Podium finish for JC Raceteknik in Soderhamn
Norwegian driver Sondre Evjen scored JC Raceteknik’s first podium of 2017 in the opening round of the RallyX On Ice championship at Soderhamn, as Thomas Bryntesson finished fourth in the final (February 5). The Soderhamn event boasted 17 Supercar Lites entries, with experienced team JC Raceteknik fielding four cars for Evjen, Bryntesson, William Nilsson and Oscar Solberg.
Evjen’s day didn’t start as well as it finished however, as the 19-year old spun his car in the opening qualifying race. He fought back and in the third session won his race to move up the order. Second in the semi-final, he climbed into a podium position by the end of the final.
Bryntesson finished as runner-up in the RallyX On Ice series last winter, and will step up to Supercar in the FIA European Rallycross Championship this year. The Norwegian won in Q1 and Q2, but a slow start in the semi-finals meant a low grid position for the final and fourth place was a strong result in conditions that make overtaking difficult.
Swedish driver William Nilsson, who will race with JC Raceteknik in RX2 and RallyX Nordic in 2017, twice finished second in his qualifying races to make into the semi-finals, where he battled hard and just missed out on progressing to the final. The team also welcomed guest driver Oscar Solberg, son of World Rally Championship star Henning Solberg, for his second ever Supercar Lites appearance. The Norwegian showed good consistency through the qualifying stages and finished fourth in his semi-final, unlucky not to progress to the final.
The next round of RallyX On Ice will be Evjen’s home event at Fuglehaugen Motorcenter in Norway next month (March 4).
Joel Christoffersson, Team Principal :
“It was a really fun weekend which ended well with a third place for Sondre. He has been fast all weekend and it’s fun to see his development. Thomas started strongly with two wins and a second place, but unfortunately he had to settle for fourth place. We always go into a competition with the goal to win, and although the pace was good it was not enough to go all the way this weekend. William and Oscar fought hard in the semi-finals, but they both just missed out on the final. Oscar barely even tested before the race, but despite that he has good experience in a rally car. He pushed hard and is looking forward to the next race.”
Sondre Evjen (NOR) :
“Getting on the podium was my goal, so it was a nice start to the season. The semi-final felt good. I came out second at the start and even though I made a few minor errors I finished in that position. In the final the track was rutted and I had to push to get the car around the track, but it was enough for third place. I have a good feeling in the car and there is good momentum. The goal is to fight for the podium in RallyX On Ice, and I'm aiming for victory at my home track at the next race. I've been done many laps there, so if all goes as it should, it could be really good.”
Oscar Solberg (NOR) :
“This has been really fun. The competition was high and I had a bit of difficulty getting used to the car at the beginning. But, it went better and I had good pace. It’s a pity I missed a place in the final, but as it was my first winter contest in the Lites, I’m satisfied. I plan to compete in the entire RallyX On Ice series. This is just for fun really, the main focus for me is on rallying but when you get to the start line you always want to win. Although the driving is very different from the rally, it’s given me some good experience ahead of the Swedish Rally next weekend.”
Thomas Bryntesson (NOR) :
“It’s been a smooth and fun competition. My driving worked really well in the morning and the tricky circuit suited me. In the first heat I started with low revs and the engine almost stopped. But, I had a high tempo and managed to win the race. In the semi-finals, I missed the start, which meant I had to start at the back for the final. Had the start been okay I could probably have been on the podium in the final, because in the final I got a better start. But in rallycross you have to be on it every time to fight at the top. It’s great for Sondre to have finished on the podium. It was tight between us and he drove well. I tried to get him in the final, but the momentum was not enough.”
William Nilsson (SWE) :
“This was really the most fun ice race I have done, and my driving was much better than before. I’m not just saying it; this was the toughest competition in RallyX Nordic. There was a lot of starters and really good drivers. I need more practice on the ice, especially when the track starts to get rutted, then it requires a more aggressive driving style. From my karting if I feel a big bang or make a mistake I automatically back off. I need to work that off to be more aggressive in my driving style.”
Soderhamn Result:
1 Mitchell De Jong
2 Alexander Westlund
3 Sondre Evjen
4 Thomas Bryntesson
5 Simon Olofsson
6 Oliver Eriksson
7 Oscar Solberg
8 Anders Michalak
9 Vasily Gryazin
10 William Nilsson
