Let’s start with the good things and for those of you interested, get the popcorn ready for the end of this post.
Swedish Nationals is over. A race that was held at the location where the Euros is supposed to be next year and what a race it was…
My equipment was amazing all weekend showing incredible speed in qualifying winning 6 out of 8 runs overall in both classes. This meant a double TQ and lining up on pole for both mains!
If we start with 2WD finals which was great. My XRAY XB2 with Corsatec electronics and Hitec servo was amazing! I was able to win A1 after a small mistake early on, but I made a great pass for the lead just two laps later and could bring it home.
In the second main it was a bit closer but kept it on my wheels and had a tone to tone victory securing the overall win and my 24th National title.
(click to enlarge)
Now we get to 4wd, and bear with me for this one, I will try to keep it short!
My car was so good throughout the whole weekend. Not a single mistake in qualifying and I also took a tone to tone victory in A1. Then we get to A2.
Had a great start and was pulling away lap after lap. With 2 laps to go, I make a silly mistake over the jump section in the middle of the track. I got back on track just as second placed driver got by. On the last lap on the same jump section I’m right behind, I got a little sideways over the last double and as I landed I flipped the leader over, not on purpose but it happened.
After the main was finished, I talked to the race controller and asked him about the incident. I was told that in the heat of the moment, he couldn’t make a call as he said that he would need to review video, which we don’t do at races in Sweden.
Based on this and that there was no protest filed within the 15min from when A2 was finished, I decided to sit out in A3 as you normally do when you have won the first two legs.
As A3 was finished 2h after I took the win in A2, I was called to have a meeting with head referee and the other driver involved in that incident. He explained there was a protest filed regarding the overall result.
He asked for both of our view of the incident that happened in the last lap of A2.
After we both gave our views on it, we were told he was going to make a decision based on what we said together with his view combined.
Five minutes goes by and we got called back for the verdict of the situation.
As we sit down he tells us that he is going to swap position between the two of us for the incident as he gave me a 10sec penalty for what happened 2h earlier.
So in the end I finished 2nd overall…
I don’t really know what to say….
Thank you to all my amazing sponsors for supporting me! My complete package was on rails this weekend so it’s with a bittersweet feeling I don’t have two 1st place trophies with me back home, but we will move on to the next one and I’m just getting warm in my new clothes
