With no fewer than eight finals on the schedule, the first of two races at Montalegre’s season-opening event kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Open 4WD Pro // Ulrik Linnemann Unstoppable
After winning all three qualifying heats, Ulrik Linnemann and his VW Polo asserted their dominance in emphatic fashion.
Starting from pole, the Danish driver controlled the race from lights to flag, holding off a lively field. Oliver Eriksson battled his way to second place, followed by Fraser McConnell, Elias Svensson, Patrick O’Donovan, and Casper Jansson.
FC2 // Casper Jansson Breaks Through
A recent graduate from the Supercar Lites category, Casper Jansson wasted no time getting up to speed in his FC2 machine. Finishing second in the overall intermediate classification for Open 4WD and top among FC2 drivers, the young Swede claimed his first win at this level by beating Oliver Eriksson and 2024 RallyX CrossCar champion Elias Svensson. Tommi Hallman, Fraser McConnell, and Patrick O’Donovan rounded out the top six after each received a three-second penalty for track limits infractions.
Open 4WD Pro Am // Nathan Ottink Scores First Win
Making his RallyX debut, the reigning European Junior Autocross champion turned heads. Tenth in the intermediate standings, Nathan Ottink went on to dominate the Van den Heuvel/Janot duo in the final to seal his maiden win in rallycross competition.
Supercar Lites // Julien Meunier Holds Off Lukas Andersson
Despite just five drivers on the Montalegre grid, the Supercar Lites field delivered thrilling action. Sitting third in the intermediate standings before Q3, Julien Meunier capitalized on his final qualifying run to leapfrog Tobias Daarbak and seize the top spot.
The Frenchman then held his nerve in the final, fending off relentless pressure from Lukas Andersson to clinch his first Supercar Lites win. Kevin Daarbak crossed the line in third, earning his first career podium.
Open 2WD Pro // Simon Tiger Caught Off Guard
Heading in as the overwhelming favourite, three-time RallyX champion Simon Tiger was upstaged by local hero Andre Sousa in his Audi A1 Super1600. Despite an early clash with Viktor Johansson, Tiger took control of the race but was unable to hold onto the lead, losing out just meters from the finish.
Sousa, piloting an ex-Volland Racing car, seized the moment to claim a sensational victory. Jason Bleasdale, in a Vauxhall VX220, secured a remarkable third on his RallyX debut, while Brendon Stone—standing in last minute for Derek Tohill—finished a brilliant fourth, ahead of Johansson and Ferreira.
Open 2FWD // Andre Sousa Doubles Up
Fresh off his win in the Pro class, Andre Sousa made light work of the opposition in the front-wheel-drive final.
Arnaud De Ferrier came home second, followed by Andre Monteiro in a Citroën Saxo, while Arthur Barbault-Forget narrowly missed the podium in fourth.
CrossCar // Alex Lindeqvist leads the way
Back in RallyX after a third place in the Swedish CrossCar 2024 championship, Alex Lindeqvist got off to a flying start. Leading the intermediate standings ahead of Martin Juga, the Speedcar driver went on to win the final.
Only eighth at the end of the qualifying, Thomas Eek Murstad made a dazzling comeback to finish second, while Juga secured the last step of the podium.
CrossCar Junior // Carl Svedlund comes up just short
CrossCar Junior // Carl Svedlund comes up just short
Dominant in qualifying with three straight wins, Carl Svedlund looked poised to add a second career RallyX victory. However, technical issues in the final saw the young Swede slip to third behind Joao Traila and Karl Schnack.
The action resumes Sunday at 9:00 AM (10:00 CET), with Q1 scheduled for 11:00 AM (12:00 CET). Live coverage will begin at 12:00 PM (1:00 PM CET) on YouTube and RallyX TV.