World Rallycross Championship action returns this weekend, as the series crosses over its halfway mark to form the seventh round of the 2016 season.

EKSRX driver Mattias Ekström currently leads the championship, with the reigning champion Petter Solberg hot on his heels.

Davy Jeanney claimed Canada by a lights-to-flag victory. © JKR/ERC24

This weekend the drivers head across the pond to Canada – as the championship stretches its legs for its first truly international event. Over the past two years, the Circuit Trois-Rivières has produced a mixed selection of results. Frenchman Davy Jeanney took the 2015 win from Finn Toomas Heikkinen and the American Tanner Foust – with the reigning champion taking the 2014 event from Anton Marklund and Timur Timerzyanov.

American Tanner Foust made it to the Final in neighbouring Canada and eventually to another podium. © JKR/ERC24

For the third consecutive season, World RX joins the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières. The track has a distinct pull for many of the World RX drivers. The street-race circuit allows no room for error, with fewer places to pass but tighter racing guaranteed. Petter Solberg is an admirer, and remains focused on hunting down Ekström.

“The track is just so cool. It’s a street circuit, so you have to be careful to be absolutely neat and precise. The key to making the car work around here is to not slide, not to put too much heat into the tyres and just try to stay cool. If you are behind somebody, it can be frustrating, but there are places to pass,” explained Solberg.

“This is one of my favourite tracks of the year, I won the final two years ago and won a heat last season – I want to do more of the same this week! I missed the final for the first time this year last time out in Sweden. We couldn’t quite get the speed out of the car, but before that we were on the podium three times with one win in five races and we finished fourth on the other two races.” He added, “the car is constantly evolving, but we have to understand that we are fighting manufacturer teams here and that’s never easy. But, you know me. I will never stop trying.”

Fellow Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud is another driver helping to pile the pressure on Ekström. Hoonigan Racing Division driver Bakkerud currently holds third in the overall standings following cones,utile victories in this season’s Scandinavian events.  Fourth is held by the Rally legend Sébastian Loeb. The team Peugeot-Hansen driver will need to draw upon all of his experience, facing the Trois-Rivières track for the first time.