News 2009

The season is approaching and the information about drivers' activities during the mid season and preparations for the new season becomes more and more actual. Delights the fact that the world economic crisis has not affected drivers and most of them are getting ready for the first start in Portugal.

D3

Current D3 European champion Bernd Stubbe has reported that he is not going to drive the whole season. German decided to pay greater attention to the Dutch Autocross Championship and to participate in the EC rounds in Matschenberg, Nova Paka, Maggiora and Saint Igny de Vers. The full championship season, as usual, will drive Dennis Engel, who has improved his car and is willing to fight for the title. The third German Hermann Hinnenkamp will not start this season himself at all, instead his son Andre will drive Hermann's buggy in the first two stages in Portugal and Spain. Depending on the results after these two races the team will decide whether to continue the season or not. All the season will participate Dutchman Glenn van Rosmalen with buggy equipped with the Ford 2500 engine. During the winter Dutchman has improved the engine, as well as the design of his racing car. Wiely Albers and Terry Callaghan are ready to fight all season long. Both drivers have remained at the previous year's equipments with few improvements on engines. The first phase of the championship will also drive the European champion of the season 1995 Francis Warnier, who has bought a new Fast & Speed machine equipped with a BMW engine. Another Frenchman Gabriel Chabanon is going to participate in the first rounds as well. It is quite possible that Dutchman Adriaan Boele and some drivers from Italy will take on start of several rounds.

D3-A

John Lagodny has bought a new buggy from Peters Motorsport and is ready for the start. His old car is sold and has gone to France. As already reported a break for a year has taken German Christian Freischlad, who has become a father and will spend this year with his family. Freischlad's countryman Michael Buddelmayer will be on the starting grid of all ten stages. His first full European season this year will lead Slovakian Igor Vlasaty as his buggy is fitted with a new Seat engine. As usual both Swiss drivers Jozef Marty and Urs Ziegler are going to drive the season. Chris Waldschmidt will start the season although it is not quite clear what car he is going to drive since his last season's car is still in the market. The first stages in Portugal and Spain will participate Olivier Dufour on Raptor byggy and Nicolas Briand from France. Some stages will drive Manfred Haslehner with a new Buchl, Thomas Scheibelberger, Klaus Horner and Andreas Wininger. None of Latvian drivers will drive the whole season this year though all the best drivers will participate in the Bauska round. Some gossips have been heard that Janis Boks is going to drive the season 2010 in the division D3.

D1

D-1 division champion Lithuanian Nerius Naujokaitis has laid aside driving the autocross and is preparing a car to drive the European Rallycross Championship. With a completely new Renault Clio European Championship will start Russian Alexandr Kvashnin. The old Renault Clio now is in his brother's possession and the two brothers are going to start at all stages. At the wheel of his Å koda Fabia, the whole season will drive Vadim Makarov, also Alexandr Faleev and after a year of absence returns Lithuanian Pauliusus Pleskovas with a new Ford Fiesta. Also, Christian Giarolo and Tamas Karai will take part in all rounds. For the second year in a row, the full series promises Italian Davide Negri. Last year, despite promises he drove just home race in Maggiora. Latvian Janis Bogdanovics is still in hopes to drive full season. The Bauska round will also drive Aldis Zebergs and there are some hopes that he could participate in some more rounds.

Less than three month left till the beginning of the European Autocross Championship 2009 first round.The new season comes with few changes that has affected the calendar and the competition regulations. The champion will be clarified in ten rounds. Seelow is out of the championship as well as Portugese Murca.

Instead Alcañiz "Motorland Aragon" will host the second round of the championship. Spain haven't held a round since 1996. Saint Igny de Vers will host the seventh round but Hungarian Nyrad the ninth round.

Also there are changes in jump start regulations. If a driver makes a jump start in qualification heat he gets a warning and a five second penalty. After the second jump start the driver is excluded from the heat. If a driver makes jump start in the final heat he gets the warning (without five second penalty). The guilty one for the second jump start will be excluded and moved to the last position of the final run results.

There have also been heard some gossips and news about the drivers. The new season will start without 2008 D3 champion Bernd Stubbe, who will turn more to German and Nederland Championship races, but with hopes to see him back in the season of 2010 (maybe in division D1!?). German D3-A driver Christian Freischlad will skip the season due to domestic reasons. But the driver still haven't said that he will not start in Czech and German rounds.

Czech Petr Svestka is still having debates with his sponsors and for the moment it is not quite clear whether he will drive the whole season.

The double European D3-A champion Ladislav Hanak hopes to earn the third title this year to become the first driver in history to win three titles in turn. For the moment three titles has just the legendary German Peter Mücke, who is still also leading 23 to 21 in round winnings. Ladislav Hanak considers Ondrej Musil, John Lagodny and Chris Waldschmidt to be the most tough guys to fight with for the champion title this year. By the way John Lagodny is preparing new Volvo engine for his car and hopes to fight for his first title. Netherlander Chris Waldschmidt is selling his old car and now is building the new one.

D3 vice-champion Petr Turek is upgrading the running gear of his car and hopes to earn the title. Petr is quite upset with the fact that Bernd Stubbe who was his rival for champion title omits this season. To remind - the champion's title of the season 2008 was cleared up just in the last round between the two drivers.

D3-A Junior Euraca Cup vice-champion Tomas Pospisilik is changing to D3-A and will drive the whole season on buggy equipped with Suzuki Hayabusa engine.

D1 driver Vaclav Feifar is ready to start behind the wheel of his Å koda Fabia in spite of that he is still having debates with sponsors. The driver will represent the Czech National Team.

The first round of the European Autocross Championship 2009 will host Vila Nova de Foz Côa on April 18.-19.

Russian National Team
Russian Automobile Federation has announced drivers who will represent Russian National Team in European Championship for Autocross Drivers and in European Championship for Rallycross Drivers in season 2009.


1. Oleg Zhavoronkov

2. Alexandr Karasevich

3. Denis Kachalov

4. Alexandr Kvashnin

5. Sergey Kvashnin

6. Eduard Leganov

7. Sergey Marochkin

8. Zaudat Minnakhmetov

9. Rostam Minikhanov

10. Stanislav Sadovnikov

11. Vladimir Sorochinskiy

12. Pavel Sorochinskiy

13. Timur Timeryazov

14. Alexandr Faleev

15. Airat Shaimiyev

Pas facile de tout saisir en anglais... mais ça j'ai bien compris