A New Year and a new racing schedule. For the first time, V8 Thunder Cars (V8TC) will not drive as a support class for Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC). V8TC will try to make it on their own in 2016. But V8TC will not be “alone” on the race weekend events.
When I interviewed drivers in the series last year, I also asked “what about expanding the series to outside Sweden?” I think the promoters for the series (PMR) were busy last year, because V8TC will do just that – expand the series outside Sweden. In cooperation with V8 Thunder Finland (includes Estonian drivers), there will be a “Baltic Trophy” competition, including two mutual race weekends – one in Sweden (Mantorp) and one in Finland (Ahvenisto).
11-12 June “Power Meet”, Ljungbyhed Raceway
9-10 July “Västkustloppet” (“West Coast Race”), Falkenberg Motorbana
20-21 August “Brith Memorial”, Falkenberg Motorbana
10-11 September “The Great Baltic Race”, Ahvenisto Race Curcuit (FINLAND)
24-25 September “Showdown”, TBASchedule is preliminary. Click on race track link above for more local info.
Personal reflections on V8TC’s 2016 schedule and the series new “solo” approach.I think the schedule looks interesting. You have a “new” Swedish race track this season (Ljungbyhed Raceway). I have never been at Ljungbyhed Raceway, but I’m looking forward to paying it a visit. I think racing one race/season at Falkenberg Motorbana would have been enough though. Two times in a row doesn’t make my racing pulse go up as it used to. Instead I’m missing my personal favorite, Ring Knutstorp and the classic race track of Anderstorp Raceway.
So, V8TC series will try to act as a “main race event” and not as a support of STCC. Will it be a success? Hard to tell. I really hope so. V8TC had a magnificent media boost last season and Sweden race fans seams to like those V8 American cars more and more (that’s awesome). I’m just afraid that some race fans will chose STCC race weekends instead of V8TC. My personal reflections from some fans is that STCC is the main event and the rest is more like a “bonus”.
Lets wait and see. Hopefully the stands will be filled with plenty of race fans on all race weekends this season. Racing is always best live! (JS)