After two seasons behind the wheel of his VW Polo Supercar, Filip Thorén has decided to embark on a new adventure, setting aside his usual weapon of choice to take the start in an FC2 from Team OMSE.
Currently only 12th in the RallyX standings, with just one final appearance to his name this season, the Swedish driver is determined to make an impression at Buxtehude in a car that notably carried Casper Jansson to victory in Race 1 of the Open 4WD class at Nysum.
“We’ve had a lot of problems with the Polo this season. Almost every weekend, we’ve had to deal with some sort of setback. I’ve grown a bit tired of it, so I wanted to try something different for the last two races. After the engine failure at Nysum, this seemed like a good option for us,” Thorén explained.
The decision was made quickly, with no guarantee that the Polo could be repaired in time following the engine failure in Race 2 in Denmark.
“Since we weren’t sure it could be fixed in time for Buxtehude, we had to make a decision early. I was fortunate to test the car last Monday at Nysum. It’s a new experience for me, but it’s very similar to the RX2e I’ve driven many times, which made it easy to adapt. It’s a well-balanced car, perfect for learning.”
After his first laps, the Swede was reassured by how quickly he felt at home in the new machine.
“I think it took me about two laps to get down to race pace at Nysum. I felt comfortable right away, even though there’s still a lot to learn about the car. But I think we’ll get there this weekend.”
While cautious, Thorén isn’t shy about setting clear goals.
“For Buxtehude, my objective is simple: reach the final in both races. That’s my main goal. Of course, there are a lot of strong drivers, but I want to give it everything this weekend.”
Beyond chasing results, the Swede also sees this as a valuable learning opportunity.
“It will also be a great chance to go up against drivers like Tommy Hallman, Fraser McConnell, or Oliver Eriksson. They’re a perfect benchmark for figuring out what I need to improve. I plan to ask a lot of questions and gather as much information as possible.”