FIA World Rallycross comes to Canada in Trois-Rivières

For the fourth year in a row, World RX joins the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières (GP3R) - now in its 48th year - for a week-long motorsport extravaganza. Joining the 20 World RX Supercars in Trois-Rivières for the first fly-away event of the season will also be 17 RX2 cars.

The rallycross Supercars and RX2 cars will kick off the motoring festival on the only street-race circuit of the season along with Formula Drift, Supermoto and SuperQuads.

Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson leads the headline Supercar category going into Canada, thanks to a dominant display in the first half of the season including three victories [Belgium, Norway and Sweden]. He is 31 points clear of former World RX Champion and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden teammate Petter Solberg who won the Canadian leg of World RX back in 2014.

Last year’s Canada RX winner Timmy Hansen will be hoping to secure his first victory of the season, having reached every final so far this year and reigning Champion Mattias Ekström will return to World RX duty having missed the previous round at Holjes.

“Three successes so far aren’t bad but in Canada, we’re bent on winning our fourth big trophy,” explained Ekström. “That’s absolutely realistic because this fast track suits me and our Audi S1 EKS RX quattro. It has a spectacular long straight and two jumps which are really good fun.”

After retiring from the cross-country Silk Way Rally last month due to a sprained wrist, Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Sébastien Loeb will be eager to put his injury to bed and hold onto fourth in the standings. Hoonigan Racing Division’s Andreas Bakkerud is just one point behind Loeb in the overall leaderboard and will join his team-mate Ken Block in the team’s second Ford Focus RS RX Supercar.

Germany’s Rene Muennich will race his ex-Petter Solberg Citroën DS3 Supercar following his first international rallycross podium in the FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX) at Holjes. Belgium’s Grégoire Demoustier will return for another World RX appearance driving a second Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar for the DA Racing team, joining permanent World RX driver Jean-Baptiste Dubourg.

Young kids in action

Britain’s Nic Hamilton and Norway’s Oliver Solberg – the 15-year-old son of double World RX Champion Petter Solberg - will compete in the supporting categories at Canada RX. Hamilton, the younger brother of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, will make his rallycross-circuit debut driving a Canadian side-by-side Can-Am Maverick X3 prepared by Fuca Racing. Solberg Jnr will contest the four-wheel drive CXE national rallycross category while his father competes in World RX.

“I’m very honoured to have been chosen to race - for me it’s always been a dream to be part of a World Rallycross weekend,” explained Hamilton. “Being an on-road driver myself, I’m really looking forward to doing some off-road stuff, to drift and control the car on different terrains. I’m just going to go out and have fun – I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m really looking forward to it and I’m definitely up for the challenge.”

The RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires will also be in action in Canada for round five of the year. Reigning champion Cyril Raymond continues to lead the way, but now by a reduced margin of six points after Britain’s Dan Rooke clinched the victory at the previous round in Sweden.

Experienced driver and multiple freeriding World Champion Guerlain Chicherit will make his RX2 series debut with Olsbergs MSE, while America’s Cole Keatts will also make a one-off appearance in RX2. At 16, the Idaho-born teenager will be the youngest contender in the field. “I’m really excited, if also a little apprehensive,” admitted Keats. “I raced at Trois-Rivières last year and it’s an amazing circuit. It’s fast and technical in equal measure, with a couple of particularly tight corners that make it a real challenge – but the calibre is so high in RX2 that I have no doubt the regular drivers will pick it up very quickly.”

- From FIA World Rallycross Media Office

Timetable of the GP3R Rallycross event
(All times are local and schedule is subject to change)

Friday August 4
17h00 Cars gathered at circuit for parade in town
17h30 Parade departs circuit
18h10 Reveal of Q1 draw
18h15 Press conference
18h30 Autograph session
19h45 Cars return to paddock

Saturday August 5
8h00 AMA Supermoto practice
8h30 SuperQuads practice
8h45 CXE (FFA) practice
9h15 World RX & RX2 practice
10h20 Formula Drift Canada
10h55-11h55 World RX & RX2 practice
Lunch and track maintenance
12h50 SuperQuads qualifying
13h00 AMA Supermoto qualifying
13h25 Formula Drift Canada
14h00 Q1: RX2
Q1: World RX
Q1: CXE 4WD & 2WD
Q1: CXE SxS
15h30 AMA Supercar
15h30 Monster Energy Rig Riot
15h45 Formula Drift Canada
16h30 Q2: RX2
Q2: World RX
1730 World RX end of day press conference at Cooper Tires area
17h50 Autograph session in paddock
19h00 CXE 4WD & 2WD
CXE SxS
19h45 AMA Supermoto
SuperQuads
CXE 4WD & 2WD
CXE SxS
21h30 Site closed

Sunday August 6
8h05 SuperQuads Qualifying
8h15 AMA Supermoto Qualifying
8h25 Warm-up: World RX and RX2
9h00 Formula Drift Canada
9h30 Q3: RX2 and World RX
Semi-finals: CZE 4WD
10h40 Formula Drift Canada
11h15 Q4: RX2 and World RX
12h30 Monster Energy Rig Riot
13h00 Semi-finals: RX2
13h15 Autograph session in paddock
13h15 Final: CXE SxS
Final: CXE 2WD and 4WD Final
13h40 CXE Podium
14h00 Formula Drift Canada
14h45 World RX Semi-finals in pre-grid
15h00 World RX semi-finals
RX2 Final
16h00 World RX Podium
16h10 Press conference: Top three World RX
16h20 Press conference: Top three Euro RX