Bakkerud is back to Euro RX1, and to EKS

While already confirmed to do the 2022-23 Nitro Rallycross season with a joint venture that includes well known partner Monster Energy RX Cartel, Andreas Bakkerud will return to another known place this year, having confirmed and sporadic commitment to the FIA Euro RX1 Championship, the competition where the Norwegian got his first supercar title.

There are a bunch of returns for the reigning European champion, as he will be part of EKS lineup driving their trusted Audi S1 EKS RX. Bakkerud doesn’t drive the S1 EKS RX since his runner-up campaign in the 2019 World RX season, and he will align in the grid representing EKS for the first time since the 2018 Cape Town RX, although it can be said that former team mate Mattias Ekström was always there for him once the team left, since the Swede and his squad were still doing the support and advice for RX Cartel.

At the moment, Bakkerud’s campaign with EKS will be limited to the next Euro RX1 rounds, Höljes and Hell, with the latter being of special importance as his home event is returning to the international calendars after two years away, and due to the fact that he shares the sponsor Ramudden with the event. He already threw the hint in the return episode of BakkerudLIFE on his YouTube channel, but said at the time that discussions were ongoing for either one of the events or both.

Although Bakkerud’s 2021 season can be described as his best one in a supercar by lifting the Euro RX1 trophy with ESMotorsport, his record with the Audi S1 is almost as impressive as his feats with the Skoda Fabia WRX Evo, with a win at the 2019 Canada RX and 12 podiums, with half of them being with EKS, which saw him rank no lower than third in the World RX standings.

In between the bunch of things Bakkerud is used to, this will be the first time partnering with GT3-to-rallycross convert Enzo Ide, who showed the power of the Audi S1 despite the age of the model, finishing in second in the season opener at Nyirád, only behind an unstoppable Anton Marklund and his SET Promotion Hyundai i20 RX.

The Euro RX1 round 2 at Höljes will be held on 3 July, while the round 3 at Hell will be held on 14 August.

PHOTO: Andreas Bakkerud