Headlines This Week
- 30 cars confirmed in Euro RX1 for the May 9–10 opener at Bikernieki, Riga — the largest top-tier rallycross grid in nearly a decade. Total entry across all four classes: 68 drivers, 19 nationalities.
- Pre-season test wraps in Latvia. The FIA reported a productive multi-day shakedown at Bikernieki earlier in April, the first proper run-out for the new RX1/RX3/RX4/RX5 class structure.
- Kristoffersson and Veiby officially entered for Riga. It is Johan Kristoffersson's first Euro RX appearance since 2014.
- Ireland is back. Mondello Park hosts the Euro RX of Ireland on July 18–19, the first international rallycross round on Irish soil since 1996.
- FIA Rallycross World Cup confirmed for Jakarta International e-Prix Circuit on December 5–6, 2026, promoted by Indonesia's SARGA.CO.
Drivers in Form, Drivers Returning
The dominant story of the 2026 silly season is who's coming back. Andreas Bakkerud spent 2025 in the FIA TV commentary booth and has now committed to a full Euro RX1 campaign — his first proper top-tier season since the 2021 European title. The Norwegian called it his "biggest mission" in a March release.
Timmy and Kevin Hansen have publicly committed to a full 2026 schedule in the Peugeot 208 WRX after sponsorship trouble forced Hansen World RX Team to skip the 2025 finale. Both brothers tested at Bikernieki.
Defending Euro RX1 champion Patrick O'Donovan returns in the Mellors Elliot-built Proton Iriz RX. Damian Litwinowicz, the 2025 runner-up, is back to challenge. Niclas Gronholm brings the GRX-SET Hyundai i20 RX1 — the team that nearly stole the 2025 World RX title from Kristoffersson before Holjes turned the season on its head.
Then there is the eight-time champion himself. Kristoffersson stepping into Euro RX1 means every other driver in the field has to recalibrate expectations. The Volkswagen Polo KMS 601 RX has won everywhere it has raced for two years.
Cars to Watch in 2026
The combustion top-tier is back. RX1e — the all-electric Polo era — is over. Every RX1 supercar in 2026 is a 2.0-liter turbo, four-wheel-drive, roughly 600 hp, six-speed sequential machine that hits 60 mph in under two seconds. Expect pyrotechnics on the up-shift and four-wheel slides through both Bikernieki's tarmac hairpin and its gravel back section.
In North America, the all-electric First Corner FC1-X hypercar is the headline act. Around 1,000 horsepower, 0–60 in roughly 1.4 seconds, four confirmed European partner teams (Hansen, JC Raceteknik, OMSE, SET) bringing the cars across the Atlantic for RallyX Americas.
North American Watchlist
RallyX Americas dominated the April news cycle on this side of the ocean. On April 9 the series confirmed Hansen Motorsport, JC Raceteknik, Olsbergs MSE and SET Promotion as founding Hypercar partner teams — instant European credibility for a brand-new championship. A week later, on April 16, Indianapolis-based Dreyer & Reinbold Racing signed on as official series partner. The IndyCar and IMSA veteran is the first major US-headquartered team to commit.
The 2026 RallyX Americas calendar:
- Crandon International Raceway, Wisconsin — June 20–21 (opener)
- Eldora Speedway, Ohio — June 27–28
- Trois-Rivieres, Quebec — Aug 22–23
- Global Final at Montalegre, Portugal — Oct 24–25
The most photographed absence on that grid is Travis Pastrana. The Nitro Rallycross founder and 2021 Nitrocross champion is sitting 2026 out of rallycross. He won the Sno*Drift ARA stage rally in February and made a one-off NASCAR Truck appearance at Daytona for Niece Motorsports the same month. His Vermont SportsCar team is not on the RallyX Americas entry list.
2026 Calendar Snapshot
- Latvia — Bikernieki, Riga (May 9–10) — Euro RX season opener
- Hungary (May 30–31)
- USA — Crandon (June 20–21) — RallyX Americas opener
- USA — Eldora (June 27–28)
- Sweden — Holjes (July 4–5)
- Ireland — Mondello Park (July 18–19) — first since 1996
- Canada — Trois-Rivieres (Aug 22–23)
- France — Loheac (Aug 29–30) — biggest crowd in rallycross
- Portugal — Lousada (Sept 12–13) — Euro RX finale
- Portugal — Montalegre (Oct 24–25) — RallyX Americas Global Final
- Indonesia — Jakarta (Dec 5–6) — FIA Rallycross World Cup
Where to Watch From the US and Canada
All six FIA Euro RX rounds will be free-to-stream live worldwide on the official FIA European Rallycross YouTube channel — the simplest viewing route for North American fans after the collapse of Americas Rallycross and Nitrocross. RallyX Americas events will run on the series' own digital platform, with US TV partner announcements pending. The Jakarta World Cup will be carried on FIA channels and Indonesian broadcaster networks.
What's Next
Bikernieki — Riga, May 9–10. Thirty cars in RX1. Kristoffersson on a comeback. Bakkerud on a comeback. Hansens on a comeback. The first proper Euro RX of the post-World era. We will be filing recaps the morning after each round throughout the season.
For background on the championship structure, see World RX and RallyX Americas explained. For driver and car detail, head to the cars behind these wins. Or step back to more from the magazine.
Last updated April 28, 2026.