Kenneth Konge, until now an occasional RallyX competitor, has decided to make a full-time commitment to the Open 2WD category at the wheel of his impressive BMW M3.
The Dane, who was crowned Danish champion last season, should prove a formidable threat in the fight for the top step of the podium.
Indeed, Kenneth Konge is no stranger to the RallyX championship. Although he has only competed in four races in the Open 2WD category since the 2021 season, he has managed to claim two podium finishes.
“We are really happy that this RallyX entry has been made possible,” says Kenneth.
“With our cars, this is the most prestigious championship we can compete in. For the team and myself, it’s a great opportunity to see how we measure up against the best drivers in the championship and to gain as much experience as possible on world class tracks. It’s obviously a very exciting challenge.
A regular in the Danish championship since 2009, the 31-year-old makes no secret of his ambitions.
“Of course, I’ll miss the relaxed, family atmosphere of the Danish championship, but I have a feeling that many of us will join the RallyX championship this year,” continues Kenneth Konge.
“I would be lying if I said that we Danish drivers won’t take the opportunity to learn as much as possible from our Scandinavian colleagues, who come from countries where rallycross is extremely popular and where the discipline is more developed than in Denmark. But don’t get me wrong, I’m only interested in winning. As for the rest, only time will tell if I’ll be remembered for my victories or for parking my car in the barriers”.
One thing is for sure, the weapon he will use to try and beat the likes of Simon Tiger and Viktor Johansson is likely to be a crowd-pleaser.
“I am betting on a BMW S50B32 engine with a dry sump and specially developed camshafts. Let’s just say that our package has been beefed up in every possible way to make it roar down the straights,” laughs Kenneth.
“We don’t have a turbo, but the engine makes the equivalent of 450bhp. As for the chassis philosophy, it helps to make our car unique, but also very sensitive. We’ve had some reliability problems in the past, but hopefully those are things of the past. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be the least bit unhappy if rain disrupted the events of the 2024 season.”
Although Kenneth Konge has every intention of beating the odds this year, the Danish driver is cautious.
“If I didn’t think I had a chance of winning, I wouldn’t be competing, but I suppose that’s the feeling of every driver. But I’m also realistic: I’m going to be up against a lot of extremely fast drivers, while most of the tracks are completely unknown to me.”
“So I’m going to have to do a lot of work to make up for this lack of knowledge of the tracks and to find the right set-up for their specific characteristics. In other words, this season will be a good mix of learning and a fierce determination not to let my rivals win so easily. Starting with the Nysum stage, where I’ll be racing on home soil.”
