Andersson weighs up 2014 options

JRX front-runner Magda Andersson completed a days testing at Strangnas, Sweden for multi-championship winning Super1600 team Set Promotion this week. The fifteen year old raced at the final round of the Swedish Rallycross Championship at Kinnekulle on Saturday before heading to test the Super1600 Renault Clio, giving her a good comparison between the two types of car.

“Jussi [Pinomaki] saw my development through this season and invited me to test one of his event-winning Clio’s,” said Andersson. “The Super1600 was quite different to drive compared to the JRX. It has a lot less traction with front-wheel drive instead of four-wheel drive and of course there is also a lot more power. It was really fun to drive though, every lap went faster and faster when I started to feel more comfortable.”

Andersson, who made her JRX debut in Sweden last year was excited about the prospect of driving the Supercar1600 having watched them at RallycrossRX events this season;  “Of course I was pretty nervous to try it for the first time, I’ve seen them all year on the tracks and they’ve looked very fun to drive. It was like a terrifying joy to drive a completely different car with spectators such as Marcus Gronholm, Joni Wiman and Reinis Nitiss, who are all really experienced.”

Pinomaki, who’s Set Promotion team have brought on a host of young drivers in the last few seasons was pleased with how the young Swede got on; “I thought it went really well and Magda followed the plan we had set up for the day”.

Andersson turns sixteen next year, the minimum age required to graduated out of the junior JRX category has impressed with her speed in JRX this season, consistently on the pace of championship front-runners Kevin Hansen and William Nilsson, although her first win has so far eluded her.

She tested the Super1600 car to evaluate options for 2014, although she doesn’t yet have any concrete plans; “One of the reasons we made the test was because we wanted to see how the team worked with new drivers including the technical part but also how they develop the driver’s skills. I thought the team really focused on me being comfortable with the car and they were very nice and accommodating.”

Having now tested a Super1600 car, Andersson is also keen to try her hand in a TouringCar before she makes any decision on her future. With her younger sister Klara planning to take her seat in the JRX car for next season, if ever an incentive to move up were needed  now may be an ideal time for the whole team. “Nothing is already set and we have a lot of decisions to make. We hope that 2014 might be the most interesting season for us all so far,” said Andersson.

Also of note at the test for Set Promotion was twelve-year old Oliver Solberg, son of Petter, who was given a test in a Super1600 Renault Twingo as a twelfth birthday present, although he has a few years to wait until he is able to drive one in competition. Another Oliver, youngest son of Andreas Erkisson joined his namesake and took the wheel of a Renault Clio at Strangnas.

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