NXT Gen Cup returns to Sweden to kick off second season half
The world’s first 100% electric junior touring car cup – NXT Gen Cup – heads back to Sweden and Gelleråsen Arena this weekend to kick off the second season half.
The previous race weekend at the legendary Nürburgring saw Linus Granfors becoming the first-ever driver in NXT Gen Cup to score a grand slam with pole and two victories.
Championship leader Ellis Spiezia wasn’t far behind his Swedish rival at the German circuit, fighting his way to two second place finishes. The American still holds the points lead on 158 points, 35 ahead of Linus Granfors.
Elias Adestam, who was second overall ahead of the Nürburgring races, had a mixed weekend with a mistake in the first race and a podium finish in the second. The Swede has dropped to third, 57 points adrift from the lead with a maximum of 66 points available from each weekend.
The switch from a big Formula 1 circuit like the Nürburgring to a small and twisty circuit like Gelleråsen Arena, measuring just over 2300 meters, will be a challenge for the drivers.
But the circuit is the first where the drivers have tested before, as the pre-season test was held at Gelleråsen in June – a test topped by Elias Adestam and Enzo Hallman.
Danish rally talent Mikkel Njor joins the NXT Gen Cup for this weekend and the remaining 2023 rounds, bringing experience from both racing and electric rallying.
The Gelleråsen Arena weekend will also see the return of sim racer Isak Arvidsson who missed the previous round at the Nürburgring.
The young talents races the 100% electric LRT NXT1 race cars in NXT Gen Cup, cars which are based on the MINI Cooper SE road car model – featuring a 30kWh battery and 230hp with push-to-pass functionality.
The cars, which run on Hankook Ventus TD tyres, are charged in-between track sessions by ABB E-mobility, the official charging partner to NXT Gen Cup.
The NXT Gen Cup field is headed by the MINI Electric Pacesetter throughout the 2023 season, which made its debut as the official Safety Car for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The NXT Gen Cup action at Gelleråsen starts on Friday with testing and qualifying, followed by two races on Saturday. The races are broadcast LIVE on the NXT Gen Cup YouTube channel.
Schedule
Friday August 18th
10:00-10:20 – Test 1
13:40-14:00 – Test 2
17:20-17:40 – Qualifying
Saturday August 19th
10:30 – Race 1 (18 min)
15:35 – Race 2 (18 min)
Times in CEST
Points and results
2023 NXT Gen Cup entry list
Start no. – Name – Nationality
2 – Greaham Hofmans - Netherlands
3 – Linus Granfors – Sweden
4 – Theo Jernberg – Sweden
5 – Sebastian Kinnmark – Sweden
6 – Mikkel Njor – Denmark
7 – Enzo Hallman – Sweden
8 – Elias Adestam – Sweden
9 – Isak Arvidsson – Sweden
11 – Ellis Spiezia – USA
12 – Filip Bartoš – Czechia
14 – Katie Turner – United Kingdom
16 – Månz Thalin – Sweden
19 – Alexander Gustafsson – Sweden
21 – Siri Hökfelt – Sweden
27 – Alexzander Kristiansson – Sweden
47 – Jonathan Engström – Sweden
50 – Victor Nielsen – Denmark
51 – Louse Larsson – Sweden
Regulations – Quick overview
The driver with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the official Swedish Junior Champion by the Swedish Motorsport Federation.
A total of six race weekends are held in Sweden and Germany.
Each race weekend consists of one practice session, one qualifying session and two races of approx. 15 minutes each with standing start.
The grid for the first race is determined by the result of qualifying.
The grid for the second race is determined by the result of Race 1 with the top eight drivers in reversed order.
Qualifying points are awarded to the top 3 drivers through the following scale: 4, 2, 1
Race points are awarded to the top 16 drivers through the following scale: 30, 25, 21, 17, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
All drivers can utilise the push-to-pass functionality during the races which provides them with a burst of extra power. There is a delay of 5 seconds when activating it, so that driver’s can’t use it in a defensive capacity.
Key links
