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Hockenheim dropped from 2018 World Rallycross schedule

The Hockenheim round of the World Rallycross Championship has been dropped for next season and will be replaced by the new American round at Austin.

The reveal of the series' 2018 calendar confirmed Hockenheim's departure from the schedule, with the COTA circuit in Austin announced on Monday as a host venue.

The German Formula 1 venue had hosted a round of World RX in early May since 2015, in a joint event with the opening round of the DTM.

But with two German rounds on the schedule during that time, Hockenheim has been dropped in favour of the historic Estering circuit near Hamburg - which is now the oldest rallycross venue on the calendar.

For the second year in succession, the opening round of the season - which will take place in mid-April - will be held at Barcelona, before World RX visits Montalegre in Portugal and Mettet in Belgium.

The British round of the 12-event schedule will be held at Silverstone for the first time at the end of May, before the championship travels to Norway (Hell), Sweden (Holjes), Canada (Trois-Rivieres), France (Lohaec) and Latvia (Riga).

The US round will take place at the end of September, before the series returns to Europe for a one-event stop at the Estering.

South Africa will then host the season finale at the end of November.

The calendar is subject to confirmation by the World Motor Sport Council in December.

Zdroj: autosport.com