After spending most of the winter developing a brand new FC2 car, Simon Olofsson and the entire STS RX structure, which he runs alongside Sandra Hultgren, could hardly have hoped for a better start to the season.
Indeed, while Viktor Kristensson stunned many observers during Race 1 by taking victory in the Pro final ahead of Niclas Grönholm and Oliver Eriksson, the young driver from Malmö once again impressed during Race 2 by claiming victory in the Pro Am final ahead of Romet Tsirna and talented Norwegian driver Emil Sivesind.
A double success that naturally leaves Simon Olofsson highly encouraged as he prepares to return to action himself in the Open 4WD category this weekend in Finland at the Pesämäki circuit.
“I knew Viktor was a very good driver, but when you have guys like Timmy Hansen, Oliver Eriksson and Niclas Grönholm competing in the championship, the level is obviously extremely high. Even so, Viktor did a remarkable job throughout the weekend. There were a few contacts with the walls, but on a circuit lined with concrete barriers, that’s simply part of the game. Overall, we experienced an almost perfect weekend and the whole team is obviously very satisfied,” explained Simon Olofsson.
Viktor Kristensson’s victory in Race 1 made an even bigger impression given that it came against several international front runners in the discipline, at a time when very few expected the Swedish driver to be capable of winning in only his second appearance in the category following a discreet debut outing in Valkenswaard in 2025.
“Honestly, seeing Viktor beat the Pro drivers already on Saturday was pretty incredible. Very few people expected a result like that. In a way, it also confirms the objective we were already pursuing last season, which was to become capable of fighting against the very best drivers in the field.”
Beyond the results achieved at Tierp, the weekend mainly allowed Simon Olofsson to confirm the competitiveness of the STS RX structure ahead of his own return to competition in Finland.
“Now we know the car is working perfectly. Next weekend in Finland it will be my turn to drive. Obviously, I hope I can achieve similar results or at least be in a position to fight at the front.”
After a difficult 2025 season from a technical standpoint, Simon Olofsson is clearly enjoying the prospect of returning to the Open 4WD category.
“It’s a completely different situation when we work with our own structure and our own car. We know every technical detail and that changes a huge amount in terms of feeling and confidence. Being able to rent the car to Viktor as well and operate in a more independent way is something extremely positive for us. Today, we are genuinely very happy with the direction the project is taking.”