Timerzyanov top in Sweden World Rallycross

A year ago at Holjes, Mattias Ekstrom made his rallycross Supercar debut at his home event. The Swede’s new EKS team is now three events old and made significant steps forward with lead driver Pontus Tidemand in Finland last week. Ekstrom himself experienced a tough first event with the new Audi S1 in Norway last month, but found his feat in the new car today in Holjes and lies second overall at the end of day one.

Norwegian Petter Solberg was fastest in heat one, and met Ekstrom and reigning European champion Timur Timerzyanov in their heat two race. While Ekstrom had beaten the Timerzyanov in heat one, the Russian won their heat two race to set fastest time and head the order. Ekstrom passed Solberg, who was struggling with a puncture at the end of the race to claim second, while Solberg is third overall ahead of Toomas Heikkinen. Daniel Holten makes his second appearance of the season and is fourth, while debutant team-mate Sebastien Eriksson steps up from Supercar Lites to Supercar for Sweden and is sixth. Henning Solberg continues his fast consistent pace in his Per Eklund Motorsport Saab 93 despite loosing time when he pushed the stranded Tord Linnerud over the finish line in heat two, the pair are seventh and eighth. World Championship leader Reinis Nitiss is ninth ahead of Timmy Hansen, the Swede struggled with boost issues in heat one and got involved in a frantic heat two battle. Pontus Tidemand is 11th, putting both EKS Audi’s in a semi final slot at this stage of the event, while Andreas Bakkerud is 13th ahead of the impressive Eric Faren who is 14th in only his second Supercar event.

Frenchman Davy Jeanney makes his second start of the season in Sweden having raced for Albatec Racing at Lydden Hill. Driving for the Monster Energy World RX Team, Jeanney lead his heat two race, only to be slowed by a puncture, he is 19th overall, one place ahead of Anton Marklund who overshot Holjes’ famous jump in heat one and retired so elected to ensure that he set a time in heat two, taking minimal risks. Jacques Villeneuve is 21st, he had first corner contact and another of the punctures that seem to follow the French-Canadian around in his debut rallycross season. Still awaiting his new Audi A3, Rene Munnich makes his first appearance of the season in his older Skoda Fabia, a non-finish in heat two after he was pushed off in the first corner leaves him at the bottom of the order, while fellow returnee Ludvig Hunsbedt is 27th. Lydden Hill star Robin Larsson was slowed by turbo problems in heat one, then went off in heat two, while a similar fate befell Lukas Walfridson.

Ondrej Smetana has shown plenty of potential in Super1600, but has never realised it fully. However, fastest times in heats two and three put him at the top of the order, ahead of Sergej Zagumennov and Janis Baumanis. Daniel Lundh tops the table in TouringCar ahead of Norway winner Tom Daniel Tanevik and Jari Jarvenpaa, while Finland RX Lites Cup winner Kevin Hansen continues his winning ways, fastest in both of the first two heats he is ahead of compatriot Kevin Eriksson and Linus Leise.

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