The second round of the Olerex Estonian Rallycross Championship 2018 series was held in Laitse RallyPark in Harju County on Saturday. The 50 participants set the benchmarks in four classes, two of which included junior classes. The closest competition was in the front-wheel-drive class, where, in addition to powerful machines and skilful driving, luck and technique also played a major role.
Supercar
For the second stage in a row, Andri Õun did a clean job in the four-wheel drive, but this time there were some technical problems and driving mistakes, which left both Ain Laiverik and Seido Nõmmkula a chance to grab the first place in the final. However, this did not happen. While Raini Roomets and Janis Vegeris, who came to the track in a new car (Citroen DS3), also got going in the heats, they lacked sharpness in the finals and did not manage to finish in the top three.
Supercar class top three:
1. Andri Õun (Ford Fiesta)
2. Seido Nõmmküla (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
3. Ain Laiverik (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo)
Super1600 and Junior1600
The biggest spectacle was offered today in Laitse by the front-wheel drive class, where on the basis of the three heats it could be said that there were seven podium contenders - Mihkel Varul (third place in stage 1), Andre Kurg (winner of stage 1), Tõnu Peek, junior Marko Andreas Muru, Janno Õis (second place in stage 1), Georg Orr and Arvo Kask. In the semi-finals, however, the class went through a tough purging - Varul, Kurg and Orr were left on the back of the field due to technical problems, and Kask could no longer build up the momentum to finish in the top six. This left only Peek, Muru and Õis in the final out of seven riders, joined by Arnis Odinš, Riho Loit and Gleb Bogdanov. The final was a fiery one, and along with the two adults in the Super 1600 class, Junior 1600 youngster Muru crossed the finish line in second place. However, as the adults and juniors are separated, third place in the Super1600 class went to Odinš from Latvia, who crossed the finish line in fourth place. Among the Junior1600 riders, Martin Juga also deserves a mention for providing good competition for the Super1600 riders.
Top three in the Super1600 class:
1. Janno Õis (Honda Civic)
2. Tõnu Peek (Renault Clio)
3. Arnis Odinš (Lada Samara)
Top three in the Junior 1600 class:
1. Marko Andreas Muru (Honda Civic)
2. Martin Juga (Lada Samara)
3. Armin Marlon Mängel (Volkswagen Golf)
Touringcar
In the rear-wheel drive class, Margo Soomets took his second consecutive stage win. Soomets' first qualifying session ended with an 8th place due to two spins, but that was as good as it got for Soomets. A close battle for second and third place was fought between Andrus Karu, Silver Viilas and Siim Sündema, with Sündema eventually coming out on top, crossing the finish line in second place. Sündema's result is made even more special by the fact that one of his heats was only 50 metres long due to technical problems - he had to leave the track immediately after the start. Rommi Pukk, who came second in the opening stage, unfortunately did not make it any further today due to a broken technique.
Top three in the Touringcar class:
1. Margo Soomets (Ford Fiesta)
2. Siim Sündema (Ford Fiesta)
3. Andrus Karu (Citroen DS3)
Crosskart Xtreme and Crosskart Xtreme Junior
Last season's Estonian champion Eero Nõgene, who had a rather more modest pace in the opening stage, made a powerful comeback today. Although he didn't win the final, he won two of the three heats. The other two fiercest competitors in the heats were Ruve Veski and Eero's son Joosep Ralf Nõgene, who races in the Crosskart Xtreme Junior class. Both men got their races off to a better start in the semi-finals, and when the young rider still didn't have enough momentum to beat his father in the final, Ruve Veski gave his best and came through the grid first. The surprise man of the podium was Vahur Mäesalu, who finished third and only got his machine in working order for the third qualifying run. From then on it was all uphill and, despite a lot of driving, Mäesalu did his job. Unfortunately, Toni Reunanen, who won the opening stage, did not participate this time.
Crosskart Xtreme class top three:
1. Ruve Veski
2. Eero Nõgene
3. Vahur Mäesalu
Crosskart Xtreme Junior class order:
1. Joseph Ralf Nõgene
2. Sander Sepp
Exact results of the second stage in Laitses: https://speedhive.mylaps.com/Events/1526795
The third round of the Estonian Rallycross Championship will take place on 2 June at Kehala Ring rallycross track: http://rallikross.ee/voistlus/olerex-eesti-meistrivoistlused-rallikrossis-2018-3-etapp/
Video interviews with the winners: http://rallikross.ee/videod-intervjuud-2-etapi-voitjatega/
Photo: Touringcar class final (Rallikross.ee / Marko Leesi).
