While Ydrefalk and EDGE chassis have made life difficult for the Speedcar brand since the introduction of the CrossCar category, the 2023 season has seen Casmat rise to prominence thanks to the performances of the duo of Elias Svensson/Alexander Heum.
Fourth in the overall standings in 2022, then just a few points short of the title in 2023, Elias Svensson was the first to demonstrate the potential of the Casmat chassis. It’s no coincidence that the Swede shares with Isak Reiersen the status of the most successful driver in the history of RallyX, with a total of four career wins.
“In my eyes, the Casmat chassis is simply the best you can find in CrossCar,” says Elias Svensson.
“To tell the truth, I’m quite proud to be able to show the capabilities of this chassis on the RallyX tracks, and even prouder to have achieved so many victories at its wheel. In fact, the configuration of this chassis suits my driving style perfectly. I have a rather aggressive driving style and I have to admit that it’s a good match for my abilities behind the wheel.”
While Elias Svensson has managed to finish in the top 5 of the RallyX championship for the second year in a row with his Casmat chassis, Alexander Heum has also been busy demonstrating the car’s potential.
Considered as one of the greatest newcomers of the 2023 season, the Norwegian 2022 champion didn’t win a single race, but his consistency, with two podiums and five qualifications for a final, allowed him to take fifth place in the overall standings.
In fact, of the top 10 in the 2023 championship, only Svensson, Heum and Osterberg (LifeLive) did not have the famous Spanish Speedcar chassis.
Like Svensson, Heum is convinced that he made the right decision in opting for the Casmat brand.
“I feel quite privileged to be able to drive a Casmat chassis,” says Alexander.
“It is even more of an advantage that we can work together with other CrossCar owners of this brand. Originally, our decision to go with Casmat was based on our desire to try something new. We did a lot of research and quickly realized that this chassis had great potential. Especially its performance on the start line.”
For Team Heum Motorsport, this relationship with Casmat has been built over time.
“We bought this machine in 2017, and my father used it until I made my CrossCar debut in 2020. In other words, I’m starting to have a lot of experience with this chassis. You could even say that we’re one and the same. We were the first in Norway to get this chassis and it has always given us excellent results.”
“This year we’ve again made progress by working closely with Elias Svensson and Casmat. We’ve learned a lot and it’s great to see that more and more Casmat owners are now able to compete on equal terms with Speedcar chassis. Of course, we don’t all have the same driving style, so one person’s ideas don’t always apply to another’s, but the fact that we’re all working together means that we can make much faster progress.”
One thing is for sure: after EDGE’s one-two finish in 2022 with Oscar Andersson and Patrik Hallberg, and the upcoming debut of the new LifeLive TN11 chassis with Jimmie Osterberg, the rise of Casmat chassis should once again guarantee an exciting season in the CrossCar category in 2024.
