RALLYCROSS: Austria team shuffles lineup

Recently crowned European Rallycross Super1600 champion Janis Baumanis will stand in for World RX Team Austria team principal and driver Max Pucher at the World Rallycross Championship finale in Argentina.

Baumanis wrapped up the Super1600 title at the last European event of the season in Italy last month. He has also raced in three Supercar events in a Hansen Talent Development Peugeot 208, and finished on the Euro RX podium, along with winning the Estonian Rallycross Championship in a Ford Fiesta Supercar.

The Rosario event will be the first time Baumanis has competed in a 2015-specification Supercar.

"I am very happy to get this chance and I must say a very big thank you to Max," said the Latvian. "I think that Manfred [Stohl, World RX Team Austria engineer and driver] and I will have good cooperation and he will help me to understand the car faster. I'm sure that all of the team will help me and I will do my best for them."

Pucher will miss the event due to other commitments, but said Baumanis was the obvious choice to replace him.

"Janis and I met frequently this year and talked about his plans to race in Supercar at some point in the future," he said. "When I found out that I would not be able to drive in Argentina, it was an obvious step to ask him to stand in for me."

Baumanis is currently exploring options for the 2016 season, which include the possibility of a Supercar campaign in the European or world championship.

Stohl scored World RX Team Austria's best result to date at the penultimate round of World RX in Italy. He finished fifth despite rolling his car heavily in free practice.

Originally on Autosport.com