Already firmly established at the top of the overall standings heading into Älvsbyn, Lucas Gabrielsson further cemented his status as the RallyX North title favourite with a near-perfect weekend in northern Sweden. Claiming victory in both events, the Finnish driver collected 59 of the 60 points on offer, significantly extending his championship lead with only two rounds remaining.

Thanks to that outstanding haul, the Toyota Starlet driver will head to Nysum and Estering holding a 42-point advantage over Jon Ny. Viktor Johansson now trails by 53 points, while Simon Tiger and Erik Lidman sit 54 points behind the championship leader.

Yet Gabrielsson’s weekend was far from straightforward. Hampered by gearbox issues during the opening day of competition, the Finn had to overcome a challenging situation before bouncing back the following day. On a rain-soaked track that made conditions particularly treacherous in the final, he once again proved his ability to perform under pressure.

“It was an intense weekend. Everything had started well on Saturday with no major issues, but the gearbox problems put me under a lot of pressure. Overnight, the big question was whether we would be able to repair the gearbox. Fortunately, we had the necessary parts and managed to get everything fixed. Today, we had no gearbox-related issues at all and all of our starts were very good. By the time I reached the final, I didn’t necessarily need to win. Jon Ny drove really well today. But taking two wins in the same weekend is something completely new for me, and I still haven’t fully taken it in.”

Meanwhile, Jon Ny continued his impressive rise. After setting two fastest times during the second event of the weekend, the Swede claimed his maiden intermediate classification victory before ultimately falling short of the championship leader’s experience and consistency in the final, where he finished fourth.

Claiming his third victory of the season, Gabrielsson finished ahead of Ossian Stenvall and Simon Tiger. Tiger secured his second consecutive podium finish, while Gabrielsson extended his remarkable podium streak to six events.

Despite his comfortable championship advantage, Gabrielsson has no intention of changing his approach for the final two rounds of the season.

“Between this event and the rounds at Nysum and Estering, we’re going to carry out a major service on the car. We’ll take the gearbox apart and replace several components that I identified after Race 1 and that we didn’t have with us this weekend. We’ll probably also inspect the engine as a precaution. Then, when we arrive at Nysum at the beginning of August, we’ll stick to exactly the same strategy we’ve followed since the start of the season: drive smart and see how far it can take us.”

While Gabrielsson further strengthened his position at the top of the standings, one of the standout performers of the Swedish weekend was Ossian Stenvall. Running a 2.4-litre engine package that is theoretically less competitive than those used by many of his rivals, the Swedish driver made the most of the weather conditions to finish fourth in the opening event before claiming an impressive runner-up result the following day.

A double winner in the Pro/AM Supernational category on home soil, Stenvall took full advantage of the wet conditions to emerge as one of the biggest surprises of the weekend.

“Honestly, I didn’t believe it when I arrived here with this small engine. But the rain allowed me to stay in the fight all weekend long. The final was incredible, and I’m really happy with the result,” said Stenvall.

The Swede was able to compensate for his power deficit thanks to a particularly effective chassis on the wet surface.

“The key to the weekend was definitely our small engine combined with a car that worked really well in the rain. In those conditions, I wasn’t losing as much time on the straights to competitors with more powerful engines. Through the corners, I was always able to stay close to them, which allowed me to limit the gaps in the faster sections.”

A familiar face in the Swedish Supernational scene, Stenvall thoroughly enjoyed delivering such a result in front of his home crowd.

“We’re running a 2.4-litre 16-valve engine, the same type commonly used in Swedish Supernational competition. It’s always a pleasure to race here in Älvsbyn and give it everything. This weekend, everything came together really well.”

The weather undoubtedly played into his hands.

“Yes, the rain definitely worked in our favour. It added an extra element that allowed me to gain a few positions.”

Looking ahead, the Swede hopes to compete more regularly in RallyX, although budget constraints remain the biggest obstacle.

“I hope people will see more of me in RallyX in the future. The main issue is still the budget. The travel isn’t a problem, but competing in the entire championship requires a significant investment. I’ll also need a more powerful engine package if I want to take the next step. That’s what I want to do, that’s the goal, but right now I don’t know when it will become possible.”