JC Raceteknik targets RX2 and RallyX Nordic Lites titles in 2017
Swedish team JC Raceteknik will run a pair of Supercar Lites full-time in 2017 for Norwegian Sondre Evjen (19) and Swede William Nilsson (17).
Both drivers will compete in the FIA World Rallycross Championship supporting RX2 category and the Supercar Lites division of the RallyX Nordic Championship.
JC Raceteknik is one of the most experienced Supercar Lites teams in rallycross and last season won the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites title with Thomas Bryntesson and finished second in RX2 (then called RX Lites), winning a number of events, including the final round of the year that was claimed by returning driver Evjen.
The Norwegian used 2016 as a development year in the category, learning the finer details of the single-make, four-wheel drive Supercar Lites cars and the circuits in the World RX-supporting championship. On a new circuit for him and all of his rivals, Evjen won at Riga in Latvia, and has his sights set on winning both the RX2 and RX Lites crowns in 2017.
Nilsson, who has prior international experience from racing in the JRX Cup in 2013 alongside the FIA European Rallycross Championship, competed in the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites Championship in 2016, and finished sixth overall. He also raced at his home round of RX2 at Holjes and made the semi-finals. The young driver will use 2017 as a year of learning new circuits on the RX2 schedule, and also plans to get as much seat time as possible by racing in the RallyX Nordic Championship too.
The RX2 Championship will be run over seven rounds in three continents for the very first time in 2017, with events held in Belgium, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Canada, France and South Africa.
JC Raceteknik may also run a third Lites car in a full programme of events and is discussing the opportunity with a number of drivers.
The team’s commitment to running drivers in Supercar Lites strengthens its position in the rallycross arena. Starting as part of the JC Raceteknik Junior Team, drivers can now progress from cross kart to Supercar Lites and Supercar, thanks to the recently announced JC Raceteknik Supercar team in the FIA European Rallycross Championship.
Joel Christoffersson, Team Principal :
“I’m really excited about running both Sondre and William in Supercar Lites this season. Sondre learnt a lot last year doing RX2, he gained valuable experience of the tracks and the car, and at the end of the year he was really quick. I think he can fight for race victories from the start this season. William had a mixed season last year, but he proved on several occasions that he has the ability to race with the best guys on the grid, so we are working hard with him to help him do that at every race. We’re hoping to add another driver to our Lites line-up for this season too. It’s exciting that RX2 is really international this year, there are not many championships that offer racing in three continents supporting a World Championship.”
Sondre Evjen (NOR) :
“I’m very much looking forward to this season, I’m really excited to be racing again. We finished strongly in both series’ last season, so I’m really hoping to continue that pace and fight for the championships this year. Last year, I had only one or two tests before the first race and all of the tracks were new, but this year I know most of the tracks and I have so much more experience in the car so I think it will be much easier in that respect. It’s very exciting to be racing in new countries and continents too, that’s amazing for us. The new tracks are new to everyone, so that will make it more equal going there.”
William Nilsson (SWE) :
“I'm psyched for this season and excited to get out on the international circuits. This is a giant career step. Because the races run at World Championship events, it will be a completely different atmosphere for me. The competition was high in RX2 last year, but I feel confident in my driving and therefore believe that my chances are good. Of course it will be a learning year in RX2, but even so, I want to be inside the top five. In RallyX Nordic I hope to be winning, but to succeed you have to constantly be the fastest, efficient and smart with your driving. Having to learn new tracks makes everything much more difficult – For me every race this year will be a learning challenge.”
