Round two of the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship will take place at the Montalegre circuit in Portugal with 22 drivers taking part in the event.
There are 18 drivers registered to take part in all 12 rounds of the season, however a few familiar faces will join the regulars for the 2017 World RX of Portugal. EKSRX driver Mattias Ekstrom leads the Drivers Championship after the first round in Spain and will be hoping to take his second win of the year.
The first event in Spain showed that PSRX Volkswagen Team Sweden have the speed in their new cars, but they will need to work on the startline setup to take victory in Portugal. The omens for victory are good for both Petter Solberg and Johan Kristoffersson as both drivers have won the event before and will be looking to do so again.
The drivers joining the fray in Portugal include former World RX driver Rene Muennich in his Muennich Motorsport SEAT Ibiza RX, who is fighting for the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercars in 2017. With the car already looking a pace setter, expect the German driver to be in the mix.
Fellow 2017 FIA Euro RX driver Martin Kaczmarski will be in action in his ex-Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta Supercar as he looks to gain more time in the car with there being a two month gap until the second round of FIA Euro RX taking place in Norway.
DA Racing’s Gregoire Demoustier will be back for the second of his five rounds in the teams ex-Peugeot-Hansen 208’s as he joins full time team-mate Jean-Baptiste Dubourg. The final entrant is local driver Joaquim Santos who will take part in his Ford Focus. Santos is a regular starter in his home round of World RX and he will fly the flag for the passionate Portuguese fans.
The 2016 World RX of Portugal saw Petter Solberg take the opening victory of the season with Robin Larsson and Topi Heikkinen completing the podium whilst Ekstrom lost out in the Semi-Final’s. Expect the Audi Drivers to fight back in Portugal.
The 2017 World RX of Portugal takes place at the Montalegre circuit between April 21-23.