RX2 INTERNATIONAL SERIES PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES MARKETING BROCHURE 1 MARKETING BROCHURE CONTENTS THE SERIES 4 CALENDAR 7 THE CAR 8 COVERAGE - TV & MEDIA 12 SOCIAL MEDIA 14 RX2 HALL OF FAME 16 TESTIMONIALS 17 SERIES PARTNERS 18 CONTACT 20 2 3 RX2 provides the perfect stepping stone for drivers climbing the rallycross ladder. In recent years, the series has welcomed competitors from disciplines as diverse as THE SERIES stage and cross-country rallying, cross-kart, folk race, karting, single-seaters and even SuperMoto – as well, obviously, as rallycross itself, attracting talent from the RX Academy, Super1600 and TouringCar. While from a wide variety of backgrounds, all RX2 drivers share a common goal – that of reaching the very pinnacle of the sport, the FIA World Rallycross Championship. As a series, RX2 works hard to foster ever-closer links with World RX and World Championship promoter IMG, with RX2 drivers and teams regularly invited to official activities from pre- event activation to autograph sessions and pre and post-race press conferences. WHAT IS RX2? Taking place in front of the World Championship teams, RX2 offers aspiring rallycross superstars The RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires is the leading official and independent competitors alike an support series to the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster extremely accessible, affordable and direct Energy, developing and nurturing the discipline’s future stars. route to the top of the sport and is the perfect place for drivers to prove their potential in front All drivers compete in identical 310bhp machinery, with a single-round World RX of a loyal, engaged and enthusiastic audience. Supercar prize drive awarded to the eventual champion and a World RX Supercar test day on offer to the second and third-placed finishers. The 2019 calendar takes in seven events, with the first six taking place ROAD TO RALLYCROSS throughout Europe before a spectacular South African season finale (see opposite). A range of options is available for participation depending on budget, from joining a professional team to rental arrive-and-drive packages – contact Series Manager Ian Davies for further information (details on final page). KARTING FOLK RACE ACADEMY CROSS KART 4 5 THE CALENDAR The 2019 calendar comprises seven rounds across two continents as follows: APRIL MAY MAY JUNE 27-28 11-12 25-26 15-16 BARCELONA, SPAIN SPA- SILVERSTONE, UK HELL, NORWAY ASPHALT / DIRT: FRANCORCHAMPS, ASPHALT / DIRT: ASPHALT / DIRT: 60% / 40% BELGIUM 40% / 60% 63% / 37% CIRCUIT LENGTH: ASPHALT / DIRT: CIRCUIT LENGTH: CIRCUIT LENGTH: 1,135M 60% / 40% 972M 1,019M CIRCUIT LENGTH: 907M JULY AUGUST NOVEMBER 05-06 31-01(SEPT) 09-10 HÖLJES, SWEDEN LOHÉAC, FRANCE CAPE TOWN, ASPHALT / DIRT: ASPHALT / DIRT: SOUTH AFRICA 60% / 40% 33% / 67% ASPHALT / DIRT: CIRCUIT LENGTH: CIRCUIT LENGTH: 60% / 40% 1,210M 1,070M CIRCUIT LENGTH: 6 1,067M 7 THE CAR All drivers compete in identical Supercar Lites machinery. These cars benefit from a tubular spaceframe structure combined with a high-performance composite plastic exterior and interior body, and are powered by a naturally-aspirated, 2.4-litre Duratec engine generating 310bhp and 300Nm of torque. A six-speed sequential SADEV gearbox is mated to permanent four-wheel drive with two LSD differentials, while durability is ensured by ALCON 330mm ventilated brake discs with four-piston calipers front and rear, double-wishbone suspension and Öhlins TTX adjustable dampers. ENGINE • Naturally-aspirated 2,400cc Duratec block • Four cylinders, 16 valves • Power: 310bhp • Torque: 300Nm BODY • Tubular Spaceframe Structure combined with high performance composite plastic exterior and interior body • CDS roll cage • Dimensions: Length 3,800mm; Width 1,800mm; Wheelbase 2,489mm • Weight: 1,100kg minimum with driver included WHEELS • 8” x17” lightweight KMC wheel rims TRANSMISSION • Permanent four-wheel drive with 2 LSD differentials • 6-speed sequential SADEV gearbox • ALCON 2-plate clutch BRAKES SUSPENSION • Front: ALCON 330mm ventilated discs • Front: Double wishbone suspension, with 4-piston calipers OHLINS TTX adjustable dampers • Rear: ALCON 330mm ventilated discs • Rear: Double wishbone suspension, with 4-piston calipers OHLINS TTX adjustable dampers 8 9 10 11 COVERAGE TV & MEDIA SPORT Rallycross preview SPORTS PORT All the action from the world of motorsport Steve Sutcliffe GETTING [email protected] AIRBORNE Huge jump is THE World Rallycross Championship centrpiece of (World RX) is rapidly becoming the Silverstone’s newly built next big thing in motorsport – and as RX track WRC seems to be losing its appeal year- on-year, certainly in the UK, rallycross is increasingly where it’s at nowadays. So much so that there’s a round of the championship at Silverstone this year, taking place on a brand-new purpose-built course, and with all sorts of feeder formulas to support it. In the main event, manufacturers like Audi, Volkswagen, Peugeot and Hyundai hammer it out for overall honours, the British Rallycross champion Heathcote (above) let our man Sutcliffe try his Fiesta cars being driven in frantic head-to-head races by the likes of Sebastien Loeb, former DTM title winner Mattias Ekstrom and Petter Solberg, among others. But in the RX2 support category, the cars are all identical mechanically and the drivers less well known – for the time being. And that’s the machine we got to sample the new Silverstone track in. Technique The car we drove is run by Team Färén and its regular driver is the 2017 British Rallycross champion and all-round top Since its launch at the start of 2017, chap Nathan Heathcote. Before we got behind the wheel, he showed us what it could do and, more to the point, what not to do around the new Silverstone rallycross track. Which – as we’d soon discover and as you can see from the RALLYCROSS TAKES OFF RX2 has attracted widespread media As the World Rallycross Championship hits Silverstone this weekend, we drive the purpose-built track in 310bhp RX2 monster pictures – has one almighty great jump in the middle that requires technique, and not just courage, to get right. Not that the car itself is easy to tame. It makes 310bhp from a 2.4-litre engine, is “Acceleration is Porsche 911 strong, but Nathan Heathcoate: the gearchanges, plus the relative at home, so the pros reckon, around the jump can be very painful indeed, the Fiesta’s nose, either. We came away exposure all around the world. Some four-wheel drive, costs into six figures to softness of the suspension, that initially the tight and twisty Silverstone track. not to mention rather expensive in after another few laps grinning from ear run for a season and is the ideal machine the speed of gearchanges and softness Rising British RX star seem most surprising. The car eats To us, and in this car, the layout broken car parts. The technique, as to ear, convinced this car on this track in which to learn the art of rallycross. of the suspension are most surprising” gears seemingly every half a second in of the track feels just right. There’s Heathcote demonstrated to us, is to is as good as it gets on four wheels. Even from the passenger seat. Kent driver Nathan a straight line (the six-speed sequential enough space to be able to overtake give it full beans on the way up the Because even with a mere 310bhp, Off the line, Heathcote drops the Heathcoate is the box is very short-geared) and the noise in several places and it should make ramp, but to then back off just before the RX2 is a proper weapon, especially prominent examples can be seen here, clutch and the Fiesta fires itself to the reigning MSA British it makes in the process is deafening. for great spectating when the cars you get airborne in order to bring the around a track like Silverstone, which is first corner, a right-hander that tightens Rallycross Champion But the way the Fiesta glides across the race here for real this weekend. nose down a touch so it doesn’t smash maybe a little too tight for the rallycross at the exit and leads into a slower, even and is making his rough ground on its smooth suspension But in the end, the jump defines into the tarmac on the other side. Which supercars but just perfect for something tighter right and then to a really sharp RX2 debut this year is massively impressive. As is its pure both our time in Heathcote’s brilliant is what several drivers had managed to as small, agile and capable as this. left turn over mud before a longish for Team Färén, agility, which is something that separates little Fiesta RX2 and the track itself do during practice earlier in the day! So thanks Nathan and Team Färén with extensive coverage also achieved straight that leads up to the jump. which ran another it from the 600bhp rallycross ‘supercars’ – because it’s fantastic… if you get The first time we went over the jump, for letting us have a go and the very Heathcote is very smooth, calm and British driver, Dan Rooke, to the RX2 in the top class and allows it to feel more it right. If you get it wrong, however, we were probably a bit tentative and the best of luck for the rest of the season. controlled with his inputs, employing championship runner-up spot last year. landing wasn’t that bad; just a loud-ish And as for the future of World Rallycross a mix of delicacy and aggression that The 21-year-old Heathcoate competed thud and a surprisingly soft impact and generally, it looks very bright indeed.