world • monde • welt • värld FIRST FRANCE, THEN BRITAIN. NOW THE ERC IS Rallycross SET TO ADOPT CONTROL #41 – May 2007 TYRES FOR 2008 ERC Hansen’s two decades debut 20 years of the ERC’s most successful driver ever with KENNETH HANSEN Volvo ERC 1987 – 2007 First titles won with Ford Still going strong Rafoss – erc24.com with Citroën photo: Jan Kåre world • monde • welt • värld 3 4 FIA plans to introduce control tyres to the The Rallycross World Rallycross ERC in 2008 diary for April and May The Hansen issue We have never dedicated as much space in any scoring record and has now 69 ERC A finals. issue to a single driver as we have in this one to Even if you’re not a Hansen fan, these are Kenneth Hansen – and this is the biggest issue statistics that cannot be ignored. The Swede since Rallycross World switched to the monthly has made the sport his own in a way that no 6 e-zine format. other driver has ever done. And in which no The Hansen feature starts by claiming that other driver yet looks like bettering. Kenneth Hansen’s 20 years in the ERC the Swede is the most successful exponent Of course, the up and coming generation of of the sport ever. Martin Schanche’s career young drivers have the perfect role model in covered more years on the ERC (although Hansen and doubtless, somewhere down the Hansen will probably eclipse that record too), line, one of them will emerge with the ability, but no-one can come close to his winning rate. backing and team to emulate him. Until then, In 20 years he has won the championship 13 King Kenneth looks comfortable on his throne. times, he’s eclipsed Schanche’s all-time points [email protected] subscriptions • abonnement Click it! subskription • abonnera Copyright Advertisements in Rallycross Rallycross World is a Myriorama World are interactive – click on production published by Tim them to jump straight to the Now Whittington. advertiser’s website. This publication may not And make sure you check be redistributed, copied or the whole advert as some free at reproduced in whole or in have multiple links – and part in any form without you wouldn’t want to miss the written consent of the anything, would you. ERC24 copyright holder. Unless There are also links from otherwise stated, all text and Rallycross World is now free some editorial items and we photographs are © copyright to registered members of will always try to offer a live Tim Whittington 2007. ERC24.com 27 link wherever we quote a Contributors: Eddi Laumanns, To register click here and website address in editorial Jacques Privat, Jan Kåre Rafoss, then follow the instructions The Rallycross World poster – The KHM team content. Henk de Winter. on the site. Rallycross World is also This issue published May 2 If you prefer to subscribe pose for a family picture at Höljes in 2004 featured at the recently Next issue published June 1 without joining ERC24, visit launched website [email protected] www.RallycrossWorld.com www.myriorama.com www.myriorama.com Briefing Control tyre ruling is a major change for the ERC The news that the ERC will adopt a control tyre regulation for 2008 marks a significant change for the championship. The principal is, of course, well proven and control tyres are widely used in motor sport from F1 downwards. There will be new tricks to learn for the drivers who will use the tyres and for the engineers who will have to make the necessary changes to the cars in order to make the tyres work at their best. If the contract to supply tyres is won by Kumho those competitors in the French and British championships could find themselves with a useful advantage in terms of knowledge and experience. If it’s another supplier that gets the verdict it will be a clean start. In that situation the only advantage the French and British will hold is that have spent time racing on a moulded rally radial tyre. The written documents to which the companies that want to tender for the supply must work are not yet available, so it is not certain what they will require, but the ORC’s up front request for a moulded rally tyre is, perhaps, a little surprising. The body is composed of experienced Rallycross organisers and officials and has the benefit of being able to call on advice from the FIA’s technical officials. Control tyre for ERC The requirement for the tyre to be treaded, despite the fact that slicks are used without problem in the majority of national championships, seems inevitable. Using a moulded pattern FIA approves introduction of control tyre for 2008 season will make policing the rules easier, but there seems no clear reason to specify a rally tyre, if that is what the final documents The FIA World Motor Sport Council has given its Off Roads “We have to agree the detail, but I think something like six do. Rally tyres have been used in French Rallycross for years Commission the authority to introduce ‘control’ tyres to the new tyres in the first event and then four new tyres at each without a problem, but there are significant differences in European rallycross Championship from the start of 2008. following event for Division One, and perhaps two new tyres at their construction and that of a bespoke Rallycross tyre. The FIA ORC president Andy Lasure broke the news in the middle each event for the other classes,” said Lasure. requirement for the tyre to be suitable for the job at hand of April. Money received for a control tyre contract in the ERC will , should be sufficient. If a manufacturer wants to put forwarded a “We will ask for companies to offer a moulded tyre, like the according to Lasure, be earmarked for promotional activities, bespoke tyre, should it not be permitted to do so? one that Kumho supplies in France and Britain, and to make although there is no indication how this will be done. And what next? test tyres available in July. The final decision will be made in Conrol tyres have been used for a number of years in the Control fuel would appear to be an obvious step, and if the the October FIA meetings,” said Lasure who expects that French championship and have been introduced to the British ORC is really clued up it could consider BioEthanol, on which the control tyre will bring with it a regulations controlling the championship this year. It is, however, a significant break with some Rallycross cars can already run. maximum number of tyres used by a driver each event. tradition for the ERC to adopt a control tyre. Rallycross World #41 – MAY 2007 | 3 Diary March 31 Bergteamet Volvo S40. The Norwegian gets two days of Supernational star Frode Holte confirms plans to tackle a running at Strängnäs in Sweden with the new car in which limited season in the ERC with a Ford Focus. Holte hopes Christopher Evans issues a statement saying he will not, he will make his return to the ERc after a three year break. to do a full championship in 2008. after all, defend the British championship but will instead undertake a short programme of events in the ERC. The Irishman intends to drive in ‘at least four’ rounds of the April 19 ERC, the first being the French round in May. April 14 Guttorm Lindefjell announces plans to race in the new FIA Off Roads Commission president, Andy Lasure Rallycross Cup. The Norwegian, who has been out April 9 confirms that he has been given authority to seek of a drive since losing his Isachsen Motorsport seat to tenders for the supply of a control tyre in the Tommy Rustad last year, has commissioned a new Opel Dave Bellerby takes a historic outright win in the opening European Rallycross Championship. Astra which is to be ready to race in the last two rounds round of the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross of the 2007 ERC. Lindefjell will then tackle a full 2008 Championship. Bellerby wins the event with his championship programme. SuperModified Lotus Exige after passing the Supercars of George Tracey and “Mad Mark” in the re-started April 15 Superfinal. His success is the first overall win by a two- April 20 wheel drive car since Dennis Atkinson won with his Sverre Isachsen limbers up for the forthcoming ERC Porsche 911 at Croft in July 1985. Andrew Jordan had season by winning the first round of the Dutch Rallycross Camilla Antonsen tests Lars Larsson’s 2006 ERC winning been fastest all day but was eliminated from the Superfinal Championship. ERC newboy Ole Kristian Nøttveit chases Skoda and finalises a deal to race the car in the Norwegian after a gearbox failure in his Ford Focus Supercar. him home in second place. ERC round at Momarken, her local track, in July. Antonsen also tests her new Skoda Supernational car. April 10 April 18 April 25 Rallycross and race driver Andrew Jordan is named as Irishman George Tracey says he hopes to contest a full one of the six drivers to be selected for the MSA’s race season in the ERC with his Peugeot 307CC WRC. Tracey The Swedish championship press launch takes place at Elite scheme. The driver development programme worked the car home to finish second in the BRC opener, Strängnäs where Kenneth Hansen, Per Eklund, Michael received 86 applications with 20 drivers then going but knows he faces a harder task in Europe.