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Fredrik Larsson klar för WestCoast Racing och TTA – Elitserien i racing

Fredrik Larsson är klar för WestCoast Racing som en av teamets tre hittills bekräftade förare i nya TTA Elitserien i racing. Falkenbergsföraren ser fram emot en ny stor utmaning.
– Jag är rejält laddad och det här är något jag har arbetat hela vintern för att få klart, säger Fredrik. Det är en ny utmaning där jag ska möta Sveriges bästa racerförare och det är en utmaning jag verkligen ser fram emot. Jag går in i det med en hög ambition, jag ska vara med och slåss i toppen. Det är många mycket snabba förare med och det kommer att bli viktigt att få till allting perfekt för att vara med och slåss i toppen.

Fredrik Larsson har haft TTA som huvudmål sedan mästerskapet presenterades i höst.
– Jag ville köra ett helt mästerskap igen i Sverige och då vill jag köra mot de allra bästa och de finns i TTA, säger han. Jag tävlade mot Richard Göransson för många år sen och förare som Fredrik Ekblom, Robert Dahlgren, Thed Björk och flera andra har jag inte tävlat mot tidigare. Nu har jag chansen att tävla mot dem och det känns väldigt motiverande. TTA har känts som ett rätt val från början. Alla har likadana förutsättningar och det är upp till team och förare att få till allt och det är viktigt.

Fredrik har ännu inte provat den nya TTA-bilen men har höga förväntningar.
– Det jag har hört och sett är att den är väldigt utmanande och rolig att köra och det är en riktig racerbil som svarar på det man gör och som man verkligen kan pusha. Det ska bli väldigt skoj att börja jobba med den och tillsammans med teamet få ut det allra sista. Jag kommer ha två mycket snabba teamkamrater i Richard Göransson och Martin Öhlin och ett fantastiskt starkt team i WestCoast Racing och en stor nyckel till framgång kommer att vara hur vi tillsammans kan utveckla bilen. Jag är riktigt ordentligt taggad inför det här!

Teamchef Dick Jönsson Wigroth är glad att kunna presentera Fredrik Larsson som en av teamets förare i TTA och konstaterar att bara 1,5 månader in på nya året har teamet redan tre mycket starka förare klara.
– Det känns fantastiskt att Fredrik Larsson är klar för teamets tredje TTA-bil och att vi redan har Richard, Martin och Fredrik klara för varsin bil, säger Dick. Jag och Fredrik inledde ett samarbete ifjol efter att ha känt varandra i många år och det var naturligt att fortsätta det samarbetet. Nu är ytterligare en av Sveriges allra snabbaste förare klar för WestCoast Racing BMW Dealer Team. Fredrik Larsson stärker både teamet och startfältet i TTA ytterligare och det här kommer verkligen att bli en tuff och rolig säsong.

Richard Göransson och Martin Öhlin är sedan tidigare klara för WestCoast Racing BMW Dealer Team i TTA Elitserien i racing.

Fredrik Larsson joins WestCoast Racing in the TTA Championship

Fredrik Larsson joins WestCoast Racing as one of the teams three confirmed drivers in the newly formed TTA championship this season. The former Indy Lights and Carrera Cup driver looks forward to a new challenge.
”I’m very excited and this is something I’ve worked towards the whoel winter to realize,” Fredrik says.”It’s a new challenge where I will face the best racing drivers in Sweden and it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to. I will face it with a high ambition, I will be fighting at the top. There are a lot of very quick drivers in the championship and it will be very important to get everything perfect to be able to fight at the very top.”

TTA has been a goal for Fredrik ever since the championship was formed and formally launched last autumn.
”I wanted to drive a complete championship in Sweden again and if I would do  that I wanted to drive against the best and toughest competition and that competition is in TTA. I raced against Richard Göransson many, many years ago and drivers such as Fredrik Ekblom, Robert Dahlgren and Thed Björk amongst many others I have never raced against before. Now I have the opportunity to race them all and that is a huge motivational factor. TTA has felt like the right choice from the beginning. Everyone will have equal opportunity and it will be up to the team and drivers to get it together and that is very important.”

Fredrik is yet to drive the new TTA-car but his expectations are high.
”From what I’ve seen and heard it’s a very challenging, yet fun, car to drive and it’s a proper race car that respons to changes and what you do and a car you can really push. It will be a lot of fun to start working on the car together with the team to extract everything from it. I will have two very quick and fast team mates in Richard Göransson and Martin Öhlin and a fantastic team behind us in WestCoast Racing. A key to success will be how we all can work together to get to know the car and develop it. I’m really pumped up for this!”

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth is delighted to have Fredrik Larsson join the teams TTA line-up and is proud to already have three drivers confirmed just 1,5 months into the new year.
”It’s fantastic that Fredrik Larsson will be driving our third TTA-car and that we already have been able to confirm Richard, Martin and Fredrik as our three drivers,” Dick says. ”After having know each other for many years Fredrik and I could start working together last year in the Swedish GT-programme and it was natural to continue that cooperation. Now we have yet another of the fastest Swedish drivers confirmed as a driver for WestCoast Racing BMW Dealer Team. Fredrik Larsson really strengthens not only the team but the TTA-grid and this will definitely be a tough and fun season.”

Chris Midmark Swedish GT-förare för WestCoast Racing

Regerande Ginetta Cup-mästaren Chris Midmark tar steget upp till Swedish GT och WestCoast Racing där han tillsammans med Anders Holmberg kommer tävla i teamets BMW M3 GT4 i svenska GT-mästerskapet. Chris Midmark imponerade stort när han ifjol vann Ginetta Cup och ser nu fram emot en ny utmaning.
– Det känns fantastiskt att komma in i Swedish GT och att göra det med ett team som WestCoast Racing, säger Chris. Det här är en möjlighet att inte bara utvecklas som förare utan också lära mig mer om hur man arbetar ihop med ett team och utvecklar en bil.

Chris Midmark kommer att dela bilen med Anders Holmberg som också blir ny i teamet och de har tidigare kört tillsammans.
– Jag och Anders är inte bara goda vänner utan vi har också varit teamkamrater tidigare. Det här är en gyllene chans för oss båda att visa vad vi går för och vi är stolta att vara en del av WestCoast Racing i år, avslutar Chris.

Teamchef Dick Jönsson-Wigroth välkomnar Chris och Anders till teamet och är extra glad att kunna ge en ung förare chansen tillsammans med en äldre förare.
– Det är det här GT-racing handlar om, att kunna ge en ung förare chansen att utvecklas ytterligare tillsammans med en äldre förare, säger Dick. Chris och Anders kommer göra ett bra jobb och blir utan tvekan en bra föraruppställning i vår BMW M3 GT4 i Swedish GT.

Swedish GT är en del av TTA – Elitserien i Racing, ett mästerskap startat av fyra av Sveriges mest framgångsrika team. WestCoast Racing kommer under 2012 att delta i TTA – Elitserien i Racing med fyra bilar och med en BMW Z4 GT3 i GT-mästerskap i Sverige och Tyskland samt med en BMW M3 GT4 i svenska GT-mästerskapet.

2011 WestCoast Racing season in pictures

2011 is now officially part of the history and we take this opportunity to look back at the year and summarize WestCoast Racing’s 2011 motorsportseason. A season that in many ways was an eventful season for the team with highs and lows.

WestCoast Racing was once again a two car team in STCC entering two BMW. Here verything is prepared for the very first pre-season test.



Martin Öhlin left Carrera Cup and took the step up to STCC and together with Richard Göransson he prepared for his very first STCC-season. Richard Göransson had to adjust from the rally driving he did in the winter back to racing again. He finished a sensational second overall in PWRC in Rally Sweden.

WestCoast Racing didn’t only do touring cars this year. Besides STCC the team also entered it’s first full GT-season with the BMW Z4 GT3. Fredrik Lestrup joined the team to be the main driver in the GT-programme that included a full season in Swedish GT and selected races in German ADAC GT Masters.

The STCC-season started in Denmark and everything looked great to begin with. Richard Göransson had a commanding lead of 10 seconds in the first race on the penultimate lap. But a rear brake failure entering the last lap led to a huge crash. Richard went off in the barrier and hurt his back badly. A truly shocking start to the season for the whole team.

WestCoast Racing was now back to just one car for the second race weekend two weeks later at Ring Knutstorp. Martin Öhlin was the sole driver in the team and made an heroic effort having third place in the first race when he was turned around by Johan Stureson just two laps before the finish.

The team’s first victory for the season came in the GT-race at Mantorp Park. Fredrik Lestrup together with Lars Stugemo won an exciting one hour long race. Fredrik Lestrup continued to win all the remaning races in the championship together with Fredrik Larsson.

 


STCC also went to Mantorp. Martin Öhlin was out for revenge after Knutstorp and qualified as the best BMW-driver. But this time he got pushed off in the first corner of the first lap.

Richard Göransson was badly hurt but surprised everyone by returning after just three race weekends off. He made his comeback in Gothenburg City Race and he didn’t wait around and won the race. The final lap in Denmark was now completed.

His comeback was the start of an intensive period with a lot of interest and pressure from media. Richard Göransson relaxes himself and the back between driving and interviews in the pit garage at Falkenberg. He claimed another podium here but more was to come ….
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The summer was a busy period for the team with races every weekend. STCC, Swedish GT and GT Masters. In July WestCoast Racing entered it’s first race in the competitive GT Masters, Nürburgring was the place for the debut. A lot to learn but Fredrik Lestrup proved the team has the speed by setting the fifth fastest lap in one of the two races. WestCoast Racing entered another three races in the championship after this.

Back home in STCC Richard Göransson returned as the king of STCC. He won everything, both races, during a fantastic race weekend in Karlskoga where he was unbeatable. No. 1 was back and against all odds he was actually an outside candidate for the title now.

WestCoast Racing also had time for more than racing. Together with Champion Watches we also released a WestCoast Racing watch.

STCC returned to Denmark and Jyllandsringen after the summer break. Not the team’s favourite place but after having been close many times Martin Öhlin finally managed to claim his first podium in STCC. The Denmark chapter could finally be closed.

Back home in Sweden WestCoast Racing continued to dominate the Swedish GT Championship. Here is from Falkenberg which was hit with heavy rain all weekend. Fredrik Lestrup and Fredrik Larsson was unstoppable.

After having won all races in the championship Fredrik Lestrup won the drivers championship at the final round at Knutstorp and became the Swedish GT-champion. Together with Fredrik Larsson the pair also secured the team title to the team.

And so it was time to finish the STCC-season. After two weekends with few points in Denmark and Knutstorp WestCoast Racing came to the final round at Mantorp without a shot at the title for the first time in ages. WestCoast Racing proved the pace was there but this was just simply a season when it just didn’t happen.

This was also the last race in the team’s STCC-career. An extraordinary success story which has made WestCoast Racing the most succesful team in the championship’s history with five championship titles, four times in second place overall and third place overall respectively. Ricahrd Göransson is the most succesful driver with four titles, three of which with WestCoast Racing, and 37 race victories of which a majority won with WestCoast Racing. The cars are now up for sale.

The next challenge is TTA. WestCoast Racing is one of the four founding teams of a new Swedish championship. During the summer and autumn the testing of the prototype which will form the basis for the new car started.

Besides a large programme in TTA WestCoast Racing also plans an increased GT-programme with compeition both in Sweden and Germany. 2012 will be another intensive and busy year for WestCoast Racing.

 

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all partners, all guests that have joined us at the races, our fans, colleagues and competitors for support this year. We promise to return with exciting news for 2012 during the next few months.

Pictures:

STCC – Mediaempire.se
GT – Martin Palm, Martin Öberg, Thomas Granbacka, Mikael Teng, Christoffer Ahlin

Richard Göransson enters Rally Sweden in a MINI WRC

Racing driver Richard Göransson will face the challenge of his professional life this winter. He will take on the world’s best rally drivers on their own territory – in the top class!

After last years success where Richard Göransson finished second overall in the PWRC class in Rally Sweden he is now ready for an even greater challenge, to compete in the WRC-class. A challenge he hasn’t fully understood himself yet.
”This is the greatest challenge in my career and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous”, Richard says. ”It is after all just over a year ago that I drove my very first rally and now I will compete in WRC.”

Richard will be driving a MINI John Cooper Works WRC in Rally Sweden, a car entered by the british factory team Prodrive. Richard says a big reason for his WRC-drive in Rally Sweden is to become an even better racing driver.
”I’ve been on top in racing for several years and for me it’s important to continue develop as a driver and doing rallying is a way of achieving this. I learn how to improvise, to face different conditions in a much better way and quicker make the right decisions when behind the wheel. Rally is still something completely new for me and WRC is the biggest thing you can do as a rally driver, it’s the Formula 1 of rally,” Richard explains.

Richard will continue his cooperation with Fredrik Eljas and Eljas Motorsport with whom he worked together in Rally Sweden last year. Fredrik Eljas will be involved as an advisor to Richard and responsible for events. He will also handle the test and competion programme Richard is planning in order to prepare for Rally Sweden.
”Last winter Richard shoved us he has an extraordinary speed in a rally car despite few preparations before hand,” Fredrik says. ”The cooperation with Richard developed us as a team as well and this will be the first time Eljas Motorsport is involved in a WRC-programme in Rally Sweden.”

Rally Sweden is held between February 9th and February 12th and Fredrik Eljas has a clear goal.
”First of all we will make sure we have fun and enjoy the moment. Last year we set a the target of finishing top 5 in PWRC, a goal we surpassed with great margin with a second place. If we could get into the points this time around, meaning finishing tenth overall or better, it would be an extraordinary effort,” Fredrik Eljas concludes.

Experienced and succesful world championship rally team Prodrive develops and builds the MINI WRC factory cars. They look forward to the challenge of guiding Richard Göransson against the worlds best rally drivers in WRC.
” Prodrive are delighted to be working with a driver of Richard’s talent”, Richard Taylor of Prodrive says. ”Although he is more used to dry tarmac Richard does have previous snow rally experience and  we know that the MINI WRC car is very easy to drive and are sure he will have no trouble adapting to it. Our aim is to help Richard to achieve his best ever finish in Rally Sweden.”