Cyril Raymond secured his first ever win FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercars and by doing so, has kept open his title hopes despite missing the first round of the year.
The former RX2 International Series Champion lined up on Pole Position for the Euro RX Supercar Final with EKS driver Krisztián Szabó alongside him. The Hungarian driver made his Supercar debut this weekend and has been in stunning form.
Krisztián Szabó took second place in his first Euro RX Event. Credit: Malte Christians / Audi Sport
Championship leader Reinis Nitiss was on the middle row with G-FORS driver Jere Kalliokoski whilst title contender Anton Marklund and 2017 RallyX Nordic Champion Thomas Bryntesson completed the grid for round four of the season.
Raymond took the lead off the line with Szabó in pursuit whilst behind them Nitiss was in the thick of the action as he suffered contact from Kalliokoski on the way to turn three.
As the drivers rounded the hairpin both Marklund and Bryntesson took an early joker whilst Nitiss fell to the back of the pack.
Anton Marklund fought back to take a podium finish in France. Credit: Tony Whelan / McKlein
As Raymond extended his advantage over Szabó after taking his Joker on lap three, Marklund’s early Joker strategy moved the Marklund Motorsport driver in to third place and chasing the Hungarian EKS Audi driver with a podium finish vital to take the title fight to the last round.
Further back Bryntesson managed to keep his JC Raceteknik Ford Fiesta ahead of Kalliokoski’s Renault Clio, with the former Finnish Rallycross Champion happy to be back at the sharp end of the Euro RX field after a very competitive weekend at Loheac.
Contact relegated Nitiss to sixth place however the title is in sight at Latvia in two weeks time. Credit: Set Promotion
Cyril Raymond stayed in front to take his maiden Euro RX win and the fact that the win was on home turf made it all the more special for the Frenchman with Krisztián Szabó securing a podium finish on his debut in the series.
Anton Marklund secured third place to stay in the title hunt whilst Thomas Bryntesson came home in fourth position ahead of Jere Kalliokoski with Reinis Nitiss surviving to take sixth place overall.
With the final round of 2018 FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercars taking place in two weeks time at the Riga circuit in Latvia, Nitiss must be ahead of both Raymond and Marklund by the end of Qualifying to secure the title.
