A weekend filled with disapointments. There’s no other way to summarize the WestCoast Racings weekend at Ring Knutstorp which is unusual. Richard Göransson had two DNF:s while Martin Öhlin finished ninth and eight respectively after having got stuck behind the Volvo in the first race and the turbopowered Volkswagen in the second race, cars that have a distinct straight line advantage. Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth was pretty honest with his feelings about the day.
“It’s a day that simply just doesn’t exist. That’s just how it is and it’s something I’ve already forgotten. It just didn’t go our way from the start of the weekend and that’s how it is.”

Martin Öhlin finished ninth in the first race, just missing out on eight place and pole position for the second race. He got stuck behind Tommy Rustad in the Volvo which struggled in the corners but could pull out a gap on the straight each lap. Martin was unable to pass.
“I feel that you need to be able to pas cleanly and I never had an opportunity for that. I was clearly much quicker and his tyres must have been finished the last few laps but I never had an opportunity to pass him cleanly. Of course I could have pushed him and pass but that would mean one of us would have spun and I didn’t want to pass him that way. Finishing ninth is worthless,” Martin said.

His team mate Richard Göransson had a shorter and worse race. He got hit in a start crash and was forced to retire immediately with broken suspension.
“What can I say, I can’t really get myself invisible. It’s impossible to start way back in the field, it’s a chaos in the middle of the grid. I could see it was getting tight in the first corner and tried to back off when suddenly I just got hit everywhere. We’ll probably start from last position in next race, I can’t say it matters.”

The second race was in a way a replay of the first one. Martin Öhlin finished eight this time, once again stuck behind a slower car with a straight line advantage. He was chasing Fredrik Ekblom in the turbopowered Volkswagen the whole way and Ekblom struggled to find any speed in the corners but could gain large gap on the straight each lap preventing Martin to make the pass.
“I’ve probably gained a lot of new friends this weekend but not much in the way of points,” Martin said afterwards. “I think Tommy Rustad and Fredrik Ekblom both owe me at least a huge dinner each for this. The car was good and I feel I drove well but I got stuck behind the wrong cars in both races. It’s impossible to overtake their Volkswagen without pushing them out of the way. It pretty much summarizes my weekend, a big boring disapointment.”

Richard Göransson ended a terrible race weekend by retiring from the second race as well. This time on the last lap after he had advanced from last to ninth position.
“Retiring on the last lap is the icing on the cake on a really shitty weekend. The race was pretty ok. Even though the car was very difficult to drive after I flatspotted the tyres on the first lap I could show it’s possible to overtake here. I think I drove around five cars on the outside at the hairpin. Not that it matters much even though it would have been nice to see the chequered flag. Retiring with a broken driveshaft on the very last lap is a sign that this was a terrible weekend from the start.”

Result topp 10, race 1 Ring Knutstorp:
1: R. Rydell, Chevrolet 19 laps
2: F. Ekblom, Volkswagen + 4,686
3: R. Dahlgren, Volvo + 5,033
4: M. Nykjaer, Chevrolet + 5,511
5: J. Kristoffersson, Volkswagen + 7,207
6: C. Turkington, BMW + 7,898
7: J. Stureson, BMW + 8,339
8: T. Rustad, Volvo + 10,006
9: M. Öhlin, BMW + 10,226
10: V. Hallrup, Chevrolet + 12,843

DNF:
P. Olsson, R. Göransson, J. Watt, T. Johansson

Result, race 2 Ring Knutstorp topp eight:
1: T. Rustad, Volvo 19 laps
2: C. Turkington, BMW + 3,324
3: J. Kristoffersson, Volkswagen + 10,541
4: R. Dahlgren, Volvo + 12,191
5: Johan Stureson, BMW + 12,602
6: R. Rydell, Chevrolet + 13,274
7: F. Ekblom, Volkswagen + 13,868
8: M. Öhlin, BMW + 14,104

DNF:
R. Göransson, J. Nilsson, J. Watt

Martin Öhlin secured a front row start for the second race at Jyllandsringen by finishing seventh in the first STCc-race at Jyllandsringen. He held on to his sixth place through most of the race as he and Johan Sturesson where chasing the two Volkswagens hard as they defended their positions hard. Towards the end Martin lost sixth position after a small mistake under braking.
”It was not an easy race to drive. The car was much more difficult to drive now than it has been previously this weekend and the Volkswagens defended themselves hard. It was impossible to find a way past them. In the end I made a small mistake which gave Mattias a chance to pass me,” Martin said afterwards.

He will now start in second place for the afternoon race and with some rain coming in over Jyllandsringen he hopes to finish the weekend in Denmark on a good note.
”We have to find something out for the next race. I will line up on the outside again but this time I just have one car in front of me. We have a good opportunity to finish in a strong position, I’m usually strong in the rain so we will see what the weather will be up to. I can promise you we will go for it no matter what,” Martin finished.

Richard Göransson’s race ended quickly as he got sandwhiched between two cars in the hairpin which made the BMW airborn and severly damaged. After a pitstop the decision was taken that the car was too damaged to continue the race with and Göransson was forced to retire. He will now line up in 16^th position for the next race.
”I got sandwhiched between Tarquini and Rydell and had nowhere to go and all three of us were forced to retire. The rear wheels were pointing in all kind of directions. It’s part of racing as they say, I guess even we will be forced to retire from a race. We will recharge for the next race, starting from 16^th position will probably be quite exciting,” Richard said.

Next race starts 15.35.

Result top , race 1 Jyllandsringen:
1. Tommy Rustad, Volvo 16 laps
2. Colin Turkington, BMW + 1,977
3. Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen + 10,391
4. Johan Kristofersson, Volkswagen + 11,673
5. Johan Stureson, BMW + 12,176
6. Mattias Andersson, Alfa Romeo + 12,796
7. Martin Öhlin, BMW + 13,179
8. Fabrizio Giovanardi, Honda + 14,188

Richard Göransson DNF

Qualifying at Jyllandsringen proved to be challenging for WestCoast Racing as the weather conditions changed quickly back and forth during the two qualifying rounds. In the end Martin Öhlin qualified sixth while Richard Göransson qualified tenth. Martin Öhlin was quite satisfied with his qualifying given the circumstances.
“I’m actually quite pleased. We went through to Q2 and there we did the best we could considering how it developed. This was needed and I’m looking forward to the races tomorrow,” Martin said.

He managed to set a time in his first qualifying round in Q1 good enough for a spot in top eight and Q2. There he chosed to drive on rain tyres, a choice that was right in the beginning with a wet track and rain in the air. But as the track quickly dried up in the last two minutes four cars out on slicks managed to improve and qualify ahead.
“It’s easy to be wise now when you see how it developed but we are second best in the group that decided to run Q2 on rain tyres despite the fact I was just saving the tyres in the end to see if the conditions would change again. I think we have a prettyt good chance in the two races tomorrow,” Martin concluded.

Richard Göransson got to look back at a qualifying where the choice of tyres were just a little out of sync and he missed Q2 with a small margin. He started out on slicks and banked on a time good enought for eight spot. But in a small window where the track dried out just enough for two drivers out on slicks to improve their times before the rain returned, Richard was unable to improve and had to end qualifying with the 10th best time.
“We just simply timed it wrong and had wrong tyres at the wrong time. It is what it is. Now we just have to try harder in the race tomorrow and go for a lot of overtaking moves,” Richard said.

Result, qualifying Jyllandsringen:
1: Tommy Rustad 1:14.751
2: Colin Turkington + 0,457
3: Fredrik Ekblom + 1,091
4: Casper Elgaard + 1,174
5: Johan Stureson + 4,087
6: Martin Öhlin + 4,194
7: Johan Kristofersson + 4,625
8: Patrik Olsson + 6,773

10: Richard Göransson 1:12.107

WestCoast Racing drivers Richard Göransson and Martin Öhlin are feeling relaxed and ready after the summer break and are hungry for success in the last eight races of the season in STCC. Coming up first is Gelleråsen outside Karlskoga this weekend and Richard Göransson looks forward to return to his home track.
“It’s my home track coming up next and I’ve won there many times. I always enjoy driving there and there are a lot of friends, fans and partners there to give me some extra support.”

Richard has had a very different season after his serious injury in Denmark and a long break before he returned to STCC in a victorious fashion at Gothenburg and claimed another podium two weeks later at Falkenberg. It took a lot out of him and he now feels recharged for the second half of the sason.
“It’s been very different for me and I also returned earlier than planned after my injury. The races in Gothenburg and Falkenberg were very eexhausting both mentally and physically and the break has been good to me after those two weekends. I’ve had a nice and relaxed vacation together with my daugther and my family.”

The weekend in Karlskoga starts with an official STCC-test on Thursday followed by practice and qualifying in Friday and the two races on Saturday. Richard heads to Karlskoga with a clear goal in his mind.
“Of course I go there to win, my goal is to win at least one race and advance in my own championship table which started in Gothenburg,” Richard finishes. He’s scored 55 points in the last four races.

Martin Öhlin also looks forward to return to the cockpit of his BMW after a long summer break. Although based in Stockholm the Gelleråsen track 250 kilometres away is in many respects his home track as well and he is feeling recharged a motivated for the weekend.
“I’ve managed to use the break for not thinking about racing at all and I have relaxed by doing a lot of other sports instead. I feel I will come to my own favourite track with a lot of new energy. I usually go well there and I look forward to see what I can manage to do there in the STCC-car,” Martin says.

He’s had a tough rookie season in STCC so far which hasn’t really turned out as planned. There’s been no question about his speed bu so far he has not managed to turn that into any results he is happy with. He plans to change that now.
“My start has definetly been kind of mixed. I have the speed but I would like to get some results now as well. We will use the Thursday test to get up to speed and I know that if I can just get qualifying right I will managed to drive good races. My expectations this weekend is to get paid in results for the speed we’ve had all year.”

Even though there’s been a summer break for Göransson and Öhlins since the last race in STCC, WestCoast Racing has not taken a break. The team has continued racing in GT where WestCoast Racing now heads the drivers and the team championship in the Swedish GT league. Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth is happy to see the team start the STCC-programme again.
“With dual programmes this year we’ve not had a break and have contiuned racing as usual. Our STCC-season this year is very different compared to previous seasons with Richards injury in Denmark and a tough start to the season. We could return to the winners circle in Gothenburg and we will start getting the victories and the points in the remaining races. Richard and Martin has had a chance to take a break and recharge and we are looking forward to an exciting autumn for us,” Dick concludes.

FACTS – STCC-weekend at Karlskoga

Time schedule, STCC Karlskoga August 11th – 13th

August 11th
Official STCC-test

August 12th
14:05 STCC, test
17:20 STCC, qualifying
17:45 STCC, qualifying 2

August 13th
09:40 STCC, warm up
11:50 Gridshow/lunch
13:05 STCC, heat 1
15:35 STCC, heat 2

TV-schedule, STCC Karlskoga:

Viasat Motor Saturday August 13th:
12:30 Race 1
15:15 Race 2

SVT Sunday August 14th:
16:25, SVT 1

WestCoast Racing at Gelleråsen 2010:

May 22nd:
Q1: Richard Göransson P8
Q2: Richard Göransson P8

Heat 1: Richard Göransson, P6
Heat 2: Richard Göransson, P3

August 14th:

Q1: Richard Göransson P5
Q2: Richard Göransson P4

Heat 1: Richard Göransson, P5
Heat 2: Richard Göransson, P4

Richard Göransson, STCC Gelleråsen:
7 victories & 7 podiums

Martin Öhlin, STCC Gelleråsen:
STCC-debut 2011
2 victories & 3 podiums in Carrera Cup Scandinavia

The second race in Falkenberg gave fewer points than the first race for WestCoast Racing. Richard Göransson finished sixth and Martin Öhlin retired after gearbox problems.
“What a boring race to be honest. I got caught behind Rydell’s Chevrolet and we have not chance on the straights behind that car and the Volkswagens. We are much quicker but can pass when they get away from us on the straights and you can’t do anything but just tag along,” Richard says.

The high temperatures in the cockpit got even worse for Richard when he was hit from behind which cracked the exhaust.
“It got a bit too hot and I burnt both my hands and my feet so the final laps were a struggle. Even so we had a decent weekend, we got another podium here and collected a lot of points again. My goal for the rest of the season is to win my own championship. It started in Gothenburg last race weekend and ends at the final race at Mantorp. We’ve had two good point weekends so far,” he finishes.

Martin Öhlin got a great start from 12th position and was up to ninth, just two spots behind Richard Göransson. After having had the second best lap time in the first race he showed that was no coincidence as he was fast yet again in this race. His race ended however when he no longer had fifth gear.
“Apparently you need that to be fast here. I got a great start and felt we yet again had strong race pace. Unfortunately it ended much too soon. I’m very happy with our race pace but I really must start qualifying better,” Martin says.

STCC now take a break for the summer before the action returns at Karlskoga August 12th and 13th.

Result top eight, heat 2 Falkenberg:
1: Jan Nilsson, BMW 25 laps
2: Johan Sturesson, BMW + 0,455
3: Colin Turkington, BMW + 1,972
4: Patrik Olsson, Volkswagen + 4,154
5: Rickard Rydell, Chevrolet + 4,486
6: Richard Göransson, BMW 4,923
7: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 5,393
8: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen + 7,654

Martin Öhlin DNF

The podiums keeps coming in Falkenberg. Richard Göransson drove a champions race from sixth place and finished second in the race at Falkenberg, after chasing winner Fredrik Ekblom hard in the second half of the race.
“The car was amazing, we had the best car of everyone. Finishing second from sixth place is pretty ok I think. It was a somewhat messy race in the beginning and oil on the track surprised all of us. It was a bit exciting but I got through it,” Richard says.

He was challenging Fredrik Ekblom for the victory but had to settle for second place as the turbo charged Volkswagen proved to be too quick on the straights.
“It was impossible to overtake him, he got several car lengths on me out on the straights. I put my headlights on and gave him a few friendly bumps but he is too experienced to fall for that so I had to settle for second. We have the car to win here though and we are always string here so we will go for another podium in the next race.” Richard will start in seventh place in the next race.

Martin Öhlin also proved the BMW is strong in race trim as he charged through the field from 17th place. He was up on 11th place, looking to overtake Viktor Hallrup for 10th place and set after eight place and pole for the second race. The plans changed however when Hallrup turned in on him and Martin spun off on the oil. He eventually charged back again, finishing 12th.
“It’s a shame, that eight place and pole för the second heat keeps getting away from me. I’m very pleased with the speed in me and the car in this race. Now we are where we really should have been yesterday. The pace was quick and it’s crap it sort of stopped when I tried to overtake Hallrup. With the speed we have in the car now it’s absolutely possible to salvage several points from this weekend in the next race,” Martin summarizes.

Next heat starts 3,35 pm.

Result, top eight Falkenberg:

1: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen 25 laps
2: R. Göransson, BMW + 0,570
3: R. Rydell, Chevrolet + 4,010
4: C. Turkington, BMW + 4,431
5: P. Olsson, Volkswagen + 11,763
6: T. Johansson, SEAT + 12,312
7: J. Sturesson, BMW + 12,732
8: J. Nilsson, BMW + 14,388

12: M. Öhlin, BMW + 30,101

WestCoast Racing had a mixed qualifying at Falkenberg. Richard Göransson went through to Q2 where he qualified sixth thus securing sixth starting sport for tomorrows first race.
“It’s weird but I’m actually happy. Normally I’m not happy with sixth place but I am this time. I feel I got everything out from me and the car this. We qualified as the best BMW and it’s difficult to ask for more in qualifying here,” Richard says.

He will now start sixth tomorrow and believes he has a good chance for the race. He started in a similar position here last year and went on to finish third and second in the two races.
“Sixth place might not be an ideal starting position but it was a similar case last year so I feel we have a good chance. The car feels very good over a race stint and we know that is where we are strong. I’m going to bed feeling happy and motivated for tomorrow.”

Martin Öhlin had a worse qualifying than his team mate and only finished 17th overall, three tenths from eight place and Q2 and only five tenths from pole.
“The car felt good but it just wasn’t enough. There’s nothing more to say, of course I’m not happy with this. The car felt good though so we will have to try and repair as much as possible tomorrow but the race is gonna be very tough,” Martin summarized.

Race 1 starts 1:05 pm followed by the second race 3:35 pm.

Qualifying, top eight Falkenberg:
1: F. Ekblom, Volkswagen 45,371
2: R. Rydell, Chevrolet + 0,063
3: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 0,090
4: J. Kristoffersson, Volkswagen + 0,152
5: R. Eriksson, SEAT + 0,292
6: R. Göransson, BMW + 0,342
7: P. Olsson, Volkswagen + 0,412
8: C. Turkington, BMW + 0,416

17: M. Öhlin, BMW 46,002

The home track awaits WestCoast Racing. The fast track in Falkenberg has been a favourite track for WestCoast Racing through the years with a driver in the podium in every race since 2004. Richard Göransson has four podium finishes including one victory at this track from the last four races. He has one aim only for this weekend.
“It’s an high and ambitious goal but of course we aim to be on the podium in both races. This is our home track and we will have a team party afterwards so why not celebrate with a few podiums? I’m not in the championship fight now so good race weekends feels extra important and this is a track where we usually perform strong,” Richard says.

The weekend started on Thursday with an official STCC-test. Richard had the sixth fastest time but doesn’t think that has any bearings on the weekend.
“Testing is always testing, immediately afterwards you are kind of confused since we test so many different things every time. Of course I’m not happy with the time but I’m very happy with the feeling in the car. We don’t get any points for testing and it’s completely different when it’s time for qualifying and race. The weather seems to be a bit more cold tomorrow and on Saturday so that will change things also. As I said, we have set high targets.”

Martin Öhlin spent his test day driving a lot of laps as the team worked on different settings on his car. He ended the test day with 13th fastest time.
“Of course I’m not happy being so far down in the time sheets but this was not that kind of test day. We tested a lot of new settings on the car and that was our focus. Now I will have to sit down and go through all the things we tested but the weekend has started,” Martin says.

He aims for a lot of points this weekend as he wants to climb in the championship. He enjoys the Falkenberg track where he has race the Porsche the last three seasons and believes he will have a good weekend.
“The track likes me and I like the track. It’s a fun track to race at but at the same time very difficult and you can easily lose a lot of time. I enjoy it here and believe we can have a good weekend. It wouldn’t be bad to points with us from this weekend, and it would be really good with a lot of points from this weekend. That is an obvious goal, score as many points as possible.”

The race weekend starts Friday afternoon with free practice followed by qualifying later in the afternoon.

WestCoast Racing, podium finishes at Falkenberg 2003-2010:
2010: Richard Göransson 2:nd and 3:rd
2009: Richard Göransson 3rd and 1:st
2008: Fredrik Ekblom 1:st, Robin Rudholm 2:nd
2007: Fredrik Ekblom 2:nd
2006: Duncan Huisman 3:rd
2005: Richard Göransson 2:nd
2004: Richard Göransson 1:st and 1:st

Time schedule, STCC Falkenberg

Thursday 30/6
09.00 Test 1
13.30 Test 2

Friday 1/7
14.20 Test
17.20 Q1
17.45 Q2

Saturday 2/7
09.20 Warm up
13.05 Race 1 STCC
15.35 Race 2 STCC

TV-schdule, STCC

Viasat Motor
Saturday 2/7
12.30 Race 1, STCC
15.15 Race 2, STCC

SVT
Sunday 3/7
16.00 SVT2

Weight list, STCC Falkenberg

1225 kilo: BMW 320si E90 [6 speed SQ-box]
1210 kilo: BMW 320si E90 [5 speed H-box]
1210 kilo: Volkswagen Scirocco
1205 kilo: Chevrolet Cruze
1199 kilo: Volvo C30
1170 kilo: Honda Accord
1160 kilo: Alfa Romeo 156
1140 kilo:SEAT León TFSi
1120 kilo: SEAT León TFSi [Jason Watt]
1120 kilo: BMW 320i E46

Richard Göransson had a great weekend in Gothenburg but for Martin Öhlin this was a weekend to forget. He finished the second race in 13th position despite usually being strong in rainy conditions. He leaves Gothenburg without any points and dissapointed.
“I’m extremely dissapointed and angry with myself, there’s nothing more to say. Richard drove a fantastic race and I congratulated him immediately afterwards. He impressed in his comeback. I could say a lot of things about my race but in the end I just wasn’t good enough this weekend. Now I just want to go home, forget this weekend and start thinking about the next race instead,” Martin said.

Car # 1 is back winning again. Richard Göransson broke records when he returned after his injury to take an impressive victory. He only needed one heat to find his winning ways and the victory in Gothenburg City Race also means Richard once again has the record for number of STCC-victories. The victory also means he is the only driver having won twice in Gothenburg.
“Absolutely amazing, I’m so happy to be back and winning again. I honestly didn’t expect this, it felt like a victory just being able to be here and race.”

Richard won the race in tricky rainy conditions that is one of his strenghts. It started raining before the heat and the city track was bery slippery the whole race. Göransson admitted it was a mentally tough race to drive.
“I’m prefectly fine physically but mentally it was hard. I was very disapointed after qualifying where I pushed too much when it was dry. It was very slippery and I started thinking exactly what you’re not supposed to think in those circumstances – to avoid mistakes and of course that is when you start making them. I didn’t drive very well and Tomas Engström fought hard but I really wanted to win this one. I’m going for more victories now,” said a happy Göransson.

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth felt this was one of the races he felt most nervous about.
“We have won a lot of race but I was more nervous than usually today. This victory means a lot to us and it feels fair we won. We have finally completed that last lap in Denmark. We never pushed Richard to return, we just told him we were ready when he was and we would give him the best possible conditions for his return. I’m happy we lived up to that today. Martin had a tough weekend and I know he is the first one to be dissapointed about that. We know he can much more than this and that he will return to the form he showed in the previous races. We look forward to our home race in Falkenberg now” he said.

Result, topp eight Göteborg City Race heat 2:
1: Richard Göransson, BWM 24 laps
2: Tomas Engström, Honda + 0,387
3: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen + 4,827
4: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 6,803
5: Rickard Rydell, Chevrolet + 7,506
6: James Thompson, Volvo + 13,988
7: Patrik Olsson, Volkswagen + 24,155
8: Jan Nilsson, BMW + 32,018

13: Martin Öhlin, BMW + 37,197

Resultat, race 2 Göteborg

Richard Göransson followed his game plan and took eight place in the first heat in Gothenburg, thus securing pole position for the second race later this afternoon.
“It was a tactical race, I could have tried and gain a couple of spots more but now we have a really good starting point for the next race instead,” Richard said.

The start was eventful where Richard Göransson was stuck in the middle of a very tight pack. He managed to get himself out of that situation but lost a place doing so and finished the first lap in tenth place. He started the chase for the cars in front and could quickly overtake twice at the end of the back straight showing he is back in good old form.
“The start was a bit chaotic and the car got hit a couple of times but it’s only cosmetic. It worked really well and I could quickly gain on the guys in front of me. We have the speed and the car to win here and now it’s time to recharge for the next race.”

Martin Öhlin had an even tougher race than Richard and hade problems advancing from his 15th starting position. He gained a place early on but was relatively alone from then on until he late in the race could gain another position. He finished in 13th place.
“Boring is the word of my race. It got very tight in the middle of the pack in the start and after that I ended up driving along alone in 14th place. It wasn’t very fun and the only fun I had was chasing my own laptimes. I just didn’t drive faster than this in this race. The car worked well and now I have to look at the next race. I aim to get myself into top 10 and get a point or two from this weekend.”

Result Göteborg City Race:
1: Rickard Rydell, Chevrolet 24 laps
2: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen + 0,985
3: James Thompson, Volvo + 3,964
4: Tomas Engström, Honda + 5,046
5: Johan Stureson, BMW + 5,873
6: Viktor Hallrup, Chevrolet + 14,220
7: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 14,727
8: Richard Göransson, BMW + 15,761

13: Martin Öhlin, BMW + 21,832

Result, race 1

Qualifying did not go as expected for WestCoast Racing in Gothenburg. Both drivers missed the cut to Q2 with Richard Göransson ending up in ninth place just outside Q2. Martin Öhlin finished 15th after having hit the barriers early in qualifying and damaging the car.
“We know this is a tough track for rear wheel drive cars in qualifying and I’äve missed Q2 once before here,” Richard says. “The grip in the track is different and we didn’t managed to handle that this time. We know we are strong in the races however and it’s reasonable to aim for eight place and pole position for the second race. I can’t be too disapointed with this, I’m very happy to be here and we’ll see what we can do for the race.”

Martin Öhlin hit the barriers early in the session and damaged the left front. The team had a struggle to fix the car during the 20 minute long session but with two minutes left Martin could go out again and have a second run. The car was still damaged though and he couldn’t improve on his first time.
“I tried to make the track here wider again but apparently the barriers are very firm,” Martin says with a smile. “We have to mount a comeback run in the race now, I have seven spots up to eight place and pole for the second race and that have to be the target now. We have a strong car in the races and with some action ahead of me it shouldn’t be impossible to climb through the field.”

Result, Q1

Result, Q2

The first heat starts 13:05.

Martin Öhlin looks forward to the city race in Gothenburg this weekend, his first taste of city race in the STCC-car and he already has a gameplan.
“It seems to be a trend this year that drivers from the area where we race are driving into me. So this weekend I will avoid such drivers which means avoiding the Volvo-drivers. The best way is to be in front of them,” he says.

He’s had a mixed start to his first season in STCC. He’s been showing he has the speed and has been the fastest BMW-driver so far but has not the results to show for that. Something he hopes can be changed this weekend.
“It’s about time for that and why not in Gothenburg which is a bit like the race of the year. I enjoy it there, the atmosphere with racing in the city and with a lot of specatators is good for you as a driver. It’s also a fun track to drive, being close to the walls gives you the same kind of extra focus you have racing at a track like Nordschleife and a single mistake can be very costly. You have a extra level of focus and that is a graet feeling.”

After having been the sole driver in the team the last few race weekends Martin Öhlin once again has a team mate. Richard Göransson returns to STCC after his violent crash in Denmark in April and the injuries he got there. Martin is happy to have a team mate again.
“It’s great to have Richard back. It especially benefits me to be able to compare my data with his and having two cars in the team to try things on. It’s a big thing for the whole team and I have great expectations for this weekend. It will be fun and the goal is of course to head back home with two great results with me. It’s about time!”

An optimism for the weekend is also shared by team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth, happy to have Richard back in the team and see WestCoast Racing as a two-car team again. Something he thinks is positive for the whole team.
“Gothenburg track is difficult race track but we always have a nice weekend racing there. This will be an extra nice weekend for us since Richard is back which motivates the whole team. Martin has been really quick so far and he has shown we have a great car and proved he is capable of using that. Unfortunately he doesn’t have the results to show for that but we know that will come. Now we have two cars again and can share data between them which is an advantage for both us and the drivers. We have a victory here from last year to defend and WestCoast Racing are looking forward to this weekend!”

Extra tests and free practice will be held tomorrow Friday and a time schedule for the weekend will be published here tomorrow.

He scored two points after the dissapointment in the first race where he got pushed off track at the start.
“Not the weekend we expected but this is how it went after what happened in the first race. At least we got a few points, much less than we expected and thought we would get but that’s how it goes. I’ll come back for Gothenburg,” Martin concludes.

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth felt WestCoast Racing had a tough weekend at Mantorp despite showing they continue to have the pace and be the pace setters among the BMW’s.
“Once again we qualified as the best BMW and we expected a lot of points from the races. We are of course not satisfied with two points. But Martin showed that Knutstorp wasn’t a one time thing, he is strong and there’s no doubt we have the speed. That will pay off sooner or later this season,” Dick says.

Next race in STCC is Gothenburg City Race in three weeks time.

Result, race 2 Mantorp Park:
1: Jan Nilsson, BMW 14 laps
2: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 1,137
3: Tomas Engström, Honda + 9,188
4: Rickard Rydell, Chevrolet + 9,598
5: James Thompson, Volvo + 10,218
6: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen 10,948
7: Roger Eriksson, SEAT + 12,182
8: Patrik Olsson, Volkswagen + 13,149
9: Martin Öhlin, BMW + 13,545
10: Colin Turkington, BMW + 13,802
11: Johan Sturesson, BMW + 13,968
12: Mattias Andersson, Alfa Romeo + 20,174
13: Tobias Johansson, SEAT + 23,508
14: Tomas Faraas, SEAT + 23,696
15: Joakim Ahlberg, BMW + 24,289
16: Viktor Hallrup, Chevrolet + 1 lap
17: Robin Appelqvist, Alfa Romeo + 1 lap

DNF:
Alx Danielsson, Andreas Ebbesson

Martin Öhlin had a tough start in the race as he was pushed off track at the start and rejoined last in the field. A drive through penalty shortly after meant he lost even more ground and he finished a distant 14th.
“A shitty race to be honest. It was over already at the start when Mattias Andersson pushed me off and I went out in the grass. There you are a passenger and I couldn’t do anything to prevent rejoining in the middle of the field. For some strange reason I also got a penalty and then my race was over”. Martin said.

He will now line up 14th for the next heat and will recharge for a tough challenge.
“I will have a long way to go in the next race but the goal is to score some points. I just hope I won’t be pushed off again.”

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth feels the team was worth more and agrees with Martin that the race basically ended in the first corner.
“There was nothing Martin could do, he got pushed off in the start and our race was over. I have no idea why we also got a penalty but there’s nothing we can do about that anyway. We hope for a better second race, we have great race pace but we must start getting some points out of it now,” Dick summarizes.

Mantorp Park, race 1:
1: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen 14 laps
2: Rickard Rydell, Chevrolet + 0,742
3: Tomas Engström, Honda + 4,376
4: Jan Nilsson, BMW + 6,324
5: Roger Eriksson, SEAT + 9,009
6: James Thompson, Volvo + 9,306
7: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 12,039
8: Alx Danielsson, SEAT + 14,943
9: Viktor Hallrup, Chevrolet + 16,025
10: Patrik Olsson, Volkswagen + 16,230
11: Tobias Johansson, SEAT + 16,383
12: Thomas Faraas, SEAT + 16,721
13: Andreas Ebbesson, BMW + 27,276
14: Martin Öhlin, BMW + 36,112
15: Johan Sturesson, BMW + 2 varv
16: Joakim Ahlberg, BMW + 2 varv

DNF:
Robin Appelqvist, Mattias Andersson, Colin Turkington

Martin Öhlin once again performed strongly in qualifying, placing himself seventh overall and best of the BMW as action kicks off at Mantorp. Martin had the fifth best time in the first qualifying segment, easily going through to the second round where he finished with the seventh best time.
“A good qualifying, we are best of the BMW’s and it’s looking good for qualifyin,” Martin says.

He will line up seventh on the grid and after the testdays on Thursday and Friday he looks forward to the races tomorrow.
“It’s important that we are the best rear wheel drive car. The car feels really strong, we know we have a good car for the races and found some new things during the test days that makes me look forward to the races. It’s a good start to the weekend”

Qualifying, top eight:
1: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen 1:21.664
2: Rickard Rydell, Chevrolet + 0,015
3: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 0,081
4: Tomas Engström, Honda + 0,236
5: Patrik Olsson, Volkswagen + 0,267
6: Mattias Andersson, Alfa Romeo + 0,396
7: Martin Öhlin, BMW + 0,579
8: Colin Turkington, BMW + 0,714

After a good weekend at Ring Knutstorp where Martin Öhlin were the fastest BMW-driver both in qualifying and race it’s now time to get a grip of the third race weekend in STCC. This time Mantorp Park awaits and this is the third consecutive race weekend for Martin.
“There’s a lot of racing right now which is fun,” he says. “I’m looking forward to Mantorp, it’s another track where I’ve tested before the season with the BMW and it will be a lot of fun to drive the STCC-car again.”

Martin got a lot of attention at Knutstorp where he was the only driver in the team and impressed both in qualifying and in the races. But for Martin this makes little differenc for this weekend.
“We will just build on what we have started. I don’t feel any added pressure, the team gives me fantastic support and the only thing I care about right now is to follow the plan we did for the year and have fun at the race weekends”

WestCoast Racing team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth is also looking forward to the weekend and aims for the team to have another effective race weekend.
“Martin exceeded all our expectations at Knutstorp but that doesn’t change anything for Mantorp”, he says. “We will continue to work in the same way and direction which is something we can see leads to results. We know we have a very good car but Mantorp with its´ long straight is tough for us. We will have to get everything right but I’m sure we will give the other a run for their money again.”

The weekend starts with an official testday for the STCC teams on Thursday followed by free practice and qualifying on Friday and with the two races on Saturday.

Time schedule Mantorp Park:

Thursday 19/5
09.00 Test
12.00 Lunch
13.00 Test

Friday 20/5
14.15 Test
16.20 Qualifying, Q1
16.45 Qualifying, Q2

Saturday 21/5
09.20 Warm up
12.00 Gridshow
13.05 Race 1
15.35 Race 2

Television schedule – STCC

Viasat Motor
Saturday 21/5
12.30 STCC-studio show
13.05 Race 1, STCC
15.25 Race 2, STCC

SVT
Sunday 22/5
17.00 SVT1. Weekend recap

Weight list – Mantorp Park
1225 kilo BMW 320si E90 [6 speed SQ-box]
1210 kilo BMW 320si E90 [5 speed H-box]
1210 kilo Volkswagen Scirocco
1205 kilo Chevrolet Cruze
1199 kilo Volvo C30
1190 kilo Alfa Romeo 156
1180 kilo SEAT León TFSi
1160 kilo SEAT León TFSi [Jason Watt]
1130 kilo Honda Accord
1120 kilo BMW 320i E46

Martin qualified the car third on the grid with a safe lap before team mate Magnus Öhman drove the remaning of qualifying to get extra seat time in the new car. The team decided to let Magnus Öhman drive the opening stint in the one hour long race before handing over to Martin Öhlin.

Öhman lost a couple of places in the beginning of the race but could during the stint take two of those places back and he entered the pits 25 minutes later for the driver change in fourth place. They were then trailing the leaders in the Audi R8 by 25 seconds as Martin went out for this stint.

He started chasing down the leaders and immediately took over the third spont on his second lap in the stint. He then set a string of fastest laps as he continued to chase down the leaders and entering the final lap he was within striking distrance of the second placed Audi R8, just a two tenths behind and just six seconds behind the leaders. Coming up a lapped car four corners from the end Martin had to back down and lost the chance to do a final attack for second place. His drive showed the potential in the new BMW Z4 GT3 and Martin was pleased with the race afterwards.
– It was fun to get to chase the others and the car is awesome to drive, Martin said. We lacked a lot of grip at the end and it was a bit tricky but with a few more laps I’m sure we would have finished at least second. For us this was mainly a test of the new car and as such I think we can say it went pretty well. It was a fun weekend, now I’m heading back home and refocus for the STCC-round at Mantorp.

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth was pleased to finally see the team’s new GT-car on the race track and was happy with its’ first race weekend.
– Of course we always wants to win, that’s why we are doing this but this time that was not the most important thing. We needed mileage on the car and now we have a full race weekend and a lot of data on the car. There’s no doubt the car is really good . We will now continue to work with it and set it up for the next races.

Result, Swedish Racing League, Anderstorp

In-car action, WestCoast Racing BMW Z4 GT3 Anderstorp

This weekend the car will be driven by Martin Öhlin and Magnus Öhman who will share the car for the one hour race. Magnus Öhman was one of the WestCoast Racing drivers at the 12 hour race in Hungary last autumn. Martin Öhlin, who put in a strong performance at Ring Knutstorp this past weekend, is now recharging for another race weekend, this time in a new car.
- It’s gone well most of the times I’ve driven a Z4, so I hope it will run smoothly this time too, says Martin who finished fourth overall in the Nürburgring 24 Hours last year. I’m looking forward to a fun weekend in a very cool car. If the car runs as well as the rear wing is big, I’m sure it will work out great, Martin says with a laugh.

More information about the weekend can be found at www.swedishracing.se. The preliminary schedule for the races can be found at http://www.swedishracing.se/anderstorp-14-15-maj.

Martin thought Stureson crossed the line in the incident, but will remember it for the future.
- I think Stureson saw a gap I didn’t know existed and which only he could see. I suppose he has his own version of events, but I’ll take this as a learning experience and remember it for the future.

Now Martin is looking forward to making more progress at the race at Mantorp in two weeks. He has already shown that he is a contender for the top spots.
- I have the speed to make it to the top. I’ve made the transition to the STCC now, I got a perfect start and saw a big gap on the inside which looked as though it were made for me. I still miss Richard a lot and hope he will be back soon, but we definitely have speed to build on. The others have seen that I’m going to be up there shaking things up now, Martin says.

Dick Jönsson Wigroth was also happy to see Martin do so well this weekend and see the speed he showed during the two days at Ring Knutstorp.
- We’re not exactly great fans of Stureson right now, but what goes around comes around, says Dick. It felt a bit tight but drivers are probably always likely to see any and all gaps no matter how small they may be. All in all this weekend still went better than expected. We’ve given Martin our full support and a fast car, and he did a flawless job with it. Things can only get better, I think. I guess everyone now understands why we don’t need another driver for a few races. Martin showed what we’ve believed all along, that he’s in it to fight for the top spots, Dick finishes.

The next race for the STCC will be at Mantorp Park in two weeks, but WestCoast Racing will be off for the premiere of the Swedish GT series as early as next weekend.

Results, race 2 Ring Knutstorp:
1: Mattias Andersson, Alfa Romeo 19 varv
2: Johan Stureson, BMW + 0,564
3: Colin Turkington, BMW + 1,145
4: Patrik Olsson, Volkswagen + 2,381
5: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 3,050
6: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen + 3,858
7: Jan Nilsson, BMW + 4,157
8: Andreas Ebbesson, BMW + 6,922
9: Jason Watt, SEAT + 10,723
10: Martin Öhlin, BMW + 10,824
11: James Thompson, Volvo + 11,856
12: Alx Danielsson, SEAT + 13,034
13: Joakim Ahlberg, BMW + 23,987
14: Tommy Lindroth, SEAT + 51,253
15: Viktor Hallrup, Chevrolet + 5 varv

DNF:
Tobias Johansson, Tomas Engström, Rickard Rydell, Roger Eriksson, Robin Appelqvist

Martin will again start from fifth in the next race and he is looking forward to repeating his effort from the first race.
- Now I know how this works and I’m getting there slowly but surely. I just have to get a better start, but I’m sure we’ll work that out too. Having the inside line again in the next race feels perfect. It’s a good place to start, a happy Martin concludes.

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth was relieved after the race and was also very satisfied with Martin’s result.
- Martin has done a really good job today and got important points in the championship. This was the effort the team needed and Martin did it for us. We were able to show that we have two strong cars in the team and Martin finished best of the BMWs. The conditions for race two are also very good.

Results, top 8, race 1 Ring Knutstorp:
1: Fredrik Ekblom, Volkswagen 19 varv
2: Tommy Rustad, Volvo + 0,466
3: Rickard Rydell, Chevrolet + 1,369
4: Martin Öhlin, BMW + 3,188
5: Patrik Olsson, Volkswagen + 5,351
6: Colin Turkington, BMW + 6,524
7: Johan Sturesson, BMW + 6,767
8: Mattias Andersson, Alfa Romeo + 13,969

WestCoast Racing reloads. It’s time for the second round in the Scandinavian Touringcar championship, this time at Ring Knutstorp in the southern parts of Sweden. Martin Öhlins is prepared for another challenge.
- It’s sad that Richard Göransson won’t be here, he is a good mentor to me and has helped me a lot in understanding this car. I will do the best of this situation and work hard to find the speed myself. I’m the only driver in the team now but I have complete support from the team, but I will obviously miss not being able to compare myself with Richard.

Martin never had any pre-season testdays at Jyllandsringen before the one official testday there. But he feels more prepared coming to Knutstorp, a favourite track for the team and a track where Martin had several days of testing pre-season.
- This is a track where I’ve driven with the BMW before so I feel much better prepared now. It will be fun to drive again, the goal is just simply to have fun and have as good a weekend as possible. Last time we showed we have good race pace, now we need to get to grips with qualifying.

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth feels this will be a different race weekend. The season premiere in Denmark became both dramatic and traumatic for the team but the focus is now on a good weekend in Knutstorp.
- Of course it’s a different kind of weekend for us, he admits. Richard will not be there and we are back to being a one car team again. We must adjust to that and it’s a little bit like back to the basics for us now. Knutstorp is like a home track for us, the mood is great and we will have guests visiting the team this weekend so all in all very different compared to Denmark. We will give Martin our full support and make sure we will have a good weekend together.

The weekend starts on Friday with free practice and qualifying followed by the two races on Saturday. Time schedule and weight information will be published tomorrow.

Martin Öhlin had an eventful first STCC-weekend as he and the team endured a dramatic weekend at Jyllandsringen in Denmark. Martins teammate Richard Göransson crashed heavily in the first race and was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with fractures to two vertebras and will have a three month long recovery. Martin had a difficult qualifying where he spun on his fastest lap on his way to top eight and Q2. He lined up 12th on the grid for the first race.

In the first race Martin lost a couple of places around the outside on the first lap and was later forced to retired with a broken front end as he battled his way up the field. For the second race Martin lined up 16th on the grid and had a much better start. He could gain four places on the first lap and was after that one of the fastest cars on the track and managed to climb to seventh place in the end and gain his first STCC-points.
– It was fun to race and the car was fantastic in the second race, Martin said afterwards. I felt totally at home in the car and it was nice to be able to gain some revenge after the first race.

Martin left Denmark on Sunday morning and summarized a eventful first race weekend in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.
– I have a lot of impressions with me from this weeekend. One of them is that I must improve my qualifying. But we could show we already have the speed so I’m very optimistic. But first of all I hope my team mate Richard recovers quickly, it was a nasty accident and I hope he will come back as soon as possible.

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth seeks comfort from Martins strong second race in what proved to be a very dramatic season opener for WestCoast Racing.
– This was a different weekend for us but we showed strong dominating pace in both races, he said. Richard did an amazing first race and Martin was equally strong in the second race. The weekend did not work out as planned with Richards terrible accident but Martin could give us a strong finish. He showed we have the speed in both cars and he will build on this. Our thoughts are now with Richard Göransson as he will recover from the injuries.

Richard Göransson led the first race with over eight seconds to second place when he on the penultimate lap had a violent crash into the concrete wall at the first turn. He was concious and was taken to the hospital where they confirmed fractures on two vertebras. The length of revocery is estimated to at least three months but Richard Göransson could take his first steps at the hospital on Sunday. The cause of accident is yet unknown and the team will undertake a complete technical investigation of the car to determine the cause of the accident. Martin Öhlin andWestCoast Racing supports Richard Göransson in his recovery. Richard Göransson will most likely be released from the hospital on Wednesday and return home to Sweden. WestCoast Racing will continually provide updates on his condition and the investigation at www.westcoastracing.se

The next round is Knutstorp in Sweden in two weeks time.

Two happy drivers left Ring Knutstorp and heads back home after two good test days in Skåne. Despite a rainy second day the team managed to get a lot done. Four time champion Richard Göransson is pleased with the start of the pre season tests.
- Now we are installed and on our way, he says. We’ve had two productive days where we also had the opportunity to gel the team with all the old and new mechanics this year. Despite the rain today we had a good second day, it gave us a chance to fine tune our rain set-ups and test some new ideas from last year. It’s great to be back on track again and the chase for the fifth title is under way!

The first two testdays with WestCoast Racing and in the touring car BMW has left Martin Öhlin with plenty of ideas for the coming tests. He is very happy with the start of the year.
- This has been very useful and I’ve learnt a lot, he says. It’s been awesome to compare my data with Richard’s and it gave me a lot of ideas to try out. I’ve been able to test a lot of new things and we have more to test next week. It’s been working really well with the team and simply put, this has been great fun!

WestCoast Racing now heads back to Halmstad for further preperations before an intensive week of testing next week.

WestCoast Racing has concluded its first test day for the year as the team started preparations for the season at Ring Knutstorp in Skåne. Richard Göransson and Martin Öhlin both tested their cars and reigning champion Richard Göransson had a fun first day as the team intiated a new development program together with suspension manufacturer Öhlins.
– It was real good fun to drive again and be back on slicks with plenty of grip, Richard says. We developed some new things together with Öhlins and got a lot done on our first test day for the year. I’ve almost forgotten how good it is to have a team mate again, I could share a lot of data with Martin and we worked well together. It’s great to be back on track again and we have a new busy day planned for tomorrow.

This was the first real STCC-test for Martin Öhlin and came to grips with the new driving style required for the touring car. Martin was happy with his first test day with the team and looks forward to the next test tomorrow.
– This was fun, extremly good fun, Martin says. It was my first proper STCC-test and it took me a while to get to grip with the new driving style. I developed during the day and it’s going in the right direction. I have a lot of impressions to think about. I went through a lot of data with Richard and now I look forward to test some new ideas for tomorrow. Our preperations have started!

WestCoast will continue the tests at Ring Knutstorp tomorrow Tuesday.

WestCoast Racing starts an intensive test period preparing for the 2011 STCC-season by doing a shake down test at Ring Knutstorp in southern Sweden today. This will be the teams first track test for the year and the start of an intensive test period in Sweden and Denmark the coming two weeks before the season starts.  In addition to installation tests to see that both cars work and setting up the new BMW for Martin Öhlin, some additional tests of new parts will also be done.

This will be Martins first test in the STCC-car since Karlskoga last summer and the first test in the BMW # 66 which he will make his touring car debut with. Team mate and four time champion Richard Göransson will be back on the race track after his rally adventures this winter, eager to start preparing for another title challenge as reigning champion.