If I was describe rallycross to someone who has never seen it, I would describe it as the closest, most exciting motorsport there is. Your taking 600bhp four wheel drive hatchbacks that launch harder and quicker than a formula 1 car and putting them on tight mixed surface tracks complete with jumps. In the heats you will line 5 across, side by side and leave hard in a mad dash to be in front into the first corner. The races are short and quick so there is no time to think about conserving those tyres or trying to pick your moment to overtake. If you see a gap, you need to take it. Don’t worry about rubbing your opponent on the way through, the stewards have been there and know it’s all part of racing. But don’t forget to take that joker lap. This is what sets rallycross even further apart from any other racing discipline. The joker lap is additional section of track, usually making your lap longer, that you will need to take at least once in every race. This adds to long list of things drivers need to think about during a race. They need to pick the right lap in which to take the joker. Choose the wrong lap and you could end up in traffic that could ruin your chances of a good finish. But pick the right lap and you could exit the joker with a clear track in front of you to bang in those lap times that will see you to a semi final. This is where things really start to hot up. Each semi final will start with six cars but only the top three will make it to the final race of the day with your position deciding which row on the grid you will start from, if you make through. Of course the final is where the overall winner of the event is decided, so you need to give it your all to reach the top step of the podium, taste the champagne and get the all important championship points.
Although rallycross started back in the late 1960’s, its popularity was mainly contained to Europe. It has only been in the last decade that it has really started getting the worldwide recognition it deserves. The United States got their first taste at X Games in 2010, attracting extreme sports stars as well as Tanner Foust and Ken Block to take part. Its popularity resulted in the inaugural season of the Global Rallycross Championship in 2011 which despite the name, was an American based championship. In 2007 with the release of the Colin McRae: DiRT video game, developers Codemasters had now included Rallycross events for you to take part in. Rallycross was growing at increasing pace and attracting more big names. In 2012, Sébastien Loeb who at the time was looking forward to his retirement from the World Rally Championship after winning nine world drivers titles, tried his hand during the X Games and came away with gold. In 2013, Petter Solberg joined the European Rallycross Championship and competed in all nine rounds. In the same year IMG Motorsports took over the commercial rights of the championship and their work was immediately rewarded with record breaking crowd attendance. The Swedish round at Holjes attracted 30,000 spectators, but the following event in the historic French venue of Loheac packed in a staggering 72,000 spectators. All of this attention lead to the FIA introducing the World Rallycross Championship in 2014. The world championship further attracted world class drivers to the sport such as Mattias Ekstrom from DTM, but it has also created it’s very own stars like Andreas Bakkerud, Johan Kristoffersson and the Hansen family.
Ireland is also producing plenty of great talent in the sport. Current Irish 16v Stockhatch champion, John Ward has also been successful in Britain, taking the overall title in the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship for the last two years with his Peugeot 106 GTi. For 2017, he has traded in the trusty 106 in favour of a RX150 buggy. Current Irish Supercar champion and overall Irish Rallycross champion, Derek Tohill, also competes in the European Rallycross Championship to some great success. Tohill won the European Rallycross Division 2 Championship in 2010 and the European Touring Car class in 2013 with his rear wheel drive mk7 Ford Fiesta affectionately named Sol. In 2014 he got a drive with LD Motorsport in a Citroen DS3 Supercar, finishing the season in a higher position than team owner, Liam Doran. Derek returned to the European championship in 2016 after a year sabbatical while he awaited delivery of his new monster, a mk7 Ford Fiesta four wheel drive supercar, which he named Molly. Now with his own team and Molly, he competed in the supercar class of both the European and Irish championships, finishing 13th in the European and taking the title in Ireland.
If you wish to experience rallycross first hand, the Irish Rallycross Championship returns with the opening round of the year in Mondello Park on the 5th of February. For 2017, they are changing things up for the first round and running the track in reverse putting all the competitors on an even playing ground. And to get the spectators even closer to the action, the new layout is putting the starting grid right in front of the grandstand. Admission at the gate is €12.50, free for any accompanied under 16’s and the paddock is also open to the public. Check out Irish Rallycross’s season preview below.
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