Polestar Cyan Racing driver Thed Björk secured vital points in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship weekend at Solvalla despite carrying 50 kilos of penalty weight.
”I am pleased with the points we have scored this weekend and I have secured a solid position ahead of the season finale,” said Björk.
The reigning champion qualified on pole position for the first race but dropped two positions to finish third. The eventful second race saw Björk crossing the line in sixth position from ninth on the grid.
Team mate Fredrik Ekblom had a tough weekend, also carrying 50 kilos of penalty weight. The three-time STCC champion finished seventh in the first race, a position he improved to fifth in the second race after an exciting last-lap battle with Björk.
”I am not pleased with the results, we just didn’t get the car right and couldn’t challenge the drivers in the top. I have lost some points and Thed has got quite a gap on me ahead of the final race. But I will head to Knutstorp with my eyes open, going for victory and we will see where that takes us,” said Ekblom.
Prince Carl Philip had a tough weekend as well, qualifying eleventh for both races, a position he kept in both races.
”We just never got in the zone with the settings which made life really difficult for us. I have already put this weekend behind me with full focus on the finale at Knutstorp,” said Prince Carl Philip.
BMW driver Fredrik Larsson, Björk and Ekblom’s main rival to the championship, won the final race at Solvalla and gained slightly on the Volvo drivers in the points. Björk leads the championship by 23 points over Ekblom and 56 points over Larsson with 75 points left to be fought for in the Knutstorp season finale on September 25-26th.
”The team has fought hard this weekend with changing conditions and penalty weights. Thed and Fredrik are in excellent positions for the season finale and the gloves are off ahead of Knutstorp,” said Christian Dahl, CEO of Cyan Racing.
Results
Race 1 – Top 5
1 Daniel Haglöf Saab 9-3 26 laps
2 Richard Göransson Saab 9-3 +2.241
3 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +12.191
4 Fredrik Larsson BMW SR +13.097
5 Emma Kimiläinen Saab 9-3 +30.816
…
7 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +32.847
11 Carl Philip Bernadotte Volvo S60 +1 lap
Race 2 – Top 5
1 Fredrik Larsson BMW SR 26 laps
2 Daniel Haglöf Saab 9-3 +11.885
3 Richard Göransson Saab 9-3 +14.155
4 Emma Kimiläinen Saab 9-3 +14.674
5 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +44.951
…
6 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +45.596
11 Carl Philip Bernadotte +2 laps
Q1 – Top 5
1 Daniel Haglöf Saab 9-3 46.059
2 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.247
3 Mattias Andersson Dacia SE +0.261
4 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.361
5 Richard Göransson Saab 9-3 +0.511
…
11 Carl Philip Bernadotte Volvo S60 +2.559
Q2 - Top 5
1 Thed Björk Volvo S60 46.496
2 Daniel Haglöf Saab 9-3 +0.025
3 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.305
4 Fredrik Larsson BMW SR +0.516
5 Richard Göransson Saab 9-3 +0.537
Championship standings – Top 5
1 Thed Björk Volvo S60 311 points
2 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 288 (-23)
3 Fredrik Larsson BMW SR 255 (-56)
4 Richard Göransson Saab 9-3 209 (-102)
5 Mattias Andersson Dacia SE 184 (-127)
…
9 Carl Philip Bernadotte Volvo S60 53 (-258)
TV Schedule
Online/Live: www.svtplay.se
TV: SVT2 13/9 18:00
2015 STCC Calendar
08-09/05 Skövde Airport
29-30/05 Anderstorp
25/06 Mantorp Park
10-11/07 Falkenberg
14-15/08 Karlskoga
11-12/09 Solvalla
25-26/09 Knutstorp
Penalty weights for Knutstorp
+30 kg – Thed Björk
+30 kg – Fredrik Larsson
+30 kg – Daniel Haglöf
+20 kg – Fredrik Ekblom
+10 kg – Richard Göransson