Belgian rallycross stars Guillaume De Ridder and Viktor Vranckx will join the RX150 Rallycross Championship for the Dutch round of the series this weekend at Valkenswaard, racing TSL-backed RX150 machines.
 
Former World Rallycross Championship driver De Ridder won the inaugural FIA RX2e all-electric series in 2021, before switching his attention to working with young talent Vranckx for the following campaign – guiding Vranckx to the 2022 RX2e crown.
 
Having continued the mentor and driver relationship through 2023 in RX2e, the Nordic-based RallyX series and the opening round of the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy, the pair will now race head-to-head at legendary rallycross circuit Valkenswaard in the Netherlands in the TSL-backed machines.
 
De Ridder has raced in the RX150 Championship previously, winning the Belgian round of the series last year, while Vranckx has Crosscar experience from other championships.
 
The Belgian racers will join regular contenders in the RX150 field, with the standings currently led by former title-winner Stephen Jones, ahead of RX150 race-winner Nick Priddy and reigning champion Ben Hardy.
 
Guillaume De Ridder:
 
“It’s a pleasure to be back in the RX150 after a successful outing in Arendonk last year. I had a lot of fun driving the buggies for the first time last season and I’m looking forward to be back. It will be my first rallycross race of the season so I hope to quickly get rid of the dust on my shoulders. I remember I had quite a few spins last year, so the first objective will be to keep it facing the right way. Furthermore, I will be competing against Viktor, who is quite experienced in Crosscars, so the second objective will be to avoid being defeated by my pupil, which is not going to be an easy task as he knows the track off by heart.”
 
Viktor Vranckx:
 
"I'm eagerly preparing to take on the challenge of the RX150 Rallycross class this weekend. It will take a few laps to get back used to using a clutch and gears, but it's something I’m looking forward to, and I'm super happy for this opportunity during the off season!"
 
Ollie O’Donovan, RX150 Rallycross Promotor:
 
“Guillaume and Viktor are right up there in the highest level of rallycross drivers in the world, so it’s great to have them join the grid this weekend at Valkenswaard. Guillaume was impressive in RX150 in Belgium last year, while Viktor is one of the rising stars of the moment, as he proved when he raced his RX2e in Supercar at Lydden Hill earlier this year. They join a big championship battle between our regular drivers, so it will be interesting to see how the weekend unfolds, especially as this is a single-header over two days, in four heats to determine the final grid.”