Second in the RallyX North standings heading into this weekend’s round at Älvsbyn, Erik Lidman arrives at one of the most important events of his season carrying both momentum and ambition. In his first full RallyX campaign, the Swedish driver has emerged as one of the category’s most consistent performers, reaching three finals in the last four events.
The timing could hardly be better, with Lidman set to compete in front of his home crowd at a circuit he knows well and regards as one of his favourites on the calendar.
“Älvsbyn is a circuit I really enjoy. We’ve raced there many times, and it’s a track that suits both my driving style and the characteristics of our car perfectly. The goal now is to keep improving and close the gap to Lucas Gabrielsson,” he said.
Among the venues featured on the RallyX schedule, Älvsbyn occupies a special place in Lidman’s mind. Unlike some circuits that offer little room for variation, the Norrbotten track gives drivers multiple opportunities to make a difference behind the wheel.
“It’s a track where the driver can genuinely make a difference. Unlike what we experienced in Finland, where there was virtually only one viable racing line, Älvsbyn offers plenty of options. You can vary your lines, especially through the fast sections and over the jump, which creates more opportunities to gain speed. It’s a circuit that rewards initiative and commitment.”
For Lidman, the venue ranks alongside the very best circuits in Swedish rallycross.
“Älvsbyn, Höljes and Piteå are among the best circuits in the country. They share a very similar philosophy and always provide an incredible driving experience.”
While his qualifying pace has consistently placed him among the frontrunners, Lidman believes his biggest area for improvement remains his starts in the finals. Several promising weekends have slipped away at the decisive moment, preventing him from fully converting his speed into championship points.
“We’re simply going to try to make the most of our potential. So far, our starts in the finals haven’t allowed us to convert our performances into the results they deserved. Without those issues off the line, I honestly believe we could be in an even stronger position in the championship.”
That frustration is also evident in his assessment of the season so far. Despite scoring points at every event, the Swede is still searching for his first podium finish of the campaign.
“We’ve managed to score points at every event, which is obviously a positive. Unfortunately, we’ve let a lot of opportunities slip away in the finals. We’ve been competitive in qualifying, but we still haven’t secured a podium finish. Gabrielsson now has a significant advantage, and I think we’ve probably missed our best opportunity to fully rejoin the title fight.”
Lidman’s hopes of changing that trend have been boosted by recent work carried out on his BMW M3. After several difficult weeks, the team believes it has finally solved a series of issues that had been affecting the car’s performance.
“We’ve worked on a completely new setup. In reality, several problems were affecting the engine. The injectors weren’t functioning properly, and we also encountered issues with the fuel delivery system. The engine was clearly lacking power at low revs. Now everything seems to be working as it should, and the feeling behind the wheel is very good again.”