European entries announced for Höljes’ ‘Magic Weekend’

A capacity 25-strong field in Euro RX1 and a high-calibre grid in Euro RX3 will contest Höljes’ legendary ‘Magic Weekend’ next month (2-3 July), headlined by a multiple World Champion, a quartet of European Champions, a brace of rallying heroes and an ice-racing master.

Indeed, the 41 European Championship entries for Cooper Tires World RX of Sweden represent something of a who’s who of the discipline, with Johan Kristoffersson throwing down the gauntlet to his Euro RX1 rivals when he announced his participation in his family-run Kristoffersson Motorsport Volkswagen Polo last week.

The Swede will face stiff opposition, however, from a number of quarters. Reigning title-holder Andreas Bakkerud has renewed his relationship with EKS, and team-mate Enzo Ide is showing just how much he learned competing alongside Kristoffersson last year in the top flight. Not only that, but the Belgian achieved his best World RX result to-date at Höljes.

Anton Marklund proved to be unbeatable in the Nyirád curtain-raiser behind the wheel of his SET Promotion Hyundai i20, while the indefatigable Ulrik Linnemann can be counted upon to put his absolute heart and soul into his performance and former Super1600 (now Euro RX3) king Jānis Baumanis is fired-up to bounce back from a disappointing end to his Hungarian weekend.

Last season’s Cooper Tires ‘Rookie of the Year’ Sivert Svardal produced a giant-killing performance to finish fifth at Nyirád, but six-time Andros Trophy ice-racing champion Jean Baptiste ‘JB’ Dubourg will be eager to make amends for uncharacteristic errors that curtained his challenge before the final.

A famous name returns to the World RX paddock as Oliver Solberg makes his first competitive rallycross appearance in two years in Hedströms Motorsport’s Hyundai i20, while JC Raceteknik fields a pair of Audi S1s for Norwegian duo Sondre Evjen and Ole Christian Veiby, both of whom have previous podium form in Euro RX.

Perhaps the darkest horse in the field, however, is local favourite Linus Östlund. Hailing from nearby Sysslebäck, the 22-year-old knows Höljes like the back of his hand.

In Euro RX3, last season’s championship runner-up Kobe Pauwels and Rally Italia-Sardegna WRC3 winner Jan Černý waged a fierce duel for supremacy in Hungary. Another no-holds-barred scrap looks to be in prospect in round two, but there are a number of other contenders for glory amongst the 16-strong entry.

João Ribeiro and Nuno Miguel Da Costa Araújo will fly the Portuguese flag, with fellow Audi A1 driver Damian Litwinowicz similarly sure to be a threat in his sophomore campaign in the series.

Teenage hotshot Jiří Šusta went second-quickest in both of the heats he finished in Hungary, while two former podium-finishers at Höljes have also thrown their hats into the ring, as Estonian Janno Ligur and Norway’s Espen Isaksætre make their seasonal debuts.

The FIA RX2e Championship entry list will be revealed in the coming days.