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Canada support round-up

The seventh round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Trois-Rivieres in Canada last weekend was supported by the fifth round of the RX2 International Series, the third round of the Americas Rallycross Championship a double-header for the ARX2 support category.

In ARX, Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross' Scott Speed took the first ever clean sweep in the series, setting the quickest time in every qualifier before winning semi-final one and the final. His Volkswagen Beetle team mate, Tanner Foust, finished second, but not without drama as he crashed out of Q2 on the first lap then retired from Q3 with technical issues. He started from the second row of the final and passed former permanent World RX driver Ken Block for second on lap one and was joined on the podium by the Ford Focus RS RX driver. Subaru Rally Team USA's Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson were fourth and fifth, and Block's team mate Steve Arpin finished sixth.

On his return to rallycross, 1997 Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve retired from semi-final two. He was joined on the grid by World RX regulars Rene Muennich and Oliver Bennett.

In RX2, points leader Oliver Eriksson fended off a challenge from America's Conner Martell who crashed out while fighting for the lead - to take victory. It was an Olsbergs MSE one-two-three on the podium as Belgium's Guillaume De Ridder and Americas' Cole Keatts completed the line-up. Finland's Sami-Matti Trogen crashed into the turn two barrier on lap one and dropped from contention.

Martell and Keatts had a busy weekend in Trois-Rivieres as they raced in both ARX and ARX2, using different cars. Rounds two and three of the ARX support series were held on Saturday and Sunday, and it was Martell who won on both days to extend his Championship lead. He overtook America's Christian Brooks in the final on Sunday for victory, Brooks twice finishing second as Keatts and America's Alex Keyes completed the two podiums.

Zdroj: fiaworldrallycross.com