CE Dealer Team nets historic double FIA World RX podium in Höljes premiere
Construction Equipment Dealer Team by Volvo CE had its best start ever to a FIA World Rallycross Championship season in the 2024 Höljes double header opener, with Klara Andersson and Niclas Grönholm claiming consecutive podiums - placing the team second overall in the standings.
The Höljes curtain-raiser marked the premiere of the new 'Battle of Technologies' concept, where all-electric RX1e cars competed head-to-head with sustainably-fueled combustion-powered vehicles.
More than 25 500 spectators watched the action on site at Höljes where Volvo Construction Equipment - the Official Track Building Partner to the championship - also showcased its latest electric products and services.
Swedish rallycross star Klara Andersson wrote history back in 2022 when the CE Dealer Team driver became the first female to stand on the podium in the FIA World RX. The 24-year-old once wrote history again in 2024 at her home race in Höljes with a second-place finish in Saturday's premiere, marking the so far best-ever result for a female driver.
"It has been a fun, rewarding and educative season opener. I'm incredibly proud of yesterday, I've never felt this strong in the world championship. Everything just came together in the car and I felt quick right from the first practice. I lacked a bit of experience in the wet today in order to fight for the top. But I am still pleased overall and especially over the team's performance. It looks like we are in for a very tough and exciting season,” said Klara Andersson.
Finnish World RX event winner Niclas Grönholm showed strong pace on the opening day, but was prevented from reaching the final due to unlucky circumstances. On Sunday, the Finnish ace got his revenge by claiming his first podium of the season with a second-place finish.
“Of course yesterday was disappointing since the speed was there to fight for the win and things that happened were out of my control. Today’s second place was the best we could wish for, no chance to fight for the win, so I’m happy with the points. We are a little bit on the backfoot in the points now, but it’s early days and we’ll try to close that gap step by step,” said Niclas Grönholm.
In the drivers’ standings, Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson share second place.
Before a large crowd on home soil, including more than 350 guests from hosting dealer Swecon, as well as team partners Parker, SSAB, and Engcon, the CE Dealer Team demonstrated its ambitions to challenge for the 2024 title with double podiums, placing the team second in the standings as they leave Höljes.
"This season start was really heading into the unknown with a new race format, new tyres, the Battle Of Technologies and totally different weather conditions between the two days. But Klara performed amazingly yesterday and Niclas today. We had decent performance in total and we have some ideas on what to improve for the coming rounds. We'll continue to push hard to improve further for Hungary," said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.
The intense FIA World RX season continues with the return of World RX of Hungary, held in Nyirád June 27-28.
Results and standings after the FIA World RX of Sweden premiere: https://bit.ly/3ZJzbDL
About CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment
CE Dealer Team was founded in 2022 by the PWR Group in cooperation with Volvo Construction Equipment and its partners. The core goal of the rallycross programme is to drive the shift to improved sustainability and diversity in society and highlight the excitement that a move to an electric future offers. CE Dealer Team is run with support from independent dealers of Volvo Construction Equipment, along with several prominent industrial partners, who together share a commitment to leading a sustainable future, both on track and off.
About FIA World Rallycross Championship
An evolution of the popular FIA European Rallycross Championship, the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) was launched in 2014. Representing the international pinnacle of the dual-surface discipline, the series blends cutting-edge innovation with family-friendly spectator appeal and visits some of the most iconic venues in the sport. In evidence of its commitment to sustainability, World RX entered a new era in 2022 by embracing electric technology, while 2024 heralds the beginning of the ‘Battle of Technologies’, as the championship’s powerful EV cars take on their sustainably-fuelled combustion counterparts on equal terms for the first time.
