The 2018 World RX of USA has thrown a curveball in the proceedings as the Circuit of the Americas plays host to round ten of the 2018 FIA World Rallycross Championship.
Petter Solberg is the overnight leader after the first two Qualifying sessions at the Texas location, after winning both Q1 and Q2. To show how good this performance is, Solberg has not held the overnight TQ position on a Saturday since the 2018 World RX of Great Britain at Silverstone back in May.
Ekstrom has been chasing Solberg hard in Qualifying so far at COTA. Credit: Bourne Images / Brenda Washbourne
Mattias Ekstrom holds second place overnight with the EKS Audi Sport driver having gone second fastest in Q1 and trading paint during his race with Solberg whilst Andreas Bakkerud backed up the pace of the Audi’s by securing third place overnight and being in the hunt for victory in both Qualifying races.
After battling with Niclas Gronholm cost him time in Q1, Kevin Hansen stepped up his pace in Q2 and as a result lies in fourth pace overnight, ahead of 2017 World RX Champion Johan Kristoffersson. The PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver lost out in Q1 due to tactics from Peugeot and the result of being stuck in traffic, however he fought back in Q2 to take the race win and improve his position.
Loeb is in the hunt for the Semi-Finals after good first day at COTA. Credit: Bourne Images / Brenda Washbourne
Timmy Hansen is the third Peugeot driver in the top ten in sixth place with Sebastien Loeb is dropped down to seventh place after the Team Peugeot Total driver pushed hard in both sessions to take top five finishes but was penalised for contact.
Gronholm is the highest GRX Taneco driver in eighth position overnight. Kevin Eriksson is showing a much improved pace in the OMSE Ford Fiesta so far in ninth place and looking good for a Semi-Final place on Sunday.
Marklund has shown well on his debut for GC Kompetition at COTA so far this weekend. Credit: Brenda Washbourne
GC Kompetition‘s newest driver Anton Marklund has impressed on his debut for the team after two solid performances in the Prodrive built Renault Megane and tenth place is his reward so far. Timur Timerzyanov and Guerlain Chicherit complete the top twelve.
With only fifteen entries this weekend, a top twelve place is all the more important. Contact in Q2 between Janis Baumanis and Robin Larsson has left the two Ford Fiesta drivers on the backfoot whilst Gregoire Demoustier completes the field in the Sebastien Loeb Racing Peugeot 208 WRX.
