With the battle for the championship in all five RallyX categories in full swing, here are six reasons why you won’t want to miss the third round of the 2024 season, Rounds 5 and 6, which you can watch for free on YouTube.
Älvsbyn, a pure old-school track
Before heading to the Estering in Buxtehude next August, the drivers of the RallyX Championship will have the chance to take on one of the biggest challenges of the 2024 season this weekend.
“Älvsbyn is a real old-school track with lots of gravel. In fact, the first corner is a section where you can really give it your all. It’s very wide and the gravel allows you to choose different lines. It’s very exciting to race on a track like this because it’s great fun for the fans and for the drivers. As chairman of the organising committee, I’d say Älvsbyn 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 track that will bring something new to the drivers and the fans. It’s always good to have new tracks in a championship like RallyX.
Open 4WD: Joni Turpeinen built for the future?
At just 15 years of age, Joni Turpeinen became the youngest driver in the history of the RallyX championship when he topped the overall standings in the premier class at the last event in Kouvola.
The young Finn has been a real phenomenon this season, proving that he has made the transition from Junior CrossCar to Supercar as smooth as possible.
This weekend, Joni will have to prove that he has all the weapons necessary to resist the return of the Eriksson brothers and fend off the attacks of young wolves such as Martin Enlund, Filip Martinsson, Filip Thorén and reigning Pro-Am champion Maiko Tamm, to name but a few.
Rallycross legend Mats Öhman will also be on home soil this weekend. The driver of the JC Raceteknik Audi S1 proved he will be one of the favourites by setting the fastest time in FP1 on Friday evening.
Supercar Lites: Simon Olofsson on the comeback trail
The heart of a champion never dies! At least that’s what Simon Olofsson will have to prove this weekend.
Despite suffering an engine failure in Race 2 at Tierp, the two-time defending champion proved in Kouvola that he hasn’t lost his edge with two podium finishes, including a win in Race 2.
With three podiums in four races, Simon is a man on a mission. Third in the championship, 17 and 26 points behind Casper Jansson and Lukas Andersson respectively, the STS RX driver is clearly one to watch.
Open 2WD: The promised land for Viktor Johansson?
The 2022 RallyX champion faces a big challenge this weekend. With three podiums in four races, the driver of the Mercedes 190 Evo Hybrid is second in the overall standings, 16 points behind the event’s other local hero, Simon Tiger.
As chairman of the organising committee for the Älvsbyn event, Viktor will have to draw on all his experience to juggle these two roles to the best of his ability.
After setting the fastest time in the first free practice session, Johansson was just 0.144 seconds ahead of the returning Adam Ohman.
In addition to Simon Tiger, Ossian Stenvall, Lucas Gabrielsson, Kenneth Konge, Rasmus Berggren and multiple Swedish champion Linus Westman will also be serious contenders for victory.
CrossCar: Can Ronalds Baldins keep up?
Latvia’s Ronalds Baldins has been outstanding since the start of the championship and is the only driver in the Junior CrossCar category to have qualified for four consecutive finals,while securing three podiums.
However, with Elias Svensson in fine form since the start of the season, with two wins from four races and only three points behind in the overall standings, this weekend at Älvsbyn promises to be explosive.
But Baldins and Svensson won’t be the only ones chasing victory in Sweden. With 12 different drivers able to qualify for a final so far this year, the suspense promises to be intense. Once again, around twenty drivers will be in with a chance of claiming a place in the final Top 6.
Junior CrossCar: Hagstrom or Sollie?
In the Junior category, the duel at the start of the championship is nothing short of exceptional. Leader of the overall standings with a three-point lead over Hampus Hagstrom, Oliver Sollie is on a run of three consecutive victories.
This Saturday, the two teenagers will meet again on a track they know nothing about. All the more reason to ignite this duel, which has been lighting up the RallyX championship since Tierp.
Follow the two Alvsbyn races by clicking on the links below:
Saturday 29 June: Race 1 from 12.55pm on our Youtube channel
Sunday 30 June: Race 2 from 12.55 onwards on our Youtube channel
