While the CrossCar Junior title now appears to be moving closer to Iivari Männistö, the battle for the other championship positions is more open than ever heading into the final weekend of the season. Second in the overall standings, Alex Anttila will arrive at Estering with the narrowest of margins over his closest rivals. Just one point separates him from Sebastian Isaksætre, while Jere Huuhka sits only four points behind.
The Nysum weekend perfectly illustrated just how tight the situation has become. After securing third place in the opening race, the Finn failed to reach the final in Race 2. That setback has reignited the battle for second place in the championship, although Anttila still managed to retain his position as Männistö’s closest challenger.
Beyond the result itself, the trip to Denmark was also significant for Anttila. Having waited since the beginning of the season for his new Speedcar Wonder R chassis, the Finn was finally able to get behind the wheel of his new machine at Nysum. His first experience with the car came during a demanding race weekend, but it already gave him an opportunity to assess the potential of his new package.
“Changing cars just before coming to Denmark wasn’t easy. Despite that, I showed good pace on both days of racing. As the weekend went on, I started to understand the car better and feel increasingly comfortable behind the wheel, which allowed me to get a good result on Saturday. On Sunday, the semi-final didn’t go as planned due to some bad luck, but what I take away most of all is the progress we made with this new car. In the end, I still leave the weekend second in the championship, which is a positive outcome.”
The switch to the new Speedcar chassis could prove decisive heading into the German round. The first signs at Nysum were encouraging, and the Finnish team is already planning further work on the setup ahead of Estering.
“We’re going to make a few more adjustments to the setup. I feel ready for Estering, which is my favourite circuit. I’m usually very fast there and I think we’ll be competitive next weekend.”
Germany is also a particularly significant stop on the calendar for Anttila. Last year, the Finn claimed victory there in the opening Junior race of the weekend.
“My goal is obviously to keep second place in the championship. I won at Estering last year and it’s a circuit I really enjoy. I’d like to win there again.”
While the title fight now appears to be swinging firmly in favour of his fellow Finn Iivari Männistö, Anttila knows that nothing has been decided behind the championship leader. With only a handful of points separating the main contenders for second place, every race could have a decisive impact on the final standings.
“I think having such a close battle can actually work in my favour. It puts a bit of pressure on my shoulders, but it also puts pressure on Isaksætre and Huuhka. I’m expecting a very close fight all the way to the end.”
Forced to watch the second Nysum final from the sidelines after being eliminated in the semi-final, the Finn admits it was a frustrating way to end the weekend. Under those circumstances, Anttila had every reason to hope Männistö would take the victory and limit the number of points available to his direct rivals.
“Yes, it was a little frustrating. I felt we had the pace to fight at the front. During the final, I was mainly hoping to see Iivari Männistö win because his championship lead is now too big for me to realistically fight him for the title. I think he’s in a very strong position to secure first place in the overall standings now. If he keeps winning, it will limit the number of points Isaksætre and Huuhka can score, which could help me hold on to second place in the championship.”
With his new chassis now up and running, a circuit he particularly enjoys and second place to defend against his closest rivals, Alex Anttila will head to Estering with two clear objectives: confirm the progress shown at Nysum and finish the season as runner-up to Iivari Männistö.