Peter’s progress

Let’s be honest about this, Peter Hedström’s form in the first two European Rallycross Championship events of the year did not really match either the hype of the expectation around the Swedish driver’s first full ERC season. Equipped Michael Jernberg’s event winning Skoda Fabia II, and with a team that has been set up and funded to do the job, 14th place at Lydden and a non-score in France were not the kind of results that had been expected.

Hedström led the first heat in Austria.  © Henk de Winter/RallycrossWorld.com

In the weeks since the French event Hedström has worked hard and, together with Jernberg who has a management role in the team, worked on a new setup for the Skoda that was proven in a test at Höljes. “At the start of the year the car was setup the same way that I had it,” said Jernberg, “But Peter does not drive like me. We did a test at Höljes and he wants to drive more sideways; he’s like Stig-Olov Walfridson or Andreas Eriksson, they see a kerb and want to drive over it. That’s not my way and I think there’s a risk of punctures or damage, but Peter is happy driving like that and so we set the car up for him to drive that way and it was faster. The test was very good for him because he did about the same number of laps as three events, set good times and got his confidence back so I think that the car is right for him when it’s like this.”

While car and driver appear to be better matched here in Austria, it has not been an easy event so far. “It’s better now and feel good in the car, but when the drivers who have been here before are going so fast, setting new track record times, it’s hard for me to learn the track and try to keep up with them,” said Hedström who had a turbocharger problem in the timed practice session. “Eighth in timed practice was okay, specially as the turbo broke, and anyway we are much better here than in England or France.” With the turbo changed in time for the first heat, Hedström was on course for decent time but miscounted the laps and slowed down in the last lap, thinking that he had already finished the race. Passed by Kevin Procter, who went to place eighth, Hedström recovered to set 10th fastest time. [Later moving up to ninth when Mats Lysen was excluded for a technical irregularity].

“It was a bad mistake. But this is his first ERC season and it should be difficult; the best drivers in the world are here and if it was easy for someone like Peter to come here and win races there would be something wrong,” said Jernberg who is enjoyig his new role out of the driving seat. “At the moment I don’t miss racing at all. I enjoy this kind of work, being at the events and building cars. If I want to race again then I will build a car but at the moment I do not feel that I want to.”

As well as the ex-Jernberg car that he is racing, Hedström bought an ex-Lars Larsson ‘Mk1’ Fabia from Jochen Coox during the winter when establishing his team. The second car will be used for the first time at Höljes at the end of June when Swedish rally star PG Andersson will use it to take part in his first Rallycross event.

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