The hugely popular FIA World Rallycross Championship, which runs on Cooper tyres, arrives in the UK for the much anticipated fourth round of the season, 27-29 May.
A third of the way through the 2016 World RX calendar, there is all to play for as Mattias Ekstrom leads the championships standings, with two-time reigning champion Petter Solberg in second, sitting just five points behind the Swedish driver.
Another Swede, Johan Kristoffersson, completes the top three in the driver standings. However, following his highest placed finish to date in World Rallycross – claiming the second step of the podium at the last race in Belgium – nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb is a comfortable fourth in the drivers’ championship.“The level of competition in this championship is incredibly high,” said Loeb after his success in Mettet. “There are really tight battles between a lot of drivers, meaning we have to push to the limit at all times and even the smallest of mistakes is heavily punished. It was hard work getting to the final, but I’m really happy to finish on the podium for the first time in World Rallycross and now the goal has to be to keep this positive momentum going.”
With the on-track battles and competition hotting up, Lydden Hill will be unforgettable for fans as the leading pack go all out on the 1.17km 60 percent asphalt circuit to claim valuable points.
Cooper Tire Europe is the sole tyre supplier and Associate Partner to World RX, providing teams with the highest quality rallycross rubber at the pinnacle of global rallycross competition.
Cooper tyres have been used to win every open European and FIA World Rallycross Championship for the past 20 years. To give the compound and tread pattern the platform they need to perform across both rough and smooth surfaces, each Cooper rallycross tyre is hand built, using the most advanced materials available, to give drivers the highest quality product possible.
Previewing this year’s UK round of World RX, Paul Coates, General Manager – Motorsport, Cooper Tire Europe, said, “Lydden Hill is considered to be the birthplace and spiritual home of rallycross and much of the development of our dry and wet World RX tyres was carried out here.
“The quick changes from tarmac to gravel, combined with high speeds, provide some great action but can result in high wear, and the teams have to manage their tyres carefully. In 2015, the differences in car set-ups could clearly be seen to affect the wear rates for particular drivers with some having excessive wear while others returned to the paddock with virtually no visible wear at all. With the event dates now much later in May, rather than Easter, we would expect higher track temperatures and as a result better tyre management will be required,” Coates added.
“This circuit really shows you what rallycross is about but the drivers have to be careful if they hit the big kerb wrong just before the finish line as this can unseat a tyre or even roll the car.”
To find out more about World RX at Lydden Hill, visit: www.fiaworldrallycross.com.
RX Lites, the feeder series to World RX, will also be back in action at Lydden Hill 27-29 May. Norwegian driver Thomas Bryntesson currently leads the Cooper supported championship, as of the second round.
