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| Niclas Gronholm on the joker lap in Cape Town. PHOTO CREDIT: Junaid Samodien |
World Rallycross, or World RX for those who like to speed things up, is all about that: the quickest machines on four wheels. And commanding these motoring monster are the world’s top drivers. A total of sixteen permanent drivers – six teams and four individual entries – represent the eight automotive brands that are competing for top spot in this year’s championship. These drivers are from eleven different countries, making World RX a truly multinational event with rich, diverse styles and unique flair.
With a mixture of old hands and young guns, the line-up is looking ferocious. Briton Liam Doran and World RX front-runner Andreas Bakkerud of Norway have joined forces and are looking formidable in Audi S1 supercar, in the newly-formed Monster Energy RX Cartel team. The Hansen brothers, Timmy and Kevin, return after making a huge impact in the 2018 world championship. Also competing is highly experienced Russian Timur Timerzyanov and teammate, 22-year-old Niclas Gronholm at GRX Taneco, whilst the French outfit GC Kompetition builds on last year’s successes with permanent drivers Guerlain Chicherit and Anton Marklund.
Frenchman Cyril Raymond and Belgian Guillaume De Ridder will race Renault Clio Supercars in the newly formed GCK junior team 'GCK Academy', Latvia’s Janis Baumanis will represent Austrian team STARD in a new Ford Fiesta, and Latvian Reinis Nitišs will appear in selected rounds with SET Promotion under the GRX Taneco banner.
The four individual entries are Britain’s Oliver Bennett, former DTM champion Timo Scheider and Hungarian Krisztian Szabo along with a number of wild card entries.
Additionally, the 2019 RX2 International Series, will also feature this year. South Africa is one of only seven countries globally to be hosting these races, ensuring even more thrills and spills in Cape Town.
The City of Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says: “As the City of Cape Town we are really excited that the FIA World Rallycross Championship is returning to our beautiful city for a third straight year. In the first two years, the event was a wonderful experience for spectators who were kept on the edge by the exhilarating action on the circuit. For us as Cape Town, events such as Rallycross are not only prestigious but they are also critical to promoting job opportunities and developing the South African economy to support our local communities. We are again looking forward to welcoming the drivers, organisers and the internationals fans to the World’s Leading Festival and Event Destination in 2019. We look forward to creating a great experience for petrol heads and new fans who absolutely should not miss one of the world’s most exciting motorsport events,”
Torben Olsen, the Managing Director of World RX for IMG Motorsports, the series promoter, is more than a little excited. “The FIA World Rallycross Championship is going from strength to strength,” he enthuses. “Last year we built on our global fan base and in 2019 we have attracted a broader audience to World RX with the intensity of the racing. It’s all down to the quality of our drivers – and closely-fought competition, and in that regard 2019 is reaching new levels. When you've got highly talented racers battling it out for glory, you can expect plenty of high-octane, frenetic action. Cape Town is in for a treat.”
So, you really don’t need any more reasons to block out the second weekend of November in your diaries. But just in case your mind’s not 100% made up, the early bird special is launching on the 16th of May with a 20% discount. It’s best to get your seats soon, so visit Quicket.co.za. And then, once they’re in hand, start counting the days for the 2019 World Rallycross of South Africa Championship. Last year was big…this year will be even bigger!
World Rallycross of South Africa
Killarney International Raceway
Saturday, 8th November 2019 – Sunday 9th November 2019
Tickets: From R200
Kids under 12 are free
Hospitality tickets from R2000-00
Tickets: www.quicket.co.za
For more information go to:
www.WorldRXSA.co.za
#WorldRXSA
Facebook: WorldRXSA
Instagram: WorldRXSA
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