All four SM classes are strongly represented in the third round of the championship, where Sweden\u2019s top rally drivers will share the stages with the European elite. The SM contenders will drive the same nine special stages as the ERC competitors, with ceremonial start and prize giving in the heart of Karlstad.<\/p>\n
\u2013 It feels fantastic to welcome Rally-SM to Royal Rally. The level of interest has been overwhelming, and the entry list speaks for itself, says Clerk of the Course Hampus Juteryd.<\/p>\n
In the International 4WD category, local hero Dennis R\u00e5dstr\u00f6m from Torsby is chasing his second win of the season. R\u00e5dstr\u00f6m, who leads the standings in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, has already claimed two victories in the winter edition of Rally Sweden and competed in the inaugural Royal Rally last year.<\/p>\n
Other front-runners include Kalle Gustafsson \u2013 who sensationally finished tenth overall in the 2023 ERC edition \u2013 as well as Niklas H\u00e4gg and Kim Nyd\u00e9n. Norway is also well represented, with Petter Fausko and Roger Rustand entered.<\/p>\n
The National 4WD class sees the return of 19-year-old Adam Grahn, fresh off a strong performance in Rally Hungary. Mattias Monelius, Peter Johansson, Filip Karlstr\u00f6m, Kevin Jirvelius and 19-time Swedish champion Mats Jonsson \u2013 who has previously raced in the Legends category at Royal Rally \u2013 are all lining up.<\/p>\n
2WD boasts the largest field, with 52 entries. Patrik Flodin is looking for redemption after a tough last round, while names like Jonas \u00c5kesson, Tim Liljegren, Liam Berg, Patrik Dybeck, Isak Arvidsson, and Elliot Sj\u00f6gren are all set to challenge for the win. There\u2019s also a strong local presence with rally icons such as Lars-Ove \u201cBiffen\u201d Olsson, Jimmy Olsson, and Andr\u00e9 Nygren \u2013 a dominant force in the Swedish Rally Cup.<\/p>\n
The international element continues in 2WD, with Norwegian entries from former national champion Anders Kj\u00e6r, Dave Eggum, and Martin Nyg\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n
Standard class is equally competitive, featuring all top contenders from the season so far. Local driver Jan Johansson \u2013 a multiple SM medalist \u2013 returns to action in a newly built Volvo S40.<\/p>\n
Among the four entrants in the RM (Riksm\u00e4sterskapet), two-time sprint champion Isac Nordstr\u00f6m headlines the field.<\/p>\n
The SM teams will start after the ERC field and run all nine stages of the event. The rally begins Thursday evening with the Br\u00e5teb\u00e4cken city stage, followed by four stages on Friday \u2013 including the legendary V\u00e4rmskog and the fan-favorite Colins Crest \u2013 before four more on Saturday, concluding with the Power Stage in \u00d6lme.<\/p>\n
Service and HQ are shared with the ERC crews on Norra F\u00e4ltet in central Karlstad, right next to the E18. Both the opening ceremony and final podium take place at Stora Torget in central Karlstad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
All four SM classes are strongly represented in the third round of the championship, where Sweden\u2019s top rally drivers will share the stages with the European elite. The SM contenders will drive the same nine special stages as the ERC competitors, with ceremonial start and prize giving in the heart of Karlstad. \u2013 It feels […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-okategoriserad"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n