Photo: STCC

Robert Dahlgren extends lead with a PWR Racing 1-2 in Race 3

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Robert Dahlgren claimed a vital victory, heading a PWR Racing 1-2 ahead of team-mate Daniel Haglöf in the third STCC race at Karlskoga, and has extended his championship lead.

The opening laps of the race were tough, with Kristoffersson Motorsport driver Johan Kristoffersson and Dahlgren going side-by-side through the first three corners with plenty of contact.

Haglöf was able to make his way past Dahlgren’s main title rival Fredrik Ekblom during the first part of the race and fought hard with Kristoffersson. Haglöf then managed to pass Kristoffersson not long after, also enabling Ekblom to get past his team-mate.

Dahlgren and Haglöf pulled away in the lead, with Volkswagen driver Ekblom only able to catch them at the very end of the race, too late to launch a serious challenge on the SEAT duo.

Joonas Lappalainen, who was penalised with a five-place grid penalty for hitting Audi colleague Tobias Brink after the second race, fought his way from eleventh on the grid to a strong fifth place finish.

Fredrik Blomstedt crossed the line in sixth for Kristoffersson Motorsport with Honda Racing Sweden’s Mattias Andersson in seventh and Finnish SEAT driver Olli Kangas rounding off the top eight.

Dahlgren leads Ekblom by 40 points with two race weekends remaining of the 2017 STCC season. Kristoffersson is third, a further 24 points behind, but will not drive any further races this year due to his clashing World Rallycross commitments.

The STCC resumes in three weeks’ time on September 2-3rd at Anderstorp.