After nearly four years in Supercar Lites, Martin Enlund will use the 2024 season to make his entry into the premier class. Driving a Ford Fiesta Mk8, the 23-year-old Swedish driver will look to make his mark in the Open 4WD class.
Third in the Supercar Lites standings in 2022, Martin Enlund ended his final season in the category in style in September 2023, finishing second in the class after a campaign marked by six podiums and one win in the eight races he contested.
With an impressive total of 11 podiums since his Supercar Lites debut in 2020, Martin Enlund has nevertheless decided to take on a new challenge with a Ford Fiesta Supercar.
“I could have continued in Supercar Lites and gone for my first title in the category, but I felt it was the right time for me to move on. Although Supercar Lites is a great category where everyone races with the same equipment, it was time for me to move on and take on a new challenge. That goes for me as a driver, but also for my team, who were keen to try something new”.
Although the Ford Fiesta Mk8 has a slightly older mechanical design, he has no regrets about his choice, stating that it is the best option in terms of value for money.
“This Ford Fiesta was owned by Mats Ohman. It’s an OMSE-designed Fiesta Mk8 chassis, and even though the mechanicals underneath are a bit older, I think it’s an excellent car to make my supercar debut. In any case, after serious research into the market, I think it’s simply the best choice we could have made in terms of value for money,” insists Martin, while reminding us that the 2024 season will be all about learning.
“I’ve committed to the Pro-Am for this first season because it gives us time to progress at our own pace. We have a plan for the next three seasons with this car. Whether it’s the team or myself, the main goal is to learn as much as possible. RallyX is undoubtedly the most competitive championship in Europe at the moment, so I know that nothing will be easy. As much as we want to achieve results, we also know that we’ll have to learn a lot of new things, with new technologies that we’ll have to understand and master. Although I intend to give it my all, I don’t want to put myself under pressure.”
After starting his RallyX career in the CrossCar category in 2019, and then proving himself in Supercar Lites from the 2020 season, Martin Enlund’s move to Supercar/Open 4WD is both a major achievement and an example for the younger drivers from the Junior Championship to follow.
“I made my RallyX debut in CrossCar at the same time as Nils Andersson, so to reach the Supercar level just over five years later is a real achievement. We’ve been working hard this winter to get the budget together. It’s a dream come true. When I first entered CrossCar, this Supercar category seemed almost unattainable. At that time I was just happy to be in the same paddock as the Supercar stars.”
“Now I’m the one who will be able to be part of this group of drivers who are developing at the top level. Just saying that sounds unreal. I don’t know if I’m an example for the young drivers of the Junior category, but my career path can only give them confidence by offering them great prospects for the future. It just goes to show that even if you start with very limited resources, hard work pays off in the end. I hope this will encourage the younger drivers to never lose faith and always believe in their chances.”
