Euro RX: Euro RX elite ready for battle at the ‘Red Cauldron’

The 2023 FIA European Rallycross Championship is set for a spectacular opening round with a star-studded field preparing to launch an attack on the Nyirád Racing Center – aka, the ‘Red Cauldron’, a nicknamed derived from the distinctive colour of its unsealed surfaces.

The entry lists for the Euro RX of Hungary (29-30 April), which will launch this year’s FIA Euro RX1 and RX3 Championships, are impressive – and another bumper crowd is expected to line the famous track, which is located 140kms west of Budapest and near to Lake Balaton, central Europe’s largest lake.

Aiming to defend his Euro RX1 title will be Anton Marklund, who will carry the coveted #1 on his SET Promotion car.

Chasing hard will be the 2021 champion Andreas Bakkerud, 2022 runner-up and former Super1600 (now Euro RX3) champion Jānis Baumanis, rising star Patrick O’Donovan (who moves up from RX2e), Euro RX1 race winner Enzo Ide, home hero Tamás Kárai and René Münnich and Mandie August in a pair of Münnich Motorsport SEAT Ibizas.

Indeed, no fewer than eight of last season’s leading 10 Euro RX1 protagonists are back to do battle again.

In Euro RX3, Škoda star Jan Černý will be aiming to make amends having missed out on victory at Nyirád on the last lap of the last race last year.

Volland Racing is back in force too, the team running four cars for Damian Litwinowicz, Espen Isaksætre, Nils Volland and João Ribeiro.

Norwegian teenager Jens Hvaal won his progression and semi-final races on his Euro RX3 debut at the Nürburgring last year, before finishing second in the final in a Škoda Fabia he’d borrowed from his cousins! He’s another driver to watch in Euro RX3 this year.

Euro RX1 Entry List – Euro RX of Hungary 2023

1. Anton Marklund (SWE) SET Promotion (FIN)

2. Oliver O’Donovan (IRL) Team RX Racing (GBR) Proton Iriz

6. Jānis Baumanis (LVA) RX Team Latvia (LVA) Peugeot 208

7. Patrick O’Donovan (GBR) Team RX Racing (GBR) Peugeot 208

11. Aleš Fučík (CZE) KRTZ Motorsport ACCR Czech Team (CZE) Volkswagen Polo

13. Andreas Bakkerud (NOR) Andreas Bakkerud (NOR) Audi S1

22. Máté Benyó (HUN) Korda Racing KFT (HUN) Ford Focus

24. Sivert Svardal (NOR) Sivert Svardal (NOR) Volkswagen Polo

27. László KIiss (HUN) Speedbox Racing Team KFT (HUN) Peugeot 208

33. Ulrik Linnemann (DNK) Linnemann Promotion (DNK) Ford Fiesta

38. Mandie August (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport (DUE) SEAT Ibiza

39. Zoltán Koncseg (HUN) Kárai Motorsport Sportegyesület (HUN) Audi A1

50. Attila Mózer (HUN) Nyirád Motorsport KFT (HUN) Ford Fiesta

51. Márk Mózer (HUN) Nyirád Motorsport KFT (HUN) Ford Fiesta

55. Paulius Pleskovas (LTU) TSK Baltijos Sportas (LTU) Škoda Fabia

73. Tamás Kárai (HUN) Kárai Motorsport Sportegyesület (HUN) Audi S1

77. René Münnich (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport (DEU) SEAT Ibiza

85. Hans-Jøran Østreng (NOR) Hans-Jøran Østreng (NOR) Hyundai i20

91. Enzo Ide (BEL) Enzo Ide (BEL) Audi S1

Euro RX3 Entry List – Euro RX of Hungary 2023

6. Damian Litwinowicz (POL) Volland Racing (POL) Audi A1

8. Espen Isaksætre (NOR) Volland Racing (POL) Audi A1

11. Jan Černý (CZE) Pajr S.R.O. (CZE) Škoda Citigo

12. Jens Hvaal (NOR) Jens Hvaal (NOR) Škoda Fabia

14. David Bouet (FRA) David Bouet (FRA) Renault Clio

18. Zsolt Szíjj ‘Jolly’ (HUN) Speedy Motorsport (HUN) Audi A1

30. Nils Volland (DEU) Volland Racing (POL) Audi A1

55. Ferenc Ficza (HUN) EAK M-Sport KFT (HUN) Suzuki Swift

58. Dominik Senegacnik (AUT) KRTZ Motorsport (CZE) Škoda Fabia

96. Marcel Suchý (CZE) Jihočeský Autoklub v AČR (CZE) Škoda Fabia

99. João Ribeiro (PRT) Volland Racing (POL) Audi A1

112. Róbert Répási (HUN) Zalaegerszegi ASE (HUN) Škoda Fabia

131. Balázs Körmöczi (HUN) Szada Ring Racing KFT (HUN) Volkswagen Polo