It bites!

You know what it’s like the first time you see a Supercar race each year; how that first machine-gun rattle of anti-lag and launch control, the jaw-dropping acceleration away from the staring line shocks your senses and blows out the winter cobwebs. Imagine what it’s like for a racer, specially the kind who has come from a successful career in another sport, made the switch to motor sport and won at every level on the road to the Supercar class. Knut Ove Børseth is one such and is rediscovering the buzz of driving a Supercar in this weekend’s Norwegian ERC event. ‘Rallycross in Hell’ is Børseth’s home event, which explains why he has made time to take part. His absence from the track has been to focus on the Drive for Life charity organisation that he established in 2011 and which has now expanded to more than 10 locations across Norway as well receiving recognition in a visit from Norway’s royal family.

© Tim Whittington/RallycrossWorld.com

Today, however, Børseth looks like a kid who has just been given the key to the sweet shop. “Wow! You forget how great these cars are, there’s nothing like a Supercar,” he said buzzing with excitement after practice. “We have been so busy with Drive for Life this year that there has not been time for anything else. I had hoped to race a few times this year so in the winter the car was rebuilt and it was ready to go, that made the decision to come here easier, and of course it’s our home race so there is some extra importance because of that. Things are going very well with Drive for Life and I hope that there will be a little bit of time for racing again soon but I can see that we definitely made the right decision this year to focus on work and put racing on one side; there was not time to do both things properly and now we can see really good results in Drive for Life”

Racing, as we all know, is infectious stuff and Børseth is already thinking that there might be time to squeeze in another event this year. The obvious question is about the perennial end-of-season favourite at the Estering, ‘Will you think about Germany?’ The response is immediate and surprising: “Perhaps. But if the car is one piece tomorrow night I think I will call Höljes and see if we can start there next weekend!” said Børseth who has clearly been bitten once again by the racing bug.

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