Niclas Grönholm arrived at RallyX Nordic only during this Höljes weekend, but shown openly that he has the power to mount a title winning campaign if he and GRX decide to make a full time effort, even though the Sunday win at the Höljesbanan came while the team came with more of a testing and experimentation mentality, a sign that their Hyundai i20 RX is a machine to keep an eye on.
Contrary to Thursday, the weekend per se was held in a wet track, which made things difficult to predict, although it was clear to see those who were comfortable in the rain. Frase McConnell mastered it to top the table on Q1, but Niclas Grönholm topped it after a Q2 where his direct opponents were just around him, and Grönholm’s good form was carried to the Q3, with the Q4 being more like a mess as the track conditions was evolving from muddy and wet to only dusty, so Anton Marklund took this to him to win the last session while Grönholm topped the charts with Kristoffersson in second and Marklund himself in third.
The pair of electric Ford Fiesta ERX was still hindered by its own limits like the extra weight, but it could make more good runs in the wet than in the dry, with Andreas Bakkerud being ninth and Henri Haapamäki just qualifying in twelfth position.
RallyX Nordic - Höljes II Intermediate results
Semifinal 1 had Grönholm in a rocket start taking the top spot to himself and going away with it while Phillip Gehrman was holding the pack, or at least was holding until Fraser McConnell decided to open room to run away with second place.
Grönholm won the race with no threats or issues while McConnell held to his second place and Andreas Bakkerud put an electric car in the final by being third.
RallyX Nordic - Höljes II Semifinal 1 results
Semifinal 2 had Krisztián Sazbó holding Johan Kristoffersson until the Swede decided to Joker on Lap 2 to get some clean air and work his pace, with those in front eventually being left behind once they went to the Joker Lap.
Szabó’s mistake on not going early to the Joker cost him the lead, as Kristoffersson was compensating the early loss, breeze passing the Hungarian in the Final Lap once he did his Joker, going straight to victory.
RallyX Nordic - Höljes II Semifinal 2 results
The Final had Grönholm and Kristoffersson in the first row ready to fight, and Grönholm had the upper hand with McConnell joining the party, which made Kristoffersson choose a Lap 1 Joker in order to be free to fly.
There was just the first two in front of Kristoffersson to go to the Joker, and while McConnell couldn’t do nothing to hold his second place, Grönholm did a late push on the penultimate lap, and it was this counter attack that secured enough of a gap to keep Kristoffersson behind his back bumper until the checkered flag.
RallyX Nordic - Höljes II Final results
Kristoffersson goes back to a more comfortable lead in the standings with 100 points against the 87 of McConnell, while Sondre Evjen went down to third with 83 points and Grönholm is fourth with 57 despite missing the whole Nysum double header.
The next destination of the championship will be the new OuluZone circuit near Arctic Polar Circle, with a double header to be held on 5 and 6 June.
PHOTO: RallyX Nordic
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