2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship

Posted: September 28, 2010 2:50 PM - 5148 Hits

FIA European Rallycross Championship Party - Friday 1st October

Posted: September 28, 2010 2:50 PM

Derek Tohill’s European Rallycross winning car, truck and its Truckie Gordon have just arrived back from Europe and the Team have decided to mark their arrival home with a small celebration this Friday night 1st October at the following venue:

Video Report Available of Derek Tohill's fight for the Title

Posted: September 24, 2010 12:16 PM

Derek Tohill

Irishman Derek Tohill Clinches the FIA European Rallycross Division 2 Championship title in the Czech Republic

Posted: September 24, 2010 12:12 PM

Irishman Derek Tohill (Ford Fiesta Mk7) is the new European Rallycross Champion in Division 2. He clinched the title during the final round of the 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship at the Autodrom ?eská Lípa at Sosnová in the Czech Republic (September 17-19). In a straight dual he beat the only title contender left, Norwegian Knut Ove Børseth (Ford Fiesta Mk7), and became the very first Irish European Champion in the history of Rallycross.

All the attention regarding the championship was on Division 2 at Sosnová as it was still undecided before the final round of the 2010 European series. Would Derek Tohill become the first Irishman to win a European Rallycross title or would Knut Ove Børseth celebrate his second title win in a row? For the last named the mission was very clear. Finishing on the podium and keeping Tohill behind him was the mission for Børseth before the event went underway, taking into account the different dropping scores for both drivers. Tohill lead the championship with two points over the Norwegian.

The event started very well for defending champion Børseth on Saturday setting fastest time in the official timed practice session. However in the first qualifying heat on Saturday afternoon a driver mistake (Børseth spun the car in the first corner immediately after the start) lead to a poor twelfth time for the Norwegian. Nevertheless there were still two more qualifying heats to come and only the best two are taken into account. Derek Tohill made a perfect start to the event winning the first qualification heat on Saturday and setting the fastest time outright. This was the best start the team could only have dreamt of making. An early night for all the team on Saturday night would ensure everyone would be focused for the final showdown on Sunday afternoon.

The pressure was now on Børseth for the second qualifying heat on Sunday morning. But this time, technical issues prevented the Norwegian from setting a fast time. Diagnostics after the second heat by his mechanics was 'gearbox change'. However Børseth didn't take any risk and set a time by finishing his qualifying session, however only 18th time overall was recorded. On the other hand the pressure was also on Derek Tohill, after he set fastest time in the first heat on Saturday. He could secure himself the 'A' final pole by setting fastest time in the second heat and that’s exactly what the Irishman did but, the Rathgar Motor Factors, Southside Motor Factors, partforcars.ie & Teng Tools backed driver forgot to take the mandatory joker lap and therefore got a time penalty and was classified only 16th. It was clear the severe pressure was beginning to show with both drivers.

It now all had to be done in the third and final qualifying heat. Børseth won his heat and set second fastest time while Tohill also won his heat with a steady drive to fourth fastest overall. The outcome of the qualifying heats was the direct qualification of Tohill for the 'A' final placed 3rd on the grid while Børseth only made it to the last row in the 'B' final. Given his mission - finishing on the podium and ahead of Tohill at all times, it was a difficult job that was ahead of the Norwegian before the finals.

In the 'B' final Børseth had the better start from the last row and by the end of the long straight after the first corner he was leading the field. He kept the lead for the remaining five laps and therefore he was allowed to join fellow countryman Børseth. At this point it was clear some tactics were being employed by the Norwegian drives in a bid to help their fellow countryman. Ole Kristian Nøttveit (Citroën Xsara) qualified in 5th place on the last row of the 'A' final. But he swapped with Børseth which curiously left Børseth on the inside line in fifth place directly behind Tohill. Ole Håbjørg (BMW E81) was on pole for the A final after a fastest and second fastest time during qualifying. Last weekend's winner Lars Øivind Enerberg also from Norway (Ford Fiesta ST RWD) shared the front row with Håbjørg with a fastest time in the second qualifying heat. Derek Tohill and Roman ?astoral (Opel Astra OPC RWD) were on the second row. So it was four Norwegians an Irishman and Czech home favourite Castoral.

When the final went underway Enerberg was leading in what seemed like a jump start. Tohill had made the decision before the final that it was going to be an all or nothing encounter. The Irishman felt that the best form of defense was to attack. This is exactly what happened during the first half a lap. The Irishman battled hard to regain control of his Fiesta after numerous attacks from his Norwegian rivals. After the second corner Tohill was second and ?astoral third. Børseth was fourth and therefore Tohill was virtually already the champion. But he would now have to maintain his pace and drive the longest 6 laps of his life making no mistakes and at a fast enough speed to withstand any challenges from behind. Børseth went down to fifth place but then climbed afterwards back to four and eventually finished third. Therefore he finished on the podium, but Tohill was ahead of him and the title went accordingly to Ireland. Tohill even won the race as Enerberg who was leading until the final lap got a puncture on the front right and the Irishman charged home to his fourth win of the year. Ole Kristian Nøttveit came in second. In the final standings Tohill wins with 139 points while Børseth (135 points) is the 2010 runner-up and takes the European silver. Nøttveit, with 129 points, is third in the 2010 championship.

The Irishman commented afterwards
“To make history today by becoming the first Irishman in the history of the sport to win the European Rallycross title is a dream come through. The team deserves this prestigious title; we all fought tooth and nail to the very end in what was a really exciting battle for everyone. I am proud to have been part of the championship showdown. The whole team was under extreme pressure all weekend. We even had some technical difficulties just before the final qualifying heat but the lads got stuck in and fixed the car perfectly with seconds to spare. Nobody see’s these high pressure moments but everyone stayed calm and we went out and won that crucial last heat. The guys back at Gunnarson's workshop in Sweden did a perfect job all year; it was an honor to work with such professional people. Our engine builder Julian Godfrey also gave us fantastic support at all the races, he was always available when we were in doubt of anything what so ever. But, our own Rallycross Rebels team was by far the best crew in the ERC paddock. They were the gel that brought everything together and they are now part of history. I am really happy for them and still cannot believe myself what we have achieved in our first season driving a rear wheel drive car. Our sponsors and technical partners have also been fantastic to work with. We will now all take some time out with our families and enjoy the victory. As soon as our plans for next season are decided we will let everybody know but hopefully there should be some more exciting years to come for ourselves in the FIA European Rallycross Championship”

Derek Tohill

Eleventh Best for Procter in Europe

Posted: September 24, 2010 12:11 PM

British driver Kevin Procter came away from the final round of the 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship with a 13th place overall finish which means he clinched 11th in the series standings following this weekend's action at Sosnova in the Czech Republic.

Driving the Procters Luxury Coaches-sponsored Ford Focus, the Leeming Bar driver followed up last weekend's 12th place in Poland with another solid drive although for the second weekend in succession, the event wasn't without problems for the Yorkshireman.

Qualifying in ninth place, Procter's weekend got even better when he won the first two heats and was looking good but a problem in heat three after a clash with Ludvig Hunsbedt saw him slip into the 'C' Final rather than the 'B' Final he was hoping for.

Starting from the front row of the 'C' Final, the Kick Energy and www.coach2.com-supported driver made a great start but a slipping clutch and problems with the centre differential saw his bid for progression thwarted as he trailed home in third position behind fellow British driver Pat Doran.

Kevin Procter:
"It's been a tough old day again, it's just so competitive in this series and one minor problem really does hurt you. There were 30 Division 1 cars entered so to finish 13th isn't too bad and right up until the 'C' Final; the car never missed a beat. Everyone is desperate to succeed but I think we've done ourselves justice this season in finishing 11th in the Championship so thanks to my team and family for supporting me."

Tohill Excels in the Rain taking his Second European Rallycross Victory in 7 Days!

Posted: September 14, 2010 4:03 PM

Round 8, Germany, Estering, Buxtehude, Germany, August 13th – August 15th 2010

The 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship is reaching its final stages. Buxtehude in Germany was the host for round 8 of the 10 round European series. The circuit situated near Hamburg in the North of Germany has just installed a joker lap and there was great interest in how it would perform. The atmosphere at the circuit was vibrant as the circuit witnessed a very high volume of spectators.

The battle at the top of the Division 2 standings is between 4 drivers, Irishman Derek Tohill (Ford Fiesta MK.7 RWD) and the 3 Norwegians Knut Ove Børseth (Ford Fiesta MK.7 RWD), Ole Kristian Nøttveit (Citroen Xsara RWD) and Lars Øivind Enerberg (Ford Fiesta ST). In timed practice only two tenths of a second separated Borseth, Tohill and Belgian Guino Kenis (BMW 1 Series). The close times were an indication that action would be very tight between the championship front runners.

The first set of Heats on Saturday afternoon saw Derek Tohill in his Teng Tools backed Fiesta MK.7 take a race victory and at the same time he set fastest time of the day ahead of Norwegian Borseth and Czech driver Roman Castoral (Opel Astra RWD). This was the best possible start the Irishman could have hoped for on day 1. But, after some routine maintenance on Saturday night the Rallycross Rebels team discovered the rear axle was bent on the Fiesta. The team set about straightening the axle as much as possible but this was limited without having a jig to hand. But, the team also worked on set-up and hoped the competition wouldn’t improve too much on Sunday.

Sunday morning saw Tohill take a lights to flag victory in the second heat but the Rallycross Rebels team’s fears about the competition going faster were justified when Tohill’s time was only 5th quickest. Defending European Champion and current point’s leader Knut Ove Borseth went quickest. This would mean the Irish man would need a fast time in the third heat.

Heat 3 saw another race victory for the Irishman which helped him claim 3rd fastest time overall. This was enough to ensure the Irishman qualified directly for the A final with the added bonus of being on the front row alongside pole man Borseth.

Just as the grid girls left the start line of the all important A final, the heavens at the Estering circuit opened. Normally when this occurs a “Wet Race” is called and drivers have the option of using wet weather tyres. But, as this happened seconds before the lights went green it was too late to make any changes. The lights went green and Tohill made a blistering start on the wet track easily beating Borseth and the rest of the filed away from the line. The first couple of laps were tentative for Tohill and Borseth as they tried to find some traction. Borseth took his joker lap first which allowed Tohill to attack for the last 3 laps without fear of any lunges from the Norwegian. Tohill then took his mandatory joker lap on the last lap and to the delight of the Irishman and his team; Borseth was not in site. A second consecutive victory for the Irishman leaves him with 3 victories in Europe this season, the most by any driver in the Div. 2 championship.

Tohill commented afterwards
“This was typically Irish weather as we are used to in Mondello Park, it was absolutely fantastic to win again and in such difficult conditions but, I still don't want to think about the championship. We are a young team and this year is still a learning season for us, so we just want to win races."

The European Championship now moves to Slomczyn in Poland and Sosnova in Czech Republic next month. Curiously enough this is where Derek Tohill won his first ever ERC back in 2008 in his Grp.N Honda Civic Type R.

Tanner Foust in the FIA European Rallycross Championship event

Posted: August 13, 2010 11:58 AM

Hot off the win of a pair of gold medals at the 2010 X Games, Rockstar Energy driver Tanner Foust is looking for his first European Rallycross podium in Germany this weekend at the ADAC Rallycross Estering (August 14 - 15, 2010) -- Round 8 of the FIA European Rallycross Championship.

"Competing in the European Rallycross championship was great preparation for the X Games Rally Racing and Super Rally events," said Foust. "This is a very competitive series and I'm looking forward to getting back in the car in Germany after a pair of wins in the US."

The driver, who is running select events for his rookie season in the FIA European Rallycross Championship, has advanced through the field to the A-Main final event twice in three starts, crossing the finish line in third-place at his most recent round in Sweden last month.

"Rallycross is like driving in a real-life videogame," said Foust, who is the first American to compete in the FIA European Rallycross Championship."The cars and drivers are mean and aggressive, and it's an incredible challenge."

Foust is running limited events in the 2010 European Rallycross season in the 600-horsepower, all-wheel drive Rockstar Energy Rallycross Ford Fiesta prepared by champion Andreas Eriksson's Olsbergs MSE Ford team.

He is returning to competition this month after a successful run in the car at the X Games in Los Angeles, where he scored a pair of gold medals, winning both the regular Rally Car Race and the new SuperRally contest – the US debut of the European style of rallycross competition.

Foustis also a two-time Formula Drift champion and has twice represented Team USA at the international Race of Champions.

Rallycross is a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. It promises intense crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment. Six drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

Foust's 2010 competition schedule also includes a return to the Formula Drift series in his Rockstar Energy Drink Scion TC, ESPN's Summer X Games and select rally events.

ABOUT TANNER FOUST
Tanner Foust is a versatile and multi-talented driver known for his supreme car control and a proven track record of podium placements and national championships. He is a three-time X Games gold medalist (2007, 2010), and two-time Formula Drift champion (2007, 2008). He has twice represented Team USA in the annual Race of Champions, teaming with NASCAR star Carl Edwards in 2008 and Travis Pastrana in 2009.

His varied race experience also includes multiple seasons of open wheel competition, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, five Ice Racing championships, a Production Rally Championship title and the SCORE Baja. He also holds class lap records at numerous US road courses in Time Attack.

Even if you haven’t seen Foust on the track you’ve likely witnessed his precision car control on TV or the big screen. He was a lead driver in the Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, Bourne Ultimatum, Dukes of Hazzard, Red Dawn and Iron Man 2, movies, and also handles stunt driving in numerous popular TV shows and commercials.

Foust is currently an on-air host for Supercars Exposed, and was also picked as co-presenter for the US version of the seminal BBC auto show, Top Gear.

Tohill Bags a Superb Victory at the ERC round in Belgium

Posted: August 13, 2010 11:51 AM

After a 4 week break the 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship resumed for Round 7 at Maasmechelen in Belgium. The driver to watch in Division 1 would be former World Rally Championship winner Francois Duval. Duval is from Belgium and it was evident from the number of spectators that he is still a legend in his home country. Crowds of 15,000 spectators were witnessed at the Duivelsbergcircuit, many of them hoping for home success.

Qualifying began on Saturday morning. The time sheets were headed in qualifying by Norwegian Ole Kristian Nottveit (Citroen Xsara RWD) followed by Belgian GT Racer Guino Kenis (BMW 120) and defending champion from Norway Knut Ove Borseth Ford Fiesta MK. 7). Irishman Derek Tohill was 8th fastest in his Ford Fiesta MK.7. The Irishman lost some track time when he went off the circuit and got beached in early morning practice. The Dubliner in his own words was
“Exploring the limits around the Duivelsbergcircuit”.

The first qualifying heat soon began on Saturday afternoon. Ex Norwegian Supernational Champion Nottveit won his heat and went fastest of all drivers. Tohill also won his heat but conditions were a little bit wetter for Tohill as he was out in one of the very early heats. The Irishman posted 5th fastest time. The Rallycross Rebels team spent Saturday night searching for ways to improve rear end traction.

The hard work by the Rallycross Rebels team paid off and Tohill went 3rd fastest on Sunday mornings opening heat. Quickest this time went to Tohill’s arch rival Guino Kenis driving a BMW 120. The Belgian has rarely been beaten at his home circuit but competition was stiff with all of the ERC regulars attending round 7 of the European Championship.

The Final qualifying heat would decide who qualified directly into the A final. Tohill would need to post a good time to ensure direct qualification. This was not going to be straight forward as conditions were deteriorating quickly as the rain became very heavy. But, Tohill had now mastered the intricacies of the Belgian circuit and put in a time which was second fastest overall. The Irishman had a very close battle with the Belgian driver Guino Kenis. More of this was to come as Kenis and Tohill qualified 1st and 2nd respectively for the front row of the A Final.

As the light went green for the A final, Tohill made one of his customary superfast starts. The Irishman took the lead into the first corner. Kenis took the mandatory joker lap immediately. But, Tohill’s team covered off any late approaches by instructing the Irishman to take the joker lap on the third lap. When Tohill came out in front, he just needed to drive a controlled race to the end. The Irishman did not disappoint and took the chequered flag. The young Norwegian Lars Øivind Enerberg chased Tohill home in second place with Ole Kristian Nottveit finishing on the final step of the podium. Local hero Jos Sterkens finished a strong fourth place in his Ford Focus at his home event followed by defending European champion and point’s leader Knut One Borseth. Kenis finished 6th in the BMW.

“This is the event of the come-back", Tohill said afterwards. "After Finland I was really disappointed but right now it feels great again. Especially when you look at the entry list over here, I was able to beat the Belgians at home." The Irishman is not yet thinking about the championship. "No, I don't want to think about this, my goal is to win races and afterwards we'll see. There are still three races left in this championship", he said. Knut Ove Børseth (103 points) stays in the lead for the championship after Maasmechelen with Tohill (97 points) second and Nøttveit (97 points) third. Francois Duval did not disappoint his home crowd as he took victory in Division 1.

The European Championship now moves to Buxtehude in Germany this weekend where the Irish team will be doing there very best to take another strong result. It will again be a circuit more familiar to other drivers in the championship but the Irishman plans on being at the sharp end of proceedings come Sunday afternoon.

1. Derek Tohill (IRL), Ford Fiesta Mk7 RWD
2. Lars Øivind Enerberg (N), Ford Fiesta ST RWD
3. Ole Kristian Nøttveit (N), Citroën Xsara RWD
4. Jos Sterkens (B), Ford Focus ST RWD
5. Knut Ove Børseth (N), Ford Fiesta Mk7 RWD
6. Guino Kenis (B), BMW 120

Tohill Scores yet another Podium finish at Finland’s round of the ERC

Posted: July 27, 2010 10:42 AM

For the first time a European Rallycross event took place at the Tykkimäen Moottorirata near Kouvola in the south-east of Finland on July 9th – 11th 2010. This was round six of the 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship and the opening round of the second half of the championship. Among the Division 1 drivers for the weekend was also five times FIA European Rallycross Champion Matti Alamäki who would compete in the Honda Civic Type-R Mk2 from Pakkala Motorsport. This Finish legend left magical memory’s in Irish fans hearts after he competed and won many European events held at Mondello Park in the 90’s driving his awesome Peugeot 205 T16 and Lancia Delta S4.

Heats began on Saturday morning with some extremely high temperatures. 35 degrees Celsius was the norm for whole weekend in Finland. This would be a severe test for drivers, teams and equipment. The weekend had a difficult start in store for Derek Tohill (Dublin) and the Rallycross Rebels team as they missed some valuable practice laps. This was due to problems with new engine electrics. But, this did not seem to bother the Irishman too much when it came to setting times, after the first qualification heat the Irishman lay second fastest behind current European Champion Knut Ove Borseth (Norway). This was the Irishman’s strongest start to an ERC event and the team looked forward to Sunday.

Heat 2 on Sunday morning soon took the momentum out of the Irish driver and his team as fuel injection problems inflicted the Ford Fiesta MK. 7 as it was on its way to the grid. It was probably a blessing is disguise that Tohill missed the heat as a large fire would possibly have been inevitable due to the fuel problems and high temperatures being experienced. The team set to work on repairing the fuel injection system. The team is getting through many gremlins this season and is hoping for a change of fortune due to extensive re-engineering throughout the car. The high engines revs of 9700rpm seem to be causing many small problems that should not be experienced again.

The pressure was on for Tohill and the Rallycross Rebels in Heat 3. The Irish Rallycross driver had to set a time otherwise it was time to pack up and go home with zero points. The Irishman did not disappoint his team and he set fastest time overall which guaranteed Tohill a front row start in the all important A Final! The Irishman would join Knut Ove Borseth on the front row followed by row two starters Ole Kristian Nottveit (Norway) and local favourite Tero Parkkinen (Finland).

Tohill immediately catapulted himself into the lead of the A Final followed by reigning champion Borseth. The Irishman took his Joker lap on the second last lap and came out still in the lead. The Rallycross Rebels team thought they were set for victory number 2 of the season. That was until the last lap when Tohill and Borseth simultaneously spun off the circuit gifting the win to Ole Kristian Nottveit. Tohill was collected by Parkkinen as he rejoined the circuit but the Irishman re-passed the Finish driver to finish in third place. This was another strong result for the Irishman but so nearly a maximum score.

Tohill commented afterwards
“This was probably the toughest result for me personally to accept in all my time competing in Rallycross at all levels. I just pushed too hard in the last lap when I should have controlled the pace but hindsight is wonderful. It just wasn’t meant to be in Finland, we had many problems throughout the weekend that was tough on all of the team. To feel this low after a podium shows how high our expectations have climbed. This is a good sign and bodes well for the remainder of the season, to really enjoy the highs sometimes you need to experience severe lows. We are now ready to enjoy the highs!”

The European Rallycross Championship resumes in Belgium from August 6th – 8th.

A Final Results
1. Ole Kristian Nøttveit (N) – Citroen Xsara RWD
2. Knut Ove Borseth (N) – Ford Fiesta MK. 7 RWD
3. Derek Tohill (IRL) – Ford Fiesta MK. 7 RWD
4. Patrick Mertens (B) – VW Polo RWD
5. Tero Parkkinen (F) – Ford Fiesta ST RWD

Tohill Scores Perfect Podium at Europe’s Biggest Rallycross in Sweden

Posted: July 20, 2010 10:26 AM

Round 5, Sweden, Höljesbanan, Höljes, 2nd July – July 4th 2010

With 26,850 spectators, the organizing club Finnskoga MK, set another Swedish record regarding the number of spectators for its European Rallycross round at Höljesbanan in North Finnskoga, Sweden. The Swedish round of the 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship completed the first half of the season. A total of 84 drivers were allowed to take part in the event after they passed administrative checking and technical scrutineering. The circuit in Holjes is the Holy Grail for Rallycross fans; it has high speed banking Velodrome, some big jumps, high speed down hill sections etc. The circuit does not even have a main straight so the driver has no opportunity for a moments rest!

Division 2 at Höljes was a Scandinavian invasion in the Championship with nine drivers alone from Norway. The event started strongly for Irishman Derek Tohill with a 4th fastest qualification time in Heat 1. The Rallycross Rebels team were content with 4th place on Saturday night but would have preferred to have featured in the top 3 leading positions. The team consulted Swedish engineer Ingvar Gunnarsson that night about changing the set up of the car. He persuaded the team to leave the Duratec powered Fiesta unchanged. He guaranteed the team that Sunday would be a brighter day as we got to grips with this “Special” circuit

The opening heat on Sunday morning immediately proved to be brighter in terms of results. But, not in the manner the team expected. Saturday night and Sunday morning saw some heavy rain showers. This meant the first heat on Sunday morning was very wet. This would be the Irishman’s first experience of racing a RWD car in the rain! Tohill did not disappoint and posted 2nd fastest time overall. This was an important result as it would ensure Tohill directly qualified to the main A Final.

The 3rd and final qualification heat on Sunday afternoon saw Tohill go head to head with local ace Ole Håbjørg (Norway) driving a BMW. Tohill got a great start and led Håbjørg for the entire race. On the final lap the Irishman took his mandatory pass of the Joker lap. As the Irishman exited the Joker lap he arrived side by side with Håbjørg. The drivers clashed and both went off the circuit and lost time. Tohill lost more time off circuit than Håbjørg and ended up finishing the heat in 2nd place and 6th fastest overall.

The qualifying heats left the Irishman on the second row of the grid in position 4. The Irishman got a little bit too much wheel spin off the line but still managed to move up to second place again behind Håbjørg. Young Norwegian driver Lars Øivind Enerberg took his mandatory pass through the joker section on lap 1. Tohill ran in second place until the last lap when Enerberg just passed both himself and Håbjørg on the exit of the Joker lap to take the win. This left Enerberg with victory with Håbjørg and Tohill completing the podium. The top 3 positions were covered by only 1.5 seconds, the rest of the field struggling to match the pace of the top 3 drivers.

Tohill commented
“This is a good result for our championship; it was very difficult for me as a driver this weekend. The car ran well but it was a very difficult competing in the back yard of so many drivers. It’s a circuit which rewards experience but we got there come Sunday afternoon and the gap was so small in the end. We are happy with a podium place in this very special place. It is every Rallycross drivers dream to score a podium position in Holjes, Sweden. It felt very nice to see the Irish flag being raised at this special venue. The fans are so passionate, the event is extremely well organised and all of the drivers want to compete here. Our team stayed focused all weekend and we got the job dome in the end, it was a great effort from everybody. Finland this weekend should present a nice opportunity for us as it’s a circuit new to the calendar and new to all drivers. This will leave things at a level playing field. The car has been re-prepared in Sweden by the guys in Gunnarsson so we are well prepared. Let’s wait and see…

A Final Results
1. Lars Øivind Enerberg (N)
2. Ole Håbjørg (N)
3. Derek Tohill (IRL)
4. Per Magne Røyrås (N)
5. Olav Fredriksen (N)
6. Ole Kristian Nøttveit (N)

Tohill Sidelined by First Corner Carnage in Hungary

Posted: June 17, 2010 2:32 AM

Derek Tohill (Dublin) arrived in Budapest, Hungary for the 4th round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship (ERC) with high expectations after taking victory in England the previous weekend. Sunny and warm weather conditions at Nyirád were a nice change for the Rallycross Rebels team. This weather change came after a period of heavy rainfall in this area of the country and beyond. Between 11,000 and 12,000 spectators enjoyed, besides the weather, two days of Rallycross action at the Nyirádi Motorsport Centrum. The Irishman had a tough weekend with small gremlins still being experienced with the teams new Ford Fiesta MK. 7. It all meant the Irishman would have to do things the hard way as he was not a direct qualifier into the main A final. If the Irishman was to achieve a top 6 finish he would have to win the B final.

Qualifying in Hungary was positive for the Irishman as he qualified 2nd fastest and ahead of main championship rivals Knut Ove Borseth (Norway) and Ole Kristian Nottveit (Norway). The Rallycross rebels team were very satisfied with this start as it meant the Irishman would start from pole position in Heat 1 on Saturday. Gear selection problems in Heat 1 meant Tohill was left stranded on the start line leaving the Irishman with only 9th fastest time. This meant good results would be a necessity in Heat 2 & 3 on Sunday.

Heat 2 on Sunday morning started in fine style for the Irishman as he pulled out a big lead over his rivals. But, the Teng Tools backed Fiesta came to a sudden halt on the final lap. This put the Rallycross rebels team under pressure to try and repair the car for the 3rd and final qualifying heat. If Irishman did not get a good result in the 3rd heat it would mean no final, no points and an early journey home. The Rallycross Rebels team diagnosed the problem to be a broken crank trigger wheel and crank sensor. The team fitted the necessary new parts and the car was ready for the final qualifying heat.

Heat 3 were nervous times for Tohill and his team as the Irishman would have to finish the heat to ensure a place in the finals but Tohill would also have to push to ensure the Irishman was not too far down the grid in the B final. Tohill fittingly put in a stunning display of Rallycross driving to win his heat and post the fastest overall time by over 3 seconds. This was a display of what the team could have achieved had the previous 2 heats been without problems. This ensured Tohill qualified directly into the B final. A win in the B final was a must if the Irishman was to qualify for the A final and score some useful championship points.

Tohill drove a perfect B final, easing away from ex European champion Jos Sterkens (Belgium) to take victory and a place on the back row of the all important A final. Tohill made a blistering start in the A final to climb to 3rd place at the entry to turn one. But, then the 2009 European Champion Borseth hit the rear of Tohill’s car sending him into the side of the BMW driven by Belgian Guino Kenis. The BMW driver then hit the rear of Tohill’s Fiesta. All of this damage meant the rear axle and brake assembly were both bent as well as a loss of power steering and brakes. The engine was also down on power at this point so all Tohill could do was try and nurse the car home safely. This was proving rather difficult as the BMW of Kenis decided to wait up a lap and take the Irishman out of the race. But, Tohill avoided giving the BMW driver this opportunity and finished in 5th place overall. This has meant the Irishman is now placed 3rd in the overall championship standings.

The Rallycross Rebels team now take the long journey to Sweden for round 5 of the championship. Tohill commented “This weekend we had good speed but we just didn’t have sufficient reliability. The team have worked so hard to repair the car and I am disappointed with 5th place as we all deserved more. Guino Kenis was excluded for his unsporting behaviour which is the correct decision made by the FIA but it’s harmed our championship. We will have to work very hard in advance of Sweden to ensure we can fight again for victory. If we can win in Sweden it will keep our championship alive and be a nice reward for Gunnarsson Motorsports home event who have worked so hard with us on the Fiesta. It’s probably the most challenging circuit in the world of Rallycross and with 25,000 plus spectators a near formality, motivation is easy and we will try and put on a good show for everyone!”

Derek Tohill Outwits European Champion Borseth in a Dramatic A Final in England

Posted: June 9, 2010 7:24 PM

Derek Tohill (Dublin) entered the 3rd round of the European Rallycross Championship (ERC) in the South of England near Dover with high hopes of gathering some useful championship points. The Irishman did more than expected with a spectacular drive to take victory and maximum championship points.

The Rallycross rebels team had to earn every single point the hard way. It was one of those weekends when perseverance was the key. The first day of racing on Sunday netted Tohill a 5th fastest qualification time in his Ford Fiesta MK7 RWD. The Irishman was not particularly happy with this pace and himself and fellow team member Gordon Lynch hunted down the man who engineered the Fiesta Ingvar Gunnarsson.
“We couldn’t quiet put our finger on what we were missing, the car was quick but was just not quick enough compared to the very quick drivers in the class. We explained to Ingvar how the car felt and he quickly pointed towards the limited slip differential.”
Immediately it was obvious that there was an issue. The spare rear axle was examined and Ingvar gave the thumbs up to fitting said spare. Tohill also had problems selecting 4th gear so the team went about removing the gearbox and striping it in the mobile workshop. A dogring for 4th gear was damaged, thankfully the team had a spare and were able to fit it and re-assemble the gearbox. The team went to bed looking forward to Mondays racing with the hope of going quicker.

Heat 2 on Monday started well with Tohill posting 2nd fastest time overall, this was a marked improvement. Heat 3 saw the Teng Tools backed driver beat European Champion Knut Ove Borseth in a clean battle and a fastest time of the day for the Irishman. This put Tohill in pole position for the main A final, an opportunity the Irishman would relish.

Tohill again made a blistering start and led into the first corner. The Irishman completed 4 laps at the head of the field and then took his mandatory joker lap. But, when the Irishman exited the joker lap, current champion Borseth just snook ahead of the Irishman. But, this wasn’t the end of matters, on the final lap Tohill got a good run on the Norwegian on the way up to the North bend and produced a clean overtaking manoeuvre. The 12,000 spectators rose to their feet to applaud the Irishman in what was a spectacular move for victory on the last lap.

Tohill commented afterwards
“The team deserve this so much; we never stopped working all weekend and never gave up. We all believe in each others ability and this ensured the car was just perfect for me on Monday. This gave me the opportunity we have been working towards since the beginning of the season. It’s the first time somebody has beaten Borseth in a fair fight in a long time. Yes, he has been beaten a couple of times but mainly due to his mechanical failures. This has moved us up to 2nd in the championship standings and will give us a bit of momentum we badly needed to keep spirits high, roll on Hungary!”

This weekend the Rallycross rebels team will participate in round 4 of the championship. The track is situated 2 hours from Budapest and usually hosts a warm event. The team are due to arrive in Nyirad on Thursday to set up everything for the weekend. The Irishman aims to put Borseth and everyone else under pressure. Who knows what could happen after that!

All rounds of the European Rallycross Championship are being covered by Motors TV and will air in the week after each race.

Derek Tohill Begins his 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship campaign on the podium with a 3rd place in Portugal and a 5th place in France.

Posted: May 18, 2010 2:46 PM

Derek Tohill (Dublin) returned to the European Rallycross Championship (ERC) in a brand new Division Two rear wheel drive (RWD) Ford Fiesta Mk.7. Tohill, the only Irishman to win a European championship event, sat out the 2009 season after making his debut in the championship during 2008. The five times Irish Rallycross stock hatch champion, spent 2009 evaluating the best way forward towards achieving his goals in European Rallycross competition. During the winter of 2009, Tohill and his Rallycross Rebels team commissioned a brand new Ford Fiesta MK.7 RWD to be built by Ingvar Gunnarson Motorsport in Sweden. The team visited the workshops and set about carefully designing the exact specification for the new car. The team researched the build of its new challenger very carefully and ensured all the best parts were used.

Tohill spent the Winter driving a Peugeot 106 to keep his hand in throughout the Irish Championship. This resulted in another title for the Irish man. He also drove his Fathers RWD BMW in Lydden Hill, England over the Easter bank holiday weekend. This was great preparation for the Irish mans exploits into RWD machinery and an experience that wetted his appetite for some more RWD action!

Rd.1 – Portugal
The event in Portugal was the first time an American driver ever drove in a European Rallycross Championship event. Tanner Foust the double Formula Drift Champion (2007, 2008) finished a credible eighth overall in his first ERC start.

Tohill, the only Irish Rallycross driver competing in the ERC got off to a nervous start when the clutch in the Fiesta gave way in unofficial practice. But heads soon turned in the first qualification heat when Teng Tools backed driver won his heat with the forth fastest time. The second qualifying heat was to take another turn for the worst when Tohill’s new car failed to leave the start line with yet another burnt out clutch. At this point there were no more spares and the teams participation was put into jeopardy. But, thankfully Dutchman Jos Sterkens lent the team a clutch disc which just allowed Tohill to take the start of the final qualification heat. Tohill posted the 2nd fastest time in Heat 3 to ensure the Irishman was the last direct qualifier for the all important A final.

The Irishman made a blistering start to the A final climbing up to second place by the end of lap 1. The Irishman having a close flight with Norwegian Ole Kristian Nottveit for second place. Eventually the Norwegian got the upper hand after a half spin from the Irishman let Nottveit through to second place. The A final was won by reigning European Champion Knut Ove Borseth also driving a Fiesta MK7. But, Tohill and the Rallycross Rebels team were extremely satisfied with 3rd place on the debut of their new car and at a new circuit for Tohill. Derek commented “This was essentially a test session for us in a brand new car. To pick up a third place with so many teething problems bodes well for the remainder of the season. A big thank you must go out to all the team, my family and my sponsors. Everybody has done a fantastic job to be on the grid and be competitive out of the box. The past 6 months have been nothing but hard work. It’s nice for everyone to be awarded with a podium finish on the new cars debut and our return to the ERC!”

Rd. 2 – France
One week later the Rallycross Rebels team arrived at Kerlabo in North France for round 2 of the ERC. New parts arrived at the circuit with the intention of improving the Fiestas reliability of the clutch and improve the transmission system in the new car. Close to 35,000 spectators came to the small village of Cohiniac in Brittany.

Teething problems continued with the teams brand new car in France when Tohill retired from the first qualifying heat with a leaking fuel rail. The team were feeling quiet lucky not to have experienced a serious fire. But, this left the Irish man last overall after day one in France. Heat 2 on Sunday morning brought joy to the team when the Irishman won his heat and set the fastest overall time beating the current European Champion in a fair fight. This surprised the ERC paddock as most people expected the Irishman to take a little longer to run at this sort of pace. The third heat did not go the Irishman’s way after the track was watered just before Tohill started his heat. This meant Tohill set the 6th fastest overall time. All other drivers in the later heats went faster due to better track conditions.

This meant the Irish man qualified 5th overall, again the last direct qualifier to the main A final. Once again the Irishman made on of his customary blistering starts. Immediately the man from Dublin moving up to 3rd overall. Tohill took his Joker Lap early and quickly caught back up with both Norwegians Knut Ove Borseth and second place driver Ole Kristian Nottveit. Tohill was set to take second place once Nottveit took his joker but a rare mistake from the Irishman resulted in a spin giving the advantage to Belgian Guino Kenis and past European champion from Czech Republic Roman Castoral. Tohill managed to pass the chequered flag in 5th place ahead of Norwegian Lars Øivind Enerberg driving the ex Knut Ove Borseth car which won the 2009 European Championship.

Tohill commented after the first two rounds of the championship.
“It’s been a very steep learning curve for me and the team over the first two events. We have learnt a lot about the new car but still have a lot more to learn to extract the maximum potential from the car. We are a close knit team and I am hoping this will give us the edge over our competitors as the season progresses. We will analyse every aspect of the two weekends and improve all areas where possible. We are placed third overall in the championship standings at this early stage which is good news considering most of our rivals in the table are massively experienced in RWD at both National and European level. We aim to improve at every event, the stopwatch proves we have the speed we just need to string it all together and ensure 100% reliability. This will give me the RWD track time I need”.

The car is already being re-prepared in Ireland ahead of the next two legs in Great Britain and Hungary where the Rallycross Rebels team intend on building on concrete foundations laid down over the first two championship rounds.

All rounds of the European Rallycross Championship are being covered by Motors TV and will air in the week after each race.

Championship Rounds

Posted: May 18, 2010 2:44 PM

Portugal (Montalegre) - May 1-2
France (Cohiniac) - May 8-9
England (Wootton) - May 30-31
Hungary (Nyirád) - June 5-6
Sweden (Höljes) - July 3-4
Finland (Kouvola) - July 10-11
Belgium (Maasmechelen) - August 7-8
Germany (Buxtehude) - August 14-15
Poland (Słomczyn) - September 11-12
Czech Republic (Sosnová) - September 18-19

Topics: European Rallycross Championship