| Former European Rallycross Champions Robin Larsson and Andreas Bakkerud will return to the series with JC Raceteknik for the Holjes Magic Weekend in Sweden this July (1-2).
The RX Cartel drivers will storm back onto the European scene racing a pair of JC Audi S1 Supercars at one of the biggest rallycross events in the world.
Seven-time World RX race-winner and 2021 Euro RX Supercar Champion Bakkerud is a double victor of the Magic Weekend event, claiming Supercar wins in 2013 (Euro RX) and 2016 (World RX), while double Euro RX Champion and reigning Nitro Rallycross Champion Larsson is also a headline Holjes winner, in the RallyX Nordic series in 2020.
While Swede Larsson last raced an internal combustion engine Supercar in the 2021 Nitro RX campaign, Norwegian driver Bakkerud recently raced a JC Audi in the Danish rounds of RallyX with JC, claiming a best result of fourth across the weekend, but challenged for the win on both days.
Both drivers have full-time programmes elsewhere in 2023, so head to Holjes without the pressure of scoring championship points. That leaves the RX Cartel drivers able to target the best results possible from the single-header event, in a bid to make it to the front of the field in what is for both, their home round of the season.
Joel Christoffersson, JC Raceteknik Team Principal:
“Holjes is rallycross. Some of the best memories of my career in Europe are at Holjes, and to go back with Robin and Andreas, two of the very best rallycross drivers in the world, will be a lot of fun. The track is demanding, even if everybody knows it well, getting everything right is not easy and we will have to work hard to get to the front because being in the fight for the final might not be so difficult, but getting to the top step of the podium will be hard. That’s what we do though, we work hard to win and we can’t wait to get to the Magic Weekend. Hopefully there are a lot of fans there to cheer us on too, that makes a lot of difference!”
Andreas Bakkerud (NOR):
“The Magic Weekend is the biggest rallycross race of the season. A festival from start to finish! It’s also my favourite rallycross track in the world, so if there’s a race I want to do, its Holjes! The win in 2013 is still high up there in my memories. I occasionally see that final on YouTube from time-to-time, it’s a old hand-held camera that filmed the final which makes it feel even older. My podium streak from 2012 to 2018 is also special. Even though we didn’t win in Denmark last month, it was good to be back in the Audi. It’s a fast car – we just have to get better off the line. The target is the podium and if the opportunity is there, then of course we’ll go for the win. The Magic Weekend has always been a race where I bring partners and a gathering of the BakkerudBLUE army. I can’t to do Hell this year, so I hope we can come in numbers to Holjes!”
Robin Larsson (SWE):
“It feels really good to be coming back to home soil, especially to Holjes. It’s always a special feeling driving in Sweden, in front of friends, family and Swedish people. It’s been a while since I drove a Supercar in Europe so it will be fun to be in the Audi in the European Championship. It will be hard to just jump in and get a result, the competition will be tough but we will do a short test in the week before, so we will hopefully go there feeling good. It’s a while since I drove in Holjes, but I’ve been there a few times and hopefully we can get up to speed. I go there without any pressure, but when you get to the start line and you want to win. But, there’s a lot of good drivers in Nitro and we are at the front there, so we need to show what we can do against the European drivers. Hopefully we can start the weekend strong from free practice and go from there. I’m really looking forward to it.” |
