Ninth in the overall CrossCar standings with two podiums to his credit in 2023, Jimmie Ostberg has taken advantage of the off-season to switch from his LifeLive TN5 chassis to a TN11 version that has already proven its worth.
With over thirty drivers registered for the 2024 season, the title fight in the RallyX championship promises to be breathtaking.
With three consecutive podiums between 2019 and 2021, Jimmie Osterberg will naturally be one of the drivers with a chance of succeeding Sebastian Enholm in the category.
A point made all the more obvious by the fact that the first tests carried out by the Swedish driver and the Pace Motorsport team have clearly borne fruit.
“I was able to complete two test sessions at Tierp and at my home track in Arvika. The collective test session at Tierp gave us a chance to get to know the new chassis, but in general we didn’t have much work to do as the team has already done a lot of preparation on these machines.”
“The basic set-ups that we have been able to build on are already very effective. By my fifth lap at the wheel of the TN11 I was already able to test its limits. In reality, everything seems to be in place. All we have to do now is fine-tune the final details”.
In addition to this chassis change, Jimmie Osterberg will also have to learn to cope with the new Yamaha MT09 engine fitted to the TN11.
“For me the biggest change this year is not only the chassis, but also the engine, because I’m switching from the Suzuki engine I’ve been used to for several seasons to this three-cylinder Yamaha engine. From my point of view this is certainly the biggest change I’ll have to deal with. Chassis-wise I know we’ve got everything we need to be in the top 3, but adapting to this new engine will probably take me a little longer.”
Indeed, Jimmie will have to tame this Yamaha engine, which has less power but more torque at low revs.
“In terms of handling the MT09 will make my job easier. It’s easier to push harder in the corners because there’s a lot more low-end torque. On the other hand, the gear ratios are very different from what I was used to.”
“You have to shift up and down a lot more than with the Suzuki engine. I can’t hide the fact that this has shaken up any reference points I might have had before. On certain sections of the Tierp track, where I used to be in second gear, I’m now in fourth with the MT09.”
The confident Pace Motorsport driver knows that these adjustments will come with time.
“I’ll get used to these little things quickly, even if I have to be careful on the starts. With this more torquey engine, it’s easy to cause wheelspin. We’ve already worked on this topic during our tests, but I’ll continue in this direction during my final session scheduled for the next few days, trying to find the best possible balance.”
While the switch to LifeLive TN11 is bound to cause Jimmie to revise his targets upwards, the Pace Motorsport pilot remains cautious.
“Since I’ve been competing in RallyX, top 3 has always been at least part of my target. I know that the TN11 will allow me to be competitive and fight for the top places, but I also have to be realistic because it’s a new car”.
“Given the level of this championship, I know that you can never take anything for granted. We know that the difference is in the final details, but every year the category becomes more competitive. That’s why, even if I want to fight for the title, I would say that the top 3 is definitely a much more realistic goal.”
