- EKS JC expands RallyX Nordic assault with addition of young guns
- Reiersen ‘out for revenge’ after missing out on CrossCar glory last year
- Gustafsson fully focussed on defending his CrossCar Junior crown
EKS JC has its sights set on dual CrossCar glory in RallyX Nordic presented by Cooper Tires in 2021, after confirming the return of Isak Reiersen in the Senior category and reigning champion Alex Gustafsson in the Junior class.
EKS JC has been formed out of a merger between two World Championship winners – Joel Christoffersson’s JC Raceteknik team and Mattias Ekström’s EKS outfit – and will enter the forthcoming campaign as one of the favourites for honours after re-signing two of the most highly-rated young prospects on the current rallycross scene.
Reiersen fought tooth-and-nail for the RallyX Nordic CrossCar/Crosskart crown last year, reaching the rostrum in each of the opening three rounds of the season but ultimately falling short in the Nysum finale, slipping to third in the overall standings. As he returns for his sixth consecutive campaign with the squad, the 17-year-old Swede has his eyes solidly on the prize.
“I have a really good feeling for this year,” the Torsby native revealed. “We have made changes across the board over the winter, which I believe gives us a strong starting position for the season and I’m more ready now than I’ve ever been.
“I have done two seasons in RallyX Nordic before, so going into the third one I know how it all works. Last year was good – I led the championship going into the final round, but it didn’t turn out how we wanted in the end and I had to settle for the bronze medal. This year, I’m out for revenge – it’s as simple as that.
“Being part of EKS JC is fun. Being one of the gang and having a serious team behind you allows you to rise up another level. That both JC and EKS see potential in me feels great. Thank you to the team for the opportunity, all of our partners who are involved this year and also the Swedish National Team for a fantastic collaboration over the winter.”
Gustafsson emerged on top at the end of a frantic title fight last year, making history as RallyX Nordic’s very first CrossCar Junior Champion courtesy of two victories from five starts. Like countryman Reiersen, the 14-year-old is a member of the Swedish National Team and has been part of the JC Raceteknik Juniorteam since 2016, and he is fired-up to retain his hard-fought crown.
“I’m really excited for this season,” enthused the Gunnarskog-born teenager. “The goal is of course to do my best and try to defend the championship. I know it will be a challenge with fierce competition – everyone wants to be the fastest and to win, so it won’t be easy for anyone.
“It will be important that I stay calm and use my experience. I have a good feeling before the first round in Denmark, where I won the RallyX Nordic title last year. I have longed to return there since the end of last season and I actually have a countdown clock on my computer – there are only 19 days left now!
“Competing for EKS JC and getting this opportunity from Joel and Mattias feels incredible. Joel and JC have believed in me for a long time, and I have looked up to Mattias since I sat in the grandstand at Höljes as a child and watched him race. Both JC and EKS are World Champions, so I know I’m in a good team. Thanks to the team for believing in me, my partners and everyone who supports me in different ways.”
“We’re investing in our young drivers for another season and I’m really excited for this year,” echoed Team Principal, Joel Christoffersson. “Isak comes with a new CrossCar and is hungry for revenge after last year. Alex, meanwhile, returns with a title in his back pocket, so it will of course feel different for him this season, with a different kind of pressure – but our objectives are the same as usual. We want to be champions after the final round.
“We will conduct pre-season testing to be as prepared as possible for the first event in Denmark, because the goal is to fight for wins from the beginning and I think we have a good chance to do that. JC has been on an amazing journey with Alex and Isak since they were very young, and to see how they have developed – both as people and as drivers – is great. The entire EKS JC team looks forward to continuing our youth programme with them this year.”
