PoloDriver

Following a good start to the season, US driver Tanner Foust took his Polo RX Supercar to his first 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship victory at the rain-soaked Finnish round of the series held at Kouvola over 28-29 June.

Battling through the World RX of Finland heats and semi-finals, the Top Gear USA presenter emerged victorious over Ford driver Andreas Bakkerud in the final, taking a lights-to-flag win. Fellow Ford driver Reinis Nitiss came in third.

Foust was pleased with both his performance as well as the Marklund Polo RX Supercar. ‘I’m absolutely delighted,’ beamed the two-time Formula Drift Champion who will also compete at World RX of Canada and Turkey later this year.

‘This is such a challenging track and with rain it is unbelievably difficult. When you’re not at the front it’s murder to see where you’re going as the car is caked in mud from the moment you’re off the line. I have to say the Polo is very, very good. The VW Marklund team have done an excellent job with the car.’

After two heat wins and a second place in the first semi-final behind team-mate Foust, Anton Marklund was due an overall podium place, but the young Swede was unable to keep up with the US driver in the treacherous conditions. He secured a fifth place in the final and more importantly, additional championship points in the process.

Team-mate Topi Heikkinen made it through to the semi-finals but a tussle with Britain’s Liam Doran and Ireland’s Derek Tohill saw all three drivers retire and miss out on a chance in the final.

The third 600bhp all-wheel drive Volkswagen Marklund Polo RX driven by Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen missed out on a place in the final due to a tussle with Liam Doran and Derek Tohill which resulted in all three drivers retiring.

But, with 74 points and in fourth place in the championship, Heikinnen remains the strongest Volkswagen Marklund driver. Anton Marklund is in fifth place with 61 points, while Foust is three places further down the field in eighth with 42 points.

Other Polo rallycross competitor results were a fourth place finish in semi-final one for Ernestas Staponkus in the Super 1600 category, while Touring Car classification driver Patrick Mertens scored a fifth place in the second semi-final.

The fifth race of the season will be the World RX Sweden, held at the Höljes Motorstadion over the weekend of 5-6 July.

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Renis Nitiss, 96

2 Andreas Bakkerud, 82
3 Petter Solberg, 80

4 Toomas Heikinnen, 74

5 Anton Marklund, 61

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Ford Olsbergs MSE, 178

2 Volkswagen Marklund, 135

3 Team Peugeot-Hansen, 96
4 PSRX, 92
5 Monster Energy World RX Team, 33

It was a points-scoring weekend rather than a victorious one for Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen and Anton Marklund at the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship in Norway, over 14-15 June. The Marklund Motorsport drivers just missed out on places in the Supercar final in Hell, but did add valuable points to their championship standings.

Both young drivers and their 600bhp Polo RXs finished fourth in their respective semi-finals in Norway, where a third place would have guaranteed a position in the final stage of the competition.

Instead championship-boosting points were the order of the weekend. Heikinnen currently lies third in the Driver’s Championship with 60 points. Marklund lies sixth, with 39 points. Overall leader is Latvian Reinis Nittis with 72 points, who also took victory in Hell.

Other Polo results included a fourth place in one of the Super 1600 semi-finals for Ernestas Staponkus, while Patrick Mertens suffered a non-start in the line-up for the fourth heat of the Touring Car classification.

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Renis Nitiss, 72

2 Petter Solberg, 69

3 Toomas Heikinnen, 60

4 Andreas Bakkerud, 56
5 Timur Timerzyanov, 41

6 Anton Marklund, 39

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Ford Olsbergs MSE, 128

2 Marklund Motorsport supported by Volkswagen, 99

3 PSRX, 78

The second round of the new 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship visited the home of the sport in the UK last weekend. Over 37 rallycross 600bhp Supercars visited Lydden Hill for the World RX of Great Britain round of the series.

Marklund Motorsport Polo RX drivers Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen and Tanner Foust finished fourth and fifth respectively in the exciting Supercar final, while Anton Marklund completed the semi-final in fourth place.

Heikkinen started the final from pole position after going fastest in the semi-final race. The Finn experienced power problems with his Polo, though, and had to settle for fourth place behind Ford Fiesta ST RX driver Andreas Bakkerud, who went on to emerge victorious overall at the 1.4-kilometre long British circuit.

Heikinnen started the final day of the meeting third overall and was fastest in his third heat. In his fourth heat he suffered a puncture on the penultimate lap, which out him in 26th place. But, despite the setbacks, the 23 year-old finished third after the heats and won his semi-final by waiting until the final lap to take his ‘joker’ lap.

‘I had a good start in my semi and my pace was good all the way. Petter Solberg and Andreas Bakkerud made their joker lap in the beginning but I waited until my last lap and kept ahead of them. My start in the final wasn’t perfect and I got stuck behind Robin Larsson’s Audi A1.

‘Then my engine started to lose power for some reason and I finished fourth. It’s obviously not the result I wanted after being fastest in the semi-final. But we are in a good position in the championship and ready for the next round,’ said Heikkinen.

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Over the weekend of 10-11 May, P G Andersson drove a Marklund Motorsport-prepared Polo RX Supercar in the Swedish RallyX round. Scoring a second fastest time in the first heat, he went on to place fifth in the second heat, putting him in third overall. Unfortunately, that was where his run of good luck ended.

A further good performance in the third heat made sure he qualified foe the semi-final. But, a problem with a crankshaft sensor out him in second place. Still, this enabled him to make and drive the final, but with only a maximum 5000rpm limit. His drive ended on the third lap with a front-wheel puncture, resulting in a sixth place finish.

Former WRC winner and Belgian rally driver François Duval will drive a Polo RX Supercar at this year’s World RX of Belgium. Confirmed last week, Duval will pilot another Polo prepared by Marklund Motorsport, who currently run cars for Anton Marklund and Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen in the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Duval will compete in the World RX of Belgium on 12-13 July alongside Marklund and Heikinnen, with support from the Belgian VW Club and Gordon and Ramaekers. The Belgian driver has previous form, winning the country’s round of the European Rallycross Championship in 2010. The third 560bhp Marlund Motorsport-prepared Polo RX will wear Duval’s number 30 (rendering of possible livery pictured above).

‘I am delighted to confirm my involvement with the Swedish Marklund Motorsport team for Belgium,’ said 33-year-old Duval. ‘I’ve worked on this project with my partners for some time and I’m happy that the Belgian VW Club have now given me the extra boost needed to allow this deal to happen.’

Atte Varsta, Head of Marketing & Communications for Marklund Motorsport, added: ‘We are delighted about this opportunity to offer a Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar to François Duval for the Belgian round. Belgium is a country full of motor enthusiasts and they must be happy to see him drive on home soil. François’ wealth of experience in both rallying and rallycross will help him succeed at Mettet.’

[Image: Belgian VW Club / autosport.be]