Robert Dahlgren grabs pole position at Skövde season opener

Robert Dahlgren has bounced back from his year-long racing sabbatical to secure pole position for the opening round of the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship in Skövde, going over a tenth of a second faster than Polestar Cyan Racing team-mate Richard Göransson in qualifying.

The 2010 STC Cup champion topped the first part of qualifying with an all-time lap record at the airport circuit with a time of 49.479, before producing a time of 49.919 at the end of the one-lap shootout, the only driver to stay under the 50 second barrier in the second part of the session.

Scott McLaughlin finished the second part of qualifying fourth fastest, despite setting the second quickest time in Q2, and so picks up 18 points in the championship, but will have a less helpful grid spot for race two, starting in ninth with the grid reversed from Q1’s results.

Mattias Andersson was the interloper in qualifying, qualifying his Dacia SE in third, splitting the Volvos for the first time today.

Linus Ohlsson was fifth fastest on his STCC return with Flash Engineering, just over three-tenths behind Dahlgren’s time in his Saab 9-3, while Emma Kimiläinen was the fastest of the PWR Racing SEAT drivers in sixth position ahead of team-mates Daniel Haglöf and Johan Kristoffersson.

Flash Saab driver Reuben Kressner and the new Brovallen Ford of Rasmus Mårthen missed the top eight cut-off, but will benefit from the reversed grid for race two, with Mårthen’s Mondeo starting race two from pole position.

Race 1 is scheduled for 12:40 CET, with Race 2 taking place at 15:50 CET.