After a learning season in 2023, rewarded with three podiums and third place overall in the Open 2WD category, Bjorn Stuhre is looking forward to the 2024 season with clear enthusiasm.
A regular in the Danish championship, Bjorn Stuhre has no regrets about choosing the RallyX championship.
“To be able to compete in such a competitive championship is a dream come true,” says the Ford Focus driver.
“At the first race in Denmark we lost a lot of points due to a gearbox problem, but I’m not forgetting that it was only our first season in RallyX and we also had to learn how to use this new car. The main goal was to have fun, discover these new tracks and also to find out what our potential is in this Open 2WD category. However, I have to admit that this 2023 season has gone far beyond my expectations.”
Even in the most difficult moments of the season, like in Finland with 17th and 12th place in the two races of the weekend, Bjorn never lost sight of his main goals.
“In Kouvola we were up against some very fast drivers, but that helped me to give my best. It allowed us to understand a lot of things. When we’ll come back in 2024, we’ll be much better prepared. But thanks to our three podiums in 2023, I feel a lot more confident. We’re starting to realize that it’s now possible to compete with the best drivers in the category.”
Since the start of the off-season, Bjorn Stuhre has been carefully evaluating the best options to try to come back even stronger in 2024.
“We have already been thinking about the best development options together with our technical partners. Last year, we sometimes felt that we lacked power. So I spoke to my tuner FT Service. We thought a turbo might be a good solution, but in hindsight we decided it was better to focus on reliability to make sure we could score as many points as possible in each race”.
For the Ford Focus driver, the goal is to maximize the current potential of his weapon.
“In 2023, before Grenland, we already made a big development with the suspensions with the help of Paka Engineering (BIGEM distributor for Sweden) and we already felt a big difference. However, what we still need to work on is my feeling at the wheel of the car and our efficiency on the starts.”
“If we can get away from the first few meters of the race, our life will be easier and we’ll be able to fight for the top positions. I know I still lack the experience with this car to use it to its full potential. By the way, 2023 was the first time I’ve driven a car with a sequential gearbox.”
One thing’s for sure, should Bjorn return for a full season in 2024, it’s clear that he’ll approach his second RallyX campaign with the ambition of competing at the top.
“At the moment we don’t know what our season will look like. A lot will depend on my professional activities. I’ve started my company Stuhres Företag AB in 2020 and that’s obviously my priority. In addition, my son Oliver has turned eight and has recently started CrossCar, and I want to support him as much as I can in this new adventure.”
A busy schedule, but one that won’t prevent Bjorn Stuhre from returning to the RallyX championship.
“Whatever happens, we’re as motivated as ever to get back into RallyX. If we return in 2024, we’ll continue to have as much fun as possible, while taking things as seriously as possible. If we enter RallyX, it will definitely be to fight for victory.”
