Supercar class set to be introduced in CARX

Argentina is taking advantage of what the FIA World Rallycross Championship event brought from 2014 to 2016 and the national championship, the Campeonato Argentino de Rallycross or simply CARX, will announce huge changes for 2018, regarding its status and with the introduction of a new class.

Jorge Dominico from local media outlet Campeones revealed a chat they had with the championship president, Alejandro Levy, and he anticipated the plans for the next season. First of all, CARX will gain a continental championship status by CODASUR (Confederación Deportiva Automovilística Suramericana), the governing motorsport body in South America, though there are no more details into the matter.

But the real treat for 2018 will go to the track and it will be brutal and powerful, as Levy announced a new top class called Supercar CARX, with base in the World Rally Car specification, as models like the Peugeot 208, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20 and Toyota Yaris are expected.

While the models will be different, they will be powered by a Berta-prepared 5.0 litre engine with around 500 horsepower, being a step closer to what is seen in many national championships in Europe, in GRC and in the World RX, as these supercars have between 550 and 600 hp. Berta's presence in Argentine motorsport comes from the 60s and is still strong, embracing sportscars, Formula 2, TC 2000, Top Race and even the F3 Sudamericana championship outside the border, which currently is F3 Brasil. The current top class in CARX is the Maxi Rally, which is a silhouette car with a production car shell used in the Argentine and South American Rally Championships and some other national championships around the globe.

More details about the Supercar CARX will be revealed to the press, drivers and teams in December, along with a demonstration of the new machine. Also, discussions with CODASUR representatives in other countries have already started, with initial talks being done in Uruguay and Paraguay and will soon move to Brazil and Chile, with only Uruguay having a round in the calendar, held at Punta del Este.

PHOTO: CARX