‘Job completed’

DESPITE MISSING out on the RallyXNordic Supercar Championship this season, rallycross driver Fraser McConnell says that he has categorised his 2021 campaign as a success after finishing in the top three for the second consecutive year.

McConnell finished second in the seventh and final round of the RallyXNordic season this past weekend at the Värmland Circuit in Arvika, Sweden. McConnell earned the podium spot with a time of 3:41.124 minutes, which earned him enough points to finish second overall in the championship standings behind Johan Kristoffersson, who won the race and the championship in 3:38.886 minutes. Anton Marklund finished third in 3:42.635 minutes.

FINAL ROUND

McConnell started the final round in fourth place with 102 points, after setbacks in the fifth and sixth rounds in Finland. With a realistic chance of the title gone, McConnell said that the focus was to ensure that he finished the series on the podium.

“We were mathematically out of contention for first place in the championship. We went into this weekend in fourth, with the goal to finish the weekend in second. We gave it everything the whole weekend. The team worked their butts off and put in as much effort on track and off track to make sure that goal came to fruition,” McConnell told The Gleaner. “And we were able to leave this evening (Sunday) with second place in the final and second place in the championship. In my mind, it’s a job completed.”

In only his second season at the Supercar level, McConnell has already become a consistent challenger on the circuit. He won his first event in May and has now finished second in the championship standings in back-to-back seasons. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in McConnell taking an earlier-than-expected jump into the Supercar class last season. He says that improvements made in a short time has increased his determination in taking home the title in the future.

“We have already been a series contender. To be able to consistently race against the best in Europe really gives me that motivation and confidence to keep working hard and know that one day I can be the world champion,” McConnell said.

It is perfection that McConnell says that he is chasing now, to give himself a better chance at that goal. His desire to keep learning and evolving is what keeps him focused and grounded

“Every time I step in the car I learn something new. Even if we have a flawless event or a flawless race, there are still things to learn; and if we have mistakes, there are more things to learn. I have big eyes and big ears going into the car each time, and I’m not afraid to admit to mistakes, because then I’m able to fix them easier and quicker. So I’m trying to be as efficient as possible. Perfection is the key, and that is what we are looking towards every time we step into the car,” McConnell said.

McConnell will next be preparing for his second and final RX2 Electric Series race, which will take place in Höljes, Sweden, starting this Friday.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com