Lydden World Rallycross: Petter Solberg in command on day one

The Norwegian was fastest in both of the first two heats, but was made to work for his heat two race victory by Johan Kristoffersson.

The Swede beat Solberg away from the startline in the final race of heat two and led until he took his joker on the fourth lap, when Solberg seized the lead to claim his second win of the day.

"It's really good to be leading," said Solberg. "I didn't make a very good start in the second race and I wasn't able to go at the speed I wanted because I was behind.

"I didn't think I was going to win but I did and that's really good."

Kristoffersson struggled to find a set-up that suited him in free practice but came on form in the heat races to finish day one in the position he holds in the championship.

DTM star Mattias Ekstrom was fastest in free practice and won his heat two race to be third overnight, ahead of double 2015 podium finish and PG Andersson.

Tord Linnerud was 10th fastest in heat one but a strong race in heat two with Ekstrom and Andersson.

British Touring Car Championship star Andrew Jordan got stuck behind a slower car for a lap in heat one and was caught up in first lap joker contact in heat two. He lies 11th overnight and inside the semi-final paying positions, one place ahead of Guy Wilks on his World RX debut for JRM Racing.

Wilks won his heat two race ahead of experienced rallycross drivers Andy Scott, David Binks and Marc Laboulle in the new Mini RX.

Timmy Hansen suffered a left rear puncture in heat two and dropped from third to 13th, while Alx Danielsson is having a much better weekend in the Munnich Motorsport Audi S3 and is 14th at the end of the first day.

Ekstrom's EKS Audi team-mate Anton Marklund was fastest in heat one but had jumped the first attempt at the start and then failed to take his second compulsory joker lap penalty, resulting in a 30 second penalty that dropped him to the back of the order. Fourth fastest in heat two promoted the Swede in 15th position.

Liam Doran had another torrid opening day, his Citroen DS3 suffering from a blown boost pipe in the first heat. He is 22nd overall.