Rallycross, a unique fusion of rallying and circuit racing, tests tyres and drivers to the limit, as it involves a series of flat-out sprint races on part-asphalt, part-gravel circuits.
American racer, Tanner Foust, won the opening round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill circuit over Easter weekend, continuing Avon Tyres’ dominance of the category in recent years. Champions of the prestigious series in the last 20 years have all used Avon’s proven rallycross rubber.
Avon’s grip on the category looks set to continue after three-times X Games Rally gold medal winner Foust dominated the 2012 season-opener, charging through the heats to win the A final race from pole position in his Olsbergs MSE-run Ford Fiesta.
Foust said, “As the only American driver out here, winning in this series is amazing. To win at the track where the sport of rallycross was invented feels even better. The season can’t start much better than this.”
The former Race of Champions competitor won twice in his European Rallycross Championship debut season last year and now leads the 2012 standings in the 10-round championship.
Avon Tyres Motorsport Manager, Paul Coates, said, “Rallycross is a very special, very spectacular motorsport discipline that provides tyre makers with a major challenge. The tyres have to stand up to short bursts of intense action but they also have to cope with greatly varying track surfaces within the space of each lap.
“Over the years, Avon has produced multi-title winning tyres for rallycross and we’ve refined the product to become the standard choice for any driver who wants to win.”
The next round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship is in France on April 28/29.
