Liimatainen, Tamm and Oss crowned up north. Legend of French rallycross dies.

9 September / Arvo Kask won the final round of the Estonian Rallycross Championship at the Laitse Rally Park. Leading home a quartet of Mitsubishi Lancer EVIs, Kask was joined on the podium by Rico Rodi and Henri Kalmist. Champion-elect Maiko Tamm was absent from the final event of the series. Rytis Rutkauskas (Audi A1) won the Super1600 final but second place was enough for Robin Allick to secure the title, Andri Kutsar winning the Junior 1600 event and championship. Priit Rebane (Volvo C30) beat Margo Soomets (Fiesta) to win the TouringCar final and take the championship. Tamo Toodo (Speedcar Wonder) beat the similar cars of Marko Ringenberg and Martin Juga to win the Kartcross final and take the title ahead of Ringenberg. Jonathan Lee Mae won the 650 kart final but fourth place on the day was enough for Laur Langeproon to collect the class title. Third place on the day was also sufficient for Armin Raag to take the 125 kart championship, Geir Genor Muttik winning the final in the last round and placing second in the series.

9 September / Sweeping all before him the night race that formed the final round of the Lativian-Lithunanian Rallycross Championship, Edijs Oss (Skoda Fabia) took his fourth event of the year to wrap up the championship. Starting in daylight and running into darkness, the event also used the Bikernieki track in reverse direction. Valdis Mikuzis (Renault Twingo) won the Super2000 final but with the ever consistent Maija Stakena placing second there was nothing the winner could do to deny his young rival the championship title. Rytis Gurklys (Skoda Fabia) took his fifth event win of the six-round series and a comfortable win in the championship ahead of Audrius Kragas (Fabia) who placed third in the final round, behind the similar car of Martins Spikis who was third in the championship. Lukas Sidabras won the BMW RX3000 final but missed out on the title which went to Raivis Galvins who was second in the final. The Lada series was won by Nik Mezins who also won the the final race of the season while Ronalds Baldins returned to Kartcross and took the event win in his Speedcar Xtrem, but the championship was won by Elvijs Zakitis (Semog Hornet) who was third in the final round. Linards Jasons won the final for the Yaris Cup for junior racers and with it became the champion.

9 September / Finland’s Rallicross SM concluded at Joensuu where Mika Liimatainen (Ford Fiesta) won the event and the championship. His workload reduced a little in the absence of Mikko Ikonen, Liimatainen put the title beyond the reach of his rivals after the qualifying heats, but still pushed-on to take his second event of the year in the final. Joni-Pekka Rajala (Mitsubishi) claimed second in the series ahead of Ikonen. Riku Huuhka crashed out the first heat but recovered to take the event and Crosskart championship win ahead of Eetu Virkkunen and Marko Vainikka. After two years of being the runner-up, Ville Mikkonen collected the SRC (Supernational) championship with victory in the final round. Joni-Pekka Rajala won in the Autokrossi class but missed out on the title Aatu Matikainen missed out on the final in the last event of the year but just hung on to his points lead, taking the title by a single point over Joni Turpeinen with Mika Liimatainen just one point further adrift in third place. Cross Car specialist Huuhka started in the V1600 class again and collected the event win and jumped up to third in the series which was won by Anton Seppa with Elias Kalliokoski second in the championship.

12 September / Guillaume De Ridder and Viktor Vranckx will race in the British championship’s RX150 class when the series (or at least some of its classes) visits the Eurocircuit at Valkenswaard this weekend. De Ridder won the RX2e series in 2021 and helped guide Vranckx to the title in 2022.

12 September / The Estonian Rallikross series has ended for the year but there is one more chance for racers this year with the Raassilla Grand Prix planned to take place on 30 September.

Pierre Tollemer / One the most important people in the foundation and development of rallycross in France, Pierre Tollemer died on 12 September, he was 90-years-old. Tollemer founded Ecurie Bretagne in 1965 and was a key player in the first rallycross in France, which took place at Loheac in 1976. He led the organisation of the Loheac event through until 1992, and was never far away even after stepping down from the leadership. An enthusiastic supporter and champion of rallycross, Tollemer was there throughout the long and successful racing career of his son Philippe and latterly supported the creation of the Rallycross Legends events by Philippe and his sister Nathalie, herself a long-standing senior official in the Loheac organisation.

This weekend / Rallycross France moves on to Mayenne and the penultimate round of the season with Davy Jeanney edging closer to the crown. In Norway the NM Rallycross field will go to the ever popular Momarken, slated as the final round of the year it will now be followed by the rescheduled Finnskog event next month. Slomczyn in Poland welcomes its national series as well as the visiting Slovakian Championship and the CEZ series while at the Eurocircuit the Dutch Championship shares with the 5 Nations British Championship (but not Supercars). The German DRX series is off to Schluchtern.

pics: World RX, Red Bull media pool, Rallikross, Rallicross SM, Rallycross.lv , 5NBRX