EC Valkenswaard: Eklund 14th again

Time practice:
1. Michael Jernberg, Ford, 00:38:19
2. Kenneth Hansen, Citroën, 00:38:81
3. Ludvig Hunsbedt, Volvo, 00:38:85
4. Morten Bermingrud, Citroën, 00:39:09
5. Lars Larsson, Skoda, 00:39:26
6. Guttorm Lindefjell, Ford, 00:39:28
7. Sverre Isachsen, Ford, 00:39:65
8. Jos Kuypers, Ford, 00:39:72
9. Christopher Evans, Opel, 00:39:80
10. Per Eklund, Saab, 00:39:83
22. Andrew Nesbitt, Saab, 00:40:96

Heat 1:
1. Kenneth Hansen, Citroën, 02:37:07
2. Sverre Isachsen, Ford, 02:38:80
3. Michael Jernberg, Ford, 02:39:16
4. Andreas Eriksson, Ford, 02:39:44
5. Guttorm Lindefjell, Ford, 02:39:48
6. Ludvig Hunsbedt, Volvo, 02:39:92
12. Per Eklund, Saab, 02:43:23 2
7. Andrew Nesbitt, Saab, 02:51:20

Heat 2:
Eklund starts with Nottveit, Pauwels Carnegie and Wicik (no start).It is Nottweit who has the best start and goes first into the first corner. Eklund and Pauwels are next to each other, but in the second corner it is Pauwels who takes the second place, followed by Eklund and Carnigie.
All drivers are very close to each other and driving there laps.
But in the last lap, Nottveit goes wide and Pauwels and Eklund can overtake him.Pauwels is first over the finish line, followed by Eklund, Nottveit and Carnegie.

Ekund drives a 13th time overall.

1. Kenneth Hansen, Citroën, 02:39:75
2. Michael Jernberg, Ford, 02:41:45
3. Sverre Isachsen, Ford, 02:41:53
4. Guttorm Lindefjell, Ford, 02:41:97
5. Christopher Evans, Opel, 02:44:41
6. Stig-Olov Walfridsson, Renault, 02:44:51
13. Per Eklund, Saab, 02:46:98
18. Andrew Nesbitt, Saab, 02:49:72

Heat 3:
Eklund starts with Nottveit, Pauwels, Doran and Walfridsson.
All drives take a good start and 5 cars drive next to each other to the first corner. It is Nottveit, Doran and Walfridsson onthe outside hitting eachother. Doran drives next to the track and lands on his top in the sandbank. Walfridsson brakes his rear wheel.
Eklund is in front of Pauwels and drives first into the corner, followed by Pauwels. But the officials give a red flag.
At the second start it is Pauwels who went first into the first corner followed by Ekluns and Notweit.Eklund follows Pauwels in short distance. In the second lap, Pauwels is driving wide into the "Per Eklund" corner and Eklund canput his Saab 9-3 on the inside and overtakes Pauwels.
Eklund wins this heat, Pauwels 2nd and Nottveit 3rd.
With this time, he has a 8th time overall.

1. Michael Jernberg, Ford, 02:37:65
2. Lars Larsson, Skoda, 02:38:68
3. Pavel Koutný, Ford, 02:39:27
4. Morten Bermingrud, Citroën, 02:39:96
5. Ludvig Hunsbedt, Volvo, 02:40:86
6. Morten Jespersen, Peugeot, 02:41:76
7. Jos Kuypers, Ford, 02:41:83
8. Per Eklund, Saab, 02:42:63
18. Andrew Nesbitt, Saab, 02:46:63


With a 12th, 13th, and a 8th time, Per Eklund starts on a 4th place in the c-final, a 14th time overall.

C-final:
It is Kuypers on pole, followed by Anne, Walfridsson, Eklund, Pauwels and Jespersen.
It takes 3 starts before the C-final is really underway.
The first jumpstart is for Kuypers, the second for Pauwels.The third start is good and it is Kuypers who is first into the "Eklund corner", followed by Eklund, Anne, Walfridsson, Pauwels and Jespersen. But after the first corner, Anne is bumping very hard into Eklund's Saab. Eklund is pushed to the ouside and loses 2 places.
Pauwels is out in the first round. Kuypers can hold his first place to the finish line and the rest is just following.

1. Kenneth Hansen, Citroën, 20
2. Sverre Isachsen, Ford, 17
3. Lars Larsson, Skoda,15
4. Michael Jernberg, Ford, 13
5. Ludvig Hunsbedt, Volvo, 12
6. Guttorm Lindefjell, Ford, 11
14. Per Eklund, Saab, 3
23. Andrew Nesbitt, Saab, -

After the race, Eklund says: "It's very hard to get a good result. There is so much competition, a lot of good drivers with good cars. We are going back to Sweden and prepair ourselves and the car for the next race at Kinnekulle".
Also Andrew Nebitt said: "I hope to race also in Poland and Czechia with a Saab, I liked it so far, great fun!".




(C) 2007 by Mike Jager

EC Belgium: Eklund 4th in C-final

The weekend didn't start well, Eklunds mobile home bus broke down near Hamburg. "A hydrolic problem", he said. But they made it right on time with an emergency reparation.

Time practice:
01. M. Jernberg, Ford Focus, 0.39.71
02. L. Larsson, Skoda Fabia, 0.39.95
03. S. Isachsen, Ford Focus, 0.40.05
04. A. Eriksson, Ford Fiësta, 0.40.25
05. L. Hunsbedt, Volvo S40, 0.40.37
06. P. Koutný, Ford Focus, 0.40.40
12. Per Eklund, Saab 9-3, 0.40.87
27. A. Nesbitt, Saab 9-3, 0.42.75


2 Saabs on a row for Eklund Motorsport

Heat 1:
After the division 1A, the organiser watered the track. The drivers of Division 1 wait 20 minutes for the track to be dry again. The track didn't dry up totally, so Nesbitt cold not set a perfect time, also for Eklund.

01. M. Jernberg, Ford Focus, 2.46.29
02. L. Larsson, Skoda Fabia, 2.47.04
03. S. Isachsen, Ford Focus, 2.47.31
04. A. Eriksson, Ford Fiësta, 2.47.75
05. P. Koutný, Ford Focus, 2.48.83
06. K. Hansen, Citroën C4, 2.49.41
12. Per Eklund, Saab 9-3, 2.53.23
27. A. Nesbitt, Saab 9-3, 3.02.03


Eklund at the start of heat 2.

Heat 2:
At the warm-up, the car of nesbitt didn't start at ones. The mechanics had to change the ignition system. Eklunds car runs very well, no changes to the car, just some set-up changes.

Eklund had to start with Kuypers, v. Mechelen, Bermingrud and Lindefjell.
The start was good, on the outside in 3th position, after the first corner, Eklund moves to second.
But in the last lap, Eklund got a puncture left front and was forced to drive more carefull. He had to let pass v. Mechelen and Kuypers, but could made it over the finish in 4th position. He had a 14th time overall.

01. A. Eriksson, Ford Fiësta, 2.44.40
02. M. Jernberg, Ford Focus, 2.45.45
03. G. Lindefjell, Ford Focus, 2.46.83
04. S. Isachsen, Ford Focus, 2.46.97
05. K. Hansen, Citroën C4, 2.47.57
06. P. Koutný, Ford Focus, 2.47.62
14. Per Eklund, Saab 9-3, 2.52.69
23. A. Nesbitt, Saab 9-3, 2.57.17


Andrew Nesbitt behind the steering wheel

Heat 3:
Eklund had to start with Kuypers, Bermingrud Nottvet and Doran.
Eklund had a very good start and came second behind Kuypers.
But then Doran was pushed and got sideways and cause a red flag situation.

At the second start, it was Kuypers and bermingrud who took the lead in front of Eklund.
It was a very close race to the finish line, Nottvet and Doran went out.

With these results, Eklund has a 15th place overall, the 5th start position in the c-final.
Andrew Nesbitt has a 27th, 23th and 20th time, a 25th place overall. He is going faster every heat. Perhaps he is also coming to Valkenswaard.

01. M. Jernberg, Ford Focus, 2.44.49
02. L. Larsson, Skoda Fabia, 2.45.98
03. K. Hansen, Citroën C4, 2.46.29
04. P. Koutný, Ford Focus, 2.46.36
05. S. Isachsen, Ford Focus, 2.47.05
06. L. Husbedt, Volv S40, 2.47.56
16. Per Eklund, Saab 9-3, 2.50.95
20. A. Nesbitt, Saab 9-3, 2.53.89


Eklund at the Duivelsberg

Results:
01. M. Jernberg, Ford Focus, 20
02. S. Isachsen, Ford Focus, 17
03. G. Lindefjell, Ford Focus, 15
04. K. Hansen, Citroën C4, 13
05. L. Larsson Škoda Fabia, 12
06. A. Eriksson, Ford Fiesta, 11
14. Per Eklund, SAAB 9-3, 3
25. A. Nesbitt, SAAB 9-3, -

Irish rally superstar to drive Eklund Saab in Belgium

From ERC24, by Tim Whittington:

Ulsterman Nesbitt has raced in Rallycross twice before, driving Pat Doran’s Escort WRC at Brands Hatch in 2004 and racing George Tracey’s MG Metro 6R4 at Mondello Park last winter. It is Tracey who has encouraged Nesbitt to try his hand in the ERC.

“I’d spoken with George [Tracey] about doing an event or two a couple of times and we got to a stage where logistics meant it was going to best to use a car from Per Eklund. I was away on business recently and when I came back it was all arranged,” said Nesbitt, for whom Rallycross is an addition to his rally events.
“I hope to do one or two more rallies this year, Rallycross is a good way to keep my hand in, I’m certainly not ready to hang up my gloves and stop rallying yet. I enjoy Rallycross, it’s a very sociable event and you can do your racing and then be back in the office the next day, it’s less time consuming than rallying.”

Nesbitt first came to prominence in 1996 when he won the Donegal International Rally in a Toyota. In a successful period driving Subarus he subsequently won the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in 2000 and 2002 and took an historic hat trick (2002, ’03 and ’04) of wins in the Jim Clark Rally.
Nesbitt also drove a Subaru in Sweden in 2004 where he made his WRC debut. More recently he has driven for Mitsubishi in WRC and Irish events.

At present Nesbitt is only certain to race in the Belgian event, although there is a possibility that he may extend his deal to include the following weekend’s Dutch ERC round. Although Nesbitt has relatively little experience of driving in Rallycross he is familiar with the sport and regular in the BRC paddock where his younger son Matthew races in Junior Rallycross.

Per Eklund tar storbråket med ro

Det var ihopkörningen som slutade med rena hoten.
Efter rallycross-SM i Strängnäs gick Thomas Rådström till full attack mot Per Eklund.
- Han skulle ta livet av mig, säger Eklund.
B-finalen i torsdagens SM-tävling tog en dramatisk vändning. I en kurva körde Eklund och Rådström ihop.
Enligt Arvikaföraren gick det till så här:
- Jag hade innerspåret. Han var kanske en meter framför mig och försökte vika in, men jag släpper aldrig till Rådström så han åkte in i mig och jag blev svartflaggad, säger Eklund.
Thomas Rådström snuvades på chansen att ta sig till A-final och i Västerbottens Folkblad går han till hård attack mot Per Eklund.
- Han har inte alla jävla får hemma i sin hjärna. Dom skulle knyckt hans licens.
- Han körde på mig bakifrån och vände runt mig. Man skulle inte få tävla om man är över 60 år, han är bara i vägen och det blir värre och värre, rasar Rådström till tidningen.
Per Eklund tar det hela med ro.
- Efter tävlingen i Knutstorp sa han att han skulle döda mig. Nu sa han igen att han skulle ta livet av mig. Den där Rådström håller alltid på, det är alltid han. Det är heta känslor, men det är så det är.
I stället för munhuggande med Thomas Rådström vill Per Eklund se en standardhöjning av domarkåren.
- De måste få bättre utbildning så de förstår vad de håller på med. Domarna är ungefär lika jobbiga som poliserna. Nu blev jag svartflaggad och har inte längre någon chans på SM.
Härnäst väntar helgens EM i Belgien för Eklund.

SOFIE GUSTAFSSON
sofie.gustafsson@vf.se 054-7 55 32
http://www.vf.se/

SC at Stägnäs: Eklund again black flag...

Today, the 5th race for the Swedisch championship rallycross at the Strängnäs Motorstadion, ended in the B-final.
Per Eklund drove at the time practice a second time.

1 Lars Larsson Skoda Fabia ( 0.33,93 ) 0.33,80
2 Per Eklund Saab 9-3 0.33,99 ( 0.34,28 )
3 Michael Jernberg Ford Focus ( 0.34,35 ) 0.34,04
4 Andreas Eriksson Ford Fiesta ( 0.34,48 ) 0.34,06
5 Stig-Olov Walfridsson Renault Clio ( 0.34,13 ) 0.34,11

At the qualification heats, Eklund drives a 5th, 5th and a 7th time overall. This results in a second place at the startgrid in the B-final. Walfridsson and Jokinen are going to the A-final.

In the A-final, it is again Larsson who wins, in front of Walfridsson and Eriksson.

Results:
1. L. Larsson, 20+3
2. Walfridsson, 17
3. Eriksson, 15+2
4. M. Jernberg, 13
5. M. Jokinen, 12
6. I. Gunnarsson, 11+1
7. M. Nilsson, 10
8. T. Radström, 9
9. I. Bjöörn, 8
10. P. Eklund, 7