2006 STCC News & Rumours

[JMeissner]

Or to Flash?

[rustyfan]

There are indications Pontus Mörth is one of the drivers the Volvo Polestar team is talking to for this year, according to Sportinformation.com.

[Bezzen]

Robin Rudholm has signed for WCR! Now we have a new serious championship contender. Great.

Tomas Engström will also continue in STCC with his Honda Accord.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Expressen.se writes that Alexander Storckenfeldt who has been spending some time in England in single seaters are looking close for a deal with Polestar racing but are also negotiating with WCR as the 2nd driver.

[Bezzen]

As much as I love touring car racing I think I would like Storcken to try and work his way up the single seater ladder first.

[rustyfan]

Some speculation on behalf of Sportinformation.com:

- Thed Björk is likely to return as the driver of the second WCR BMW.

- 2005 Volvo S60 Challenge winner Petter Granlund, from Norway, might be looking to join Johan Stureson with the help from Peugeot Norway to form a two-car team.

- There are signs suggesting that KMS Motorsport not only will return this year but also expand to a three-car team with two-time STCC Champion Roberto Colciago making a comeback driving the third car.

I for one hope they all turn out to be accurate

[PorscheFanNo1]

That sounds great Rustyfan! Updated list:

West Coast Racing, Robin Rudholm, BMW E46
West Coast Racing, Thed Björk?, BMW E46
Polestar Racing, Edvard Sandström or Pontus Mörth?, Volvo S60
Polestar Racing, Robert Dahlgren or Alexander Storckenfeldt?, Volvo S60
KMS, Fredrik Ekblom?, Audi A4
KMS, Tommy Kristofferson?, Audi A4
KMS, Roberto Colciago?, Audi A4
Engström Motorsport, Tomas Engström, Honda Accord
Engström Motorsport, Jens Hellström?, Civic or Accord?
IPS Motorsport, Johan Sturesson, Peugeot 406
IPS Motorsport, Petter Granlund?, Peugeot 406
Opel Team Sweden, ?, Opel Astra (new 06 car)
Opel Team Sweden, ?, Opel Astra (old ex BTCC car)
Team Italienska Bil, Mattias Andersson, Alfa 156
Veidec Racing/Flash Engineering, Jan Nilsson, BMW E90
Veidec Racing/Flash Engineering, Rickard Göransson, BMW E90
Daniel Haglöf Motorsport ?, Daniel Haglöf, Honda Civic?
MB Sport, Tobias Johansson, Mercedes C200
MB Sport, Hans Simonsson ?, Mercedes C200
Picko Troberg Racing, David Björk, BMW E46


The season it looking better and better for every week.

[FIRE]

I would like:
- Video stream of STCC races on internet.
- A Swedish WTCC round in which also the STCC entries take part (like the German DPM entries take part in the WTCC round at Oscherleben and Spa).

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I would like:
- Video stream of STCC races on internet.

Have you checked the STCC highlights movie on the STCC.se website (you can't miss it - it says "STCC Highlights Movie" on the upper right part of the front page)? Swedish commentary, unfortunately, but I guess it's better than nothing.

Obviously last year wasn't up to par with how the 2006 season is shaping up to be though

The TV coverage was much, much, much better, however - this year it will suck an elks arse (we're most likely facing a cut-down from 4 hours of live coverage down to 30 minutes tops of crappy highlights several days after the races due to a change in network)

Originally Posted by FIRE

- A Swedish WTCC round in which also the STCC entries take part (like the German DPM entries take part in the WTCC round at Oscherleben and Spa).

Problem with this is that we unfortunately lack a track suitable for an international championship. Anderstorp is probably the closest at the moment, but it lacks in several areas as well.

I reckon Gotland Ring, if they get it FIA approved, might be suitable though, especially if they get the long version completed (not entirely sure how the work is progressing, to be honest, or which layout they hope to have STCC on this year, pending said approval).

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Have you checked the STCC highlights movie on the STCC.se website (you can't miss it - it says "STCC Highlights Movie" on the upper right part of the front page)? Swedish commentary, unfortunately, but I guess it's better than nothing.

Thanks!!!

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Problem with this is that we unfortunately lack a track suitable for an international championship. Anderstorp is probably the closest at the moment, but it lacks in several areas as well.

I reckon Gotland Ring, if they get it FIA approved, might be suitable though, especially if they get the long version completed (not entirely sure how the work is progressing, to be honest, or which layout they hope to have STCC on this year, pending said approval).

Did you see the WTCC race at Puebla (Mexico) this season? Are Knutstorp, Anderstorp or Mantorp more worse than Puebla? I personal like these type of circuits more then these hypermodern boring Tilke circuits.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Did you see the WTCC race at Puebla (Mexico) this season? Are Knutstorp, Anderstorp or Mantorp more worse than Puebla? I personal like these type of circuits more then these hypermodern boring Tilke circuits.

I personaly think they are all better then Puebla, as in general the Rovals sucks hard IMO, dont like them at all. I would guess the reason Anderstorp was cut from ETCC was cause of the lack of proper pit complex, it hasnt been rebuilt since the track was built in the late 60s. I personaly would like to see WTCC at Mantorp, Swedens best track right now if you ask me. But Gotland Ring will be better, hope we can get WTCC for 2007.

rustyfan: I really hope you are wrong about the coverage this year, have they said anything about that they will only show highlight program of the races? I mean, nowdays tehy have like 4-5 channels to air it on, so why wouldnt they show it live on SVT24 that is pretty much a sport channel already?
And about 2005, I just have to ask, did you record the races or did that get skiped for various reasons?

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Thanks!!!


Did you see the WTCC race at Puebla (Mexico) this season? Are Knutstorp, Anderstorp or Mantorp more worse than Puebla? I personal like these type of circuits more then these hypermodern boring Tilke circuits.

Ah, well, it wasn't exactly Puebla I had in mind as a comparison when making the post above

Let me put it like this - what we lack here in Sweden is a Monza, a Spa-Francorchamps or a Zandvoort, in other words fast, flowing tracks. Sure, we do have some tracks with rather impressive straightaways, like Anderstorp and Mantorp, but neither one have any sweeping high-speed corners or major elevation-changes. I reckon Falkenberg comes closest to what I like to see (and I do believe it's the fastest track in Sweden at the moment as well), but the problem with Falkenberg on the other hand is that it's very short.

Hopefully Gotland Ring will live up to all the good things I've read about it, especially if they get the long layout completed. From the photos I've seen it should not only have some nice high-speed sweeping sections, but also some very nice elevation changes and long straightaways. I've also read that the track designers were inspired by classic sections of tracks like Spa and the 'Ring, so I don't see how they could fail if they get the full layout completed

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by PorscheFanNo1

rustyfan: I really hope you are wrong about the coverage this year, have they said anything about that they will only show highlight program of the races? I mean, nowdays tehy have like 4-5 channels to air it on, so why wouldnt they show it live on SVT24 that is pretty much a sport channel already?

While I have to admit I haven't seen any exact details from SVT yet, they have said that the STCC broadcasts will be included in the RACE Magazine. Add to that the fact that the Olympics and Soccer World Cup means that SVT couldn't care less about motorsports this year, as they have shown already - remember, they didn't bother to show the WRC despite that the rights-holder offered the rights to the Swedish Rally for FREE(!) - and as such I'm not getting my hopes up.

I guess there is indeed a small chance they would air the races live on SVT24, but, let's just say that I would believe that when I see it... and if they against all odds do, I can't imagine we'd get nearly four hours of uninterrupted coverage from the qualifying races, the supportraces and the main race.

So while the exact format is still unconfirmed, I think we can be certain that the coverage this year won't be as superb as it was last year on Viasat.

Originally Posted by PorscheFanNo1

And about 2005, I just have to ask, did you record the races or did that get skiped for various reasons?

I have some of the races + supportraces stored on DVD, yeah. Unfortunately I had some major, major problems with my DVD recorder during a period which included most of the second half of the STCC season, so I don't have all the races from last year, no.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

I have some of the races + supportraces stored on DVD, yeah. Unfortunately I had some major, major problems with my DVD recorder during a period which included most of the second half of the STCC season, so I don't have all the races from last year, no.

Thats a shame. Anyway, I guess we just have to wait and see what kinda coverage we'll get. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[PorscheFanNo1]

STCC.se reports that Nicklas Karlsson are set for a deal with Opel Team Sweden.

[rustyfan]

Always nice to get a former race winner back onto the grid, if it turns out to be accurate

[PorscheFanNo1]

Alexander Storckenfeldt is now confirmed at Polestar. So who will get the 2nd seat, Björk, Sandström, Dahlgren or Mörth?



West Coast Racing, Robin Rudholm, BMW E46
West Coast Racing, Thed Björk?, BMW E46
Polestar Racing, Alexander Storckenfeldt, Volvo S60
Polestar Racing, Robert Dahlgren or Edvard Sandström or Pontus Mörth or even Thed Björk?, Volvo S60
KMS, Fredrik Ekblom?, Audi A4
KMS, Tommy Kristofferson?, Audi A4
KMS, Roberto Colciago?, Audi A4
Engström Motorsport, Tomas Engström, Honda Accord
Engström Motorsport, Jens Hellström?, Civic or Accord?
IPS Motorsport, Johan Sturesson, Peugeot 406
IPS Motorsport, Petter Granlund?, Peugeot 406
Opel Team Sweden, Nicklas Karlsson?, Opel Astra (new 06 car)
Opel Team Sweden, ?, Opel Astra (old ex BTCC car)
Team Italienska Bil, Mattias Andersson, Alfa 156
Veidec Racing/Flash Engineering, Jan Nilsson, BMW E90
Veidec Racing/Flash Engineering, Rickard Göransson, BMW E90
Daniel Haglöf Motorsport ?, Daniel Haglöf, Honda Civic?
MB Sport, Tobias Johansson, Mercedes C200
MB Sport, Hans Simonsson ?, Mercedes C200
Picko Troberg Racing, David Björk, BMW E46

[rustyfan]

Great for the STCC, but at the same time it's somewhat a shame that Alexander Storckenfeldt wasn't able to progress further up the open-wheel ranks. Still, with him, Rudholm and possibly Karlsson and even Colciago entering the STCC fray, I think we easily can say that the 2006 STCC grid is shaping up to be one of the most competitive ones in quite a few years - it's going to be a war out there heh.


Lastly, a random thought..

While the STCC grid has to be considered one of the most diverse already in terms of brands represented, I think it would be nice if a SEAT or Chevrolet could find their way onto the STCC grid as well. I hope the revamped privateer class might result in that a few years down the road, when there are some more SEATs and Chevrolets out on the open market.

Not sure where I was going with that last piece but, damnit, you can never have too many brands on the grid

[PorscheFanNo1]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Still, with him, Rudholm and possibly Karlsson and even Colciago entering the STCC fray, I think we easily can say that the 2006 STCC grid is shaping up to be one of the most competitive ones in quite a few years - it's going to be a war out there heh.

I think you are right, it looks very promesing with atleast 10 names that can win races and maybe even the championship. I think we can expect scenes as we saw in 99, the year I still hold as the best ever in STCC.
I can also add that Expressen.se writes that Robert Dahlgren will stay in Polestar and Thed Björk will stay at WCS and that Edward Sandström will race for Flash Engineering in Carrera Cup together with Fredrik Roos or Alx Danielsson. But that is still rumours. Also on Jens Edmans homepage you can read that he might turn up on a couple of STCC races this year with his Peugot Team Danmark 407.

[JMeissner]

I agree with you guys, the championship is looking very promising! Rickard Pålsson & Co. does have a real good oportunity to start off on a good foot.

I think it is very strange that Seat does not have a go at STCC. The new Leon is looking to be a real killer this year in WTCC and I think it would stand a real good chance in STCC.

[Valker]

Originally Posted by JMeissner

I think it is very strange that Seat does not have a go at STCC.

I bet SEAT's absence has something to do with Audi.

[JMeissner]

Yes, I guess so with VAG and all, but that didnt stop SEAT and Audi competing against each other a couple of years ago in STCC.

[E46]

Originally Posted by JMeissner

Yes, I guess so with VAG and all, but that didnt stop SEAT and Audi competing against each other a couple of years ago in STCC.

What was SEAT team in STCC? an official one or Stureson´s IPS?

[Craner Curves]

It's a shame to see Storckenfeldt's single seater career finish so soon. But good that he still has somewhere good to race like Dahlgren, Goransson and Rudholm after doing British single seater series.

[JMeissner]

Originally Posted by E46

What was SEAT team in STCC? an official one or Stureson´s IPS?

An official one with Podium Racing.