Tense finale set to close off the 2018 STCC season
The season finale of the six round Scandinavian Touring Car Championship takes place this weekend at Mantorp Park, where the atmosphere is set to be quite unusual after a few weeks of controversy, with protests and appeals having set hares running throughout the grid
The championship’s pace-setting PWR Racing team found themselves unceremoniously excluded from the fourth round of the season at Karlskoga, which switched the championship around in KMS Volkswagen driver Johan Kristoffersson’s favour. The 29-year-old rallycross star was then untouchable last time out in the rain at Rudskogen in Norway, building what was then a comfortable 14 point lead in the standings over PWR’s Robert Dahlgren.
Earlier this week, PWR’s appeal against their exclusion was upheld with their results reinstated, which has caused anarchy throughout the grid, with many believing the rationale given by the sport’s disciplinary board to reinstate the team doesn’t make sense, and that technically the cars’ exhaust system was certainly ‘illegal’ during the first four events of the championship, and that all things weren’t equal.
The appeal decision means reigning champion Robert Dahlgren now goes to Mantorp Park as the championship leader, seven points clear of Kristoffersson and a favourite to retain his title based on the PWR team’s dry weather pace, although a spanner in the works will be the revised compensation weights, which have the team’s Cupra TCRs running with 30kg additional ballast over the Volkswagens, and 60kg over the Honda and Audis.
Whether the championship will actually be decided this weekend is another matter, as the appeal hearing’s result can still be protested up to the Tuesday after the race weekend – which could mean the title could be decided in the courtroom and not on the track.
Despite the drama, a season’s best 22 cars are entered for the finale, with Tomas Engström, Alex Andersson and Andreas and Jessica Bäckman returning to the grid after missing the trip to Norway.
“The appeal decision definitely helps,” said new points leader Robert Dahlgren. “Not being 14 points behind, which would have been a tall order to pull back, but being seven ahead is definitely good. It’s not a comfortable lead, but it’s a lead.
“I really enjoyed (the fight with Johan Kristoffersson) at Rudskogen, except for the fact we weren’t quick enough in the wet to do anything more than second place, but I think we learned our lessons there, and this time come rain or shine we’re going to be strong.
“Mantorp is not new to anyone, the finale has been held there many times and it’s a great track to have the final round on. You can overtake there and a lot of things can happen and usually do – so to bet on the winner after this weekend is going to be tough.”
“The only thing I care about is leaving Mantorp as number one,” said Kristoffersson. “My job is no different if I am first, second or seventh. I can’t do anything but drive as fast as I can. It is definitely going to be a challenge, but I am going to do what it takes to win. I love when push comes to shove.“
Entry list
No – Driver – Team – Car
1 – Robert Dahlgren – PWR Racing – Cupra TCR
3 – Johan Kristoffersson – Kristoffersson Motorsport – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
4 – Oliver Söderström – Lestrup Racing Team – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
7 – Andreas Wernersson – Lestrup Racing Team – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
14 – Fredrik Ekblom – WestCoast Racing – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
17 – Tomas Engström – Micke Kågered Racing – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
19 – Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky – PWR Racing – Cupra TCR
20 – Mattias Andersson – Honda Racing Sweden – Honda Civic Type R TCR
21 – Andreas Ahlberg – Micke Kågered Racing – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
22 – Albin Wärnelöv – Albin Wärnelöv – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
23 – Alex Andersson – Brovallendesign – Audi RS 3 LMS
26 – Jessica Bäckman – WestCoast Racing – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
29 – Andreas Bäckman – WestCoast Racing – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
36 – Micke Ohlsson – Brink Motorsport – Audi RS 3 LMS
37 – Daniel Haglöf – PWR Racing – Cupra TCR
44 – Olli Kangas – LMS Racing – Cupra TCR
59 – Peter “Poker” Wallenberg – PWR Racing – Audi RS 3 LMS
69 – Hugo Nerman – Kristoffersson Motorsport – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
71 – Tobias Brink – Brink Motorsport – Audi RS 3 LMS
81 – Nicklas Oscarsson – Kristoffersson Motorsport – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
86 – Philip Morin – PWR Racing – Cupra TCR
91 – Andre Kiil – Brovallendesign – Audi RS 3 LMS
Timetable
Friday 21st September
09:50 – Test 1
12:55 – Test 2
16:25 – Qualifying
Saturday 22nd September
09:00 – Warm up
12:50 – Race 1 (14 laps)
15:20 – Race 2 (14 laps)
