Messy STCC weekend at Ring Knutstorp
The second to last STCC race of the season took place this weekend at Ring Knutstorp. A weekend that easily qualifies in the top as the messiest of the season. Volvos team Polestar Racing and driver Robert Dahlgren were just a lap from completing the most spectacular race of the season - to win a race from last on the grid. Then came Thed Björk.
Dahlgren qualified in pole but was forced to retire in heat one, while in lead, with a broken gearbox. This meant he had to start the second race from the very last spot on the grid. From this last position, Dahlgren managed to pass seventeen cars working his way up behind the race leader Thed Björk in BMW. Two laps from the end, Dahlgren initiated overtaking Björk in the first corner after the start and finish straight. Dahlgren is on the inside and a half car length ahead exiting the corner when Björk steered in to Dahlgren. Björk hits Dahlgren's left front wheel and breaks his track rod. Dahlgren, left without steering, goes straight out in the gravel where he gets stuck. Björk falls back too and finishes ninth.
"Incredibly frustrating. This would have easily been the race of my life. I do not understand how Björk and his team are reasoning. I passed the complete field without an incident, but every time I am close to a BMW from Flash Engineering, I end up with a problem. If they don't hit me in the start, they hit me when I try to pass" says a disappointed Robert Dahlgren.
Beyond this incident, Tommy Rustad was also affected by several crashes which the race stewards still have not resolved. At this time, it seems that Rustad will at least accumulate seven points and would thereby shadow championship leader Thed Björk with a maximum of seven points for the finale. Robert Dahlgren was left without points this weekend.
"This is very disappointing. Unfortunately, the teams and the drivers have learned that this behavior can be rewarding. When Thed Björks team mate, Jan Nilsson, pushed Dahlgren off track in the start at Karlskoga, we filed a protest. This was rejected and could not be appealed. Now Dahlgren is hit again and ends up with another ruined race" says Christian Dahl, Team Manager for Volvos team Polestar Racing.
