[STCC] 2010 News and Rumours

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by moonman

Isn't this RML spare WTCC car?

No, it's a brand new built 2010 Cruze RML built. But they didnt have much time to test etc yet.

Ok this was the first race but if it continues like this they better get someone else to take care of this car...

Both brand new car & track for both team and driver and first race of a promising talent in the team in the STCC big class. Add to this that it's a really really competitive field and not too easy a track to pass on.
We will probably see the Chevy higher up the order later in the season, especially on tracks they have been racing on before.

[JMeissner]

Originally Posted by stedevil

No, it's a brand new built 2010 Cruze RML built.

No, they are running the spare car until the STCC race at Gelleråsen on the 21/22 may when they get their new car.

[Pettersson]

Don't get your hopes too high for the Chevrolet team. Even with good drivers, testing together with RML (Rob Huff has tested both their Cruze and Lacetti), a very good car (just look at DTC, BTCC and all other series), they just couldn't get it right. Car brakes down because of strange problems, Schie left the team with all his Norwegian money etc. And my view of the team didn't become better after reading articles on "how to start an STCC team" from the guy who founded Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden, but dropped off when it got too crazy. They'll need a better crew, and my impression is that improvements have been made. I really hope so and that things will change, but don't expect it to be soon.

I also think people have too high hopes on the Cruze in general. Plato has had a bit of a problem getting the speed up so far (Note: Haven't watched yesterday's BTCC round yet, will do it tonight!) and WTCC is a whole other story in terms of money, testing and underlying dispensations from last year etc. But during the second half of this season it will for sure be a winner in national series too. It's only its second season in Super 2000.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by JMeissner

No, they are running the spare car until the STCC race at Gelleråsen on the 21/22 may when they get their new car.

Oh sorry, thought they at least had gotten the car in time before the season start. But I guess that underlines the issue of the team just starting to get familiar with the car.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Maybe RML wasnts their spare car back now after Marrakech?

Hallrup is a good driver, but he's still learning. At Jyllands he looked very out of place and uncomfortable with the car, in every shot of the car it was acting all weird, understeering-oversterring-understeering all in the same corner. I think they will improve and be quite a lot quicker, but as Pettersson said, the way that team is run is not the best. I was hoping Perfection would continue with Chevys and take over as the "works" Chevy team in the new Scandinavian Serie next year.

[stedevil]

Chevy was doing fine in Knutstorp. It was Hallrup's inexperience that made him lose 2nd place and 3 slots in 1 corner (and 1 more the next) after the SC, not that the car was bad. Lets give both team and driver at least half a season to get used to a brand new car before we write them off completely, shall we?

[Pettersson]

Originally Posted by stedevil

Chevy was doing fine in Knutstorp. It was Hallrup's inexperience that made him lose 2nd place and 3 slots in 1 corner (and 1 more the next) after the SC, not that the car was bad. Lets give both team and driver at least half a season to get used to a brand new car before we write them off completely, shall we?

I hope you are right, but I've been cheering on them since 2007, and then 2008 when they did a few strong runs. With that car, the access to help from RML, all the testing together with RML, the pedigree of the Lacetti in WTCC and on Danish tracks etc. it's still funny how they can't deliver good results year after year. There must be a link in that team that fails big time, and I really hope they get rid of it and solve it. Niklas Karlsson, Tomas Schie and Pontus Mörth are all quite good drivers too, as well as Hallrup.

Now they will run their new car (or the RML spare car they've used so far in STCC?) in WTCC. Do I have to remind you of the performance when they entered their STCC Lacetti in 2008 in the hands of Manabu Orido in WTCC? Orido is a very good driver, having done (and is still competing at the top) endurance racing in both Japan and at Le Mans, and touring cars back home in Japan (not to forget he's one h*ll of a good drifter in D1, but nowadays he's a judge there). He was very off the pace, unfortunately. BUT, I would love if I were wrong this time and that the Argentinian driver will do well this time. I will still cheer on Chevy in STCC because it's such a damn good looking car, but so far since 2007 when Niklas Karlsson himself drove the Lacetti in selected rounds, I've been mostly disappointed, I'm afraid.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by Pettersson

Do I have to remind you of the performance when they entered their STCC Lacetti in 2008 in the hands of Manabu Orido in WTCC? Orido is a very good driver, having done (and is still competing at the top) endurance racing in both Japan and at Le Mans, and touring cars back home in Japan (not to forget he's one h*ll of a good drifter in D1, but nowadays he's a judge there). He was very off the pace, unfortunately.

Hmm, I had the impression that it was RML that borrowed the STCC car, upgraded it to latest spec and ran it. If it was the STCC team running it on their own they would be hugely disadvantaged by 0 track knowledge as well as 0 tire knowledge. Seems like a strange way to do it.

[gomick]

Just added Swedish Touring Car stats/results to my website...

[gomick]

Robert Dahlgren & Tommy Rustad share Falkenbergs race wins...

STANDINGS (after 10 of 18)

Robert Dahlgren - 158
Richard Goransson - 155
Fredrik Ekblom - 121
Dick Sahlen - 99
Mattias Andersson - 95
Patrik Olsson - 84
Thed Bjork - 69
Tommy Rustad - 59