Now in its fifth season in the RallyX championship, the CrossCar Junior series has established itself as a veritable machine for nurturing young talent to the highest level.
There is no shortage of examples. From Lukas Andersson, who went straight from CrossCar Junior to Supercar Lites and is currently leading the overall RallyX championship, to Joni Turpeinen, who at just 15 years of age is leading the Open 4WD/Supercar Pro and Pro Am championships, the young guns are clearly taking over.
This is no accident. Behind the scenes, a number of RallyX championship protagonists are working hard to give these young drivers the best possible conditions to progress.
This is particularly true for the Norwegian team RX Evolution, led by Atle and Frode Skaar, who are supporting Olliver Sollie and Theo Johansen this year.
However, the RX Evolution team is guided by strong principles.
“The drivers in the Junior CrossCar category fight very hard on the track, but they also and above all know how to remain friends in the paddock, and that’s a value that is very important to us,” emphasises Frode Skaar.
“Sometimes race weekends don’t always go as well as these young pilots might hope, and that’s why everyone works hard to maintain this great atmosphere. Even if things don’t go their way on the track, at least these kids know that they can go home having made new friendships and some great memories in the paddock.”
Hampus Hagström and Olliver Sollie, who have been battling for the lead in the overall standings since the start of the championship, never miss an opportunity to set an example.
“Olliver and Hampus are fighting for the title, but that doesn’t stop them from being good friends in the paddock and shaking hands before every start. Of course, when the lights turn green, it’s a completely different story, because all these competitors are aiming for is the top step of the podium, but that’s part of the charm of our sport.”
Principles and values!
“Even as a team we try to be as open as possible,” adds Frode Skaar.
“Other drivers and teams can come and talk to us. We have no secrets and we never hesitate to help each other. Of course, there are always some things that we keep inside the team, but that’s the way we see life: others can learn from you as much as you can learn from them. And when I see the way the drivers in the Junior CrossCar category behave, I tell myself that this sport is going in the right direction.”
Olliver Sollie may have a lot of experience in the RallyX championship, but that hasn’t stopped the young Norwegian, who has already clinched three wins this season, from giving his young colleague Theo Johansen all the help he can.
“We have known Theo Johansen since his days in the Norwegian CrossCar Championship and our ambition is for him to be able to compete in a full season of RallyX this year,” continues Frode Skaar.
“In fact, he has made enormous progress since the start of the championship. He’s learned a lot alongside Olliver Sollie, but that’s also down to his personality, because Olliver is a very open character. He talks to everyone and that helps Theo a lot. He’s a bit more reserved, but he feeds off everything he sees and hears to continue his development as a driver.”
In his role as a mechanic in the RallyX paddock, Stig Sollie is quick to praise RX Evolution’s efforts to help young drivers develop faster.
“For Olliver and myself, it’s a real opportunity to be able to rely on a team like RX Evolution,” says Olliver Sollie’s father.
“I’m really pleased with the work they’re doing alongside us to help Olliver progress. We can analyse all our videos and discuss all the technical aspects we can work on to improve our efficiency, and that of course makes our job easier”.
For Frode Skaar, this desire to help the youngest talents is part of a way of life that he embraces wholeheartedly.
“Our goal is that every time these young drivers come home, we want to be sure that they have learned something new,” continues Frode.
“My brother Atle and I have been in the sport for over 20 years, so we can help them by sharing all our experience. It saves them time because they don’t have to make all the mistakes we made when we started,” smiles Frode.
“Seeing these young drivers grow and improve every weekend is what I enjoy most about this adventure. Beyond the passion, it’s a real way of life for us. In fact, helping the next generation of drivers to build their careers to the highest level allows us to have as much fun as if we were behind the wheel ourselves”.
