PoloDriver

After a close finish, Marklund Motorsport has ended the inaugural season of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in second place, behind Ford Olsbergs MSE. The Marklund Motorsport team were leading the Teams’ Championship going into the competition at the Total Rallycross of Argentina.

The Swedish-run team settled for second, after a three-way battle with the Ford Olsbergs MSE outfit and Team Peugeot-Hansen. Only four points separated the three teams going into the final races at San Luis.

Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen claimed second place in the semi-final number two. The Finn came fifth in the final. Former World Rally Championship driver Petter Solberg took the season’s spoils in the Drivers’ Championship, with Heikinnen second.

Heikinnen’s team-mate Anton Marklund completed the season in sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship, after a varied season which has seen the young Swede up his game quite considerably.

Heikinnen’s Polo RX Supercar suffered gearbox failure at the end of heat two, while he and Marklund were in first and eighth positions after heat three. Hot sun gave way to pouring rain for day two, and Marklund made adjustments to his Polo to enable it to better suit the slippery conditions.

‘We made quite a lot of changes overnight to the car to make it better on the gravel. It was starting to rain quite heavily when I was in the pre-grid area before heat three, other drivers were putting the rain tyres on but I stuck with the slicks.

‘Maybe it was the right choice, maybe the wrong choice, I don’t know really. I pushed as hard as I could and was sixth overall and closed the gap to the lead in the guys above me in the intermediate points,’ said Marklund.

But the mechanical maladies weren’t over for Heikinnen. The Finn’s Polo RX suffered engine failure on the final lap of the final qualifying heat, slowing to a stop just before the last corner. The Marklund Motorsport team changed the engine for one used previously in the season, so didn’t incur any penalties for using a new engine.

Overall, though, the team was pleased with its result. Marklund commented: ‘It’s always disappointing to be second but actually our aim at the start of the year was to finish in the top three so this is something we must all remember.

‘I think we have learned a lot for next year and we will be back and fighting hard. Topi finished second in the drivers’ standings to finish the year with two second places is something our whole team are really happy with.’

The 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship season gets underway on 24 April 2015 with the first round in Montalegre, Portugal.

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Petter Solberg, 267
2 Toomas Heikkinen, 221

3 Reinis Nitiss, 210

4 Timmy Hansen, 199
5 Andreas Bakkerud, 193
6 Anton Marklund, 173

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Ford Olsbergs MSE, 403
2 Volkswagen Marklund, 394
3 Team Peugeot-Hansen, 351
4 PSRX, 261
5 Monster Energy World RX Team, 76

The penultimate round of the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship in Instanbul, Turkey on 11-12 October saw strong performances from Polo RX drivers Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen and Anton Marklund, taking Marklund Motorsport to the top of the series’ team standings.

Heikkinen’s drive in his 500bhp Polo RX saw him hold on to second place in the Drivers’ Championship. His command over four gripping heats and battles with Timmy Hansen’s Peugeot 208 RX saw the young Finn score enough points to see him defend his runner-up position.

Former WRC ace Petter Solberg has already been crowned 2014 champion.

‘Volkswagen Marklund are now leading the teams’ standings by four points – we’ve been tied at the top on two separate occasions this year but now we are leading it by ourselves,’ explained Heikkinen.

‘My driving hasn’t been perfect this weekend, I made a few small mistakes but I’m happy to have got some crucial points for the team.’

Ford Olsbergs MSE driver Andreas Bakkerud was the overall winner of the World RX of Turkey. With Ford, Peugeot and Volkswagen all represented on the podium, the fight for the first ever Teams’ Championship will now be decided at the final round in San Luis, Argentina, on 28-29 November.

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Petter Solberg, 250

2 Toomas Heikkinen, 200

3 Reinis Nitiss, 182
4 Timmy Hansen, 179

5 Andreas Bakkerud, 173
6 Anton Marklund, 159

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Volkswagen Marklund, 359
2 Ford Olsbergs MSE, 355

3 Team Peugeot-Hansen, 335

4 PSRX, 237
5 Monster Energy World RX Team, 102

The tenth round of the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship at the Autodromo di Franciacorta in Italy over the weekend of 27-28 September saw the Marklund Motorsport team edge closer to winning the series Team’s Championship title. Even though the Swedish outfit’s two drivers failed to make the Supercar final in their Polo RXs, enough points were scored to place the team within reach of the top of the championship table.

Anton Marklund and Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen finished seventh and eighth respectively in Italy, meaning that Marklund Motorsport now tie with Ford Olsbergs MSE at the top of the Teams’ Championship standings table with 313 points – with only two rounds of the season remaining. Heikkinen is second in the Drivers’ Championship, but sadly lost out on the title to former WRC ace Petter Solberg, who finished third in Bresica, taking the top spot. Overall victory went to Timmy Hansen.

A surprise leader at the Autodromo di Franciacorta was Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson, driving his Volkswagen Dealer Team Sweden Polo RX. Kristoffersson blitzed the opposition to take the lead at the end of day one, finishing fifth overall at the end of day two. The eleventh and penultimate round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will take place at the former F1 venue of Intercity Istanbul Park in Turkey from 11-12 October.

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Petter Solberg, 235

2 Toomas Heikkinen, 175

3 Reinis Nitiss, 167

4 Timmy Hansen, 152
5 Timur Timerzyanov, 148

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 = Ford Olsbergs MSE, 313

1 = Volkswagen Marklund, 313

3 Team Peugeot-Hansen, 300

4 PSRX, 227

5 Monster Energy World RX Team, 85

After his first-day victory at the Red Bull Global Rallycross series in Los Angeles, it was a disappointing weekend for Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross driver Scott Speed when the championship visited Seattle on 26-27 September.

Speed brought home his 7UP-liveried no 77 Polo R in sixth place, four places above team-mate and Top Gear US presenter Tanner Foust, who was giving the new Volkswagen Beetle GRC another competitive outing.

Sverre Isachsen scored Subaru Rally Team USA’s first-ever Red Bull Global Rallycross victory in front of a sell-out crowd at DirtFish Rally School in Snoqualmie, finishing ahead of series points leader Joni Wiman and Brian Deegan.

2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

SEATTLE: FINAL RESULTS

1 Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI
2 Joni Wiman, #31 Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST
3 Brian Deegan, #38 Rockstar Energy Drink Ford Fiesta ST
4 Nelson Piquet Jr., #75 SH Racing Rallycross Ford Fiesta ST
5 Rhys Millen, #67 Hyundai/Rhys Millen Racing Veloster Turbo
6 Scott Speed, #77 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Polo R

2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Joni Wiman, 332
2 Ken Block, 320

3 Nelson Piquet Jnr, 304

4 Scott Speed, 303

5 Sverre Isachsen, 247

2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Ford, 841

2 Volkswagen, 481

3 Subaru, 420

4 Hyundai, 236

5 Chevrolet, 5

[Images: Alison Padron]

Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Polo R driver Scott Speed took victory at the end of the first day of the Red Bull Global Rallycross series when it visited Los Angeles on 20-21 September.

The Supercar driver converted a second-place qualifying position into two heat victories, and along with team-mate Tanner Foust’s heat win, made Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross the only multi-heat winning team in the first half of the doubleheader weekend.

Speed drove the 600bhp Polo RX of Foust for the LA weekend (we wondered why the car had Speed’s usual green 7UP livery with Foust’s yellow ‘Rockstar’ wheel arches) as the Top Gear US presenter debuted his new Beetle GRC at the Port of Los Angeles.

Speed’s win saw him score four points, boosting his championship total. The series’ only multiple Supercar class winner also held off Joni Wiman and Ken Block for the victory.

‘So far this Polo has been quite reliable,’ said Speed. ‘We’ve had no problems so far this weekend, knock on wood. Hopefully that continues for the rest of the races, and for sure that will give us a shot at the championship.’

As the series moves to Seattle, Wiman leads Block for the Supercar class lead, while Speed is 29 points behind.

2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

LOS ANGELES (DAY 1): FINAL RESULTS

1 Scott Speed, #77 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Polo R
2 Joni Wiman, #31 Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST
3 Ken Block, #43 Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST
4 Rhys Millen, #67 Hyundai/Rhys Millen Racing Veloster Turbo
5 Patrik Sandell, #18 Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST

2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Joni Wiman, 332
2 Ken Block, 320
3 Nelson Piquet Jnr, 304
4 Scott Speed, 303

5 Sverre Isachsen, 247

2014 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Ford, 841

2 Volkswagen, 481

3 Subaru, 420

4 Hyundai, 236

5 Chevrolet, 5

[Images: Larry Chen]