Fast Finn Hallman to contest upcoming RX2e events

Rising Finnish rallycross star Tommi Hallman will join the FIA RX2e Championship for two rounds of the series’ 2023 campaign in support of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

A multiple event-winner and championship runner-up in the single-make RX Academy, Hallman has increasingly been turning heads in recent years. Since the beginning of the 2021 campaign, he has achieved ten wins from 15 outings at Supercar Lites level – never finishing off the podium.

The 22-year-old’s results have yielded the RallyX Nordic crown as well as further success both in Europe and the United States, and Hallman was recently selected by off-road series Extreme E to be its official Championship Driver for the Hydro X Prix in Scotland in May.

While that opportunity included some seat time in the ODYSSEY 21 SUV – to complement his role as CE Dealer Team’s VIP ‘taxi driver’ at selected World RX events behind the wheel of its promo car – next weekend’s RX2e outing at Lydden Hill in the UK will mark the Kuopio native’s maiden competitive appearance in electric machinery.

“I’m really excited to join the RX2e field,” he enthused. “To make my debut with an electric race car at the birthplace of rallycross is quite a combo. I raced at Lydden Hill last year and felt comfortable on the track, so I’m aiming for a high result.

“Of course it’s going to be a challenge to get used to everything quickly as some of my competitors have raced these cars for a couple of seasons already, but adapting has always been one of my strengths.

“Even though RX2e will be my first race event in the electric era, I’ve been lucky enough to gain experience with four different electric race cars already this year, so I have some view of how they work and what the biggest differences are compared to combustion-engined machines in terms of handling. I’m sure the level will be high, but I’m feeling positive about my pace. The small details are going to be a key factor to success and that’s where I’ll focus.”

Hallman will be on the grid at both Lydden Hill – where he claimed a pair of podium finishes in 2022 – and the RX2e season finale at Germany’s Estering on 19-20 August. His car will run under the SET Promotion banner, operated by series promoter QEV Technologies.

“Tommi has shown his class in recent seasons in various different championships, and while he has not been competing this year, he has been very busy taking every opportunity he can,” noted SET Promotion co-owner, Kalle Pinomäki. “Now he has the chance to get back in a car, it will be interesting to see how he can adapt to racing in RX2e.

“Even if we at SET are not running the car for Tommi for these events, we are very much behind him as we have been over the last few years. It’s always a big challenge to join a single-specification championship mid-season and take on the regulars, but I know he is preparing hard to give himself the best chance possible.”