While Viktor Johansson is aiming for a second career RallyX title this year, the driver of the Mercedes 190e Hybrid is preparing for a particularly intense season.
In addition to his duel with Simon Tiger, the president of the Älvsbyn organizing committee will also have to redouble his efforts behind the scenes, as his circuit has been designated to host the third round of the 2024 calendar.
It’s a challenge that doesn’t scare the Swede. The last time Älvsbyn took part in international competition was in 1994, when it hosted the FIA European Championship, but on June 29 and 30, the 1,150-meter circuit will be back at the top of the sport in a region where rallycross is extremely popular.
In fact, in addition to the presence of four major circuits (Kalix, Älvsbyn, Piteå and Skellefteå), the rallycross community gathers every summer in mid-July for the famous Norrlandsveckan (a competition that combines three events to be contested in just seven days).
In other words, the return of the RallyX championship to northern Sweden is bound to be a popular success.
“The RallyX championship is a fast-growing series and this event will certainly be the biggest motorsport event we’ll have in northern Sweden,” says Viktor Johansson.
“I expect us to have an incredible weekend with all the big names in Supercar and Rallycross. The atmosphere promises to be great with a huge crowd. We have some pretty quiet fans, but I’m hoping that the flags and the “waves” will support the drivers in the same way as at Höljes. This date also marks the Swedish Midsommar (summer solstice). The sun sets for only a few minutes at this time of the year. On the other hand, I don’t want to scare the drivers, but we also used to say that this is the time of the year when the mosquitoes are usually bigger than the cars,” laughs Viktor Johansson.
Although the RallyX championship won’t be returning to Holjes this year, the show in Älvsbyn promises to be just as great.
“Älvsbyn is a really old-school track with lots of loose gravel. In fact, the first corner is a section where you can really go for it. It’s very wide and the gravel allows you to choose different lines. It’s a lot of fun to race on a track like this because it’s very entertaining for the fans and the drivers. As chairman of the organizing committee, I’d go so far as to say that Alvsbyn is even better than Höljes,” smiles Johansson.
“On a more serious note, all tracks have their strengths and weaknesses, but this is a very good layout that will bring something new to both drivers and fans. It’s always good to have new tracks to take part in a championship like RallyX.”
