PoloDriver

At the tenth round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship, the 18-20 September World RX of Spain, Johan Kristoffersson was the highest-placed Volkswagen Polo finisher, coming home second ahead of fellow Polo pilot Tanner Foust in fifth.

‘Fantastic job’
Kristofferssen was runner-up to current rallycross world champion Petter Solberg. ‘It feels awesome to be a part of the winner’s press conference again. I would like to thank my team: they did a fantastic job with the car, which worked magnificently and just keeps getting faster,’ said the Volkswagen Team Sweden Polo WRX driver.

The podium spot leaves Kristoffersson in third place in the overall drivers’ points table with 182 points, while the Swede also posted the fastest lap time of the weekend in his 600bhp Polo WRX Supercar.

Kristoffersson’s team-mate Tord Linnerud went out in the semi-final. However, the pair’s European Championship team-mate Ole Christian Veiby won the Euro RX part of the Spanish event after another Polo driver, Tommy Rustad, was disqualified.

Launch control
‘A victory is always a victory, but to be honest, this is not the way I want to win. I was car number two over the finish line, but rules are rules and that means I got the victory after all,’ said Veiby. Rustad had somehow activated the launch control system on his Polo RX during the race, when it is only permitted at the start of a race.

Veiby is now back in the fight for a trophy in the European Championship classification, after the penultimate round at the 1.133mile-long Formula 1 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. ‘The event in Spain was a “make or break it” in terms of the chances to get a medal in the Euro RX this season,’ said an elated Veiby.

25,000-strong crowd
Foust meanwhile put on a show for the 25,000-strong crowd in Barcelona and was the highest-placed Polo RX driver from the Marklund Motorsport squad. Thomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen went out in the semi-final race and finished the event in eighth place.

Coming from a podium at the World RX of Canada, Foust, the US TV star and two-time Formula Drift Champion remains the only American to have a won a round of the World Rallycross Championship having triumphed at last year’s World RX of Finland.

The next round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship, the World RX of Turkey, will take place in Istanbul from 2-4 October.

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 243
2 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 208
3 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo WRX: 182
4 Davy Jeanney, Peugeot 208: 166
5 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Fiesta ST: 163

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 374
2 Ford Olsbergs MSE: 297
3 SDRX: 268
4 Marklund Motorsport: 216
5 Volkswagen Team Sweden: 214

Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen was the best-placed Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar driver at the sixth round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship, the World RX of Sweden, which took place in Höljes over the weekend of 4-5 July. Polos were prolifically-represented, though, with four cars in the semi-final rounds.

Welcome return
After scoring a third place in semi-final number two, Heikkinen advanced to the final race, and finished fourth overall behind the Ford Fiesta of Andreas Bakkerud. It was a welcome return to the podium for Volkswagen-backed Marklund Motorsport, and Heikkinen was jubilant about the result.

‘It’s nice to be back in the finals after missing the semi-final two races in a row. Too bad we were not able to compete for a podium, but I’m still pretty happy with this weekend. With my twelfth place in qualifying I was one of the last drivers into the semi-finals, but I still managed to be fourth overall,’ the young Finn said.

It wasn’t quite such good news for Heikkinen’s team-mate Per-Gunnar (P-G) Andersson. He finished 13th in heat four. A bad start in the qualifying heats was out down to a faulty generator on his 600bhp Polo RX Supercar, while a false start in the fourth heat put a stop to his chances in Sweden.

Runner-up position
Championship second-placed Johan Kristoffersson of Volkswagen Team Sweden suffered bad luck on his home round, with a puncture in the semi-finals. However, he still managed to retain his runner-up position in the drivers’ overall standings behind Petter Solberg, despite a seventh-place result in Höljes.

Over 39,000 spectators watched the other Polo RXs and their foes battle it out in the Swedish heat. Kristoffersson’s team-mate and Euro RX driver Ole Christian Veiby finished fifth in semi-final two. Meanwhile, HTB-Marklund Motorsport’s Euro RX driver, Tommy Rustad, brought his Polo RX home fourth in the first semi-final.

After a strong showing in Germany, it was a disappointing World RX of Sweden for Volkswagen Team Sweden’s Tord Linnerud. The Norwegian experienced technical problems and finished 15th in heat four, therefore not progressing any further.

‘Had the pace’
Michael Schneider, team manager of Marklund Motorsport, summed up the weekend with mixed feelings: ‘I am pleased that we are back in final, but not totally happy. Andersson had the pace for the finals this weekend, but unfortunately he had bad luck in the first heat. Tommy Rustad drove a very good race again, just as in Germany. But, for the rest of the season, I hope to put an end to all the bad luck’.

The overall event was won by EKSRX’s Mattias Ekström. It was the second consecutive Swedish win for the Audi S1 Supercar driver, who initially finished second in Höljes, but was awarded the first place after Peugeot’s Timmy Hansen was penalised for an overtaking manoeuvre on the last corner of the final.

The next round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship, the Word RX of Canada, takes place in Trois-Rivieres on 7-8 August.

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 159
2 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo WRX: 115
3 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Fiesta ST: 113
4 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 104
5 Reinis Nitiss, Ford Fiesta ST: 96

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Ford Olsbergs MSE: 209
2 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 192
2 SDRX: 182
4 Volkswagen Team Sweden: 154
5 Marklund Motorsport: 126

It was Johan Kristoffersson who put a Polo on the podium at the recent 24-24 May World RX of Great Britain, the fourth round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship. The Volkswagen Team Sweden driver cemented his championship-chasing form by finishing in third place at the iconic Lydden Hill circuit.

Top honours
The result follows his maiden win at the first round of the season in Portugal. Kristoffersson now lies in second in the Drivers’ Championship, 29 points behind former world rally ace Petter Solberg, who took the top honours in the UK races in Kent in front of a 15,000-strong crowd. Matias Ekstrom was second.

It was a doubly joyous weekend for Kristoffersson who became a father for the first time on the morning of the second and final day. ‘It’s certainly been an emotional day,’ explained the 21 year-old.

‘I really didn’t expect to be here today. We were 13th position in free practice yesterday because I just couldn’t find the pace. I adjusted my driving style for today and then had a good start in the final but Petter was just so quick! We had a really nice fight but I have to say third position is fantastic for the Championship, so I’m really happy,’ the Swede enthused.

Suffered problems
In marked contrast to Kristoffersson’s and Volkswagen Team Sweden’s fortunes, the Swedish Marklund Motorsport outfit failed to qualify for the Supercar semi-final. The Polo RXs of Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinnen, Per-Gunnar Andersson and two-time Global Rallycross Champion and Top Gear US TV presenter Tanner Foust suffered problems and sadly just couldn’t hit the top of the results table.

Round 5 of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship will be held at the Estering in Germany from 19-21 June.

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 112
2 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo WRX: 83
3 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Fiesta ST: 77
4 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 63
5 Reinis Nitiss, Ford Fiesta ST: 61

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Ford Olsbergs MSE: 138
2 SDRX: 132
3 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 110
4 Marklund Motorsport: 106
5 Volkswagen Team Sweden: 105

Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen took his 600bhp Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar to a storming victory at the third round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship, the World RX of Belgium at Mettet on 16-17 May. It was the second time in a row the Finn has won the Belgian round of the series, as he also stood atop the podium in 2014.

The Mettet win sees Marklund Motorsport driver third in the drivers’ points table with 57 points. ‘I’m really happy, Belgium is starting to feel like home!,’ grinned an ecstatic Heikkinen. ‘I’m feeling really comfortable in the car now – it suits my driving style but I have to say that I am not alone.

‘My team are amazing’
‘There is a team of more than 20 people who helped me to win today – my team are amazing and I couldn’t have done this without them. The fight for the Championship is well and truly on and now we get ready for Lydden Hill next week and hope to repeat this all over again,’ he continued.

Heikkinen’s team-mate Per-Gunnar Andersson finished fourth in the same Supercar final as Heikkinen, which puts the Swede in seventh place in the overall rankings with 43 points. Round one winner and Volkswagen Team Sweden driver Johan Kristoffersson went out at the semi-final stage, as did fellow Polo RX driver Tord Linnerud.

Top qualifier
Kristoffersson was top qualifier at the Intermediate Classification after emerging victorious in both heats three and four. Set to win his semi-final, the Swede clipped a kerb, incurring a front-left wheel puncture which dropped him down to fifth place.

Ex-WRC champion Petter Solberg finished second overall in Belgium to establish a 22 point lead in the overall drivers’ standings over Kristoffersson. Ford Olsbergs MSE’s Reinis Nitiss claimed the third podium spot.

Remarkable pace
Elsewhere, 18 year-old Volkswagen Team Sweden driver Ole Christian Veiby showed remarkable pace on his debut with Volkswagen Team Sweden, claiming second place in the opening round of the 2015 FIA European Rallycross Championship.

The series now moves to UK shores for the World RX of Great Britain from 23-24 May at the legendary Lydden Hill circuit in Kent.

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 82
2 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo WRX: 60
3 Toomas Heikkinen, Volkswagen Polo RX: 57
4 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Fiesta ST: 56
5 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 50

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 SDRX: 102
2 Marklund Motorsport: 100
3 Ford Olsbergs MSE: 99
4 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 89
5 Volkswagen Team Sweden: 77

After Johan Kristoffersson’s victory at the World RX of Portugal, the highest-placed Polo RX at last weekend’s World RX of Hockenheim was that of fourth-placed Toomas Heikkinen. The Finn joined his Marklund Motorsport team-mates P-G Andersson and Tanner Foust on the start line for the first semi-final, and ended up the highest-placed Polo finisher.

Spectacular spin
Volkswagen Team Sweden driver Kristoffersson made it through to the semi-final of the second round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship, too, but failed to translate his start into a final spot, and he finished in fifth place. His team-mate Tord Linnerud had a spectacular 360-degree spin in his 600bhp Polo RX, but managed to keep the car going, despite losing his rear hatch!

US Top Gear presenter Foust set two top five heat times before the overnight stop, which left him in fifth position. In the final placings, the Wildcard guest driver came home ninth, while Andersson ended the weekend in twelfth position.

First World RX of Hockenheim
Reigning champion Petter Solberg was victorious at the first-ever World RX of Hockenheim – which supported a round of the German DTM touring car championship – followed by runner-up Reinis Nitiss in second place and Timmy Hansen in third.

The next round of the championship is the World RX of Belgium, which takes place in Mettet on 15-17 May. The meeting will herald the first round of the European arm of the championship and will see Marklund Motorsport field another Polo RX Supercar driven by Tommy Rusted from Norway.

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 57
2 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo WRX: 42
3 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Fiesta ST: 37
3 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 37
5 Reinis Nitiss, Ford Fiesta ST: 34

2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 SDRX: 74
2 Ford Olsbergs MSE: 71
3 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 65
4 Volkswagen Team Sweden: 53
5 Marklund Motorsport: 52