“Unfortunate” crash leaves Lestrup Racing in rush to make second race
The Lestrup Racing Team is in a race against the clock to get both of their cars ready for the second STCC race at Falkenberg after Dennis Strandberg and Albin Wärnelöv both suffered broken suspension in a chaotic opening race.
Strandberg temporarily launched his Volkswagen Golf GTI over the back of Andreas Ahlberg’s stalled car, breaking the rear suspension on impact and retiring on the spot.
Wärnelöv was also embroiled in the opening lap fracas and was pitched into the pit-wall by the SEAT León of Kari-Pekka Laaksonen as the pair avoided the stationary Ahlberg.
The disappointment was all the more evident for Strandberg who only managed to secure enough budget to compete in Falkenberg on Wednesday and had started the race from eighth, directly behind Ahlberg, making his avoidance almost impossible.
He told TouringCarTimes: “I had a good start once again, but the guy in front of me [Ahlberg] didn’t so it was a repeat of Knutstorp. I couldn’t avoid it because the track is so narrow and there’s nowhere else to go than in to him.
“My left rear hit his right rear and launched me. It broke the suspension and a few other bits and pieces including the rim,” Strandberg said. “But I’m sure the team will be able to repair it before race two,” Strandberg said.
Team-mate Wärnelöv had more time to note the stalled Ahlberg but further contact with the Micke Kågered Volkswagen Golf GTI from the Honda Civic of Mattias Andersson moved Ahlberg’s car into the path of Laaksonen and Wärnelöv.
Laaksonen was subsequently left with nowhere to go and sent Wärnelöv into the wall, breaking the latter’s suspension.
Wärnelöv said: “Dennis ran over Ahlberg because he stalled and then Ahlberg hit my left rear as I passed him. Then I had Kari-Pekka alongside me on the right so I got spun into the wall and broke my rear suspension too. I was so close to avoiding the crash so it’s just unfortunate.
He added: “it’s kind of hard now because this is my fifth DNF in 10 races, so it’s a bit frustrating. Hopefully the team will be able to fix the car and I can have two good races.”
For Ahlberg, dreams of a podium after a promising qualifying left him sixth on the grid evaporated within seconds of the lights going out.
“It was a shame, I just stalled the engine as the lights went out. I tried to move to the left but the speed was too low to get out of the way of everyone else,” Ahlberg said.
“It’s a lot of damage, the rear suspension is completely broken and that’s the part that damaged the most. The front end aero was also pretty badly damaged.
“I was hit by at least three cars, they hit me everywhere. The team have performed miracles before so we will see how much they can repair before race two,” Ahlberg explained.
