Viktor Johansson claimed victory in the second Open 2WD event of the Nysum weekend after a final decided by the narrowest of margins. Yet the biggest winner of this penultimate round was Lucas Gabrielsson.

Despite not winning either final, the Finn collected 54 of the 60 points available. Runner-up to Kristian Tisland on Saturday and second again behind Johansson on Sunday, he extended his championship lead from 42 to 56 points. Heading into Estering, Gabrielsson now needs just five more points to secure the title mathematically, even if Johansson scores the maximum 60 points available.

Johansson wins a thrilling final

Gabrielsson once again laid the foundations for his day during qualifying. He topped Q1 in 2:33.653 before winning Q2 in 2:36.438, then finished second in Q3 with a 2:34.653 run.

His qualifying total of 145 points secured the top spot in the intermediate classification and the 16 championship points awarded to its winner.

Johansson, meanwhile, remained within striking distance throughout qualifying with three consistently strong performances, all inside the top three. Second in the intermediate classification, he trailed Gabrielsson by just one point before the semi-finals.

The three leading contenders each won their respective semi-finals before producing a superbly contested final. Johansson crossed the finish line in 3:52.734, just 0.335 seconds ahead of Gabrielsson. Jason Bleasdale completed the podium, 0.693 seconds behind the winner, after setting the fastest lap of the final with a 39.624.

Jon Ny finished fourth ahead of Per Magne Royras, while Kristian Tisland, winner of his semi-final, retired on the opening lap of the final and was classified sixth.

Gabrielsson extends his championship advantage

Despite Sunday’s victory, Johansson failed to make any ground on Gabrielsson over the course of the weekend. The championship leader scored 54 points compared with Johansson’s 51, increasing his advantage to 56 points.

The Swede nevertheless enjoyed an excellent weekend by climbing to second in the overall standings. After a difficult Saturday marked by a retirement in Q1 and an absence from the final, he bounced back immediately on Sunday by collecting 29 of the 30 points on offer.

Johansson is now the only driver still mathematically capable of preventing Gabrielsson from claiming the Open 2WD title.

With two rounds remaining, Gabrielsson leads the championship on 197 points, compared with Johansson’s 141. The Finn now requires just five more points in Germany to secure the crown. In practical terms, a 12th-place finish in the intermediate classification of the opening event at Estering would be enough to clinch the championship before the knockout stages even begin.