Jimmy Eriksson made history by securing the first STCC win for an electric car winner. But it was a long way off.
The winner of the final, Robert Dahlgren, was disqualified after the finish due to a technical fault.
STCC is the first in the world with a national electric touring car championship. But the premiere could have had a more exciting start. The audience dwindled when it started raining and when it was time for the elimination, parts of the track were flooded.
The competition was delayed and the organizers had to clear the track with a tractor.
But when the racing finally got underway, it led to a final between Robert Dahlgren and Jimmy Eriksson. Dahlgren won two final heats and thought he had won the premiere. But Eriksson ended up being declared the winner.
"It's fantastic to take home the win, even if it didn't happen in the way you want it to. But I'll take a win every day of the week," says Jimmy Eriksson to STCC's website.
Dahlgren's joy was, however, short-lived. For he was disqualified after a technical inspection showed a incorrectly mounted arm.
"It was clearly wrong, and we accept this. It's just carelessness from our side. Mistakes are made, but we do it as a team, and unfortunately it hit Robert this time," says Marcus Ekström, team manager for CUPRA Sweden – PWR to STCC's website.
The new concept head-to-head has a copied layout from skiing's sprint competition. First a qualifying round and then elimination until a final in best of three heats.
Saturday's race was Jimmy Eriksson's first in STCC and he shows that he is to be reckoned with as a challenger during the season. He came fifth in qualifying, had the fastest time both in the quarterfinal and semifinal, and made it to the final by defeating Ola Nilsson. Then it went as it went.
The premiere weekend was supposed to be a dazzling show on the temporary track between Scandinavium and Ullevi in central Gothenburg. A new start for STCC with electric cars, new concept with head-to-head racing on city center tracks.
But then came the rain. And the party was off. The forecast for tomorrow does not look any better.
