Johan Kristoffersson wins STCC 2012 premiere

Johan Kristoffersson won the first Scandinavian Touring Car Championship premiere at Mantorp Park from second on the grid. The Swede overtook fellow Volkswagen driver and pole man Johan Stureson at the start and was never challenged for the lead again.

Stureson held second for a good portion of the race but was overtaken by reigning champion Rickard Rydell at the end of the long straight towards the end of the race.

Stureson crossed the line as third with a distanced Jordi Gené in fourth, 10 seconds from race winner Kristoffersson.

Patrik Olsson secured four Volkswagens in the top five with Michel Nykjaer in sixth, 24 seconds from the lead. Santosh Berggren was best of the SEAT drivers in seventh while his team mate Robin Appelqvist retired on the first lap.

Niclas Olsson won the independent’s category in eighth overall with Claes Hoffsten in ninth. Joakim Ahlberg in the ex-KMS Audi A4 finished tenth ahead of André Andersson in eleventh and last positions, five laps behind.

Tomas Engström ran in the top at the beginning of the race with the NGTC engined Honda Civic, but had to retire on lap eight with a misfiring engine.