bronski (Renault Clio) and Kristjan Kutsar (Ford Ka). Robin Allik (Honda Civic) notched up another win in Junior 1600. There were 22 starters in Crosskart Xtrem of which Peeter Ruutel was the winner, the Semog Bravo driver leading home Speedcar racers Tamo Toodo and Gabriel Koort. Priit Rebane (Volvo C30) won the TouringCar final from Rommi Puuk’s Fiesta and Rauno Rappu’s Lada. Karl Martin Miliste won the Crosskart 650 final and Armin Raag claimed another win among the 125s.

31 July / Rain affected the Finnish Championship for the second time in as many events, Joensuu made difficult by heavy rain at stages during the event. Not phased at all by the weather, Mika Liimatainen (Ford Fiesta) did not set a wheel wrong and took a maximum points score after a perfect run through the event. Liimatainen also took the Rallicross SM series lead after round one winner Henri Haapamaki (Fiesta) hit troubles in the semi-finals. Local driver Antti Suutarinen placed second with Jari Putkinen third. Defending champion Jere Kalliokoski was absent from the event to be at the birth of his daughter. Ville Mikonen (BMW) was second qualifier in the SRC (Supernational) class but doubled-down in the finals phase, won his semi and went on to take a popular home win in the final. Ollie Lahte and Joni-Pekka Rajala completed the podium finishers. The Autokross class was won again by round one victor Jere Tikka (Toyota MR2) and the new V1600 section produced a victory for Ville Tuominen (Ford Fiesta).

31 July / Samuel Peu returned to the top step of the Rallycross France podium with victory at Kerlabo. The champion goes into the summer break with the series lead ahead of Romauld Delaunay. Peu was top qualifier at Kerlabo despite being fastest in just one heat while the similar Peugeot 208 of Fabien Pailler was fastest in heats two, three and four. A non-finish in heat one left Pailler in second at the Intermediate Classification, however. Peu and Pailler each won their semi-finals before Peu went ahead in the final. Behind second placed Pailler, Damien Meunier continued his recent run of good results with third in his VW Polo. Fourth at the intermediate, Jimmy Terpereau (Citroen C2) jumped up to win his semi-final and the final while top qualifier Anthony Paillardon (Audi A1) slipped in the semi-final and finished the weekend classified ninth. David Bouet brought his new Renault Clio V home second with Romain Barre (Peugeot 208) third. In the Clio-based Junior series Tom Le Jossec took a maximum points score ahead of Mathieu Fretin. Alizee Poitier placed third for her best finish of the year. Amelie Moliexe was top qualifier but was out of the event for a technical infringement after the semi-finals. Emma Chalvin, who had qualified second, won her semi and went on to win the final in which Melanie Lefrancois and Chloe Danveau placed second and third. Nicolas Beaucle guided his Mercedes A to victory in Division Three while in D4 Jean-Francois Blaise was similarly dominant. The championship resumes at Loheac next month, the first time since 2012 that Loheac has been a French Championship event.

31 July / The second Nitro RX event took place at Strangnas where Andreas Bakkerud and Robin Larsson reversed their one-two finish from Lydden Hill, Bakkerud taking the win from Larsson. In an extraordinary display, JC Raceteknik (in its partnership with DRR and in its own right) filled the top five places; Johan Kristoffersson, Fraser McConnell and Ole Christian Veiby taking the three laces behind Bakkerud and Larsson. By winning the first heat Bakkerud did not have to drive again until the final but Larsson worked harder, and won semi-final to get to the final. Oliver Eriksson won heat two but non-finished the final.
Supercar Lites did duty in NRX Next and, alongside Supercar and Cross Car, ran a double-header schedule. Tommi Hallman bagged a pair of event wins over the weekend, the SET Promotion driver having leading home Martin Enlund and Casper Jansson on Saturday while Jansson made it to second on Sunday when George Megennis placed third.
Just five Supercars lined took part, Fraser McConnell again doing double duty and winning on Saturday before having to give best to Yury Belevskiy on Sunday. Belevskiy had been second in the first day’s event and McConnell placed second on Sunday. Gustav Bergstrom continued his learning process with a pair of third place finishes.
Finn Riku Huuhka beat Sebastian Enholm and Ronalds Baldins to win Saturday’s Cross Car final while on Sunday Enholm led the field home and was joined on the podium by Jimmie Osterberg and Pasi Penttinen.

This weekend / Sedlcany in the Czech Republic hosts the Czech, Slovakian and CEZ series this weekend and the growing Czech Historic series will race in a memorial event named after legendary Czech racer Miroslav Sefr. Rallycross NM continues at Verdal Motorsenter in Norway. The Baltic Cup has its final round at Vilkicyai in Lithunania, the event also counting for the Latvian/Lithuanian Championship. And the British, Dutch and Belgian series meet at Arendonk’s Glosso Circuit.

pics: Rallikross, Rallicross SM, Rallycross France, Nitro RX