After two consecutive setbacks in 2022 and 2023, Elias Svensson has finally achieved his goal in the ranks of the CrossCar category by getting his hands on the RallyX 2024 title. A fitting reward for the Casmat driver, who is now considering the next step in his RallyX championship adventures.
With four victories this year and a total of five podium finishes, including a win in Race 1 at Buxtehude that helped swing the championship in his favour last weekend in Germany, Elias Svensson has finally succeeded in reaching a goal he has been chasing for the past two years.
‘It’s a difficult thing to realise,’ stresses Elias.
‘To tell the truth, I don’t think I’ve really grasped the fact that I’ve just won the 2024 title. Of course, I’m really happy, but it’s going to take me a little time to realise what I’ve achieved this year. My aim last spring was to get my hands on this championship, but we’ve had so many problems during the season with engine and gearbox issues as well as a fire at Älvsbyn that absolutely nothing has been easy. I was always fast, but nothing really worked the way I wanted it to, even though I took four wins and a total of five podiums in ten races this year.”
It was a first-rate performance, given that no driver had ever been able to score four victories in a single season since the CrossCar category was introduced to the RallyX championship.
Battling it out with Thomas Eek Murstad and the experienced Ronalds Baldins going into the final weekend of the 2024 season, Elias Svensson knew that the battle for top spot in the championship was going to be an incredibly complex one on an unfamiliar Estering circuit.
“Before this final weekend and after race 2 in Nysum, I was a bit in doubt. I had the feeling that the title could be slipping away from me, but I quickly reacted in race 1 at Buxtehude (with a win and the maximum 30 points – editor’s note). From then on, I told myself that I was going to do it and that nothing could stand in my way.”
After winning the qualifying heats in Race 2 at Buxtehude, it was former rally specialist Fredrik Ählin who confirmed the good news to Elias Svensson.
‘At the time, I didn’t believe Fredrik. I really wanted to have proof on paper that the title was mine, but it turns out he was right. Next time, I’ll try to trust him when he comes back with such good news for me,’ laughs Elias.
As for the continuation of his RallyX championship adventures, the Swedish driver says he wants to give himself time to think. As the best performer in the history of RallyX with eight career victories, Elias Svensson may well have made his final appearance in the CrossCar category last Sunday.
‘I don’t know if I’ll be back in CrossCar next year. What’s certain is that I want to take things to the next level and get behind the wheel of a real car in the big category. At the moment, I don’t know where that will take me, but I now have the feeling that I’ve come full circle in CrossCar.’
‘I was lucky enough to try out a Supercar Lites a few months ago, but I have to admit that, coming out of the CrossCar category, I felt a lack of excitement. I need something more explosive, so the next logical step would be to be able to enter Supercar or to drive an FC2. That requires a lot more budget, but the next few months should help us to see things more clearly.’
