It’s time to give some lockdown love to the World Rallycross Championship. McKlein photographers (Colin McMaster, Tony Welam and ace younger-gun Tom Banks) have been to every round since rallycross became an FIA world series in 2014. Season seven is delayed because of coronavirus, so we’ve had a delve back through the previous six, looking for our favorite photos.
Petter Solberg - Höljes, Sweden 2014
Höljes is ‘The Magic Weekend’ and for good reason, too. For three days in July, the population of this village jumps from a couple of hundred to 30,000+, all because of rallycross. Höljes is an old-school track with a spectacular first turn, great for photos. In 2014, positioned fifth on the grid, Petter Solberg pulled off a spectacular round-the-outside move to take the lead. When inspected closely, the image shows all four of Solberg's wheels are off the ground while making the pass - mega! [photo: Tom Banks]
Mattias Ekström vs Petter Solberg - Estering 2014
Another of the older RX venues is Germany’s Estering, a dark track deep in Buxtehude’s forestland (Hansel & Gretel country). The closest finish in World Rallycross history was here in 2014. Petter Solberg beat rival Mattias Ekström by five-thousandths of a second, right in front of Tom Banks’s lens; a real 'photo finish'. [photo: Tom Banks]
The First Corner
First-corner bingles are all part-and-parcel of this branch of motorsport - in rallycross, a little bit of rubbing is racing. Shown are: Montalegre 2016, Lohéac 2017, Mettet 2018 and Riga 2018. [photos: McKlein]
Petter Solberg, Liam Doran and Janis Baumanis - Hockenheim 2016
This is not the first corner, instead it’s the last corner of the penultimate lap in the second semi-final - proving that three-into-one does often go in RX. As the championship evolved, more and more Formula 1 circuits began to proliferate on the calendar, splitting opinion among hardcore rallycross fans. Albeit short-lived, Hockenheim was one of the better track adaptations. [photo: Colin McMaster]
Kevin Hansen - Mettet 2017
Clipping a tire barrier on the transition from asphalt to gravel sent Kevin Hansen on an almighty barrel-roll. One of the biggest accidents in World RX’s brief history. [photo: Tom Banks]
Andreas Bakkerud - Estering 2017
Teams often run repaired old bumpers to use for the Estering, as it’s a rough one. Running on three tires and a rim, Andreas Bakkerud has a ‘Mad Max’ moment over a well-known bump on the gravel section. It's unsurprising to learn that Bakkerud is a fan of Colin McRae - they’re similar, larger-than-life characters, both in and out of the car. [photo: Tom Banks]
RX Podiums: Sébastien Loeb, Mattias Ekström, Johan Kristoffersson and Hell 2016
From day one, World RX has used the same podium set-up, where the photographers are forced into a tiny pen below, right in front of the drivers - it’s like a tiny concert mosh pit. More often than not it’s a champagne dousing for the cameras and an unflattering view up the winner’s nose - but, occasionally, some really cool images come from being so close. [photos: McKlein]
Petter Solberg and Sébastien Loeb - Höljes 2017
These two megastars of the World Rally Championship continued their rivalry into World RX. It’s fair to say that Loeb got the better of Solberg in WRC, but the tables were pretty much turned when they fought in rallycross. Through it all they’ve stayed the best of friends. [photo: Tony Welam]
Johan Kristoffersson - Lohéac 2017
Super Swede Johan Kristoffersson dominated both the 2017 and 2018 World RX championships and is poised to make a return to the series whenever racing starts in 2020. Free practice on a balmy September evening in 2017 was the perfect time to capture probably the best driver, in probably the best light, ever seen in World RX. [photo: Colin McMaster]
Johan Kristoffersson - Montalegre 2018
Even a final in snow blizzard conditions couldn’t derail Kristoffersson. He won 11 of the 12 rounds held in 2018, including a very Swedish looking Portugal. [photo: Tony Welam]
