| Result:
2nd, 113 laps, 3h 01min 30,515sec. Best lap: 1:22,709 |
| The final
race of the SLC Endurance 3h
at Mantorp Park was according to me the best race of the year according
to excitment and pace. Unfortunately we did not win the title again but
we won the silver trophy. We also showed very clearly that last years victory
was no fluke and we really did not give the victory away either. |
 |
| Fun in
the sun - unusual but nice conditions for this October race! Photo M Glantz |
| On friday
we had our strategy ready. I would go for the lead and then build a gap.
Starting grid was made out of total points of a combined field of 3 and
12 hour cups racing cars, which meant we although second of the 3h cup
would start down on 15th. |
| Friday night
a leakage in the front brake calipers made us a bit worried, but the team
managed to find new calipers and replace the old ones, including brake
lines etc. |
 |
| MV Racing
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race ready. |
| Saturday morning,
Mårten had been lying awake and figured out a new strategy. It sounded
very good and included just a small risk. So Mårten took the first
stint insted of me, climbed through the field to 6th after two corners
and then up to third after only one lap. We were second after the next
lap, 7 seconds down from Hubert Bergh Motorsport who had started on front
row. |
 |
| The grid,
a mix of 45 cars. Photo A. Lillsund. |
| No safety
car situations arose during the first half hour of this race, cars were
towed during yellow flag sections instead of sending out the safety car
which is the usual way SLC has done before. Anyhow, after almost 45 minutes
it was time for safety car and after a quick driver change I was now just
10 meters behind the leaders. |
| The following
sting became a very long sprint chase where every corner and lapping had
to be done perfectly. I was very very fun and the only thing that put a
cloud on the mood was the radio communication not workning perfectly so
we would get problems when setting up for the next pitstop. |
 |
| Thomas
tried to reach me in the car - the problems made it very hard for us to
optimize the race strategy. Photo M Glantz |
| The timing
went ok with the fuel stop, although I half a lap before the pits got seriously
hung up by a driver from a lower class who didn´t know the difference
from a tow truck and a safety car and therefore did not pass the slowly
trevelling tow truck. I couldn´t risk making the pass anyway so after
our quick fuel stop and driver change, we missed getting out in front of
the safety car by just a few seconds! This could actually be why we lost
the race, as otherwise we would have gotten a lap ahead. |
 |
| Safety
Car, not so hard to recognize... Photo M Glantz |
| After the
stop I went out on new tyres and took over the lead. A stop later Hubert
Bergh Motorsport came flying out of the pits on fresh tyres and managed
to get by on the main straight, I had no chance against them up the straight.
Around the rest of the lap I began to fight back though, noticing I was
faster almost everywhere except on the straights. Now we had som really
fun racing until I span on oil out of the chicane before the main straight.
I could not see the oil since I was just a metre behind his rear bumper.
At least I did not hit anything and was on my way in just a few seconds
again. |
 |
| Close racing.
Photo M. Glantz |
| Finally time
for our last mandatory pit stop of this race and Mårten blasted away
to try and chase the leaders for the race and the title. Unfortunately
our late pit stop didn´t provide the best chances to take the lead,
so we ended second in the race and also in the final point standings. |
 |
| Oil in
the chicane explained the strange spin, all had been under complete control
going into the corner. Photo M Glantz. |
| The result
means we took the Silver Trophy of the 3h part of the National Swedish
Endurance Championship. We beat our main competitor half of the races but
unfortunately not in the final races with 50% extra points to score. |
 |
| A successful
driver trio - title winners in 2004 and winners of the silver trophy this
year. |
| Thanks to
the whole team for a really good race and a really good season! |
| Also a very
big thank you to all sponsors and partners, especially Champion and Bildelsspecialisten,
without you there would be no races or events! |
 |
| Talk to you
soon! |
| /Carl |
