Super Scheider ends Kristoffersson’s winning streak at Killarney
DAVE ABRAHAMS
Timo Scheider brought Johan Kristoffersson’s winning streak in the World Rallycross series to an end with a sensational performance at Killarney on Sunday October 8, as his maiden victory ensured the title fight would go on to the Hong Kong season finale.
For the first time in World Rallycross history, the entire field took to the track in equal machinery at Killarney and Scheider was a leading contender from the outset.
While Kristoffersson emerged on top on Saturday – his 39th career victory – the Volkswagen Dealerteam Bauhaus star did not have things all his own way. Kevin Hansen broke Kristoffersson’s previously unbeaten record in the single-lap SuperPole shootout, before heat honours went the way of three different drivers.
Kristoffersson exploited an error by the younger of the Hansen brothers in heat one to seize the initiative, which he retained to the chequered flag to post the fastest time of the session.
Despite his comparative lack of experience in the all-electric ZEROID X1, Timo Scheider sprung a surprise in heat two as the German outpaced all of his rivals, with Timmy Hansen, who clinched the world championship crown in Cape Town in 2019, prevailing in heat three.
Kristoffersson’s commendable consistency earned him top qualifier honours ahead of fellow heat winners Hansen and Scheider, and the Swede dominated the opening semi-final before surviving a Turn One squeeze in the final to make good his escape – assisted by a healthy dose of drama in his wake.
“It was a tricky day, but I was lucky enough not to be in the traffic too much,” the five-times world champion said later. “I imagine it was easier for me than for the others, because it was difficult to follow with such limited visibility.
“These cars are a little bit different to the ones we are used to driving and the field is really tight. The first couple of corners in the final were pretty exciting and I actually thought I was going to spin in Turn Two; the track also got quite rutted in places, so I just played it safe to avoid any punctures and bring it home. Now we’ll try to do the same again tomorrow.”
The sequence of events behind began when Ole Christian Veiby caught one of the aforementioned ruts midway through the final, pitching him sideways and enabling Timmy Hansen to pull alongside, with contact between the pair into the next corner forcing the Swede onto the grass.
With both drivers delayed, an opportunistic Scheider threaded the needle between them, but the biggest beneficiary in the end was Kevin Hansen, who had already jokered and was able to leapfrog all three to clinch the runner-up spoils.
Scheider narrowly fended off the elder Hansen for third – with Grönholm a distant fifth and Veiby retiring due to the earlier clash.
• Dave Abrahams is the public relations officer at Killarney Raceway.
