STCC Race 1 - Knutstorp (SWE), 19/20 April 2008

[JMeissner]

Time for the STCC 2008-premiere at Knutstorp in the south of Sweden!

Entry-list

1 Fredrik Ekblom West Coast Racing BMW 320si
2 Robert Dahlgren Volvo Original Racing Volvo C30
3 Richard Göransson Flash Engineering BMW 320si
4 Thed Björk Honda Racing Honda Accord Euro R
5 Jan Nilsson Flash Engineering BMW 320si
6 Robin Rudholm West Coast Racing BMW 320si
7 Tomas Engström Honda Racing Honda Accord Euro R
8 Roger Eriksson Nordic Fine Art Seat Leon
9 Tommy Rustad Volvo Original Racing Volvo C30
14 Tommy Kristoffersson KMS Audi A4
17 Andrey Smetsky Artman Racing Honda Accord
20 Mattias Andersson MA:GP Alfa Romeo 156
21 Johan Stureson IPS Motorsport Peugeot 308
22 Thomas Schie Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden Chevrolet Lacetti
28 Carl Rosenblad Elgh Motorsport BMW 320si
90 Tobias Johansson Brovallen Motorsport Mercedes C200
93 Dick Sahlén Team Caliber BMW 320i
95 Tobias Tegelby Brovallen Motorsport BMW 320i
96 Viktor Huggare Huggare Racing BMW 320i
97 Joakim Ahlberg Brovallen Motorsport Jr. BMW 320i
98 Joakim Frid
99 Ronnie Brandt Mälarpower Motorsport Volvo S60

Time Schedule

Saturday 19 april

09.00-09.25 Pro Superbike Test 20 min
09.35-09.55 Super Motard Test 20 min
10.05-10.25 Carrera Cup Test 20 min
10.35-10.55 Radical Test 20 min
11.05-11.25 JTCC Test 20 min
11.35-11.55 Super Motard Kval 20 min
12.05-12.25 Carrera Cup Kval 20 min
12.35-12.55 Radical Kval 20 min
13.05-13.25 JTCC Kval 20 min
13.25-14.20 Lunch
14.20-14-50 Pro Superbike Kval 30 min
14.55-15.15 Pro Superbike Super pole 20 min
15.25-15.40 Super Motard Race 1 15 min
15.50-16.10 Carrera Cup Race 1 18 varv
16.20-16.35 Radical Race 1 12 varv
16.45-17.00 JTCC Race 1 13 varv

Sunday 20 april

Tid/varv
09.00-09-15 Pro Superbike Test 15 min
09.30-10.15 STCC Test 45 min
10.30-10.45 Super Motard Race 2 15 min
11.00-11.20 Carrera Cup Race 2 18 varv
11.30-12.25 Lunch
12.25-12.45 STCC Kval 20 min
12.50-13.10 STCC Super Pole 20 min
13.20-13.35 JTCC Race 2 11 varv
14.00-14.20 Pro Superbike Race 2 18 varv
15.00-15.40 STCC Race 36 varv
16.00-16.15 Radical Race 2 13 varv

[Bramzel]

Can't wait to hear the C30 in person. I'll be around all weekend, leaving tomorrow morning as we're testing our new GamePark on location there. If you're there, drop by to say hi (ask for Bram Knot, not just Bram as there will be 2 Brams running around there )

[stedevil]

Well, the exhaust is changed, but otherwise it's the same engine as last year.

Anyway, I see that Artman Racing in the end went with their own Hondas. But I thought both drivers would be racing to get the experience? I guess you never know with the Russians until it's time to line up the cars.

Also, wasn't Carrera Cup supposed to go in the slot between Pro Superbike and STCC??? SVT is to air live between 14.00 and 16.00, they will fill the 40min gap with what? Rerun on the STCC Qualy?

[stedevil]

Meanwhile, here is the online live feed that hopefully should work outside of Sweden as well (though I assume it will be sucky quality, so I would find some site to download it from instead.)

http://svt.se/svt/road/Classic/share...113848&d=90300

And the info on SVT still states CC will be on, so I assume that will be a rerun/highlight.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Originally Posted by stedevil

Anyway, I see that Artman Racing in the end went with their own Hondas. But I thought both drivers would be racing to get the experience? I guess you never know with the Russians until it's time to line up the cars.

Hehe, sure looks that way, it can change just as quick for the next race tho, if they will be there.

I hope he got some more speed in the car this year then when he raced at Sturup last year, think he was 5 laps down in the end, you wont gain much experience by running in walking pace around the track.

[JMeissner]

It has also been announced that Simbin will make a STCC-game, based on the same engine as the WTCC-game (Race 07).

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by PorscheFanNo1

I hope he got some more speed in the car this year then when he raced at Sturup last year, think he was 5 laps down in the end, you wont gain much experience by running in walking pace around the track.

Indeed, I also remember how far of the pace he was. That's why I thought it would be pretty much a done deal that they would rent the spare Audi available. At least that car is on the pace with the rest and he could fight it out in the mid/back of the field instead of being almost a spectator.

[JorritVD]

Is there a STCC game coming on it's way??

www.stccgame.se

It's from Simbin, same makers as from GTR(2) and Race(07).

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by JorritVD

Is there a STCC game coming on it's way??

www.stccgame.se

It's from Simbin, same makers as from GTR(2) and Race(07).

Oh well, it could be worse re. the makers. Rumour has it they may have the BTCC licence, too.

[JMeissner]

A preview:

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2185

And info in english about the STCC-game:

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2184

[werner]

BTW, the topic-title says STCC Races 1 and 2. I'm sure they only do 1 race per meeting in the STCC?

[stedevil]

Yes, 1 race per weekend. They do go to Knutstorp 2 times though, but 2nd time is in late August

[PorscheFanNo1]

Results SuperPole:

1 Richard Göransson - BMW
2 Thed Björk - Honda
3 Robin Rudholm - BMW
4 Fredrik Ekblom - BMW
5 Thomas Schie - Chevy
6 Roger Eriksson - SEAT
7 Mattias Andersson - Alfa
8 Jan Nilsson - BMW

Race starts in about 90 min, will he aired live on the stream above.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

1. Richard Göransson 1:00.347
2. Thed Björk 1:00.437
3. Robin Rudholm 1:00.521
4. Fredrik Ekblom 1:00.576
5. Tomas Schie 1:00.875
6. Roger Eriksson 1:00.967
7. Mattias Andersson 1:01:055
8. Jan Nilsson 1:01.336
9. Tomas Engström 1:00.790
10. Tommy Kristoffersson 1:00.860
11. Tommy Rustad 1:00.879
12. Carl Rosenblad 1:01.273
13. Tobias Johansson 1:01.295
14. Johan Stureson 1:01.488
15. Dick Sahlén 1:01.852
16. Viktor Huggare 1:01.967
17. Joakim Ahlberg 1:03.969
18. Robert Dahlgren No Time

[JMeissner]

Göransson wins:

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2199

[Bramzel]

Nice race, there were some very interesting fights. Mattias Andersson was seriously fast in that Alfa, too bad he had some incidents which prevented him from hooking up with the top 5.

I must say the C30 sounded a bit dissapointing in real life by the way. I think they've made the sound a bit less loud for noise-regulations, it's fitted with an exhaust in diesel style for example, bent to the ground. Too bad. The new Peugeot sounded good as well though, and looked even better (never thought I was going to say that about a Peugeot!).

[stedevil]

Yeah, racing was nice and close, but this first race it felt a bit sad to have such a weak field. With only 18 cars on the grid it matters a lot that both the Peugeot and the Volvos just didnt get finished in time to have any real time for testing. But in a few races we should have a really nice battle in top 5 between not just BMW and Honda, but also the those 2 brands and the Chevy, Alfa, Seat & Audi fighting to get up there too.

Also quite interesting was the fact that the Hondas where lightning quick, but chewed through their tires in notime. The Knutstorp track is of course quite twisty, but it also was quite cold, so that tire wear problem might be a real Nemesis for Honda this year.

In any case, I guess we will likely see a few drops on the grid for next race or even places in this race lost due to "incidents". All 4 questionable incidents I saw on TV was confirmed to be under investigation at the very end of the race and 2 of those involved top 5 finishers.

[werner]

I just saw the race at http://svt.se/svt/road/Classic/share...113848&d=90300 (the STCC-coverage starts after ca. 1 hour), and I have to say that it was a nice race. A lot of drivers and cars seem to be very close together, there were some nice overtaking-manouvres, and Knutstorp is a funny track even to watch cars on their own. It's a shame the Volvo's were both off the pace and unlucky.
I think Rudholm should have had a drive-through for his action on Bjork, he hit him hard on his rearwheel, so he braked way to late. It would have been a payback for Honda, they would have had a podium with Engstrom in that case. In this race, he was the weakest driver of the top-4 cars.
The season looks like it will be an exiting one. Bjork, Ekblom and Goranson will be fighting for the title, with Ekblom having the advantage of a teammate who is on the pace to and can hurt the other contenders. The best of the rest-title will be hard fought. Schie, Engstrom, Anderson, Nilsson are close, hopefully chased closely by the Volvo's, Rosenblad and Stureson in the rest of the season.
I think, with the good internet-tv, I will follow the season this year. I maybe should learn some Swedisch....

[werner]

Originally Posted by stedevil

Yeah, racing was nice and close, but this first race it felt a bit sad to have such a weak field. With only 18 cars on the grid it matters a lot that both the Peugeot and the Volvos just didnt get finished in time to have any real time for testing. But in a few races we should have a really nice battle in top 5 between not just BMW and Honda, but also the those 2 brands and the Chevy, Alfa, Seat & Audi fighting to get up there too.

Also quite interesting was the fact that the Hondas where lightning quick, but chewed through their tires in notime. The Knutstorp track is of course quite twisty, but it also was quite cold, so that tire wear problem might be a real Nemesis for Honda this year.

In any case, I guess we will likely see a few drops on the grid for next race or even places in this race lost due to "incidents". All 4 questionable incidents I saw on TV was confirmed to be under investigation at the very end of the race and 2 of those involved top 5 finishers.

I thought Rudholm-Bjork wass out of order, and maybe the tap Kristofferson got from Rosenblatt (?). But the Anderson-Schie-battle was exiting and fair. They were a bit unlucky that they tangled and lost a few places, but it was exiting and genuine touringcarracing.
What was the 4th incident?

[PorscheFanNo1]

Originally Posted by werner

What was the 4th incident?

Engström overtaking the SEAT of Eriksson.

[werner]

I remember it. That was not exactly how it should be either.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Originally Posted by werner

I remember it. That was not exactly how it should be either.

It was probably the least dirty of them all, but on the other hand the easiest one to judge on as the other incidents was quite messy and hard to really see what happend, who changed line and drove into who so I dont think any action will be taken against any of the 4 incidents, there hasnt been anything yet atleast.

[redshoes]

Do we know what action, if any, has been taken for these 'questionable' incidents?

Quite frankly I'm shocked such things happen. I was told not that long ago on this very forum that such incidents only ever happened in the BTCC, and if they did happen elsewhere then a suitable punishment was quickly dispensed.

[Pettersson]

All I know is that Rosenblad got disqualified for the incident with Kristoffersson in turn 1. ****ty decision IMO. He went sideways to the right on could tyres and then steering to the left to save it, that's where he touched Kristoffersson when he "bounced" back. Race incident, nothing else. But still very sad for Kristoffersson .

Quite good races, but when cars are in parc fermé for over 4 hours and when the viewers on TV doesn't get the final results (not even at the later highlights programme) because of complaints, it is quite sad. Not a positive side of the sport. The results should be decided on the track, not many many hours after the races in normal STCC-style. Overall, I think this season will be a good one to watch when the new cars get sorted out.

[Alfa Fan]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Do we know what action, if any, has been taken for these 'questionable' incidents?

Quite frankly I'm shocked such things happen. I was told not that long ago on this very forum that such incidents only ever happened in the BTCC, and if they did happen elsewhere then a suitable punishment was quickly dispensed.

I'd be interested to hear stedevil's view on this....