Swedish stars shine at annual Bilsportgalan awards

Four of the leading rallycross stars of the current generation celebrated their 2022 successes at the Swedish Motorsport Federation’s annual Bilsportgalan prize-giving ceremony last weekend.

The biggest accolade, unsurprisingly, was reserved for Johan Kristoffersson, whose commanding fifth FIA World Rallycross Championship crown last season – from just eight campaigns in the top flight – deservedly earned him the evening’s main prize of ‘Rallycross Driver of the Year’.

The Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS ace was on dominant form in 2022, setting the pace in all ten SuperPole sessions behind the wheel of his VW RX1e and racing to eight wins to further strengthen his claim to being the sport’s greatest of all time.

Kristoffersson was joined at Bilsportgalan by Klara Andersson, fresh from being presented with the ‘Female Motorsport Athlete of the Year’ award at the South Sweden Motorsport Gala.

The Construction Equipment Dealer Team driver impressed during her rookie campaign in World RX last year, making history at Montalegre as she reached the rostrum for the first time and then coming within a whisker of beating multiple world champion Kristoffersson to victory in the pair’s progression race at the Nürburgring.

FIA RX2e Championship front-runners Isak Sjökvist and Nils Andersson were similarly in attendance. The pair finished respectively second and third in the standings in the single-spec World RX support series in 2022 – tallying seven podium finishes between them.

Former karting star Sjökvist received no fewer than three prizes at Bilsportgalan – International Achievement, Junior Rallycross Driver of the Year and a scholarship from the Essebro-Anecto Memorial Fund, set up in memory of the young Swedish karters who sadly lost their lives in an aeroplane accident at Milan’s Linate Airport in 2001. 

“I feel honoured and thankful for all the awards I collected at the Swedish Motorsport prize-giving gala,” 21-year-old Sjökvist reflected. “It means a lot to me, as it really shows that our hard work is taking us in the right direction.

“None of these things would have been possible without the powerful team behind me. You guys rock! A new year means new opportunities, and there is still loads of work to do. Let’s dig in and see what the future brings!”


Photo Credits:
Main and bottom far right: Bengt-Åce Gustavsson / www.racefoto.se
Bottom left (x3): Thomas Lindberg