PoloDriver

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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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]

At the first round of the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship in Portugal, Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen and Anton Marklund drove their Polo RX Supercars into the final, taking fourth and fifth places respectively. The Marklund Motorsport drivers are third and sixth in the overall drivers’ standings after the season’s opener at the Pista Internacional de Montalegre in Montalegre. Marklund Motorsport is second in the manufacturer points table. Former World Rally Championship ace Petter Solberg took overall victory in the Supercar class.

After the first and second heats, Team Peugeot-Hansen driver Timur Timerzyanov lead the pack in his Peugeot 208. Heikinnen finished fourth in heat one, while the no 92 Polo of Marklund was in eighth place. Solberg finished second. Heat two saw Heikinnen’s no 57 Polo in third and Marklund fifth.

In the third of the four heats, Heikinnen finished two rankings ahead of sixth-placed Marklund. In the final heat, Marklund reversed the order staying in sixth, once place higher than Heikinnen. The first semi-final saw Marklund third out of six drivers. Heikinnen meanwhile, finished second in the second sem-final, meaning both young 560bhp Polo drivers lined up on the grid for the final six laps of the 0.945-metre track.

The next round is the World Rallycross of Great Britain, at Lydden Hill Race Circuit, Kent, UK on Saturday and Sunday 24-25 May.

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
PORTUGAL: FINAL RESULTS
1 Petter Solberg, PS 100% AB, Citroën DS3: 4m 02.081s
2 Andreas Bakkerud, Olsbergs MSE AB, Ford Fiesta ST: +0:02.358s
3 Renis Nitiss, Olsbergs MSE AB, Ford Fiesta ST: +0:03.048s
4 Toomas Heikinnen, Marklund Motorsport, Volkswagen Polo: +0:05.025s
5 Anton Marklund, Marklund Motorsport, Volkswagen Polo: +0:05.901s
6 Koen Pauwels, Koen Pauwels, Ford Focus: +0:10.790s

2014 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Petter Solberg, 29
2 Renis Nitiss, 24
3 Toomas Heikinnen, 21
4 Andreas Bakkerud, 20
5 Timur Timerzyanov, 19
6 Anton Marklund, 18

[Images: www.rallycrossrx.com, Tom Banks Photography]

As well as seeing action in the World Rally Championship, the Polo is to star in another high-profile FIA-sanctioned series, the World Rallycross Champinship presented by Monster Energy which kicks off on 3-4 May at Montalegre in Portugal.

More than 50 of the world’s best rallycross drivers will battle it out at the Portugese track, in Supercar, Super1600 and TouringCar classes.

Volkswagen Motorsport has teamed up with rallycross team Marklund Motorsport to run a two-car Polo RX squad with drivers Anton Marklund and Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikinnen. The Swedish outfit are well-known in rallycross circles and Anton Marklund ran a Polo RX during the 2013 season.

The 2014 Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar developed together with Volkswagen Motorsport generates an almost unbelievable 560bhp across all four wheels and can accelerate from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 2.1 seconds!
 
‘I can’t wait for the season to finally start,’ said Topi Heikkinen, adding: ‘We’re aiming for the championship title – but it’s going to be a tough fight, because seasoned professionals and fast up-and-coming drivers take part in the rallycross championship.’
 
Anton Marklund is chomping at the bit too: ‘I’m really looking forward to the start of the season in Portugal. I can no doubt learn a lot from my teammate Topi. And I couldn’t ask for any better support from the team. I’m feeling good about the new season.’

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With all the attention focused on the Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R WRC currently contesting the World Rally Championship, let’s not forget the other, even more powerful super-Polo set to rip up the gravel in another high-level of motorsport in 2014 – rallycross.

Sweden’s Anton Marklund drove a 500+bhp Polo Supercar in the FIA European Rallycross Championship last year, and is set to return in 2014, only this time he will be joined by Finland’s Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen in a two-pronged Polo attack.

There’s another change this season, too. The Marklund Motorsport team which will run the team as before will now represent Volkswagen Motorsport, so the Polo Supercars which the young men will drive have official approval. This is partly becuase the series is now the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Yesterday at an even in Stockholm, the covers were pulled off the 2014 Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar and the 2014 livery was seen for the first time. More dynamic-looking than 2013’s car, and with echoes of the Polo R WRC in its predominantly blue and grey colour scheme (with Heikkinen’s car picked out with red highlights and Marklund’s yellow), the 2014 Polo RX looks like it means business.

Speaking to rallycrossrx.com, 23 year-old Heikkinen said: ‘The season will be tough with some well-known racing and rally drivers and there is also the battle between the manufacturers. Our goal is to win the first championship title, but it will be a challenge.’

Anton Marklund commented: ‘It will be good to know that the team will give us every opportunity to reach success. I want to be on the podium this year, and I think myself and Topi will make a strong team.’

Anton Markund’s father and team manager Jan Marklund spoke about their team’s relationship with Volkswagen: ‘The co-operation between Volkswagen Motorsport and Marklund Motorsport has made it possible to develop this car to a totally different level. We are happy for the support we have had from Volkswagen Motorsport in Germany as well as Volkswagen Sweden.’

As well as the two Polo RXs for its team, Marklund Motorsport is also lending support to Andretti Autosport who will run Polo Supercars for its two drivers until its officially-prepared Volkswagen Beetles come on stream later in the season.

The first round of the 2014 World Rallycross Championship is at Montalegre in Portugal on 3-4 May. The UK round of the series hits Lydden Hill Race Circuit in Kent on 24-25 May.

[Source: rallycrossrx.com]