Looks familiar

For the first time in a few years there is a blue and yellow Skoda in the paddock with the name Larsson written on its side. For a couple of years Lars Larsson was more or less unbeatable in the European Rallycross Championship, winning the title in 2006 and ’07 before packing his bags and heading into retirement. In that rest period Larsson has frequently visited ERC events but this weekend he is back in the paddock with a job to do, only now  the role is that of team manager to his son, Robin who will start a European event for the first time at the PS Racing Center in Greinbach.

There’s a blue and yellow Skoda in the paddock again.  © Tim Whittington/RallycrossWorld.com

Larsson junior (19) has worked his way through national class in his native Sweden, his 2011 season bringing a handful of top three finishes in the Supernational category. Now the Skoda Fabia that he raced last year has been rebuilt and fitted with a new two-litre engine to make it eligible for the ERC’s TouringCar class.

“I’ve tested the car, the biggest difference is that it has less power now,” said Larsson. “Because of that I have had to change my driving style a little but that’s all. Our plan is to do all the European championship events now, as long as everything goes well with the car.”

That rider about the car is added as a recent test at Höljes in Sweden was cut short by an engine problem. “We are trying some new things with the engine, it’s based on a Polo cylinder block and we had some little problems. Hopefully that’s fixed now,” said a team member, who added that Larsson had been very fast during the test. “Anton Marklund [TouringCar championship leader] was testing on the same day and Robin’s lap times were the same as his, so we were very happy with that.” Larsson’s arrival is another welcome addition to the TouringCar category which, in its fourth season as a full championship class, continues to grow steadily in quantity and quality.