McConnell grabs RallyX podium in Finland

Kouvola, Finland:

JAMAICAN RALLYCROSS driver Fraser McConnell overcame a string of qualifying setbacks to claim a third-place finish in round seven of the RallyX Series, held this past weekend at the KymiRing circuit in Finland.

The event marked the first time the KymiRing was used for rallycross, giving all 19 drivers a clean slate. McConnell began the weekend on a high, posting the third-fastest time in free practice.

In Qualifying 1 (Q1), he had a great start, moving from P3 to the lead by turn two. However, a broken toe link forced him to retire just two corners later. This surprising mechanical failure, which occurred with minimal contact, pushed Fraser to the bottom of the field.

He rebounded well in Q2, setting the third-fastest time and climbing to 11th overall. In Q3, however, overheating issues slowed him mid-race and left him with the 14th-fastest time, putting him in 13th position, just outside the top 12 required to qualify for the semi-finals.

With everything riding on Qualifying 4 (Q4), McConnell delivered a strong performance that pushed him up to ninth overall, earning a spot in the semi-finals with a P5 start.

In the semi-final, MConnell started from the back row and avoided the early congestion in turn one. He took an early joker lap, gaining clean track space and chasing down the front pack. A tight battle followed between McConnell and a more powerful supercar, with the former finishing just 0.007 seconds behind second place.

“Missing second place by such a tight margin was a little disappointing, but it was great racing and I am through to the finals, which wasn’t expected based on how my race weekend was going,” he said.

The narrow margin meant Fraser would start from the back row in the final. Still, he maintained his composure, avoiding early contact and capitalising on incidents ahead to move into P2 after turn two. The only FC2-spec car in a 4WD Pro Final otherwise dominated by supercars, McConnell held on for a third-place finish.

“A podium finish is always great, but this one is even more special considering my issues in the qualifying session,” said McConnell.

“I am also extremely proud to be a part of the OMSE Team that is developing this FC2 car, which is slowly but surely showing that it can compete with the traditional supercars at a fraction of the cost.”

McConnell’s next race will be in Sweden from June 28–29.