The inaugural Rallycross Challenge Europe was decided last weekend at Sosnová in the Czech Republic, Belgian Patrick Van Mechelen (in SuperCars), Czech Stanislav Šusta (Super1600s) and Belgian Jos Sterkens (TouringCars) claiming the first titles.
The sixth and final round of the first Rallycross Challenge Europe championship series was held last weekend at the Autodrom Česká Lípa in the village Sosnová u České Lípy, about 3kms south of the Czech town of Česká Lípa. A total of 44 entries had been received by the organisers, eventually 41 drivers participated in the event. While in the SuperCars category Belgian Patrick Van Mechelen and Czech Pavel Koutný came to Sosnová with a tie of 70 points each, in Super1600s and TouringCars the point standings leaders Stanislav Šusta and Jos Sterkens started the event in rather safe positions, almost certain of winning the titles they had focussed on all year.
However, due to the fact that Van Mechelen did not take part in the season kick-off at Melk in Austria, but later scored a lot of good points, the Belgian Ford Fiesta Mk7 campaigner just needed to finish in seventh place in the Czech Republic. Another 10 points would have been enough to pick the laurels, as Koutný had to drop 10 of his points and had not won any of the five events prior to his home RCE round. And this was how it happened in the end, the Czech defended home soil with his Ford Fiesta Mk7 to score his first victory, but PVM finished in a healthy fourth place behind Austrian Alois Höller (Ford Focus Mk1) and Latvian Agris Brediks (Mitsubishi Lancer E9) to make the first ever RCE title his.
In the Super1600s class Sosnová saw Ulrik Linnemann doing his first RCE round, the Danish Peugeot 207 driver eventually running away to win the event. German Sven Seeliger (Ford Fiesta Mk6) became the runner-up to the Dane, Frenchman Eric Guillemette (Renault Clio Mk2) finishing in third place. As in SuperCars the 2013 champion did not reach the podium, Stanislav Šusta (Škoda Fabia Mk2) crossed the finish line as fourth.
While Linnemann participated in his first RCE round his compatriot Jakob Teil Hansen (Ford Fiesta Mk7 RWD) had already competed and won in Valkenswaard. In Sosnová the Dane claimed his second overall victory, but nevertheless did not play an important role in the title chase of the TouringCar drivers. His runner-up in the event, Belgian veteran Rallycrosser Jos Sterkens (Volvo C30/4 RWD), had enough with an additional 17 points for second place to make the TouringCars title his. Vice-champion became his compatriot and make-colleague Filip Baelus (Volvo C30/4 RWD).
- FINAL RESULTS SUPERCARS:
- 1. Pavel Koutný (CZ) Ford Fiesta Mk7
- 2. Alois Höller (A) Ford Focus Mk1
- 3. Agris Brediks (LV) Mitsubishi Lancer E9
- 4. Patrick Van Mechelen (B) Ford Fiesta Mk7
- 5. Robert Czarnecki (PL) Citroën Saxo
- 6. Marcel Ottink (NL) Škoda Fabia Mk2
- 7. Bernd Schomaker (D) Škoda Fabia Mk1
- 8. Gerald Eder (A) Škoda Fabia Mk1
- Final point standings after 6 rounds:
- 1. Patrick Van Mechelen (B) 83 Points
- 2. Pavel Koutný (CZ) 80 Points
- 3. Marcel Ottink (NL) 50 Points
- 4. Bernd Schomaker (D) 42 Points
- 5. Jean-Luc Pailler (F) 33 Points
- 6. Alois Höller (A) 28 Points
- FINAL RESULTS SUPER1600S:
- 1. Ulrik Linnemann (DK) Peugeot 207
- 2. Sven Seeliger (D) Ford Fiesta Mk6
- 3. Eric Guillemette (F) Renault Clio Mk2
- 4. Stanislav Šusta (CZ) Škoda Fabia Mk2
- 5. Ondřej Smetana (CZ) Ford Fiesta Mk7
- 6. Dorian Launay (F) Renault Clio Mk2
- 7. Zdeněk Čermák (CZ) Škoda Fabia Mk2
- 8. Pavel Vimmer (CZ) Škoda Fabia Mk1
- Final point standings after 6 rounds:
- 1. Stanislav Šusta (CZ) 89 Points
- 2. Eric Guillemette (F) 75 Points
- 3. Dorian Launay (F) 71 Points
- 4. Václav Veverka Jr. (CZ) 65 Points
- 5. Sven Seeliger (D) 61 Points
- 6. Pavel Vimmer (CZ) 59 Points
- FINAL RESULTS TOURINGCARS:
- 1. Jakob Teil Hansen (DK) Ford Fiesta Mk7 RWD
- 2. Jos Sterkens (B) Volvo C30/4 RWD
- 3. Nick Snoeys (B) Ford Fiesta Mk6 RWD
- 4. Louis de Haas (NL) Opel Astra G RWD
- 5. Filip Baelus (B) Volvo C30/4 RWD
- 6. Ivo Van den Brandt (B) Mitsubishi Colt CZT RWD
- Final point standings after 6 rounds:
- 1. Jos Sterkens (B) 89 Points
- 2. Filip Baelus (B) 79 Points
- 3. Louis de Haas (NL) 70 Points
- 4. Ivo Van den Brandt (B) 66 Points
- 4. Nick Snoeys (B) 66 Points
- 5. Ivo Van den Brandt (B) 66 Points
- 6. Helmut Rössl (A) 47 Points
