Although Ida Tornhult didn’t have the success she had hoped for at the last round of the championship at Buxtehude, retiring three times out of the six qualifying heats on the programme as a result of the numerous contacts she suffered when approaching the dreaded first corner of Estering, it has to be said that the Swedish driver managed to reach a new milestone in her progress in 2024.
After a first qualification for a final in 2023 in the Lites Supercar category, the former Folkrace specialist took advantage of the Älvsbyn race to claim her first career podium in RallyX Nordic.
Seventh in the overall standings in 2023, Ida dropped two positions this year to finish ninth, but it’s clear that the Swede is no longer playing in the same league as she was a year ago.
‘I wouldn’t say that my season was perfect, but on the other hand, it was certainly pleasing to be able to take that first podium at Älvsbyn. Some people might call it luck, but I think I managed my race perfectly in this final, because I could just as easily have finished fourth or fifth,’ says Ida.
‘This podium is a good thing because I feel that my confidence behind the wheel has been strengthened. It’s always good to know that you can compete with the best drivers in this championship, and it’s a source of pride to have been able to demonstrate that.’
As proof, one month later at Nysum, Ida Tornhult put in a first-class performance in terms of pure speed, with a deficit of between 6 and 7 tenths per lap compared to the best performer of the event. Admittedly, the many twists and turns that make RallyX Nordic so special didn’t allow her to qualify for a final again later on, but she did manage to score her second top-five finish in a qualifying heat in Q1 at Nysum 1 before claiming her best result of her career with the third-best time in Q3 at Nysum 2.
‘Then, at Nysum, I managed to follow that up with a fifth fastest time in Q1 in Race 1, as well as setting some very good times in free practice, and I can’t hide the fact that I’m pretty happy with that. Unfortunately, when I started from the outside lane in the semi-final of Race 1, I knew that it would be difficult for me to secure a place in the Top 3, which would have enabled me to qualify for the final. Despite everything, we showed that we had a great chance to progress by clawing back a few extra hundredths each time we were on track throughout the 2024 season.”
One thing is certain: Ida Tornhult has established herself as one of the Supercar Lites stars to watch out for against the young prospects of international Rallycross.
“The aim of this 2024 season, as far as we’re concerned, has been to keep pushing myself to the limit to see what separates us from the best drivers in this championship. And at Nysum it turned out that by pushing myself to the limit, when the rain came at the start of the second day of racing, I pushed a little too hard and ended up running off the track. Nevertheless, it gave me a better understanding of the car and what to do when grip conditions can be tricky.”
‘We could have done even better this year. I’m thinking back in particular to that semi-final at Kouvola where I was forced to retire before the race had even started due to a drive belt in poor condition. I saw that the engine temperature was approaching 125 degrees so I had no choice but to return to the paddock”
‘At Nysum, we didn’t have a car that was at the top of its potential on the second day of the race so that cost us points, but we stuck to the target we’d set ourselves after Älvsbyn by trying to keep ourselves at the front of the second tier of this championship and be in the fight for the sixth and final qualifying place for the finals. Those who play the first roles are extremely fast, but I think we have a say in playing for sixth or seventh place every weekend.”
In 2025, the only female driver in the Supercar Lites championship will be looking to build on this impressive improvement.
