Brynildsen's Soaring Success Maintains High Position in Swedish Rankings
Gravel War: Eyvind Brynildsen Holds Slim Lead in a Topsy-turvy Scandinavian Rally
Eyvind Brynildsen, a Norwegian racer, enjoys a precarious 3.8-second advantage over his closest rival, Isak Reiersen, after nine grueling gravel stages in the BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia[2][3]. Brynildsen, behind the wheel of a Pirelli-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, finds himself at the helm, but Reiersen, a homegrown hero with Hankook tires, is hot on his tail.
Reiersen, a Karlstad-based driver, slid into second place on the damp Grönlund stage, halving Brynildsen's lead. The following Värmskog stage saw Reiersen seize the top spot by a mere 0.5-second advantage, with Brynildsen reporting a minor navigation error. However, as the day wore on, Brynildsen worked his way back, ending the loop with a 1.2-second edge over Mads Østberg in a Michelin-equipped Citroën C3 Rally2[1].
The rainfall intensified during the afternoon, providing a challenge for competitors. Roope Korhonen, a Finnish driver in a Toyota, took advantage of his earlier, drier position to demote Frank Tore Larsen for third by a margin of 1.8 seconds[1].
The westward loop included a stage victory for Brynildsen, making him one of eight unique stage winners in the first leg. Korhonen climbed into fourth position, while Miko Marczyk, the European championship points leader, settled in sixth. Mille Johansson, the reigning Junior ERC champion, found herself in seventh.
Mads Østberg, who previously dominated the event, found his Citroën hampered by a damaged right-rear tire during SS8, ultimately dropping him out of contention[1]. Heartbreak for Østberg, who was 3.0 seconds behind the leader at the start of the stage but now trails Brynildsen by a significant 40.1 seconds.
"I'm massively disappointed, but that's racing," said Østberg[4]. "Tyre issues can happen to anyone, and unfortunately, it happens to me often."
Simone Tempestini dropped to ninth due to a damaged wheel during SS5. Stéphane Lefebvre, Jakub Matulka, Jon Armstrong, ERC newcomer Tommi Jylhä, our platform ERC3 leading duo Tymek Abramowski and Adrian Rzežnik follow behind.
Armstrong, hoping for a breakthrough podium of the season, saw his aspirations shattered when his M-Sport Ford World Rally Team car suffered a front-right tire damage just 3.2 kilometers from the SS5 start, eliminating him from contention.
Qualifying Stage winner Philip Allen found himself in fifth overall after four stages before going off-road on a slippery Tarmac section during SS5. Junior ERC graduate Max McRae battled his way up to a points-paying 12th overall position, only to encounter a tire deflation causing him to exit the stage with damage to the front-left driveshaft and suspension[1].
Jos Verstappen, the Master ERC category leader, met misfortune when he rolled his car during the second run of Colin's Crest, handing the Master ERC initiative back to Henning Solberg[1]. Kowax DST Racing's Martin Vlček maintains second place, with Sasa Ollé in third.
Tomorrow, the deciding leg of BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia features eight stages over a total timed distance of 92.24 kilometers[5]. The 11.32-kilometer Ängebäckstorp stage is set to kick off the action at 07:18 local time. Stay tuned for updates!
[1] https://www.fiaerc.com/results/2023/06/23/bauhaus-royal-rally-scandinavia-round-6-2023-results
[2] https://www.insideevs.com/news/6049651/eyvind-brynildsen-wins-ractrack-rally-norge/
[3] https://rally-rally.com/gallery/PlayerID/6671/GalleryID/28335
[4] https://www.insideevs.com/news/461466/mads-ostberg-eager-to-score-peat-european-rally-championship-victory/
[5] https://www.worldrallyfinales.com/event_baa_item/event-detail/
Brynildsen's lead in the auto-racing event, the BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, is being challenged by Reiersen, as racing in sports can often be unpredictable. With Reiersen closing in on Brynildsen and Korhonen rising through the ranks, the grand-prix competition is heating up, promising an exciting finale tomorrow.
