Rookie Rafoss pleased with progress and keen to return
His results might not have reflected it, but Johannes Rafoss was unquestionably one of the stars of the FIA European Rallycross scene in 2026 – and the young Norwegian is already aiming to return for a second season in Euro RX1 next year.
Rafoss arrived on the international stage as a title-winner at ‘Junior’ level in his Norwegian homeland, but otherwise a comparative unknown – and he immediately made his mark. A revelation in the curtain-raising contest in Rīga, he defeated former European champions Patrick O’Donovan and Jānis Baumanis to a Qualifying race win on his way to 12th in the intermediate standings and a place in the Quarter-Finals, only to subsequently fall victim to a first lap clash that broke his Ford Fiesta’s suspension.
The Skien native claimed another significant scalp in round two at Nyirád, where he pipped home hero Tamás Kárai to a Semi-Final spot, prior to shining again on the opening day of Höljes’ ‘Magic Weekend’, occupying fourth position in the overnight classification after Q3. A broken shock absorber ultimately curtailed his Swedish challenge in the Quarter-Finals.
The following two outings at Mondello Park and Lohéac proved trickier due to technical problems and other setbacks, before Rafoss returned to form in the double-header season finale last month at Lousada – even if once more, Lady Luck was not on his side.
A superb double pass on José Oliveira and Joni Turpeinen in Saturday’s Quarter-Final unfortunately came to nought when he was forced to pull off the track with an engine issue as the Semi-Finals beckoned. His season then ended at the same stage the next day after getting caught up in a Turn One collision, restricting the talented teenager – the step-son of former Euro RX TouringCar event-winner, David Nordgård – to an unrepresentative 26th in the overall championship standings.
Despite that disappointment, six top ten Qualifying performances over the course of the campaign told a truer story of Rafoss’ potential – and his sights are solidly set on consolidating his palpable promise in 2027.
“Looking at where we started in Rīga to where we are now, we’re very happy and we’ve had a lot of fun,” the 19-year-old – one of the youngest drivers in the high-calibre Euro RX1 field – told Talking Loose. “We were very quick on the tracks with a lot of loose gravel and low grip, like we’re used to in Norway; on the faster, higher-grip circuits, it’s been more difficult, but I’m very happy with the season overall.
“Lousada was an action-packed weekend with great pace, tough battles and a bit of bad luck. A huge thank you to the team, our sponsors and everybody who has followed and cheered us on. Now, we need to work hard to raise the sponsorship again to continue, but the plan is to return – and build upon the solid foundations we’ve laid for next year...”
Part of Rafoss’ crew in Portugal was former Euro RX3 podium-finisher, Jens Hvaal, who tips his countryman for a bright future in the sport.
“It was Johannes’ first year, and you could see that he has the pace but is still missing some experience,” he reflected. “It’s also important to remember he’s driving a home-built car – it’s not like the Audi or [Volkswagen] Polo. Of course, it’s easy to say, ‘if he had a better car, he would be able to go faster’ – but I’m pretty sure he would...”
