After securing a pair of podium finishes in the Open 4WD Pro Am category during the opening round of the RallyX Championship in the Netherlands at the end of April, Adam Öhman is preparing to continue his discovery of the FC2 machine this weekend at Tierp Arena.

For the Swedish driver, this first outing behind the wheel of his new car represented above all a major adaptation challenge. Between learning to handle a four-wheel-drive machine, getting used to the Push to Pass system and adapting to the unique demands of the highly technical Valkenswaard circuit, the Dutch weekend proved particularly demanding.

“Yes, it was quite an intense weekend mentally,” Adam explained.

“The circuit itself was difficult, with very little room for error. There aren’t really any run-off areas at Valkenswaard, so you have to be extremely precise, and that’s not something I’m particularly used to. On top of that, I also had to adapt to a new category with a four-wheel-drive car, so it was naturally a demanding weekend.”

Despite those challenging conditions, Öhman still managed to deliver two Top 3 finishes in the Open 4WD Pro Am finals.

“In the finals, I think my driving was fairly good, but I still lack consistency. Some laps were quick, others much slower. That’s clearly the main area where I need to improve, and for that I mostly need more seat time.”

Previously accustomed to Open 2WD machinery, the Swede also had to significantly rethink his driving approach in order to unlock the full potential of the FC2.

“I don’t really have any issue with the rear-heavy balance of the car because my previous Open 2WD car was fairly similar in that respect. The real difference comes in the way you approach the corners. In a two-wheel-drive car, you have to be very precise and minimise movements. Here, you need to attack the corner more aggressively and then work with the throttle to help rotate the car.”

That challenge was further amplified by the major differences between the Swedish circuits he knows well and the Valkenswaard layout.

“The circuits in Sweden are also very different. Where I usually race, there’s often gravel on the straights and tarmac in the corners. Here, there are far more dirt corners, which completely changes the approach. The right-hand hairpin, for example, requires you to enter with a lot of angle, use plenty of steering lock and then get back on the throttle. It took me a bit of time to adapt to that.”

Another important new element for Öhman was the use of the FC2’s Push to Pass system.

“The Push to Pass system is also completely new for me. It’s the first time I’ve used it since getting the car. You can clearly feel the extra power, but on this circuit there’s really only one place where it’s genuinely useful, coming out of the final corner towards the chicane. Everywhere else, the straights are simply too short to take advantage of it.”

With very limited mileage in the car prior to the start of the season, the Swedish driver still considers himself firmly in a learning phase.

“In total, I had only done between seven and ten starts with this car before that weekend. Other than that, it was mostly testing mileage, especially at Älvsbyn.”

Now preparing for this weekend’s event at Tierp before returning to Älvsbyn at the beginning of June, Öhman already knows exactly where he needs to focus in order to continue progressing.

“The goal now is to arrive at Älvsbyn with more mileage and hopefully achieve a strong result at home. I’ve already completed around a hundred laps there with this car, so I know the circuit, the lines and the gears to use. That doesn’t guarantee a good result, but at least I won’t need to adapt to the track itself.”

“For the next race in Sweden, the objective is clearly to improve both consistency and pace. I set the fastest lap in the Pro-Am final, but I’m still around one second slower than the fastest driver in the Open 4WD category. On such a short circuit, that’s a significant gap. So I definitely need to improve in both areas.”

One thing is certain: Adam Öhman intends to continue his progression with genuine enthusiasm.

“I’m still quite new to rallycross. I only started in 2022, so I’m still lacking experience. But so far it’s been a very positive journey and I’m really enjoying it.”