P-G Andersson to stand in for Rallycross World Champion Mattias Ekström
EKS aims to recapture second place in the teams’ standings at home round
Ekström: “DTM has priority”
Höljes will be hosting round seven of the FIA World Rallycross Championship this weekend. The event in the Swedish province of Värmland is both the home round for EKS and a big motorsport party. The organizers expect some 45,000 spectators to turn out for the “Magic Weekend” from June 30 to July 2. One of the protagonists, though, will be missing: Mattias Ekström. The Swedish Audi factory driver passes up his home round in favor of the DTM round at the Norisring. His compatriot P-G Andersson will stand in for him.
“In Höljes, I won in 2014 and 2015. It goes without saying that I’d have liked to clinch my third big trophy there,” says the reigning Rallycross World Champion. “But the DTM has priority and, regrettably, I can’t split myself in half. Fortunately, my boss, Dieter Gass, made the decision for me.”
His Swedish compatriot P-G Andersson will take Ekström’s place in Höljes. The 2004 and 2007 Junior Rally World Champion is no stranger to the World RX. In 2014, he debuted in the 560-hp Audi S1 EKS RX quattro at the World RX round in Turkey. In the 2015 season, the now 37-year-old Andersson contested ten rounds in a VW Polo for Marklund Motorsport, scoring a fourth place in Belgium as his best result. “When Mattias called me I didn’t think twice. The opportunity to sit in his car again and to compete against the world’s best rallycross campaigners is an honor for me, especially in Höljes of all places. I can hardly wait doing my first laps in Friday’s free practice.”
Competing in Sweden alongside Andersson will be EKS’ regular drivers Toomas Heikkinen and Reinis Nitišs. “Höljes is no doubt the craziest World RX round of the year,” says Heikkinen. “Every year, the fans party big time there in the Swedish hinterland with music, BBQ and rallycross. Our focus, of course, is on racing. Even without Mattias we’d like to recapture second place in the teams’ standings.” His teammate Nitišs has high expectations of the seventh in a total twelve rounds too: “In 2014 and 2015, I just barely missed a podium in fourth and fifth at Höljes. I’d like to do better this time. The ‘Magic Weekend’ would indeed be magic if I could celebrate my first trophy win with EKS on Sunday.”
About Höljes RX
Track Höljes Motorstadion, 200 km north of Karlstad (S)
Track length 1.210 km (joker lap: 1.250 km)
Surface 60 % tarmac, 40 % gravel
Turns 6 left, 5 right
Top speed approx. 147 km/h
Entries 22 supercars
Lap record Petter Solberg (N), 42.942s (2016)
Winner 2016 Andreas Bakkerud (N), 4m 40.614s
Race duration 4 laps (qualifying), 6 laps (semi-finals and final)
Schedule, local time (CEST)
Friday, June 30
16:50–18:20 Free practice 1
Saturday, July 1
09:00–11:00 Free practice 2
14:30–15:30 Qualifying 1 (Q1)
17:30–18:30 Qualifying 2 (Q2)
Sunday, July 2
10:00–11:00 Qualifying 3 (Q3)
11:35–12:35 Qualifying 4 (Q4)
15:00–15:50 Semi-finals and final
