Champions to be crowned in all four classes at Nysum next weekend
Only six points separate leading quartet in fierce Supercar Lites battle
Rapid rookies take on newest Euro RX winner for Supercar honours
Nothing to choose between CrossCar and CrossCar Junior pace-setters
Next weekend, champions will be crowned in all four classes of RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires at Nysum in Denmark (4-6 September), and as a dazzling double-header of livestreamed action awaits, the battles could scarcely be closer.
Following three drama-fuelled rounds to-date – at legendary Swedish circuits Höljes and Arvika – everything now comes down to this: two days of doorhandle-to-doorhandle competition around the classic, fast-and-flowing Nysumbanen track, which has played host to many a memorable duel in RallyX Nordic history.
Supercar Lites
The closest title tussle is in the Supercar Lites class, in which Henrik Krogstad, Jesse Kallio, Linus Östlund and Simon Olofsson are blanketed by just six points at the top of the table.
Returning to the track following a year’s absence, Krogstad has been on the pace from the outset, and if he was out-of-luck in the Höljes curtain-raiser, the #YellowSquad star was on unbeatable form at Arvika, only being denied a clean sweep of fastest times by an inspired Östlund as the Swede pipped him to the chequered flag by less than a quarter-of-a-second in Q4.
Krogstad arrives at Nysum tied on points at the summit of the standings with Olsbergs MSE rival Kallio, who dominated at Höljes only for a gearshift issue on the opening day to scupper a likely double victory. The Finn struggled through the semi-final and final at Arvika with a wrist injury, but he will be fighting fit when battle resumes next weekend.
OMSE stablemate Östlund is the only one of the four contenders for the crown not to have won yet in 2020, but last year’s RallyX Nordic championship runner-up has been the model of consistency. On the podium in both contests at Höljes, the Swede was Krogstad’s nearest challenger at Arvika until a suspension breakage in the final dropped him to fifth place.
Olofsson celebrated a hugely popular success in the opening round of the campaign at Höljes, and the STS RX ace has remained a front-runner ever since – although he was left ruing an error at Arvika that saw him break a wheel at the semi-final stage. The Swede is still just six points adrift of the top of the classification, however, setting the scene for a sensational showdown in Denmark.
Entry List
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
8 Gustav Johansson SWE VGracing Supercar Lites
9 Grégory Fosse FRA Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
10 Martin Jonsson SWE Alfta Racing Team Supercar Lites
11 Mats Oskarsson SWE MORX Supercar Lites
14 Nils Andersson SWE TiKRX Supercar Lites
18 Linus Östlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
33 Lars Erik Haug NOR Haug Rallycross Team Supercar Lites
47 Jesse Kallio FIN Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
52 Simon Olofsson SWE STS RX Supercar Lites
60 Martin Enlund SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
77 Henrik Krogstad NOR #YellowSquad Supercar Lites
90 Jimmie Walfridson SWE Helmia Motorsport Supercar Lites
91 Niklas Aneklev SWE Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
96 Guillaume De Ridder BEL Olsbergs MSE Supercar Lites
99 Hans-Ola Frøshaug NOR JC Raceteknik Supercar Lites
999 Dan Skočdopole CZE #YellowSquad Supercar Lites
Supercar
Two-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson leads RallyX Nordic’s Supercar standings following a brace of victories from the first three rounds, but with the Swede absent at Nysum, the door is open for one of his challengers to snatch the coveted crown.
Leading the chase is Oliver Eriksson, who engaged in a fierce duel with Kristoffersson at Arvika three weeks ago before a double puncture curtailed his charge. The Swede arrives with a spring in his step off the back of a dominant victory on his FIA European Rallycross Championship debut last weekend, and holding a nine-point advantage over Olsbergs MSE team-mate Fraser McConnell.
The Jamaican only stepped up to Supercar level this year, but he has made an instant impression, progressing through to the final at Höljes and going on to out-fox Kristoffersson at the start of Q1 at Arvika. He proceeded to push the Swede hard throughout the weekend, until a Turn One squeeze sent him spearing onto the grass – and out of the podium battle. With his characteristic swashbuckling style, McConnell is sure to put on a spectacular show at Nysum.
Fellow Supercar rookie Anders Michalak is similarly still in the reckoning, and another driver on the hunt for a big result after being denied a shot at the rostrum last time out through no fault of his own.
In the high-calibre field, there are a number of other entrants who – whilst not in outright championship contention – are primed to spring a surprise. Linus Westman is riding the crest of a wave after finishing a stellar second at Arvika, while Ben-Philip Gundersen – one of the standout performers from Höljes – rejoins the fray for JC Raceteknik and Per Eklund’s comeback continues at the age of 74.
Upholding home honours, finally, will be Ulrik Linnemann and Tobias Daarbak. Linnemann stunned the RallyX Nordic fraternity when he recovered from a disastrous run through the qualifying stages to triumph on his series debut at Nysum two years ago, and he returns behind the wheel of a new Ford Fiesta. Piloting a similar car, Daarbak reached the Euro RX semi-finals last weekend, and as a seven-time Danish CrossCar Champion, the 18-year-old’s potential is clear to see.
Entry List
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
3 Ben-Philip Gundersen NOR JC Raceteknik Audi S1
5 Lars Andersson SWE Hedströms Motorsport Volkswagen Polo
8 Per Eklund SWE #MKIVRX Volkswagen Beetle
12 Anders Michalak SWE Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
16 Oliver Eriksson SWE Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
33 Enzo Ide BEL JC Raceteknik Audi S1
35 Fraser McConnell JAM Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta
44 Stene Johansen NOR Johansen Motorsport Ford Fiesta
72 Ulrik Linnemann DNK Linnemann Motorsport Ford Fiesta
87 Niklas Hagström SWE TiKRX Volkswagen Polo
88 Daniel Thorén SWE TiKRX Volkswagen Polo
93 Tobias Daarbak DNK Tobias Daarbak Ford Fiesta
99 Dan Öberg SWE #MKIVRX Volkswagen Scirocco
105 Linus Westman SWE LIWE RX Ford Fiesta
Support Series
Isak Reiersen’s peerless consistency over the opening three rounds of the 2020 RallyX Nordic campaign has carried the Swede to the top of the CrossCar/Crosskart classification arriving at Arvika – but only just, separated from countryman Max Rundberg by a single point at the head of the order.
Competing for JC Raceteknik Juniorteam, Reiersen has not been off the podium all season, whereas Json Motorsport rival Rundberg’s campaign has been characterised more by peaks and troughs, with victory at Höljes followed by an accident in the final at Arvika.
A little further adrift but still in with a shout are Carcontrol’s Isac Egonsson, Julle Ljungdahl (TiKRX), Thomas Eek Murstad (MURSTAD MOTORSPORT), last year’s championship runner-up Jimmie Österberg (Österberg Motorsport) and round one winner Oskar Andersson (Enlunds Motorsport).
In the new-for-2020 CrossCar Junior category, the five title protagonists – Alex Gustafsson, Raoul Dahlqvist, Erik Andersson, Lukas Andersson and Rasmus Persson – are covered by only ten points, meaning all bets are off, while the SuperNational contenders at Nysum will participate in a special Nations’ Challenge, injecting an extra element of excitement into an event that already has all the ingredients to be a blockbuster affair. Don’t miss it!
Entry Lists
CrossCar/Crosskart
NO. DRIVER NAT. ENTRANT CAR
9 Kevin Hansen SWE LifeLive Nordic TN5
11 Jimmie Österberg SWE Österberg Motorsport Speedcar
20 Julle Ljungdahl SWE TiKRX Speedcar
31 Jan Emil Wilsberg NOR Jan Emil Wilsberg Speedcar
62 Robin Nord SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
66 Max Rundberg SWE Json Motorsport Speedcar
67 Isac Egonsson SWE Carcontrol Speedcar
110 Thomas Eek Murstad NOR Murstad Motorsport YMS
