Malin
Oct 15, 2004, 4:44 AM
The final round of the Swedish Rally Championship was quite a show, where the Champion proved his skill. Thomas Rådström had no problems in his Olsbergs Toyota Corolla WRC to keep his opponents behind him from the start to the beginning.
Andreas Eriksson, Ford Focus WRC, tried to disturb him at the very beginning at the Friday stages - tough dusty and loose gravel stages - but he never really succeeded. Rådström took his seventh consecutive Championship victory - this year. The reason why he didn't win all the eight rounds was that he didn't enter Bergslagsrallyt - the first round. He has been absolutely superior to all of his competitors this year.
Andreas Eriksson tried again the second day when there were faster, harder roads and at the end he seemed to get closer. But Rådström did not drive faster than he needed at any time and he had the entire rally in his hands. The difference at the end between these two drivers was 5,3 seconds - quite enough for Rådström - who in fact did not even need to participate in the final. He was the champion already before this final race.
At the finish there was a private plane waiting to transport Rådström to the rally cross Championship final that started the same day at Kinnekulle Ring. A busy man obviously. Third was Mats Thorszelius in a Toyota Corolla WRC, 45 seconds behind and number four was Eddie Hörbing in an identical Toyota - 1 minute and 10 seconds later than the winner.
Gold medal in Group A 4WD category to Rådström, 70 pts, silver to veteran Mats Jonsson, Ford Escort, 47 pts, and bronze medal to young Mats Thorszelius, 46 pts.
The Group N fight for the gold medal was expected to stand between Kenneth Bäcklund and Stig-Olov Walfridsson but that fight took an end at the very first stage. Walfridsson had to retire with a broken gearbox at that stage and thus Kenneth Bäcklund took the gold medal. Behind him was a very fast and promising young driver, Tobias Gustafsson, in a similar car, but he was 18 seconds after Bäcklund and third was Patric Carlsson who succeeded the be the Champion bronze medallist thanks to his third place.
In Group A 2WD the fast JWRC driver PG Anderson in his Suzuki Ignis offered the most impressing drive. He was eighth overall and had no challenger at all in the class. Next to him was Leif Peterson driving a two-litre Golf Kit Car and he was distanced with more than one minute and a half. PG´s usual opponent Jimmy Joge, Peugeot, could not reach the gold medal and Jimmy was not threatened from behind, so the team decided to enter him in a brand new Peugeot 206 RC in Group N. But no success in that test. He had to retire with a broken drive shaft at the first day.
Rejmerally : final results
1. Thomas Rådström, Toyota Corolla WRC, 49.31,2
2. Andreas Eriksson, Ford Focus WRC, 49.36,5
3. Mats Thorszelius, Toyota Corolla WRC, 50.17,0
4. Eddie Hörbing, Toyota Corolla WRC, 50.41,8
5. Mats Jonsson, Ford Escort, 50.48,1
6. Jari Saarinen, Ford Escort, 51.11,3
7. Kenneth Bäcklund, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, 52.01,3
8. Tobias Gustafsson, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, 52.20,0
9. PG Anderson, Suzuki Ignis, 52.48,1
10. Patric Carlsson, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, 53.34,1
the winner Thomas Rådström :D
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/4828/305_ssr04-05_thomas_jumping.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/4682/IMG_2452.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/6733/IMG_2425.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/7046/IMG_2442.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/7351/IMG_2479.jpg
Andreas Eriksson, Ford Focus WRC, tried to disturb him at the very beginning at the Friday stages - tough dusty and loose gravel stages - but he never really succeeded. Rådström took his seventh consecutive Championship victory - this year. The reason why he didn't win all the eight rounds was that he didn't enter Bergslagsrallyt - the first round. He has been absolutely superior to all of his competitors this year.
Andreas Eriksson tried again the second day when there were faster, harder roads and at the end he seemed to get closer. But Rådström did not drive faster than he needed at any time and he had the entire rally in his hands. The difference at the end between these two drivers was 5,3 seconds - quite enough for Rådström - who in fact did not even need to participate in the final. He was the champion already before this final race.
At the finish there was a private plane waiting to transport Rådström to the rally cross Championship final that started the same day at Kinnekulle Ring. A busy man obviously. Third was Mats Thorszelius in a Toyota Corolla WRC, 45 seconds behind and number four was Eddie Hörbing in an identical Toyota - 1 minute and 10 seconds later than the winner.
Gold medal in Group A 4WD category to Rådström, 70 pts, silver to veteran Mats Jonsson, Ford Escort, 47 pts, and bronze medal to young Mats Thorszelius, 46 pts.
The Group N fight for the gold medal was expected to stand between Kenneth Bäcklund and Stig-Olov Walfridsson but that fight took an end at the very first stage. Walfridsson had to retire with a broken gearbox at that stage and thus Kenneth Bäcklund took the gold medal. Behind him was a very fast and promising young driver, Tobias Gustafsson, in a similar car, but he was 18 seconds after Bäcklund and third was Patric Carlsson who succeeded the be the Champion bronze medallist thanks to his third place.
In Group A 2WD the fast JWRC driver PG Anderson in his Suzuki Ignis offered the most impressing drive. He was eighth overall and had no challenger at all in the class. Next to him was Leif Peterson driving a two-litre Golf Kit Car and he was distanced with more than one minute and a half. PG´s usual opponent Jimmy Joge, Peugeot, could not reach the gold medal and Jimmy was not threatened from behind, so the team decided to enter him in a brand new Peugeot 206 RC in Group N. But no success in that test. He had to retire with a broken drive shaft at the first day.
Rejmerally : final results
1. Thomas Rådström, Toyota Corolla WRC, 49.31,2
2. Andreas Eriksson, Ford Focus WRC, 49.36,5
3. Mats Thorszelius, Toyota Corolla WRC, 50.17,0
4. Eddie Hörbing, Toyota Corolla WRC, 50.41,8
5. Mats Jonsson, Ford Escort, 50.48,1
6. Jari Saarinen, Ford Escort, 51.11,3
7. Kenneth Bäcklund, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, 52.01,3
8. Tobias Gustafsson, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, 52.20,0
9. PG Anderson, Suzuki Ignis, 52.48,1
10. Patric Carlsson, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, 53.34,1
the winner Thomas Rådström :D
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/4828/305_ssr04-05_thomas_jumping.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/4682/IMG_2452.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/6733/IMG_2425.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/7046/IMG_2442.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/7351/IMG_2479.jpg