After three consecutive setbacks since 2022, Thomas Eek Murstad finally achieved his long-awaited breakthrough last August at the Buxtehude circuit, securing the first championship title of his RallyX career.
Despite a lackluster start to the season in Montalegre, where he managed just one podium from the two races held in Portugal, Murstad quickly found his rhythm and turned things around.
Although the Norwegian driver converted only a single victory — at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands — his remarkable consistency allowed him to gain the upper hand over Martin Juga in the overall standings.
In total, Murstad collected no fewer than eight podium finishes and qualified for 11 finals out of 13 rounds. A record that was more than enough to crown him the 2025 RallyX champion.
“It’s indescribable. After three years of always finishing on the podium, coming up just a few points short of the title, I’ve finally made it. Back in 2023 I was already so close, and it was incredibly frustrating. This season I didn’t win many races, but I managed to stay consistent, score strong points in qualifying, and avoid technical issues. That’s exactly what Enholm and Svensson did before me: focus on consistency. In the end, it paid off. When we talked about it at home before the season began, I never imagined for a second that I would win this title… and yet, here we are.”
For now, Murstad is taking time to reflect, with no firm decision yet on what comes next in his career.
“Honestly, we haven’t decided on the future yet. We’ll take the winter to think about it. Until now, no RallyX champion has ever returned to defend their crown, so it would certainly be an interesting challenge to take on.”
At the same time, the 2025 champion has been exploring new horizons behind the wheel of the FC2. In addition to a test session earlier in August at the Nysum circuit, he also got the chance to drive the machine usually entrusted to Elias Svensson at Momarken, where he impressed by claiming a third-place finish in the Norwegian Rallycross Championship.
“The idea was to see what this car was capable of. I had already tested it in practice, but nothing compares to real competition to truly gauge where you stand. If we can unlock a budget for 2026, then why not consider a program in FC2? Whatever happens, it was a fantastic experience.”
Credit: RallyX/QBA