Oliver Eriksson claimed victory in the second round of the Nitrocross season at Richmond Raceway, capping off a fine weekend which gave him the championship lead for the first time ever.
The Olsbergs MSE driver started second on the grid, but capitalized on a half-spin for polesitter Fraser McConnell on the opening lap to snatch the lead – a lead which he held for the rest of the six-lap main event.
McConnell didn’t give up, though, hounding the Swede throughout the race ass both gapped third-placed driver Viktor Vranckx, another driver to benefit from McConnell’s first lap mishap.
The Dreyer & Reinbold Racing + Team Frazzz driver closed to within 0.302s of Eriksson by lap four, but with both leaving their longer joker lap until the final lap, the positions remained firm.
For Vranckx, third was not only his first podium finish in his short Nitrocross career, but it makes him the youngest podium finisher in the history of the premier Group E class at just 19-years-old.
Robin larsson finished fourth, advancing from sixth on the grid after the opening lap skirmish, with Tanner Foust behind him in fifth. Lia Block matched her career-best result from Saturday with sixth, being passed by Foust on the final lap as she jokered – something Foust had done on lap one.
Conner Martell was classified seventh after retiring on the second lap of the race with damage sustained on the opening lap after coming together with Andreas Bakkeurd, another result of the field compacting at Turn 3 behind McConnell. Bakkerud didn’t make it to the end of the first lap after he took on terminal front end damage.
Behind points leader Eriksson, McConnell sits 11 points back, with reigning champion and Saturday winner Robin Larsson another four back in third. Vranckx’s maiden podium ensures he leaves Richmond fourth in the points, 16 ahead of fifth-placed Bakkerud.
NITROCROSS RICHMOND II FINAL RESULTS
Tommi Hallman was victorious in the second NXT final of the weekend, making the most of an early joker to hold off round one winner Mitchell De Jong.
Last season’s NEXT champion Casper Jansson made up for his disappointing Saturday where he retired with a throttle issue to complete the podium.
In Side-by-Sides, dominant 2023-24 champion Kainan Baker returned to the fore by thrashing the field in the second final of the weekend.
He led home Travis Pastrana by over 5.5s, with Kory Willis finishing third to take two podiums from two in the category.
After finishing third on Saturday, Blake Wilkey won in Baja Bugs, ahead of Jim York and Saturday runner-up Kyle Zirkus.