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| PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool |
The new era of World RX kicked into high gear earlier this month, in magical Holjes, a venue that the drivers' and teams know all too well, having raced and tested on for years, but in the dual surfaced championships tenth year, the new era of Battle of Technologies has seen sustainably-fuelled internal-combustion engined cars take on their electric counterparts.
Firing on all cylinders... Johan Kristoffersson launched his quest for a seventh crown in commanding fashion winning both rounds on home soil, despite a good fight from the CE Dealer Team's Klara Andersson and Niclas Gronholm over the course of the double-header weekend.
Andersson was particularly impressive, having secured pole position for the final on the opening day, however, she came unstuck at the launch and ultimately secured her best result to date, a second place. Her ice-cool-natured team-mate Niclas also secured a second-place finish just 24 hours later.
Right behind them is Kristoffersson's team-mate Ole Christian Veiby who started both finals from the second row of the grid, and secured a fifth-place on day one. A day later, the Norwegian stalled on the grid, but recovered to a third-place finish, a stall that Kristoffersson claimed was worth a "parking ticket".
Along with their two internal combustion Supercars, KMS fielded their two electric cars for Sondre Evjen and Gustav Bergstrom in Sweden. The latter claimed a third-place finish on day one and is currently fifth in the championship ahead of the Hansen World RX Team drivers' who had a weekend to forget despite reaching the final on both days.
Right behind the Hansen's were, Anthony Pelfrene, Sondre Evjen, and Rene Munnich who debuted a new internal-combustion-engined Seat Ibiza, but finished 10th in both rounds, and will be hoping for a stronger weekend in Hungary.
In Nyirád, a new face joins the grid in the form of former Hungarian Rallycross Champion Jankó Wieszt, who will race an ex-GCK Renault Mégane RS RX Supercar.
THE TRACK: Nyirád Racing Center [Red Cauldron]
THE TRACK INFORMATION:
Track Length: 1.220 metres in length
Joker Lap: 1.290 meters
Tarmac/Dirt: 52%/48%
The legendary Hungarian rallycross circuit Nyirád Racing Center makes its FIA World Rallycross debut in 2024, located just 25 kilometres from Hungary’s famous Lake Balaton. The circuit, which is located in a pit, is nicknamed “Red Cauldron” due to the distinctive colour of its dirt surfaces.
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| PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool |
KMS-HORSE Powertrain
DRIVER: Johan Kristoffersson:
"A technical and tricky track that I think will suit us very well. I think there will be big differences between the two technologies depending on which track we arrive at.That's why it was so important for us to get a good result and pick up our points in Höljes, on a track that suited our cars quite well. However, when we get to Portugal at high altitude, I think we will be far behind the electric cars."
DRIVER: Ole Christian Veiby
"It will be hot, but it will be good. Now we aim for a 1-2 for the team."
HANSEN WORLD RX TEAM
DRIVER: Timmy Hansen
“Höljes was a bit more challenging than we hoped for, it seems like we’ve got to do a lot of work to understand the new tyre but as always there’s great motivation within the team. We’re pushing forward with new ideas so I’m excited to come to Hungary. We want to fight for one step higher in the results than we were in Sweden. Hungary is where I got my first ever win in Supercars back in 2013 and it’s the first time since then the championship returns so there is lots to look forward to.”
DRIVER: Kevin Hansen
“I’m looking forward to Hungary, it’s the first time I’ve been back since 2019 and last time out I had a race win in another series. It’s one of the more exciting tracks as it’s super narrow and quick – you could say it’s the Monaco track of Rallycross as it is so narrow between the walls. Hopefully, this track suits our technology a bit better but we are well prepared and working hard to improve all the time. There are obviously restraints on how much we can improve our car over a season due to the regulations however we are doing our best to figure out a way forward to improve from Höljes.”
CE DEALER TEAM
DRIVER: Niclas Gronholm
“It's going to be a very interesting race on such an iconic track. Although I’ve never raced at Nyirád before, I’m really looking forward to it. We will continue to work hard to build on the pace we had in Höljes, and keep challenging at the front."
DRIVER: Klara Andersson
"I’m really excited to head to Hungary and continue the season. It’s great to arrive with positive momentum and good points in both championships after Höljes. I’ve never raced in Hungary before, but the track looks like a lot of fun. An old-school circuit with plenty of elevation changes and high speed. It’s going to be tough, as always, but we’re motivated to keep up the speed and grab more points for the championship."
2024 FIA WORLD RX OF SWEDEN: ENTRY LIST
Johan Kristoffersson (KMS-Horse Powertrain) - VW Polo KMS 601 RX
Ole Christian Veiby (KMS-Horse Powertrain) - VW Polo KMS 601 RX
Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - Peugeot 208 RX1e
Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - Peugeot 208 RX1e
Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) - PWR RX1e
Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) - PWR RX1e
Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) - Seat Ibiza
Anthony Pelfrene (JDM Raptor Racing) - Peugeot 208 WRX
Jankó Wieszt (Impossible RX Team) - Renault Megane R.S. RX
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