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Hvall wins RallycrossRX of Austria

Alexander Hvaal stormed to victory at the eighth round of the 2013 FIA European European Rallycross Championship Presented by Monster Energy, held at Greinbach, Austria (Sept 15th), in doing so becoming the fifth different RallycrossRX winner for the season so far.

Liam Doran and Petter Solberg shared the front row of the grid for the final. Doran made the best start to lead the field away and claim the Monster Energy Supercharge Award for being first to the first corner.

While Doran led, Solberg failed to move from his starting position, his stationary car lucky to be missed by those starting behind. Hvaal ran second, ahead of team-mate and championship leader Timur Timerzyanov. Stig-Olov Walfridson ran fourth on lap one, but was passed on the loose section by Davy Jeanney, who then dived for the joker lap. Timerzyanov was next to take his joker lap on the second tour, the Russian driver returning to the main circuit ahead of Jeanney. Doran held a commanding lead over Hvaal, but on lap four disaster struck for the British driver, smoke and flames billowing from the back of his car, forcing him to stop.

Hvaal seized the lead, and immediately took his joker lap, returning into the lead just ahead of team-mate Timerzyanov and Jeanney, where they remained to the finish. Walfridson finished forth to score his best result of the season to date. "I am really lost for words," said Hvaal. "This is my first win in Supercar, it's amazing. Last year I got lots of second and third places but this year has been terrible for me. Now we have finally proved that we really have the pace."

Tord Linnerud had initially qualified for the final, but was disqualified from semi-final one for aggressive driving, handing his place in the final to Davy Jeanney.

Championship contender Timmy Hansen finished semi-final two in fourth place to just miss out on a position in the final. Double event winner Andreas Bakkerud had a troubled weekend to qualify thirteenth, just outside the semi-final places.

Reinis Nitiss continued his dominant form in the Super1600 category to seal the championship title with one event to go, leading the final from start to finish. Ulrik Linnemann finished second with Ildar Rakhmatullin in third. Sergej Zagumennov came home fourth ahead of the hard charging Eric Faren in fifth. Local driver Christan Petrakovits finished sixth, losing out in the first corner squeeze.

TouringCar also crowned its 2013 champion in Austria, Derek Tohill taking maximum points from the event to ensure he cannot be beaten at the final round next weekend in Germany. The Irish driver won the final after a close fight with Robin Larsson, waiting until the final lap to take his joker lap just returning to the lead to win the event and the championship. Roman Castoral finished third with Daniel Lundh fourth and Koen Pauwels fifth. David Nordgaard retired from the final on lap four.

Kevin Hansen took victory in the JRX category, ahead of William Nilsson and Magda Andersson.