Oliver Eriksson was the victor as Nitro Rallycross headed north of the border for its first snow and ice event at Grand Prix Trois-Rivières in Quebec.
In what was a dominant display for Olsbergs MSE, the younger Eriksson led home team-mate and brother Kevin to claim his and team’s first win of the season, and become the fifth different winner this season.
The pair had to wait until Saturday to move to the fore though. Friday’s Battle Bracket qualifying was topped by Fraser McConnell, who defeated Andreas Bakkerud in the final of the head-to-heads. McConnell took down Kris Meeke and Oliver Eriksson en route to the Bracket final, while Bakkerud disposed of Kevin Eriksson and points leader Robin Larsson.
On Saturday, however, the Erikssons were the class of the field. Kevin Eriksson charged to the fore in the first heat, sweeping round the outside to take an early lead which he wouldn’t relinquish, while Oliver Eriksson won the other heat by capitalizing on a puncture for early race leader Travis Pastrana.
Pastrana rebounded by winning the first semifinal from Larsson, while Bracket finalists Bakkerud and McConnell locked in their final spots in the second semi. Meke ended up being the only driver to miss out on the final, retiring after colliding with Xite Energy Racing team-mate Oliver Bennett and Vermont SportsCar's Conner Martell in the Last Chance Qualifier.
In the final, the Olsbergs duo flew in formation at the front of the field, holding onto the top two spots from the front of the grid for the duration of the race. Kevin Eriksson tucked in behind his championship-contending team-mate at the start of the race, only getting by as the pair ran through their joker strategies mid-way through the race.
Oliver Eriksson won by just under 3.2 seconds, with Robin Larsson another 4.1s back as he continued his stellar run of podiums in all but one race this season. McConnell wound up fourth, with Bennett fifth, Martell sixth, and Bakkerud seventh after he collided with Pastrana who was subsequently disqualified for his role in the incident, race officials judging him to have rejoined the track in an unsafe manner after spinning out.
With three rounds of the season remaining, Larsson continues to lead the standings with a 58-point buffer to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC RX Cartel team-mate Andreas Bakkerud. Dreyer & Reinbold JC driver Fraser McConnell remains in third, ten points back from Bakkerud, while Oliver Eriksson's win moves him further clear of fifth-placed Pastrana.
For broadcast footage of Round 7, and more, make sure to check out our Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@NitroRallycross/videos