STCC - World War Three!

[JMeissner]

Gelleråsen Race
STCC 04/05/01

Race One

It was a Nissan clean sweep today at the two races at Gelleråsen, and you could easily say that this was two of the most thrilling races for a long while. But not on the track, in the graveltrap! The race turned out to be a dangerous battle between Audi and Volvo, which Nissan easily took advantage of. The Italian Roberto Colciago managed to take out both of the Volvos in the first race. Already in the first corner touched Nilsson and Colciago which send Nilsson out in the graveltrap. The safetycar was brought out immediately to recover Nilsson's stranded S40.

After three laps, when the pacecar left the track, Edman was in the lead. Edman made his best to pull away from Colciago who was in second. Though the tyres on Edman's Volvo quickly faded away which made Colciago to close up on him swiftly as the race proceeded. Colciago threw his car on the inside of Edman with three laps to go coming in to the hairpin. The two cars collided and Edman was off the track in to the graveltrap. Colciago then strolled on to take the victory, a victory that he lost after the race. He got excluded due to rough driving. This promoted young gun Tomas Nyström to his first ever STCC win.

Race Two

Carl Rosenblad took his second win of the year in the second race of the day. He finished only 0.7 seconds ahead of his impressive team mate Tomas Nyström. Yet again turned the race out to be a frenzy time for Colciago and the two Volvo drivers, Edman and Nilsson. Both Nilsson and Colciago were forced to start from the back of the grid. But the expected war between the two drivers never came. Nilsson's race ended in the first corner as he suffered from electrical problems. Colciago on the other hand started a furious chase up trough the field.

Carl Rosenblad was only inches from ending his race in the graveltrap. Edman, driving for Volvo, banged straight in to Rosenblad at the first lap as the Volvo driver desperately tried to pass. Though Rosenblad managed to keep the car on the track after a beautiful slide. The bad luck, or what you should call it, continued for Volvo. Edman was forced to come in the pits as a door on his Volvo opened. He went in and secured the door, but was forced to pit yet again only a few laps later.

Roberto Colciago was determined to really make his way through the field. As he came up to the two battling drivers Mörth and Andersson things started, yet again, to get crazy. Colciago tried to pass Andersson as they came in to the hairpin and he braked extremely late. But the problem was that Andersson braked even later if possible. Colciago did not give up just because of that and pushed Andersson right of the track. Andersson managed to rejoin the track but lost alot of time and places. Colciago continued his race and finally came home as third. The Vauxhall team did put in a appeal agains Colciago's driving manners in the second race, though the race management decided to turn it down. The war will continue in Denmark at Jyllandsringen next time on the 10:th of June, don't miss it!

Battlefield STCC

Touring car racing has always been known for thrilling races with alot of action and contact between cars. Though this STCC race was certainly one of the most extreme. The battle between Audi (Colciago) and Volvo continued in the pits after the race. Colciago took of the two Volvo drivers in the first race, something they could just not accept. Janne "Flash" Nilsson walked up to Colciago after the race and then it just snapped for him. "In two seconds you will be on the ground!" shouted Nilsson right in the face to Colciago "What is the penalty for knocking someone down?!" continued a furious Nilsson. Luckily started never any "real" fight between the two drivers as personnel from both Volvo and Audi managed to separate them. Nilsson later said that he did not regret what he made.

Colciago was totally unsympathetic for both his penalty and the anger from the Volvo team. "It was very tight coming in to the hairpin and we touched, that's what's happens sometimes." said Colciago. Colciago also accused Nilsson of throwing stones at Colciago's car during the pacecar laps. This is still unconfirmed though. "Already before the start we knew that Colciago was here to take us of the track. These incidents were no accidents!" said Nilsson to Expressen.se. The Audi team boss, Tommy Kristoffersson replied with: "Did he say that? Well, then we know which level Nilsson wants to have." The Nissan team must have been cheering as they witnessed the ongoing battle between Volvo and Audi. As the two teams took each other of the road was left free for them to take the wins. We will update this matter shortly, stay tuned!


Gelleråsen Race One

1 Tomas Nyström Nissan Primera 18 varv
2 Tommy Kristoffersson Audi A4 Quattro +0.443
3 Pontus Mörth Opel Vectra +5.128
4 Carl Rosenblad Nissan Primera +6.154
5 Mattias Andersson Vauxhall Vectra +9.951
6 Hubert Bergh Honda Accord +10.794
7 Niklas Karlsson Alfa Romeo 156 +14.690
8 Peter Hallén BMW 320i +15.461
9 Magnus Krokström Audi A4 Quattro +15.705
10 Lennart Pehrson Audi A4 Quattro +16.009
11 Jan Lindblom Volvo S40 +25.350
12 Marcus Gustafsson Alfa Romeo 156 +32.127
13 Jimmy Bohlin Ford Mondeo +34.318
14 Anders Hammer Audi A4 Quattro +34.804
15 Tomas Engström Chrysler Stratus +56.471

Retired

- Jens Edman Volvo S40
- Roberto Colciago Audi A4 Quattro
- Jan Nilsson Volvo S40
- Tobias Johansson Audi A4 Quattro
- Niklas Lovén Vauxhall Vectra
- Fredrik Sundberg Volvo S40
- Djon Clausen Alfa Romeo 155


Gelleråsen Race Two

1 Carl Rosenblad Nissan Primera 18 varv
2 Tomas Nyström Nissan Primera +0.748
3 Roberto Colciago Audi A4 Quattro +1.128
4 Tommy Kristoffersson Audi A4 Quattro +3.462
5 Pontus Mörth Opel Vectra +4.099
6 Hubert Bergh Honda Accord +4.586
7 Tobias Johansson Audi A4 Quattro +5.161
8 Mattias Andersson Vauxhall Vectra +6.176
9 Niklas Karlsson Alfa Romeo 156 +8.221
10 Jan Lindblom Volvo S40 +9.113
11 Tomas Engström Chrysler Stratus +10.425
12 Magnus Krokström Audi A4 Quattro +10.600
13 Jens Edman Volvo S40 +11.191
14 Fredrik Sundberg Volvo S40 +16.143
15 Djon Clausen Alfa Romeo 155 +27.285

Retired

- Peter Hallén BMW 320i
- Anders Hammer Audi A4 Quattro
- Jimmy Bohlin Ford Mondeo
- Marcus Gustafsson Alfa Romeo 156
- Jan Nilsson Volvo S40
- Lennart Pehrson Audi A4 Quattro
- Niklas Lovén Vauxhall Vectra

[JMeissner]

The pictures of the angry Volvo drivers...

http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=69992

[JMeissner]

Heh, well when Leslie raced the last STCC race in 2000 his comments after the race were:

"After this visit in the swedish championship the BTCC looks more like a teaparty"