WRC World Rally Championship
The new and revamped World Rally Championship is back, and where better to see it in action than the snow-covered forests of Rally Sweden? There really is nothing like watching the fastest and bravest rally drivers in the world dance their cars between snowbanks, reaching impossible speeds on the slippery surface thanks to studded tyres designed especially for the job. With VW refugees Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala now facing off from behind different sides of the partition at Ford and Toyota, not to mention the newly-revamped Citroen line-up fronted by Northern Irishman Kris Meeke, there will be all manner of intrigue to follow. • Daily Highlights Rd 2, Rally Sweden – Friday 10 February, Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 February at 22:35
FIM MXGP
The one benefit of the FIM MXGP championship finishing in September is that the off-season only lasts until February. After four angst-filled months of inactivity, the world’s premier motocross championship is back in vogue with the traditional curtain raiser in Qatar. Tim Gajser won both races – and the championship – last season as a rookie and will be determined to start off with a bang after a patchy end to the year, but will be pushed all the way by Romain Febvre, whose title defence ended abruptly due to injury. Max Nagl also has a good record in Qatar, having won both races in 2015. But can the German steal a march on the opposition in the Middle East? As ever, the event is supported by the MX2 championship and with triple-champ Jeffrey Herlings stepping up to the top division, the path is open for a hungry crop of young talents to take his place. • LIVE Rd 1, Qatar – Saturday 25 February at 14:00 (Race 1) and 17:00 (Race 2)
NZ Toyota Racing Series
Although Lando Norris won’t be back to defend his crown, there are plenty of promising young talents to get excited about in the 2017 Toyota Racing Series. The New Zealand championship has an excellent reputation for blooding young talent, with Jaguar Formula E driver Mitch Evans and Williams F1’s latest signing Lance Stroll both using the winter series to help launch their careers in Europe. Having each won races last year, Jehan Daruvala, Brendon Leitch, Ferdinand Habsburg and Pedro Piquet will all be hoping to follow suit, but must be wary of Red Bull Juniors Luis Leeds and Richard Verschoor, as well as BRDC British F3 frontrunners Thomas Randle and Enaam Ahmed.• Round 2, Teretonga – Saturday 4 February at 17.20• Round 3, Hampton Downs – Saturday 11 February at 17.20• Round 4, Taupo – Saturday 18 February at 17.20• Round 5, Manfield Park – Saturday 25 February at 19.00
Asian Le Mans Series
The Asian Le Mans Series reaches its climax in February, with guaranteed entries to the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours up for grabs in the final round in Malaysia. In the series’ fifth season, the ACO’s regional equivalent to the well-established European Le Mans Series attracted record grids from across the globe, not to mention the patronage of legendary martial arts actor Jackie Chan in the front-running Jackie Chan DC Racing team. But after their clean sweep of the LMP2 and LMP3 classes at Zhuhai, could the team wrest the title away from defending champions and 4H Fuji winners Race Performance?• 4 Hours of Sepang – Saturday 11 February at 18.55
Le Touquet Enduropale
There are few forms of motorsport more challenging than the annual three-hour enduro at Le Touquet on the French northern coast, with over 1,000 hardy riders traversing the famed sand dunes all at once. For 30 years, the event has been the doyen of bikers across Europe, attracted to take on the unique trial of racing across a surface that is constantly evolving, lap on lap. With the February weather unpredictable at the best of times, the 12.6km route will be no picnic!• LIVE Le Touquet Enduropale – Saturday 5 February at 10:30
Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series
If excitement could be bottled, then it would probably resemble the LOORRS, the first name in short course off-road racing in the US. Headlined by the monstrous Pro 4 class, for four-wheel-drive racing trucks producing upwards of 700 horsepower, the 2016 season was among the closest yet, as Kyle LeDuc took his fourth title over Carl Renezeder by virtue of winning three times to Renezeder’s two.
• Round 6, Toole – Tuesday 7 February at 21.00• Round 7, Estero Beach – Tuesday 14 February at 21.00• Round 8, Estero Beach – Tuesday 21 February at 21.00• Round 9, San Bernardino – Tuesday 28 February at 21.00
Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship
It’s not the biggest championship in existence, but the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship might just be the most fun. The idea of turning familiar motor racing circuits into rally venues has proven a masterstroke and now in its second season, the championship is gaining serious momentum. With three different winners from as many different classes in the first three rounds, would Brands Hatch provide a fourth?• Round 4, Brands Hatch – Friday 3 February at 21.00
