A former contender in the Swedish Junior Rallycross Championship, Robin Norrlander is set to compete on home soil this weekend in Älvsbyn. The Supercar Lites newcomer is eager to make the most of the opportunity and prove himself on the demanding Höghedens Motorstadion circuit.
Still a rookie at this level, the young Swedish driver has only three races under his belt since debuting in Supercar Lites during the Riga doubleheader.
Just two weeks ago at the KymiRing, Norrlander made no attempt to hide the steep learning curve he’s facing — both in adapting to a car he’s still getting to grips with and in a RallyX championship where the ever-changing track profiles mean yesterday’s progress rarely guarantees tomorrow’s success.
“Honestly, it was a bit up and down at KymiRing. I really liked the track, especially the circuit-style sections. I struggled more with the gravel and the tight corners overall,” he admitted openly.
Still adjusting to his new environment, the promising young talent is quick to take responsibility for his challenges.
“I think most of it comes down to me — my driving. I haven’t really learned how to handle the car yet. It’s great practice, but I definitely need more time behind the wheel. I haven’t had the chance to do any testing since the start of the season. That’s not ideal if you want to improve quickly, but it’s still a lot of fun.”
Far from discouraged, Robin is taking a methodical approach to his development:
“I know what I’m doing wrong, and I know where I need to improve. Driving a Supercar Lites is very different from what I’m used to, and every weekend brings a new track with completely different characteristics. At KymiRing, you had to go really hard through the gravel sections and start rotating the car before each corner. I need to learn how to feel what the car is doing and adjust my instincts accordingly.”
This weekend, racing in front of a home crowd in Älvsbyn, he’s aiming to step up.
“The goal is clear: we want to reach the final. That’s the minimum we’re aiming for on this track, and I think it’s achievable. If I can cut down on my mistakes behind the wheel, we should be in the mix. We’ve gone over the KymiRing race carefully, and I think there’s a lot we can take from that experience to better understand how to manage the Supercar Lites on gravel. For me, it really was a great learning experience — the perfect track to build up more seat time.”