Grönholm strikes back to seals third RallyX Nordic win.

Niclas Grönholm gained his revenge over Johan Kristoffersson with victory in Round 6 of the RallyX Nordic Championship at OuluZone, Finland (yesterday).

The Finnish race winner, who was leading the Round 5 final before suffering a puncture, looking unstoppable on Sunday, when he set the fastest time of the weekend in Q1 - beating Johan Kristoffersson in the process. 

The three-time FIA World Rallycross Champion responded by claiming Q2, but the pair reversed positions once more in a thrilling Q3 dual run in dramatically changing conditions.

Both drivers won their respective semi-finals, setting up yet another thrilling final, with Kristoffersson getting a marginally better start than Grönholm, but with an inside line, it was slightly easier to defend. Trying to outfox his Finnish rival, Kristoffersson ran quite wide into turn one to carry a bit more speed, but ultimately Niclas powered his way into the lead, and the rest is history. 

"This was revenge for yesterday [Saturday] – that sucked. It all seemed to go my way yesterday until the puncture so very happy to get the win here today. I was a bit nervous all day to be honest, we haven’t had good launches, and starting on the inside has been really tricky – I think it’s the worst spot on the grid!" Grönholm said. "I had a decent launch in the final though, the car was stalling a bit and I couldn’t hold it anymore and Q3’s launch was a bit worse than that, three of our starts we struggled with stalling."

"Johan [Kristoffersson] took me after turn one for the first few meters over the bump but then I got him on the gears. Johan was close on the first lap, that’s been the same all weekend. For me, the second or third lap has been the best once the tires get up to temperature. The first lap I’ve generally been quite cautious, I was trying to avoid any mistakes and obviously go carefully over the bump after yesterday."

Right behind them came, Juha Rytkönen, who was quite impressive securing third on his return to RallyX Nordic having shown strong pace throughout the weekend in his Betomik Racing Team prepared Ford Fiesta. 

EKS JC's Enzo Ide came home in fourth ahead of Jere Kalliokoski, whilst championship contender Sondre Evjen failed to finish the final due to broken steering. And, despite failing to finish the final, he remains ahead of Fraser McConnell in the championship standings after the Jamaican driver's steering collapsed in his respective semi-final. 

Grönholm's victory sees him climb to second in the championship standings despite missing the season-opener at Nysum, having won three times in four appearances. 

"We came here to get more racing under our belts and to compete against Johan and the other guys in this series so we're very happy to get the win and get more time in this car," the 25-year-old said. "We learned a lot this weekend, what works and what doesn’t and there’s obviously a lot of tarmac here so it's useful to know these things for when conditions are similar to this."

So, will Niclas return to potentially challenge Kristoffersson in the RallyX Nordic final in Arvika?

"No! I don't think so!," Grönholm said. "This was the extra round for me. It was quite close to come here... only a nine-hour drive."

RallyX Nordic title battle heats up as World RX stars join the fray

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic

It's race week! Words all motorsport enthusiasts love to hear. This weekend, the RallyX Nordic season continues at Oulu Zone, with the Finnish double-header, that is set to have a major impact on the ongoing title fight. 

Coming off the back of a hugely successful weekend at the iconic Höljes circuit in Sweden a few weeks ago, Niclas Grönholm is back for more RallyX Nordic action. Having secured consecutive wins on his season debut, the Finn is joint-fourth in the standings despite missing the opening double-header and will hope to get the better of his rivals on home soil in OuluZone this weekend. 

Fresh from the oceans of Senegal, Johan Kristoffersson will have his work cut out for him, as he has a giant target painted on his back. The Swede currently leads the Supercar standings after a victory and two second-place finishes at the opening four rounds of the RallyX Nordic season. 

Kristoffersson will have one target on his mind - to consolidate the top spot in the standings. 

The Swede's nearest rival, Fraser McConnell is just 13 points behind after a challenging weekend in Höljes, whilst Sondre Evjen is only four points further back and will be a mission to close the gap. 

Grönholm will be joined on track by fellow countrymen and World RX racer Juha Rytkönen. The Finnish national rallycross champion took a surprise second place on his debut at Kouvola last year and is an exciting addition to the field. 

Finnish RX racer Jere Kalliokoski will also make his season debut this weekend, along with Juri Tuuri. 

The high-octane action-packed racing will be broadcast live, free and in high-definition at tv.rallyx.se, with the racing set to get underway on Saturday, 5 June and concluding on Sunday, 6 June.

Kristoffersson and Grönholm rivalry set to continue in RallyX Nordic.

PHOTO CREDIT: Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS.

Johan Kristoffersson and Niclas Grönholm are set to go head-to-head once again when the RallyX Nordic series returns next weekend in Finland. 

Fresh off the back of a thrilling duel in Höljes last time out, it was Niclas Grönholm who stood out above the pack winning Rounds 3 and 4 at the iconic Värmland circuit behind the wheel of his 2021 World RX specification Hyundai i20.

Whilst it all went to plan for Niclas, Kristoffersson on the other hand had to deal with a few mechanical issues, as well as a puncture in the semi-final of Round 3, but despite that, he bounced back pretty well and fought his Finnish rival all the way to the checkered flag in Round 4.

Kristoffersson's fightback on home soil ensured that he remained at the top of the Supercar championship standings. 

And, guess what? They are back for me! Both Kristoffersson and Grönholm are confirmed for the Finnish double-header next weekend. These top-flight World RX drivers will undoubtedly bang doors once again when RallyX Nordic heads to Finland, a track Niclas has visited previously.

"It's a new course for me. Based on the videos I have seen, it is a very circuit-like track," Kristoffersson said. "Maybe not what our car likes most, but we have to make some adjustments and see what we can conjure up. Above all, we have to get the starts in order."

Having finished behind Grönholm in Höljes, the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS driver will be on a mission to beat his Finnish rival.

"[It's] time for revenge! We were beaten last time, but it's great to get another chance to try ourselves at the highest level. I always enjoy tough competition. It also makes winning more fun," Kristoffersson adds.

The three-time World RX champion admits that he needs to continue to collect points without taking any major risks if he is to maintain the championship lead. Whilst Niclas will have other plans in mind. 

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

Grönholm RX has often used the RallyX Nordic series in preparation for the World Rallycross Championship, and this year it's no different. The Finnish squad will be hoping to keep the victory streak alive.

"We all had a good time racing in Sweden recently and importantly we were able to try a number of different things through the weekend," Jussi Pinomaki, GRX Team Manager, said. 

"We are all racers in the team and competing is what we love to do so when the opportunity came up to once again race in RallyX Nordic with Niclas in our ‘home’ rounds at Oulu, we were keen to make that happen.

"There is some strong competition in RallyX Nordic so it’s a good way to continue preparing for our plans this season, not only on track but operationally for the team too."

It's still all to play for with three rounds remaining, but it's fair to say that Kristoffersson will be both the hunter and hunted in Finland.