Johan Kristoffersson started World Rallycross’ new electric era in familiar fashion by claiming a record-extending 28th victory in the series.
The four-time and reigning champion had already posted the fastest time in the new-for-2022 ‘Superpole’ timed qualifying session on Saturday, before winning the first and third heats as well as the ‘progression race’, another new addition for this season.
A technical issue left him fighting back in the semifinals however, with Kristoffersson Motorsport team-mate Ole Christian Veiby leading him home.
Niclas Grönholm won the second semi from Timmy Hansen (who won heat 2 on Saturday) and Klara Andersson, who advanced to the final with a better race time than Gustav Bergström who took third in the first semi.
In the main event, Kristofferson and Hansen squeezed Grönholm out into turn one, with Kristoffersson emerging from a four-wide squeeze in first, ahead of Hansen and polesitter Veiby.
From there, it was a familiar script for Kristofferrson, who dominated the five-lap contest. The opening lap clash left Hansen nursing car damage throughout the final, but he was able to finish in second, ahead of Veiby and Andersson who narrowly missed out on a podium finish, emerging from her last lap joker in fourth, unable to capitalize on Hansen and Veiby taking time off one another in their battle for second.
Andersson’s Construction Equipment Dealer Team team-mate Grönholm took fifth as the last finisher in the final.
Missing out on the final was Kevin Hansen, who suffered suspension damage in a clash with Andersson in the second semifinal, while Rene Munnich suffered a mechanical failure, and joined Bergström in not graduating from the first.
In European RX1, Andreas Bakkerud scored a popular home victory in what is expected to be his final appearance in the series this year.
The reigning champion was set to engage in an intense battle for the final win with fellow front row starter Fraser McConnell and Anton Marklund, but the former failed to get off the starting grid, while the latter slowed on the second lap after a multi-car coming together at the first corner of the opening lap – a skirmish in which Bakkerud escaped relatively unscathed.
That allowed him to dominate out in front, with compatriot Sondre Evjen resisting a late charge from Jānis Baumanis to make it a Norwegian one-two.
Viktor Vranckx made it two wins from two in RX2e, beating Nils Andersson and Isak Sjökvist in an exact repeat of the podium in the category’s season opener at Höljes last month.
European RX3 honors went to Kobe Pauwels, who beat Nils Volland and Damian Litwinowicz in an all-Audi top-three.
