Oliver Eriksson has confirmed he will take #1 status into this year’s RallyX on Ice presented by Cooper Tires series as the first confirmed driver to this year’s eagerly-anticipated winter racing festival.
The Swede is targeting back-to-back titles at this year’s refreshed event, which this season takes the form of a week-long festival featuring three rounds across six days in the popular resort town of Åre, Sweden.
His success on the snow set the tone for his breakout 2018 season, with two wins securing him the RallyX on Ice title and inspired him on to more championship success in the RX2 International Series.
It is a run of form Eriksson is eager to maintain into 2019 once more at the wheel of the Olsbergs MSE-prepared Supercar Lites machine.
Q&A with Oliver Eriksson, 2018 RallyX on Ice Champion
Q: You enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2018 with your titles in RX2 and RallyX on Ice, plus your success in RallyX Nordic. How do you feel coming into 2019 compared with 12 months ago?
OE: I feel more prepared and confident than ever. I feel like I’ve been a contender in all series’ I have competed, which has just grown my confidence and momentum coming into the 2019 season.
Q: RallyX on Ice creates its own unique challenges for the drivers, so what does it take to be fast in these slippery conditions?
OE: “To be fast on ice you need good car control. That’s the key in any type of car racing but here you need it more than any other. You also need to be good at predicting what’s ahead. When you enter a corner on ice you’ve already made the exit so to speak.”
Q: As reigning champion, are you doing anything differently to prepare for the new season?
OE: “I prepare every day for the upcoming season. Training a lot and focusing already now on what’s to come. do feel good about this year.”
Q: It’s a brand-new format this year with three rounds over six days – what do you make of the track layouts?
OE: “I love the layouts for the tracks. They look fast, technical and I like when the concept is a bit different. The oval will be interesting to tackle but I have to tell you my second ever race was at a so called “car speedway” an oval on ice and I did win that so I hope my luck on oval tracks continues.”
In addition to his success in Supercar Lites, Eriksson impressed in his first full season of RallyX Nordic at the wheel of the Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta, winning in Kouvola on his way to the runners-up spot behind champion Oliver Solberg.
This year’s event will be based around the Holiday Club SPA Hotel resort, with the festival format set to offer a programme of family-friendly activities to accompany the exhilarating racing action.
The opening round gets underway on 18 March 2019 with racing action kicking off at 10am
