
- Swedish star signs up for full RX2 season with Olsbergs MSE
- 18-year-old stunned on series debut at Höljes last summer
- OMSE Team Principal Eriksson has high hopes for young protégé
Martin Enlund will contest the full RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires campaign in 2020 with defending champions Olsbergs MSE, and following his standout debut at Höljes last summer, there are high hopes indeed for the talented teenage prodigy.
Belying his minimal experience in Supercar Lites machinery, Enlund stunned observers with his pace and poise on his first appearance in the official FIA World Rallycross Championship feeder series last July, in what was the biggest field of the year with 21 cars. Third-quickest in FP2, the Swede – who hails from Västerås, around an hour west of Stockholm – replicated that result in Q1 before adding another top six time in Q3 and then going fastest of all in Sunday morning warm-up.
The 18-year-old missed out on the final by barely a quarter-of-a-second, but that did not tell the full story. Forced into a spin at the first corner, he was the quickest man on the track in an eye-catching recovery drive that capped a stellar maiden weekend in RX2 [see link to video beneath images below]. He posted the four fastest laps of the race, with his best effort a staggering half-a-second out-of-reach of what any of his rivals could muster.
Enlund’s main focus last year was on RallyX Nordic, tallying a trio of fifth-place finishes in the CrossCar category and adding the Swedish Championship laurels to his impressive career CV. In 2020, he will run dual Supercar Lites campaigns in RX2 and RallyX Nordic. To say he is excited to get out on-track would be quite the understatement.
“It’s definitely going to be a busy season, and it will be so much fun to contest both series!” he enthused. “Driving as much as possible will be great for my career development and progression.
“It was a surprise to be so fast at Höljes last year – that was a really cool feeling, and it made me realise I could genuinely be successful in RX2. It would obviously have been fantastic to make the final on my debut, but I was still very happy with my performance. That weekend, everything just felt right, and since then, I’ve been working hard to put together a full-season programme and make sure I’m as well-prepared as I can possibly be.
“I’ve dreamt about competing on the World RX package since I was a child – RX2 is a series I have looked up to for many years – and now that dream has come true. It will be awesome to benefit from the World Championship spotlight and race in full view of all the Supercar teams. Hopefully that will open up even more doors moving forward.
“The initial aim is to consistently reach the final – though of course, I’m secretly hoping for a bit more than that. I have no doubt that the competition will be extremely tough; everybody is fast and it’s shaping up to be a very strong field with, I’m sure, many more quick drivers still to be announced.
“The one thing I don’t have any prior knowledge of – Höljes aside – is the tracks. The rest of them will be completely new to me. That will obviously give the more experienced drivers a bit of a head-start, but I’ve generally been a quick learner so I’m sure I’ll be able to catch up – and I know OMSE will help me to get to grips with everything as rapidly as possible.
“It’s definitely the right team for me. Their results speak for themselves, with four titles in a row in RX2, and their knowledge and experience is second-to-none. They’re a great bunch of guys, and whatever they do, they tend to succeed. I’m sure we’re going to have a lot of fun together, and when you’re relaxed and enjoying yourself, your driving naturally benefits – so bring it on!”
Olsbergs MSE CEO and Team Principal Andreas Eriksson has similarly high hopes for his new protégé, who he tips to ultimately emulate the success achieved by many of the squad’s former drivers.
“It’s tremendously exciting to add Martin to our RX2 line-up for this year,” he said. “His performance at Höljes last summer really made everybody sit up and take note – the speed he showed in the semi-final in particular was nothing short of breathtaking.
“We have worked very hard to put this deal together and will continue working hard to support his transition. We want to make sure he is as prepared as he can be going into the new season and can hit the ground running in Barcelona. With Martin and Fraser McConnell, we already have an extremely strong line-up for 2020 – and there are more exciting announcements still to come.”
2020 RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires Calendar
April 18/19 | Barcelona, Spain |
May 02/03 | Montalegre, Portugal |
June 13/14 | Hell, Norway |
July 04/05 | Höljes, Sweden |
August 01/02 | Nürburgring, Germany |
September 05/06 | Lohéac, France |
November 14/15 | Cape Town, South Africa |