Victory carries Kristoffersson to cusp of first European crown

Sport news Johan Kristoffersson has taken a giant step towards clinching a maiden FIA European Rallycross Championship title in the opening leg of this weekend’s double-header season finale at Lousada, as a third victory of the campaign allied to misfortune for arch-rival Andreas Bakkerud enabled the Swede to place one hand on the coveted crown. As has often been the case in Euro RX1 this year, Kristoffersson did not have it all his own way in the Qualifying Heats. A lacklustre launch in Q1 dropped him down the order, and he then came off second-best in the first direct face-off between the championship contenders in Q2, as Bakkerud opportunistically snuck down the inside into the last corner when the Volkswagen driver found himself compromised by Juha Rytkönen ahead. That left them just fourth (Kristoffersson) and fifth in the intermediate classification, but the flipside of losing out to Bakkerud on the run to the chequered flag in Q2 was that the eight-time FIA World Rallycross Champion would start Q3 from pole position. In front of a sun-kissed, sold-out crowd and in scorching temperatures in northern Portugal, it was an opportunity he did not squander. A dominant run vaulted K