The FIA European rallycross returned to Mondello Park after a 30-year hiatus from Ireland. Our motorsports reporter Luke Thompson sets the scene:
I was fortunate enough to be given all access to photograph and behind the scenes of this prestigious event. I arrived on Friday, teams getting ready, track being setup, the sweet smell of high octane fuel hits me as car engines are being fired up for the weekend.
On Saturday, there was the practise and qualifying for the first time in over 30 years. The last time rallycross hit the tarmac and gravel here was in 1996, where the legendary sweedish driver, Kenneth Hansen, took the win.
Over the next two days, all five catagories of racing took place. 1RX, which are the 600hp, four-wheel drive monster supercars, where the likes of Patrick and Ollie O’Donovan, the race-winning father and son duo, take part in.
3RX, which is the main feeder series of the sport into supercar catagory, the 4RX which are converted Rally4 race cars, and the RX5 buggys which is used as an entry point to rallycross.
Finally, the 2WD open catagory where some local Irish and British drivers, and Irish drifting legend himself, James Deane, took part.
On Sunday, Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud took the 1RX overall win, alongside Ole Christian in 2nd and Johan Kristoffersson in 3rd.
Where Ireland’s own Patrick and Oliver O’Donovan took 7th and 9th respectively. Other Irish drivers took part on a once off occasion in the 1RX catagory, consisting of Michael Leonard (8th), Derek Tohill (11th), John Mc Cluskey (16th), Shane Murphy (19th), Gary Donoghue (21st), Thomas Graham (23rd) and Niall Murray (25th).
As the weekend came to a close and the paddock began to quieten down, it was hard not to feel that something special had just taken place.
Being able to capture the event from behind the scenes gave me a real appreciation for the work, passion and intensity that goes into a rallycross weekend. From the teams and drivers to the fans lining the circuit, Mondello Park felt alive with motorsport once again.
After more than 30 years away, the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s return to Ireland was well worth the wait, and with rumours over the weekend suggesting it could return again next year, there is already a real sense of excitement about what might be to come.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, the prospect of seeing world level rallycross back at Mondello Park once again is an exciting one for Irish motorsport fans.
