With the real Rally Sweden now underway, the snow-covered stages of take over our OverTake Rally Club as well this week. Join the free EA Sports WRC club and series to compete with your fellow community members!
Last time out, the mountainous and icy tarmac stages of Monte Carlo caught out a lot of drivers. We here at OverTake had an awful start with @Michel Wolk, @Christopher E and yours truly all retiring with terminal damage after losing the car off the side of the mountain.
However, our lead editor and historical racing fanatic, @Yannik Haustein, managed to make it to the end of the gruelling rally, albeit with a seriously wounded Hyundai i20 in 19th overall after running competitively for the majority of the rally.
Ford Puma, 2024 Munster & Louka. Image: olivier brasseur
But Monte Carlo is now in the rear-view mirror, as the focus shifts to the second round of the real WRC season, Rally Sweden. Although the rally is not a fan favourite in EA Sports WRC, the tricky white banks of this sovereign Scandinavian snow kingdom are sure to catch some drivers out as they dance their Rally1 cars through the white-frosted forests.
Stage 02: Stora Jangen - Simply the reverse of stage one, Sunne. The time of day has shifted to sunrise, so if you did happen to have a minor accident and lose your lights, it might not spell the end of your rally just yet!
Stages one through to four. Be mindful; the first chance to repair your car will be after stage four, Älgsjön, the 3.4km sprint stage.
Stage 03: Ekshärad - A super short course with an exceptionally high top speed average. This stage has one of the least complicated layouts in EA Sports WRC, but do not be fooled. The conditions and surface make this high-speed rally unbelievably treacherous if you make even a tiny mistake.
Stage 04: Älgsjön - If hitting the rev limited in top gear wasn't exhilarating enough, you get to do it all again, but in reverse, on the Älgsjön stage. Simply retrace your steps back to where you started the Ekshärad stage. What could possibly go wrong...
Stage 05: Lauksjøen - Wave goodbye to the short and sweet stages; Lauksjøen is the first of the more serious stages, standing at 11km. This stage requires more precision. The slightly hidden rocks and the drop-offs will hurt your car and your ego, so listen extra carefully to your co-driver!
If you have extensive damage that cannot be repaired in the service at Vargasen, you will have a bad experience on the 21.5km Hof-Finnskog stage.
Stage 06: Knapptjernet - After the technical experience of Lauksjøen, the fast and flowing stage style is back with Knapptjernet. With this stage being three times as long as the previous fast-paced stages, your concentration will be tested to its limit.
Stage 07: Vargasen - A short stage to warm your car up for the big finale. Vargasen has a fairly straightforward layout, so make sure you do not damage your car and keep yourself penalty-free. Vargasen might seem simple, but do not let it fool you into a false sense of security. The stage demands the same level of concentration and skill as the rest of the stages.
Stage 08: Hof-Finnskog - The only mammoth stage of this set of eight, Hof-Finnskog is 21.5km of snow banks and tight corners. This feature-length stage differs from the previous seven in that it has many more tight corners, a handful of hairpins, and sharp bends. Be aware that your driving style may need to be adjusted slightly. Make sure to change your setup to counteract this at the Vargasen service.
Hyundai I20, 2024 Esapekka & Lappi. Image: olivier brasseur
The event page with all the details you need to get started is linked right here. Check out the details and join the OverTake Rally Club for FREE on your platform of choice, be it Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 5 or PC as EA Sports WRC features crossplay capabilities. Rally Sweden starts on Valentine's Day, February 14th.
If you want to see previous results or check how you are stacking up against other players, check EA Sports WRC's Racenet website, where you can track your stats and how you are doing in your club championships.
Will you be joining us on the stages of Sweden? Let us know which of the trio of Rally1 cars will be your chariot of choice in the comments down below!
Last time out, the mountainous and icy tarmac stages of Monte Carlo caught out a lot of drivers. We here at OverTake had an awful start with @Michel Wolk, @Christopher E and yours truly all retiring with terminal damage after losing the car off the side of the mountain.
However, our lead editor and historical racing fanatic, @Yannik Haustein, managed to make it to the end of the gruelling rally, albeit with a seriously wounded Hyundai i20 in 19th overall after running competitively for the majority of the rally.
Ford Puma, 2024 Munster & Louka. Image: olivier brasseur
But Monte Carlo is now in the rear-view mirror, as the focus shifts to the second round of the real WRC season, Rally Sweden. Although the rally is not a fan favourite in EA Sports WRC, the tricky white banks of this sovereign Scandinavian snow kingdom are sure to catch some drivers out as they dance their Rally1 cars through the white-frosted forests.
Rally Sweden Stage List
Stage 01: Sunne - A 4.9km fast and flowing speed stage through Sweden's open forests. There will be plenty of snow, and make sure you keep those lights attached; you will be racing at dawn! This is your chance to set up your car and plan when to change tyres, as it is the first long-service park.Stage 02: Stora Jangen - Simply the reverse of stage one, Sunne. The time of day has shifted to sunrise, so if you did happen to have a minor accident and lose your lights, it might not spell the end of your rally just yet!
Stages one through to four. Be mindful; the first chance to repair your car will be after stage four, Älgsjön, the 3.4km sprint stage.
Stage 03: Ekshärad - A super short course with an exceptionally high top speed average. This stage has one of the least complicated layouts in EA Sports WRC, but do not be fooled. The conditions and surface make this high-speed rally unbelievably treacherous if you make even a tiny mistake.
Stage 04: Älgsjön - If hitting the rev limited in top gear wasn't exhilarating enough, you get to do it all again, but in reverse, on the Älgsjön stage. Simply retrace your steps back to where you started the Ekshärad stage. What could possibly go wrong...
Stage 05: Lauksjøen - Wave goodbye to the short and sweet stages; Lauksjøen is the first of the more serious stages, standing at 11km. This stage requires more precision. The slightly hidden rocks and the drop-offs will hurt your car and your ego, so listen extra carefully to your co-driver!
If you have extensive damage that cannot be repaired in the service at Vargasen, you will have a bad experience on the 21.5km Hof-Finnskog stage.
Stage 06: Knapptjernet - After the technical experience of Lauksjøen, the fast and flowing stage style is back with Knapptjernet. With this stage being three times as long as the previous fast-paced stages, your concentration will be tested to its limit.
Stage 07: Vargasen - A short stage to warm your car up for the big finale. Vargasen has a fairly straightforward layout, so make sure you do not damage your car and keep yourself penalty-free. Vargasen might seem simple, but do not let it fool you into a false sense of security. The stage demands the same level of concentration and skill as the rest of the stages.
Stage 08: Hof-Finnskog - The only mammoth stage of this set of eight, Hof-Finnskog is 21.5km of snow banks and tight corners. This feature-length stage differs from the previous seven in that it has many more tight corners, a handful of hairpins, and sharp bends. Be aware that your driving style may need to be adjusted slightly. Make sure to change your setup to counteract this at the Vargasen service.
Hyundai I20, 2024 Esapekka & Lappi. Image: olivier brasseur
The event page with all the details you need to get started is linked right here. Check out the details and join the OverTake Rally Club for FREE on your platform of choice, be it Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 5 or PC as EA Sports WRC features crossplay capabilities. Rally Sweden starts on Valentine's Day, February 14th.
If you want to see previous results or check how you are stacking up against other players, check EA Sports WRC's Racenet website, where you can track your stats and how you are doing in your club championships.
Will you be joining us on the stages of Sweden? Let us know which of the trio of Rally1 cars will be your chariot of choice in the comments down below!
