Oliver Eriksson joined a very exclusive group at Estering last Sunday. Already a former champion in RallyX’s top category, the Olsbergs MSE driver claimed his second title to join Johan Kristoffersson and his brother Kevin Eriksson as the only drivers to have achieved the feat.
Eriksson arrived in Buxtehude with a comfortable 21-point lead over Lukas Andersson ahead of the final two races of the season. Second in the opening race behind team-mate Romet Tsirna, the Swede had already done much of the hard work before heading into the final day.
Sunday, however, did not unfold quite as he had hoped. While Lukas Andersson dominated all three qualifying sessions before going on to win the Final in JC Raceteknik’s FC2, Eriksson had to deal with a far more eventful day.
Fifth in Q1, the OMSE driver had already done enough to make the title mathematically secure. The points scored in that opening session made it impossible for Andersson to overhaul him in the championship.
For Eriksson, however, the meaning of a second title goes well beyond the final weekend at Estering.
“It’s been a fantastic season. Obviously, I’ve been racing in RallyX for many years now and I had already won the championship once before, but winning it for a second time feels incredible. Until now, only my brother and Johan had managed to do it. To be able to add my name to that list as well is something very special,” Oliver said before continuing.
“This title definitely means a lot. You fight all year for a day like this and, when it finally comes, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been in these situations so many times before, but I almost feel more relief than anything else. It’s a bit like, ‘Yes, we did it!’ Of course, it’s also a huge joy for the whole team, considering all the effort everyone puts in and all the work we do. It’s great to be able to give something back to them and reward all that work.”
Even with the title quickly secured, Eriksson had no intention of simply playing it safe. His fifth place in Q1 was followed by a puncture at the first corner of Q2, before a crash in Q3 made his day even more difficult. Eighth in the Intermediate Classification, the Swede endured one of his toughest days of the season just as Andersson was putting together a perfect run.
“In Race 2, I never tried to play it safe. I went for the win every time. Obviously, Q1 was what it was. There was a bit of traffic and then it was just one of those typical days at Estering. When things start going wrong here, they tend to keep getting worse. I thought I could bounce back well in Q2, but I got a puncture at the first corner and that immediately dropped me down the order. Then I had that crash in Q3. From that point on, I just had to find a way to recover.”
The Final was no easier for the newly crowned champion. After avoiding the incidents at the first corner, Eriksson found himself in a position to fight his way back into contention after taking the Joker. Contact with the inside barrier and a spin ultimately ended his hopes of a podium finish.
“That’s what you have to do in that kind of situation. You can’t just sit there and feel sorry for yourself, you have to react and try to do something about it. That’s what I tried to do in the Final. I had a good opportunity because I managed to stay out of all the trouble at the first corner, but then I made my own mistake. Coming out of the Joker, I had a chance to come back, but I clipped the inside barrier slightly. I did a 360 before getting going again.
“After the race, I also realised I had a slow puncture on the left front. I could feel some understeer, but I couldn’t really work out where it was coming from. I was wondering whether I simply had some dirt on the tyres or whether there was something else going on. In the end, I saw that it was indeed a slow puncture on the left front. Let’s just say it was a typical rallycross day!”
Fourth at the finish, Eriksson therefore ended his campaign without another podium. The result had no impact on the championship outcome. With three victories and six podiums over the course of the season, the OMSE driver had built enough of a cushion to withstand Andersson’s final push.
Eriksson’s season is far from over, however. With his second title secured, the Swede now heads to Canada to continue his RallyX Americas programme.
“To celebrate the title, I’ve got my two kids here with me as well, so I’ll be able to celebrate with them first. I’ve heard there’s an after-party in town, so I think I’ll go and check that out,” Oliver said after the race.
“But we also have to pack everything up, and we have a flight this week to Canada for RallyX Americas. So the season continues. It’s great to have won the title here at Estering, to finish the European season on a high and now it’s off to the Americas.”
Another major target then awaits the two-time champion in October. At Montalegre, for the RallyX Global Final, Eriksson will arrive with another distinction to his name: he is now only the third driver to have won the title twice in the championship’s top category.