DTM star Ekstrom wins home World Rallycross round

DTM star Mattias Ekstrom took victory at his home round of the World Rallycross Championship at Holjes, in only the third event for his EKS RX team.

The Swede, who won his semi-final, started on pole for the final but was beaten away at the start by WRX debutant Sebastien Eriksson. Former World Rally Championship star Petter Solberg slotted into third at the start, abandoning an attempt to take his joker lap when Andreas Bakkerud and Liam Doran took theirs straight away.

Ekstrom took his joker on lap three, while Eriksson did so a lap later, having sustained suspension damage on the previous tour. Solberg followed Eriksson but again tried to abandon his joker attempt, this time causing the 2003 World Rally champion to suffer a half-spin.

After that shuffle, Ekstrom emerged with a lead that he would hold to the finish, while Eriksson spun out of second at the start of the final lap. That should have handed the runner-up spot to Solberg after some contact between the two, but he picked up a puncture and was passed by Bakkerud before the checkered flag.

Championship leader Reinis Nitiss just missed out on stealing third from Solberg at the end, while Liam Doran finished fifth in his first final of the season and Eriksson took sixth.