Despite being a total novice in the Rallycross sport, Adam Öhman made the most of the 2023 season to make his mark at the wheel of his Lexus IS200. This impressive achievement has also given the driver from Älvsbyn some ideas about the future.
The latest member of the Öhman dynasty to try his hand at Rallycross, Adam has wasted no time in making a name for himself. While 2023 marked only his first foray into the Rallycross discipline, he didn’t wait long before establishing himself as a major figure in the Open 2WD category.
Before lining up on the final stage of the RallyX championship at Höljes last September, Adam Öhman had already managed to spring a surprise this summer by winning the prestigious Norrlandsveckan ahead of the legendary Urban Bergström, Emil Öhman, Linus Westlund and Viktor Johansson.
In Holjes last month, the youngest of the Ohman siblings once again thwarted the predictions with the same sense of efficiency. Second in the intermediate classification and setting a first career RallyX fastest time in Q4, Adam converted the second step of the podium in a final won by his elder brother, Emil.
“I’m pretty satisfied with my performance,” says Adam.
“Of course, I’ve been to Holjes before as a spectator, but this was the first time I’d taken part in this race as a driver,” smiles the Swedish driver.
“This is only my first season in Rallycross so I didn’t really know what to expect. Up to now, I’ve just been used to racing on naturally slower circuits, but I’m pleased to see that, even at Holjes, I’ve got the speed to be among the leading contenders.”
Indeed, like his brother Emil, Adam Öhman spent almost two decades competing at the highest level of the Snowcross discipline before moving into Rallycross.
“I’ve had over 16 seasons in Snowcross, and Rallycross is the perfect transition for me. It allows me to continue competing without having to work on my fitness six times a week to keep myself at the top level, as was the case when I was competing in Snowcross. Rallycross comes down to just a few races a year, so it also allows me to devote myself fully to my family, while giving me the opportunity to experience the same adrenalin rush as when I was a professional driver. In fact, I can’t hide the fact that I’d love to be able to test-drive a Supercar one day,” laughs Adam.
While waiting to take the wheel of a Supercar, the Älvsbyn driver doesn’t hide the fact that he’s thinking about a RallyX program for 2024.
“Viktor Johansson is a close friend and, naturally, the two of us have already discussed the possibility of doing a full season in RallyX,” recalls Adam.
“It’s something my brother Emil and I will have to think about. It would be perfect to be able to take part in more races next year, but that also requires a minimum of organization. It takes a lot of work to line up reliable, high-performance cars every weekend. In any case, a RallyX program would force us to adopt a completely different approach to the one we took this year, when we were only able to take part in a few events. Nevertheless, with a bit of foresight and better organization, I think RallyX remains within the realms of possibility for our team”.
One thing’s for sure, the first-class results achieved by the Open 2WD rookie in 2023 could well prompt Adam Öhman to revise his investment upwards.
“This is only my first season in Rallycross and I’m already managing to keep up with the best guys. For me, this can only be an additional motivating factor. If I were fighting at the back of the pack, Rallycross would interest me a lot less,” smiles Adam.
“I’m just like the others. I’m a competitor and I’m only interested in winning. I also know I have a good car, and that’s more than important in Rallycross. It’s different from Snowcross, where the driver can have a much more significant impact on the final result. In Rallycross, if you don’t have the right equipment, even a very good driver will struggle to perform”.
