Slings and arrows

One year on from his sensational debut victory in the 2011 Swedish event at Höljes, Krzysztof Skorupski has returned to this northern outpost of the European championship determined to land his first win of the 2012 season.

The Pole started the year as one of the favourites in the ferociously competitive Super1600 championship but ended the first half of the series in fifth place, 19 points down on leader Andreas Bakkerud. “It’s has not been as good as I hoped,” admitted Skorupski, “We don’t as much power as the Renaults, I have 217bhp and they have just over 240, so that is some difference, but also four of the tracks in the first half of the year were new to me and that makes a difference. I hope that the second half of the year will be better because I raced here and in Belgium and Holland last year. Höljes is great, I love these big kerbs and the crazy flying and because we don’t have a race in Poland this year year it’s like a home race for me.”

Skorupski looked liked he owned the racetrack in the first heat, winning his race easily and setting fastest time. His joy, however, was short lived as scrutineers found fault with his Polo in a post-race technical check and the Stewards of the Event excluded him from the first heat, and leaving the fastest driver in the house with the clear mission of fighting his way back into the A final in today’s two heats, and from there to snatch that longed-for victory.

[portfolio_slideshow]