A Thrilling Weekend of Racing Action
The Radical Cup Scandinavia’s Round 3 at Ljungbyhed Airport Race proved to be a spectacle of high-octane racing, drawing a crowd of around 7200 fans. The event saw packed grandstands, great entertaining and exhilarating performances from the drivers. Here’s a comprehensive recap of the weekend’s action, including standout performances from testing, practice, qualifying, and all three races.
Testing and Practice Sessions
The weekend kicked off with promising testing and practice sessions. Jesper Fristedt (#89, RCR Sweden) set the pace in Practice 1, demonstrating impressive speed with a best time of 51.857 seconds. Jørn Martin Aalerud (#55, Aalerud Racing) led Practice 2, clocking a time of 51.485 seconds. The competition was fierce, with the top eight drivers separated by less than half a second, hinting at the close battles that were to come.
Qualifying
Qualifying saw Erlend Juan Olsen (#911, AutoTech-Sport Norway) securing pole position with a stellar lap. Olsen’s performance set the stage for a highly competitive race weekend, highlighting his consistency and skill. Johan Leander (#25, RCR Sweden) managed to put his SR3 XXR machinery onto pole position for Race 2, as he managed to pull the fastest second-best-time in qualifying.
Race 1: Erlend Juan Olsen Dominates
Race 1 started under drying conditions with wet patches on the main straight and around the track. Olsen made a brilliant start from pole position, quickly pulling away from the field. Johan Leander (#25, RCR Sweden) and Stevan Petrovic (#42, RCR Sweden) followed closely, creating an early gap from the rest of the pack.
Despite a spin from Ludvig Bäck (#14, RCR Sweden) and a high-intensity battle between Gustav Emanuelsson (#23, Fast Motorsport Scandinavia), Fristedt, Hedberg, and Aalerud, Olsen maintained his lead to clinch victory. Leander finished second, closing the gap but unable to challenge Olsen. Petrovic rounded out the podium in third.
Race 2: Leander Claims Maiden Victory
Race 2 was marked by dramatic overtakes and a thrilling finish. Johan Leander finally secured his first win after 24 race starts and nine podiums. Petrovic managed to overtake Olsen early in the race, but a three-way battle saw Olsen slipping to third. An intense final lap saw Petrovic spin, allowing Fristedt to take P2. Olsen, initially penalized, was reinstated to P3 after an appeal, pushing Hedberg back to P4.
Race 3: Top 5 finish within 1,9 sec
Stevan Petrovic redeemed himself in Race 3 with a commanding victory, finishing just ahead of Fristedt and Olsen. The race featured a stunning start from Olsen, who jumped from P5 to P3 by the first corner. Petrovic and Fristedt battled fiercely, with the latter briefly taking the lead before getting caught in traffic. Petrovic reclaimed the lead and secured victory by a mere 0.081 seconds and with all top 5 drivers within 1,9 seconds – the closest finish in Radical Cup Scandinavia history.
Standout Performances
- Johan Leander: Best points scorer of the race weekend, achieved his first win, and moved to P3 in the standings, demonstrating significant progress.
- Jesper Fristedt: Double P2 finishes in his home race, making his debut on the RCS podium after massively impressive performances. Look out for #89 moving forward.
- Stevan Petrovic: Showed resilience and skill, winning Race 3 and securing a podium in Race 1. Petrovic maintains the overall points lead in the driver standings.
- Erlend Juan Olsen: The Norwegian driver had consistent top finishes, demonstrating his skill, resilience and high level of performance.
Championship Top 5 Standings
- Stevan Petrovic (SWE) – 217 points
- Erlend Juan Olsen (NOR) – 215 points
- Johan Leander (LUX) – 200 points
- Erik Stillman (SWE) – 183 points
- Ludvig Bäck (SWE) – 175 points
Looking Ahead
The Radical Cup Scandinavia will return at Falkenbergs Motorbana on July 12-14th, promising more thrilling racing action and fierce competition. Don’t miss the excitement as the battle for the championship continues!
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