PREVIEW: FIA European Rallycross Championship – Hell, Norway

The FIA European Rallycross Championship is heating up in Hell, as Anton Marklund will try and secure three wins from three events this weekend (13/14 August). However, he will have to fend off attacks from an 18-strong field, including the return of local hero and WorldRX superstar Andreas Bakkerud as the sport returns to the Lånkebanen circuit for the Ramudden World RX of Norway 2022.

The Norwegian crowd will be cheering for the six Norwegian drivers in the field, reserving their loudest roars for Bakkerud. The 30 year old rallycross veteran made WorldRX history at this venue in 2016, securing the sport’s first ever grand slam when we won all four heats, his semi-final, and the final. The racer knows how to win here and is in the best possible position to take the fight to Marklund

However, Marklund’s SET Promotion Hyundai i20 is looking hard to beat at the moment. For all that he benefitted from a post-event disqualification for Oliver Solberg, the Swede’s pace was remarkable all weekend, finishing third in heat three and moving to the top of the leaderboard. Bad luck struck in the semi-final when he picked up a puncture, leading to a less than ideal start for the final. Nevertheless, Marklund has secured the full 40 points available so far, and is 18 ahead of his nearest rival, Latvia’s Jānis Baumanis.

The #YellowSquad driver will be hoping to turn the tables on his current run of bad luck. Baumanis has been consistently quick this year, but has been scuppered by punctures and the weather turning against him at precisely the wrong moment. The Latvian driver is approaching the weekend with confidence, saying “We have done some testing since Höljes to be prepared for the race and I’m feeling more confident in the car…I’m looking forward to Hell, I think this will be our best race of the season so far.”

Baumanis will be hoping for a better showing in Hell as he chases down championship leader Marklund. Credit: #YellowSquad

Baumanis is not the only one hungry to make amends. After a stunning podium at the season opener in Hungary, Enzo Ide could only manage a bitterly disappointing 13th in his EKS Audi S1 in Sweden. Denmark’s Ulrik Linnemann finds himself in a similar position, having been hounded by bad luck meaning he finished 20th in round 2, despite taking the third position on the podium in Hungary. Expect them both to want to prove their successes were no fluke.

Euro RX1 welcomes a new face into the fold as well, as fan-favourite Fraser McConnell makes his debut in this category. The Jamaican driver is familiar to WorldRX fans, having pulled off one of the most audacious debuts in the sport. In the RX2 event at Barcelona in 2019, he launched his car round the outside of his teammate on the final lap of the final race, securing second place in the race and also his reputation as a very talented driver. Behind the wheel of a Hyundai i20, the same car that Marklund is enjoying such success with, and armed with his characteristic promise to “send it in Hell,” this could be a very exciting weekend for the young driver.

Fraser McConnell makes his Euro RX1 debut this weekend in his Hyundai i20

Round three of the FIA European Rallycross Championship takes place this weekend (13/14 August).