19 years old Norwegian rising star in Rallying Steve Røkland is set to compete with a Ford Fiesta in the Super1600s class of the Swedish ERC round at Höljes.

Rising Rally youngster Steve Røkland from Kongsvinger is set to drive the 2012 Swedish ERC round at Höljes at the end of June and beginning of July. The 2011 Norwegian Rally and Hillclimb champion [of the 2WD Rally cars class] has not participated in any Rallycross event yet, but has a lot of experience from Cross-Kart racing. With no less than 53 podium places in a row and several gold medals in the Norwegian, Swedish, Nordic and Northern European Zone (NEZ) championship series he is the most successful Cross-Kart competitor of his native Norway. The car Røkland is going to drive is a Ford Fiesta for the Super1600s category, to be lent to him by Dag Nordstrand (Bilsenteret Hamar) who has occasionally been his co-driver in Rallying.

The fact that Höljes hosts the most prestigious ERC round of the year leaves young Røkland rather cool. “I am very excited that I will be able to try out Rallycross soon and look forward to give all I can to succeed there. However, I will not be disappointed when not claiming a top result at Höljes as I’ll do this just for fun. It is long ago that I drove at Höljes. In 2006 we raced the short Höljesbanan version with a 125cc Cross-Kart, but I think all will work out fine. I can learn fast and as we go to test the car prior to the event I hope to be able not to lose out too much against all those competitors that have already done ERC events at Höljes,” claims the 19-year-old who won last year’s Fiesta Sporting Trophy shoot-out of M-Sport and, thereby, a one year employment with Ford.

Photo caption: Steve Røkland is looking forward to drive his first Rallycross event and ERC round at Höljes. © rokland.org/ERC24

A video clip of Steve Røkland’s first test of the Super1600 Ford Fiesta at Gardermoen.

A video clip from the later testing at Höljes.