Record-Breaking Entry List for BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia 2026
The fourth edition of BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia will take place from May 22–24 with Karlstad and Färjestad serving as the event base. In just a few years, the FIA European Rally Championship round has become a clear favourite among drivers – reflected by the impressive 62 crews entered for this year’s rally, an increase of 15 cars compared to the previous record set in 2023.
King Brynildsen Returns to Defend the Crown
Last year’s winner, Norway’s Eyvind Brynildsen, returns to Värmland to defend his crown as king of the Royal Rally. Together with local co-driver Anders Fredriksson, Brynildsen will compete in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 run by SRT and MRF Tyres.
His MRF team-mate Frank Tore Larsen is also back, aiming for his first podium finish in Karlstad after two previous top-five results.
Strong Swedish Challenge Awaits
No fewer than eight Swedish drivers will line up for the event – another record for the rally.
Local team JC Raceteknik fields last year’s third-place finishers Isak Reiersen and Stefan Gustavsson, who this season are contesting the full ERC campaign alongside team-mates Adam Grahn and Christoffer Bäck. Joining them at BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia is YouTube personality Tim Liljegren together with Sofie Sjöberg Karlsson. All three JC Raceteknik crews will compete in Škoda Fabias.
Reigning Junior ERC champion Calle Carlberg will start for Swedish outfit GK Door Team Sweden in a Toyota Yaris Rally2. His team-mate in an identical Yaris is Patrik Hallberg, who claimed a Junior ERC podium finish in Karlstad back in 2023.
Current Swedish Rally Championship leader Kalle Gustafsson makes his third Royal Rally appearance in the top class with his Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Arvid Carlsson, son of former WRC driver Daniel Carlsson, will make his ERC debut in a two-wheel-drive Opel Corsa in ERC4. Carlsson is from Värmland, despite competing under a Latvian licence. Jonna Eson Brådhe also makes her ERC debut in a Renault Clio Rally3.
ERC Elite Chasing Important Points in Sweden
A total of 29 Rally2 cars are entered in the ERC1 category. Best placed in the championship standings after the season opener is Finland’s Teemu Suninen, who last week claimed victory in WRC2 at Rally Portugal.
He is chased by Italy’s Andrea Mabellini, who this season competes in a factory-supported Lancia programme. Crowd favourite and WRC star Mārtiņš Sesks also returns to ERC action in a Škoda Fabia.
Finland’s Mikko Heikkilä, runner-up behind Oliver Solberg in 2024, is among many drivers aiming to challenge Brynildsen for victory this year. Heikkilä competes in a Škoda, just like reigning European champion Miko Marczyk from Poland, who is warming up for Royal Rally by competing in the Swedish Rally Championship event in Nyköping this weekend.
The longest-travelling entrant this year is Canadian Brandon Semenuk, the former professional mountain biker who has claimed four consecutive American rally titles with Subaru.
Junior ERC Returns to Sweden
Junior ERC returns to Sweden with 13 registered drivers competing for points in the opening round of the 2026 junior championship. In total, 17 Rally4 cars are entered in ERC4.
ERC3 and ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy
Thirteen cars are entered in ERC3, where the Ford crews will also compete for points in the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy.
“We are very pleased to have 62 crews entered for this year’s event and a field of extremely high quality. Having so many Swedish drivers competing in the ERC field is especially exciting and shows the growing interest in both the rally and the championship. The fact that last year’s winner Eyvind Brynildsen returns to defend the title naturally adds even more interest.
A huge amount of hard work from the entire organisation, the clubs and all the volunteers lies behind this event, and we are now really looking forward to three fantastic days of competitive rallying on the roads of Värmland,” says Clerk of the Course Stig Rune Kjernsli.
BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia 2026 takes place from May 22–24. Rally HQ and the service park are located at Färjestad Trotting Track, while a total of 16 stages will be contested from Friday to Sunday.
The rally opens with the ceremonial start at Stora Torget in central Karlstad on Friday evening, followed by the city-close Bråtebäcken stage. The iconic Colin’s Crest runs on Saturday, while Ölme hosts Sunday’s deciding Power Stage before the podium celebrations return to Stora Torget on Sunday evening.
