Test Sessions
Friday’s test sessions saw the drivers fine-tuning their setups for the challenging Rudskogen circuit. Championship contenders Stevan Petrovic and Erlend Juan Olsen were among the quickest, but it was clear that the competition was fierce across the grid. Newcomers like Kim Karlsen and Lilo Elise Fyrileiv used the sessions to get acclimated to the track, showing promising pace as they prepared for their race debuts.
Qualifying
Saturday’s qualifying session was dominated by Erlend Juan Olsen, who secured a commanding double pole position. Olsen’s performance set the tone for the weekend, clearly marking him as the driver to beat. Rasmus Hedberg impressed with his best qualifying of the season, securing P2. Championship leader Stevan Petrovic could only manage P4, which added an extra layer of excitement as his rivals saw an opportunity to close the points gap. Kim Karlsen and Lilo Elise Fyrileiv made steady progress, qualifying P10 and P12, respectively, setting themselves up for a competitive race debut.
Race 1
Race 1 kicked off with drama from the start. Lars-Bertil Rantzow made an excellent getaway from the second row, taking the overall lead into Turn 1. The opening corner saw four cars go wide, but thankfully, there were no incidents. Rasmus Hedberg, who started on the front row, lost several positions after being squeezed to the outside.
Jørn Martin Aalerud had a fantastic start, moving from P5 to P3 in the opening laps. However, the race took a dramatic turn when Lilo Elise Fyrileiv and Peter Gustafson made contact, resulting in a DNF for Lilo. Olsen, after losing the lead to Rantzow, fought back and regained P1, pulling away with a strong pace. A late safety car bunched up the field, but Olsen handled the restart perfectly, securing the win in the PRO SR3 category. Aalerud finished P2, with Petrovic taking P3. In the Platinum class, Rantzow claimed the win, finishing P2 overall.
Race 2
Race 2 continued the weekend’s excitement. Olsen started from pole, but once again, Rantzow’s strong start saw him take the lead into Turn 1. Hedberg lost ground after being forced wide, while Aalerud made a mistake under braking, cutting the corner and causing a collision that took both Olsen and Petrovic out of the race. Aalerud was able to continue, but the two championship contenders were out, leading to a major shakeup in the points standings.
The safety car was deployed, and at the restart, Leander, Hedberg, and Bäck led the PRO SR3 field. Erik Stillman received a 10-second penalty for overtaking under the safety car, further adding to the drama. A late-race collision between Emanuelsson and Karlsen saw both drivers retire, adding to the list of casualties. In the final lap, Rantzow spun, handing the victory to Leander, with Hedberg in P2 and Aalerud recovering to P3. This result allowed Leander to take a crucial points lead in the championship.
Race 3
The final race of the weekend saw perfect conditions for racing. Aalerud and Hedberg started from the front row, but it was Rantzow who once again made the best start, taking the lead into Turn 1 and holding it until the checkered flag. Aalerud maintained the lead in the PRO SR3 category, while Hedberg lost a position to Stillman early on.
Meanwhile, Petrovic and Olsen, starting from the back, began their charge through the field. However, Petrovic’s championship hopes took a hit after contact with Kim Karlsen forced both to retire. Olsen managed to climb to P3 but was hit with penalties for a jump start and overtaking under the safety car, dropping him to P6. Rantzow took the overall victory, while Aalerud, Stillman, and Hedberg rounded out the PRO SR3 podium.
As the series heads to the final round at Ring Knutstorp, the championship is wide open, with five drivers still in contention.