Kristoffersson wins first electric World RX event.

11 August / The 2022 FIA World Rallycross season is launched with a public event in Stjordal, the local town to the the Lankebanen at Hell in Norway.

14 August / The FIA World Rallycross Championship began its delayed season on the Lankebanen at Hell in Norway. At the end of the weekend it was four-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson who emerged with the event victory and claimed another little piece of rallycross history. Kristoffersson was top of the Ranking after three heats in his Volkswagen, Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen (Peugeot 208) were next up and ahead of OC Veiby (Volkswagen), Niclas Gronholm and Klara Andersson (PWR), Gustav Bergstrom (Volkswagen) and Rene Munnich (Seat Ibiza). Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen each won in the Progression Races while in the following semi-finals the winners were Veiby and Gronholm. In the first corner scrum Kristoffersson was too slippery for the others to grab hold of. Immediately escaping the grip of the pack, Kristoffersson never really appeared to be under any real threat and gradually edged out a 3.6s lead over Timmy Hansen and Veiby. Andersson placed fourth in a sparkling World RX debut, finishing ahead of teammate Gronholm.

The event featured a full roster of the FIA rallycross championships. In RX2e Viktor Vranckx repeated his round success, the young Belgian only beaten in H3 in which he won his race but set ‘only’ fourth fastest time after contact broke the suspension on his car. Isak Sjokvist won his race in a faster time, Nils Andersson and Lance Woolridge – impressive in his first race event – also went faster that Vranckx could manage in his hobbled car. In the final it was Andersson and Sjokvist who chased Vranckx home. Newcomer Raul Ferre again showing well in fourth place.

Anton Marklund (Hyundai i20) continued his strong run in Euro RX1, topping the ranking after winning all three heat races. Marklund won again in the Progression races, Andreas Bakkerud (Audi S1), Fraser McConnell (Hyundai i20) and Enzo Ide (Audi S1) also winning. Marklund, Bakkerud and McConnell won again in the semi-finals and then, in the final, Bakkerud was marginally ahead on the dash to turn one, and made his move stick in the corner. McConnell was out almost immediately as a turbo problem that began in the semi-final stopped his car. Sondre Evjen (Audi S1) and Janis Baumanis (Peugeot 208) chased Bakkerud home, Marklund limping home a battered fourth.

Jan Cerny opened the bidding in RX3, but thereafter found himself and the tiny Skoda Citigo on the familiar rough end of things. Kobe Pauwels (Audi A1) meanwhile claimed topped the Ranking, won his Progression race and semi-final before lifting victory in the final. Marius Solberg Hansen was in the mix and won his Progression race but was dumped out of the event at the semi-final stage as Nils Volland (Audi A1) joined Pauwels as a winner. Volland then chased Pauwels home in the final for his best Euro RX result, Damian Litwinowicz (Audi A1) making it a Volland Racing podium lockout. Cerny and Espen Isaksaetre completed the finalists.

14 August / The Dutch and German championships shared a weekend at the Eurocircuit in Holland. Only the visiting German DRX series had any Supercar entries and the winner was Dietmar Brandt (Audi S3) who was chased home by Dutchman Wil Teurlings and his trusty Volvo S40, now rarely seen on the its home track. Willem Veltman also played as a German and won the Super1600 class of DRX in his Citroen C2. The usual cohort of Belgian raiders were out in force too, Jelle Blockx (Volvo 240) taking the DRX Supernational +2000 win over Ariane Vanlommel (BMW E46) and best of the Germans, Bastian Sichelschmidt (BMW E30). Bennet Zobel (Ford Fiesta) upheld German honour in Supernational -2000, climbing to the top step of the podium ahead of Belgian Pim Garvelink (Honda Civic) and Dutchman Johan Kwinten (BMW 1). Marcel Ottink (Speedcar Wonder) led a Dutch rout of the Cross Car class, Dave Tijdink (JvdC) abnd Dirk Garvelink (Peters) placing second and third. Samuel Drews (LifeLive TN5) took another Junior Cross Car win. The DRX Production class was won by Andreas Huhn (Honda Civic) and Sonke Glode (Opel Corsa) won the rookie class. The Dutch Championship provided victory for Bart Bel (Volvo S40) in Supernational +2000, Peter van de Wege (Toyota Yaris) in the -2000 class and Jari van Hoof (Peters) in the Cross Car final. Luca van Hoof was best of the RST field and Bjorn Versluys won in Superbuggy.

This weekend / It’s holiday time across much of europe so not too much going on. The PS Racing Center at Greinbacj hosts the Austrian and Hungarian championships in an event that will be busy and is sure to boast a full entry. Look north for more action, Finland’s Rallicross SM heads to the Oulu Zone venue for round three of it’s compact season while across the border in Sweden the national championship SM Rallycross runners get a double-header at Kalix.

pics: World RX, DRX, RedBull Content Pool