Pastrana wins Nitro Minnesota. Tamm is Estonian champion.

1 October / The final round of the Estonian Rallycross Championship, Eesti Rallikross, took place at the Porsche Ring where Maiko Tamm (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) bagged his fifth event win from six starts and took the championship title. Raini Roomets (Skoda Fabia) was top qualifier, but in the final Tamm got ahead to win again. Finnish visitor Anssi Hytinen (Volvo S40) qualified third but went out of the final in the first lap, Kevin Allik taking second in his Mitsubishi with Roomets third. Rytis Rutkauskas (Audi A1) emerged as best of the Super1600 field to take his first win of the year, leading home Marko Muru (Honda Civic) and Kristjan Kutsar (Ford Ka). Muru’s second place was enough to guarantee him the championship title. Andreas Aruaas (Ford Fiesta) won the TouringCar final ahead if Kristaps Grunte (BMW M1), the latter entering the semi-finals after second qualifier and champion-elect Rommi Pukk became a non-starter in his similar BMW. There were 31 starters in the Crosskart Extreme class, and battling his way through the event to be the best of them was Finn Pasi Penttinen (Speedcar Wonder). Tamo Toodo (Speedcar Wonder) was top qualifier but in the nine-car final it was Penttinen who rose from sixth on the grid to take the win as Toodo slipped to third behind Romet Tsirna (LifeLive TN5). Karl Martin Mileste was best of the Crosskart 650 runners and Patrik Sarapuu won the 125 category, just five and four starters in each respectively.

2 October / The Dutch and Belgian Rallycross Championships shared the Eurocircuit for the final event of the year at Valkenswaard, the two championships coming together again next month at Mettet for their finales. Supercars are rare in the flatlands and Supernational +2000 is the default headline class in which Kristof Bex (Volvo S40) took the event win ahead of the similar car of Ludo Hermans and the older 242 of Glenn Cools. Peter van de Wege (Toyota Yaris) won the -2000 final, leading home Kurt Lambers (BMW M3) and Nick Neyens’ Ford Escort MkII. The Super1600 final was won by Steve Otzer (Citroen C2) who ran away from Nick Vanalken (VW Polo) and the Toyota Yaris of Danny Luyten. Jan Keller (Peters) was best of the Cross Car senior runners, beating Kobe Pauwels and Sven Hofkens (both LifeLive TN5) in the final while among the Junior racers Romauld Demelenne (LifeLive TN5) was the winner. Luca van Hoof won the RST final.

Cross Car: https://fb.watch/fZJ4r5F9vK/

Super1600: https://fb.watch/fYSU30m-az/

Supernational +2000: https://fb.watch/fZHDlsRJ_l/

2 October / The third Nitro RX event of the year took place at ERX in Minnesota where Travis Pastrana gained his first victory in the series’ new electric cars. Pastrana won in Heat One, thereby progressing directly to the final under the Nitro event system. Robin Larsson was the top qualifier, winning Heat Two and Kevin Eriksson, back from the injury that put him out of the first two events, qualified second but then rolled out of his semi-final and ended the event in ninth place. In the final Pastrana got the lead early and maintained position to the chequer, Larsson retaining the series points lead with second place. Fraser McConnell won semi-final one and then placed third, the Jamaican recovering from a big crash on Saturday. Andreas Bakkerud crashed at the same point as McConnell on Saturday, but was also racing again on Sunday and placed fourth having won semi-final two. Jenson Button took part in his first rallycross event but was classified tenth and last having been fourth in Heat One, fourth in semi-final one and third in the last-chance qualifier. His Xite teammate Oliver Bennett had a difficult first day but went on to place fifth in the final.

NRX Next ran a double-header and on Saturday Tommi Hallman was best of the seven starters, leading home George Megennis and Casper Jansson. The top two repeated their positions on Sunday when Simon Olofsson polaced third. An eight-car grid of side-by-side buggies provided support racing. On Saturday Brian Deegan was unbeaten as he swept to victory but on Sunday, Pastrana, doing double-duty, took the win.

This weekend / Spa-Francorchamps welcomes the FIA World Rallycross Championship for rounds six and seven. The event also includes RX2e where local hotshot Viktor Vranckx will aim high on home ground and the final round for the FIA European Rallycross Championship for RX1, Anton Marklund having clinched the title in Portugal two weeks ago. The Slovakiaring hosts its national series in an event that also counts for points in the Czech, Polish and CEZ championships. RX Portugal continues its season at Sever do Vouga.

pics: Nitro RX, Eesti Rallikross