• With the 2024 season just around the corner, the RallyX Championship is preparing for some major changes.
• With the aim of improving the decisions taken by the Race Direction, the RallyX Championship has set up a working group to develop the way in which the sporting regulations are interpreted.
• As part of this working group, each category will have its own representative, while Reinis Nitiss has been appointed as Race Controller for all events in the 2024 season.
• The former FIA World Championship star will be responsible for ensuring that the Working Group’s recommendations are implemented by the Race Director.
• Reinis Nitiss will also be present during the TV broadcasts of the RallyX Championship to share his point of view and analysis with the fans to help them better understand what goes on behind the scenes of the rallycross sport.
• Former rallycross legends such as Kenneth Hansen, Tanner Foust and Andreas Eriksson will be responsible for guiding the working group by sharing their extensive experience of the sport.
In 2024, the RallyX championship will seek to fundamentally reinvent the interaction between drivers, teams and stewards by reinforcing the crucial role of the Race Director through the creation of a working group bringing together some of the key players in the rallycross sport.
Sharing experience for more pragmatic decisions
Led by true legends of the sport such as Kenneth Hansen, Tanner Foust and Andreas Eriksson, who will act as ‘Senior Advisors’, the task of this working group will be to act as an interface between the paddock and the stewards.
The RallyX Championship wants to create a new dynamic by ensuring that the rules and the decisions taken by the stewards are in line with the philosophy and the feedback from the drivers and the different teams,’ explains Andreas Eriksson.
“That is why we have decided to set up a working group consisting of Joel Christoffersson, Kevin Eriksson and Eric Farén, as well as other key figures such as Jimmie Osterberg and Viktor Johansson. Their role will be to listen and discuss with the teams and competitors to determine how certain rules should be interpreted by the Race Direction, while at the same time putting forward ideas for possible changes to the regulations. The working group will be open to anyone who wants to get involved in helping rallycross move in the right direction.”
“Kenneth, Tanner and I will be advising this working group with all our rallycross experience. The aim is really to bring together all the thoughts that will be centralised by the group to give clear guidelines on how the Race Director should work at our events. In this way, any Race Director appointed by the RallyX Championship will always have to take into account the interactions made by our working group.”
“For example, if the working group feels that there is too much contact on the track and too much damage due to the competitive nature of the sport, it can ask the race director to take firmer and stricter decisions. Similarly, if a competitor does not agree with the penalty imposed, he can contact the Working Group and they will review the case together and assess whether the rules need to be changed”.
New responsibilities for Reinis Nitiss
The youngest ever winner of an FIA World Championship event has been appointed Race Controller. Reinis Nitiss will be responsible for implementing all the recommendations of the working group set up by the RallyX Championship.
In particular, the Latvian will have the power to decide whether an action deserves a penalty or not, while at the same time assigning a penalty that is in line with the philosophy decided by the working group.
And who better to take on this role than Reinis Nitiss? A former double European Rallycross Champion, the Latvian driver has the distinction of having raced in many different categories. From Super1600/RX3 to Supercar Lites, Supercar and CrossCar, Reinis Nitiss has an unrivalled knowledge of the rallycross sport.
An educational approach to help fans better understand the sport behind the scenes
As well as his position as Race Controller, Reinis Nitiss will also have a prominent role in the TV coverage. In addition to a camera following the Latvian throughout the events, Reinis Nitiss will have the task of educating the audience by appearing in the RallyX Championship TV studio alongside Andrew Coley and Hal Ridge to explain the ins and outs of his role. The Latvian will be able to explain exactly what factors he takes into account when deciding whether or not to penalise a driver.
« Race Direction must be seen as our ally,” says Andreas Eriksson.
“The purpose of creating this working group is also to underline the difficulty of their role. We’re going to give the fans a whole new way to appreciate these men and women behind the scenes by bringing their work into the spotlight,’ explains Andreas Eriksson.
“We really want to make our Race Controller an integral part of the show. We want to make him a real star, a character who is recognised and appreciated by the public for his ability to share his sense of analysis and know-how. Not only do we want to take the fans behind the scenes and show them what goes on, but we also want to showcase the stewards and the race director. It’s also an excellent way of attracting the younger generation to these functions, which are sometimes unknown to the general public.”
“One thing is for sure, from this season on, drivers, teams and stewards will be working hand in hand in a totally transparent and productive atmosphere, which will also be accessible to the public via our TV broadcasts. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
If the RallyX series has always stood out for its creativity, innovation and ability to push the boundaries of our sport, this will continue in 2024 as the championship prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary.
