Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden and Rickard Rydell have won the 2011 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship title following a highly dramatic season finale at Mantorp Park on Saturday. 1998 BTCC champion Rydell went into the weekend two points adrift of championship leader Fredrik Ekblom, but took over at the top of the standings with victory in the opening race of the meeting. The second and decisive race then played host to a gigantic title showdown, as Rydell eventually managed to take the chequered flag in fourth to seal his – and Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden’s – first-ever STCC crown after having overtaken Ekblom’s Team biogas.se team-mate Thed Björk. The achievement comes about as a result of extensive team work over the two days of the event, with Rydell having been propelled to Pole Position with the help of slipstreaming from team-mate Michel Nykjær in Friday qualifying. The Dane then put up a solid display of driving to protect Rydell from threatening attacks in the races, while the team’s third driver – Viktor Hallrup – also contributed to the cause through a defensive start to Race 2 while sitting right behind Rydell.
- Rickard Rydell (1st / 4th): ”One year ago, Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden was a one-car team – today, we are standing here with a line-up of three Cruzes and as the new STCC champions. The last time I raced for a full year in Sweden was back in 1988, when I lost a Formula 3 title due to a broken gear lever here at Mantorp Park. This feels like recompense for that day. I have had tremendous support from my team-mates, my engineer Jonas Jarlmark and everybody else within Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden – I owe this title to them, and I hope it’s a good way to pay them back for all their work. We are now going to celebrate this title the way it should be celebrated!” - Michel Nykjær (5th / 18th): ”I am glad to have been able to help Rickard and the team win this title – that’s why I was asked to come here, and it’s great to have delivered what I was supposed to deliver. I set the fastest lap of the race in the opening heat and the car has been brilliant all weekend. I was penalised for a small incident in Race 2 – hence my end result – but that doesn’t really matter on a day like this when we have been fully focussed on Rickard’s title bid.” - Viktor Hallrup (11th / 15th): ”I didn’t get things to where I wanted them in qualifying, but our race pace has been as good as anyone’s this weekend and I was able to reach P11 by the end of Race 1. I started right behind Rickard in Race 2 and managed to cover him during the opening few laps until my engine suddenly stopped running, costing me several positions before I could get it started again. It would have been fun to end the season with a better personal result, but the main thing today is definitely Rickard’s championship win – and he thoroughly deserves it!” - Nicklas Karlsson (team principal): ”This is the biggest success so far in the history of Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden, and it’s difficult to describe the emotions I am going through right now. The entire team has worked flawlessly throughout the season, and to be able to crown that dedication in this manner is very, very rewarding. It was an incredibly tense final race, and I personally want to thank every single member of the team for their contribution to this significant achievement.” Further information regarding Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden’s STCC programme: www.chevroletmotorsportsweden.se | www.chevrolet.se | www.stcc.se Contact: Nicklas Karlsson | Team principal - Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden | Phone: +46 73-342 83 83
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