Nitro Rallycross Race Preview: Strangnas
After a successful debut round at the legendary Lydden Hill, Nitro Rallycross continues the European leg of its 2022-23 season this weekend in Sweden at Strangnas Motorstadion. Just like Lydden Hill before it, Strangnas has received a set of upgrades to bring it up to NRX spec—this time including the return of the gap jump—and will have four classes doing battle over the weekend.
The FC1-X that makes up NRX’s new premier class, Group E, received rave reviews after its race debut in England, and now it boasts a true challenge of the champions in Strangnas. Defending NRX champion (and series founder) Travis Pastrana and defending Euro RX champion Andreas Bakkerud were already full-time Group E drivers, but defending RallyX Nordic champion Nicolas Gronholm is expected to remain on the grid for Olsbergs MSE as a fill-in for Kevin Eriksson, and defending World RX champion Johan Kristoffersson will join Bakkerud at DRR-JC Raceteknik for the weekend.
Kristoffersson’s four global titles have commanded him the respect of the entire paddock, but it doesn’t change that this weekend is a completely new experience for him. The Swede hadn’t driven the FC1-X or taken on any gap jumps before this weekend, and everybody else on the grid has a race on him. Still, if anyone’s expected to be a quick study, it’s the driver who won 11 of the 12 WRX races that were held in 2018, and also has titles in everything from touring cars to Extreme E.
Robin Larsson was the Lydden Hill race winner, but his appearance on the Strangnas grid is a miracle after a workshop accident required 40 stitches to his throat. Nonetheless, even with all of the champions on the grid, Larsson remains the man to beat in the premier class this weekend.
As was the case in Lydden Hill, a five-car Supercar entry will satisfy the crave for traditional gas-powered engines, with Fraser McConnell pulling double duty alongside Group E and 76-year-old Per Eklund bringing his Volkswagen Beetle to the grid. Both NRX Next and Crosscar will have double-digit entries of their own.
Live coverage of Nitro Rallycross from Strangnas kicks off at 9AM ET on Saturday and 8AM ET on Sunday on Peacock. Following this weekend, the series takes a two-month break before its first American round of 2022 at ERX Motor Park on October 1-2; expect the return of Subaru Motorsports USA and Scott Speed in the Supercar class there.
Image via Nitro Rallycross