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Eriksson retains RX2 title

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Eriksson retains RX2 title

Oliver Eriksson completed the successful defence of his RX2 International Series title at the season finale in Cape Town at the weekend, crowning his campaign with a peerless performance in front of an appreciative audience in South Africa.

Eriksson has been the class of the field in the official FIA World Rallycross Championship feeder series this year, and he arrived at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway holding a commanding 21-point margin over Olsbergs MSE team-mate Jesse Kallio in the drivers’ table.

The Finn’s bid was snuffed out on the opening day through no fault of his own, but still Eriksson was determined to seal it in style – an opportunity denied him 12 months previously by electrical woes in the final. Fending off strong challenges from Ben-Philip Gundersen and Fraser McConnell, the Swede duly sped to his fifth victory of 2019 to cap another superb season in dominant fashion.

“Just awesome,” said Eriksson. “This is the first time I’ve been able to celebrate a title with a race win – I didn’t get to do that here last year – and it really means a lot to me to end the season on such a high. This sport is a team effort, and I honestly can’t thank the Olsbergs MSE crew enough for all their work.

“It’s true that I had a solid advantage in the championship arriving here [in Cape Town], but it’s never easy – you really have to push for every single point in RX2 and I’ve had to step up my game because the calibre of the competition has gone up again. The level has really improved across the board, and it’s been great to be a part of that. Jesse [Kallio], Ben-Philip [Gundersen] and Fraser [McConnell] have all driven so well this year. It was such a shame that Jesse and I couldn’t fight it out to the end.

“We’re a close-knit team at OMSE, and I want the best for my team-mates as well as for myself. Jesse has had a super-impressive first season in RX2, and it didn’t feel good seeing him not make it to the grid. This is a material sport as much as a human one, and sometimes things go wrong. That’s not the way a championship battle should end, but I know myself from experience that you learn from these situations and come back stronger, and Jesse will do the same.”

RX2 International Series – Final Championship Standings 1. Oliver Eriksson (SWE)….193 points 2. Ben-Philip Gundersen (NOR)….150 points 3. Jesse Kallio (FIN)….146 points 4. Fraser McConnell (JAM)….143 points 5. Sami-Matti Trogen (FIN)….124 points 6. Vasiliy Gryazin (LVA)….112 points 7. Simon Olofsson (SWE)….68 points 8. Anders Michalak (SWE)….64 points 9. Steve Volders (BEL)….60 points 10. William Nilsson (SWE)….57 points

P1 Advanced Racewear is the official race suit provider to the RX2 International Series.