The pressure is on

Just eight laps to learn a challenging new track.

With the exception of those who drove the track during the press days run ahead of this fourth round of the European Rallycross Championship, the Lånkebanen is new territory and that means that the free practice sessions are perhaps even more important than usual; just eight laps in which to learn and find the fastest way around what appears to be a challenging track before the necessity to go to the edge and post a timed lap. There is a sense that the pressure is on for those who have not driven here and the viewing area reserved for team members is both busier than usual and a little more tense as engineers look for every detail of the lap in a bid to get the best for their car and driver.

“It’s not an easy track, but one that is fun to drive if you get a good lap,” said former European champion Eivind Opland who hails from nearby Trondheim, “I think it will be good for the Norwegian and Swedish drivers because it’s they are used to this kind of track, up and down, but the best drivers learn fast too. I was very tempted to try and drive here because it’s my home track and all the time I was racing there was never a race so close to home. Watching now my heart is going faster!”

Opland has an involvement here, assisting his close friend Henning Solberg who has replaced Marc Laboulle in the M Technologies Citroën C4 for this event. The Norwegian World Rally Championship star was, however, the first to experience trouble this morning, a spark plug failure curtailing his first run in free practice after just two laps. According to the French team, the failure has not affected the engine and Solberg will be back on the track for the second free session.

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