Hong Kong to host World RX final. Larsson wins Nitro RX. RX drivers ahead in XE.

11-12 March / Rallycross drivers top the oder in the opening weekend of the 2023 Extreme E season. Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor take the first victory in the series’ new double-header format by winning on Saturday. It is the first win for the Veloce team. The following day Mattias Ekstrom and Laia Sanz deliver up the first win for Carlos Sainz’s Acciona team. Cristina Gutierrez and Frazer McConnell, Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings were the second and third placed teams respectively in the first day. In the second day of racing Kevin Hansen and Taylor were second with Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky third. The two winning teams, Veloce and Acciona share the championship lead.

14 March / The 5 Nations British Rallycross Championship announces that Viktor Vranckx will race his RX2e car in the Supercar category of the BRX event when the 2023 season starts at Lydden on Easter weekend. “I’m very excited to race in 5 Nations BRX at Lydden Hill, the first time an electric car will be raced in the Supercar category. I had an amazing first season in RX2e last year and I really enjoyed racing against the Supercars in the RallyX Nordic series. But, to start my 2023 rallycross season at Lydden Hill, where I went many times as a kid will be very special for me and my family.” said Vrankcx who won the FIA RX2e series last year. British racer Steve Harris is expected to race an all-electric Mini in the championship this year.

14 March / There will be a Teams Championship in the 5 Nations BRX this year. The British Championship is contested only by the Supercar class of the 5 Nations BRX package and for this year there will be a Teams Championship awarding points for thetwo highest placed cars in each team. The series will also use a revised points scoring system in 2023. The championship begins at Lydden on Easter weekend.

19 March / The first Dutch event of the year takes place at the Eurocircuit with the classes for ‘open’ cars racing. Jari van Hoof (Peters) tops the Cross Car order, leading home Romauld Demelenne (LifeLive) and Nathan Ottink (LifeLive). The Cross Car KC Cup final is won by Sven Hofkens (LifeLive). In the RST class, Max van Empel won the final ahead of Luca van Hoof and Pim Vlassak. Yorick Maeyninckx (Suzuki Speis) was the winner of the Superbuggy final in which only two of the three starters made it to the finish.

20 March / Robin Larsson emerges from a busy weekend of racing at Glen Helen in California as the Nitro Rallycross champion. Larsson came good in the third of three day’s of racing in the final weekend, taking his third event win of the series and lifting the new Ken Block Trophy. Andreas Bakkerud, Larsson’s teammate, won the first of the three events in California, Travis Pastrana also winning an event in the weekend. NRX Next (Supercar Lites) were also on the schedule and Tommi Hallman taking the win ahead of Casper Jansson and Simon Olofsson. Gregoire Michaud led home Scottie Lawrence and Sara Price in the side-by-side class.

21 March / At a press conference in Hong Kong the FIA World Rallycross Championship reveals that the location for its final event of 2023 will be in the city of Hong Kong. World RX of China, Hong Kong will be a double-header end to the 2023 season and will take place on a city-centre track set up on the central harbour-front. “We are pleased to see international motorsport return to Hong Kong. With over 100 years of history, the HKAA is experienced in organising major events, and we are proud that Hong Kong will become the first venue in the Asia-Pacific region to welcome the FIA World Rallycross Championship, bringing the ultimate in motorsport entertainment to our city,” said Dr. Ringo Lee Yiu Pui, President, Hong Kong Automobile Association (HKAA) which will be the event organiser.

22 March / Latvian racer Roberts Vitols will return to the 5 Nations British Rallycross Championship this year. The former Super1600 champion won three events in 2021 and will race the same Citroen C4 in Team Duo this year. *Former event winner Jack Thorne will also return to the 5 Nations BRX series and will race the ex-Albatec Racing Peugeot 208 that he last raced in 2021.

This weekend / It’s still a bit quiet on the racing front, but you can now plan what to see, where and when from our big list of the major events of 2023 below.

pics: World RX, Extreme E, 5 Nations BRX,