In a final contested under truly apocalyptic conditions at the Nysum circuit, Casper Jansson etched his name into Rallycross history, becoming the first driver to take an FC2 car to victory in the premier Supercar / Open 4WD category.
Just moments earlier, Jansson had already claimed his fifth podium of the season in the FC2 class, finishing second behind Fraser McConnell and ahead of Oliver Eriksson. But what followed in Open 4WD was nothing short of sensational.
Despite starting from the second row of the grid and battling torrential rain, Jansson surged to the front by the second corner—and never looked back.
He held his advantage all the way to the checkered flag, crossing the line 1.3 seconds ahead of Oliver Eriksson. Fraser McConnell, who had been running in third, was forced to retire on the final lap, handing the last podium spot to Ulrik Linnemann.
It was a landmark achievement, and Jansson couldn’t hide his delight at delivering the first-ever victory for the FC2 concept cars.
“Qualifying wasn’t easy, but from the semifinals onward we managed to find a really good rhythm. Our pace was almost identical to Ulrik Linnemann’s,” Jansson explained.
“Sure, I didn’t manage another win in the FC2 final, but that podium gave us big points to maintain our lead in the championship standings. The track was extremely tricky—the CrossCar finals had just finished, and we had to deal with racing lines completely different from what we’d had all weekend, while some braking zones were incredibly slippery. Still, it was a great race with a fantastic battle against Fraser McConnell and Oliver Eriksson.”
But the best was yet to come. Forced to switch to rain tires just moments before the Open 4WD final, the young Swede delivered a masterclass.
“The Open 4WD final took place in brutal conditions. It felt like I was driving through a swimming pool. The dirt sections were waterlogged, and keeping the car under control was incredibly difficult. But taking this first win in the premier class with an FC2 car is something really special.”
Jansson’s performance was a lesson in patience and precision.
“I tried to be as smooth as possible with the car. Maybe my karting background helped. Up to now, I’d never felt great in the wet with the FC2, but this time I managed to stay calm and avoid overdriving. Pushing too hard on a track like that would have been the easiest way to throw it all away. Even when it feels like you’re crawling, that’s the only way to be fast in those conditions. One thing’s for sure: this win changes everything. We’ve proven we can beat Supercars. Sure, the rain played in our favor, but even in the dry, we knew we were in the fight. Today, we just showed that victory is within reach for FC2.”
Jansson now holds a narrow lead—seven points over Oliver Eriksson and eight over Fraser McConnell—in the FC2 championship standings. Meanwhile, the Open 4WD title race is heating up as well.
After being eliminated in the semifinals, Maiko Tamm’s advantage has shrunk to just 10 points over Ulrik Linnemann.