As the RallyX championship enters its home straight with Nysum and Buxtehude, Filip Thorén is looking to use these two double-headers to move closer to the podium in the Open 4WD category.
Currently fifth and seventh in the Pro Am and Pro championships respectively, Filip Thorén has had a more than positive start to his first months of racing behind the wheel of the VW Polo Supercar he acquired during the off-season.
“At the moment I’m more than happy with what we’ve been able to show since the start of the championship,” stresses Filip.
“To be honest, our performances have exceeded our own expectations for this first season in Supercar. Now the next step for me in this final part of the championship is to do everything in my power to try and get my first podium.
Having qualified twice for a Pro final, Filip Thorén has failed on three occasions to secure his first Pro AM podium, finishing fourth in Tierp 2 and in the two races he contested at Alvsbyn.
“I feel I’ve made good progress since the beggining of the season,” continued Filip.
“The only thing I’m missing to make the picture perfect is a first Top 3 finish. I’ve only got four races left to do that, but I’m going to make sure that goal becomes a reality.”
Having competed alongside Filip Martinsson in the Swedish Junior Rallycross Championship, Filip Thorén admits to being inspired by the latter’s performances. Indeed, after taking his first Pro podium at Tierp in his first outing behind the wheel of a Supercar, Filip Martinsson also won Race 2 at Kouvola in Finland.
“Filip Martinsson and I know each other well as we raced together in the junior championship. However, seeing what he has achieved since the start of the season can only make me want to do the same. He’s managed to get his first Supercar win despite a season that hasn’t been so straightforward, with a number of minor technical problems. Now it’s up to me to prove that I can do the same. That’s all the more true as we’ve often been on the same pace since Tierp.”
Above all, after the first six races competed on circuits with which he was completely unfamiliar, the situation promises to be different for Filip Thorén in Nysum and Estering.
“I know Nysum well, having raced there in the BMW I drove in the Junior Championship, while I also did a test session there in a Supercar Lites. Unlike the first six races of the championship, I won’t be going into the unknown. As for the Estering, it’s simply one of my favourite tracks, so I have to admit that I have high expectations. ”
Last year Filip Thorén put in some top performances at the FIA RX2e round in Germany.
“I think that will help me. In 2023 I was able to do a test session at Estering before the FIA RX2e event and that enabled me to attack the free practice by being in the game immediately. I was able to get into a rhythm straight away and found more and more speed as the weekend went on, so I’m hoping to repeat these performances at both Nysum and Buxtehude as the championship draws to a close”.
Although Filip admits that he has been a little too cautious in the first six races of the 2024 season, the Swedish driver has every intention of breaking new ground.
“I know I have a lot of room for improvement. Up to now, I’ve mainly tried not to take too many risks, but I need to improve in this particular area. I’m too cautious on the starts and not aggressive enough but these are things I’m going to work hard on for Nysum and Estering.”
