Malmgren Pro stock Racing 2007 resume!
After getting car home from US-tour, we went to local track right away to try out set up to see if it also did work for our track conditions. It ran right off the trailer very good and we only had to work with small adjustments. To be on top off everything we still decided to go to Santa Pod in UK for test and tune weekend 4 days before main event.
On first hit we never came off the starting line due to a Koni electrical shock box that went dead, that ended that day for us. No new box was to be found in UK, so we had to go back to Sweden but left truck and trailer at track. Our “ new crewmember” and supervisor Marcus Bowen ( ex Mark Pawuk crew chief for 8 years) had come over from US to help us with tuning, but he ended up in a hotel hole week as it rained every day up to Friday at Main event where we was back in action with new Koni box in place) and one in spare in trailer) First qualifying run on Friday we run 6.84-202 so 1 hundred below record, on next hit we run unbelievable 6.80-202.6 with in mind that second fastest was Ero Knitilaa with 6.85 and 3:rd was Jimmy Ålund with 6,87. So we felt this was our race, but then rain hit us for the rest off the weekend, and Marcus Bowen had to fly back to US. He spent 10 days in UK and we made 2 runs, so we really couldn’t test anything. What a waste!
Next stop was Alastaro Finland again low qualifier and things looked real good again, we won first round, and Knitilaa red lighted so we gain one round on him we thought, but the car he run against had to small wing and was out and then unbelievable they did put back Ero in ladder. All teams protested but the Finnish people didn’t want to listen to that.
After first round the race was called off due to heavy rain again.
Next stop our home track and Marcus Bowen came over again to help out and we spent 2 days at local track to test, first day went very good, but second day rained out, so we never could fulfil the test plan we had.
At Mantorp we totally crashed the field by stunning 6,81-202.6 with in mind that this is a uphill track and at 1000 ft higher altitude then Santa Pod where we run 6.80.
Rest off the pack was running from 6,89-6.98, so we really couldn’t loose this one, as my reaction times works for the first time in many years properly, I am not the fastest leaver but I am right there. Again our bad luck hit us again, on first elimination run our starting rpm switch failed and car took off at 1000 rpm too high and I had to lift to not hit the wall, I tried my best to peddle and bring car back straight but up on 2 wheels it went and I lifted again, I just couldn’t take the chance and maybe crash my brand new car.
Hers is where we lost the Championship, not at the finals.
Gardermoen Norway, which was supposed to be the next stop had at last minute, withdraws from the FIA calendar due too financial reasons, so we only had finals left at Santa Pod. So hole Championship really came down to 2 races as rest rained out.
At finals we struggled first day with clutch problems and bad tires that seem to have goon dead on us, couldn’t get the car to 60ft at all. We run 6.83-203 compare to low qualifier that run 6,80-201 but we had 6 hundred slower 60ft then him so we really should have run 6.75-6,76 easy with our normal 60ft prestanda. So for Saturdays qualifying we changed tires, clutch, rpm switch, everything we could think off that could affect the car spinning so bad in low gear. First run on Saturday with fresh used tires new clutch and a killer track we saw ahead off us all guys running new personal best and Ero clocking new record 6.78-203.4 and we went out and totally burned the clutch, so now we had to guess for last qualifying session and did put in a lot off clutch in car, better safe the sorry. We run last session 6.803-203.7 with off course way to much clutch and still a bad 60ft but much nicer graph compare too earlier runs, so now we was on the right track, even if 60ft was 3 hundreds off. This was also new FIA top speed record, at least something we took with us home.
Here is what we needed to do to still win the FIA Championship. We needed to win the race set low ET and have Jimmy Ålund loose second round and do one round better then Knitilaa (remember he got one round in Finland for free when he red lighted). Well as we only qualified 3:rd we was lucky to have Jimmy in semi finals, so now we had it in our own hands but we still had to set low ET, if not we would loose the Championship with 2 points and nr 2 spot with 1 point, due to only qualify nr 3, instead off planned nr 1 as in all the other races. Well Jimmy was on the limit against us as he also knew it could end right here.
He pulled off his best reaction all weekend .430 light against mine 4.90 and I run 6.81 and he run 6.86 and took the win with 1 hundred, in the finals he had .470 light what else???
On top off that disaster Ero did win his semi round with small margin and went to finals against Jimmy, and we now where only nr 3 in the Championship.
In Finals neither run good off course 6,86 against 6,87 but Jimmy had better light .490 against Eros .550
It feels very hard and not fair, we where running so much faster then everybody else all 3 first races, but rained destroyed everything for us. Then at last race they had find their tune up and it all came down to the wire.
What can I say more then we had the fastest car, best sponsor support, best working crew, more horsepower then the rest off the pack and a good driver, that shall be good enough too win the Championship.
Season has been much more then the FIA races, we have done a lot off car shows, exhibition races etc and we will probably start next year with a FIA Exhibition race in Dubai, and if that deal goes through that would be awesome.
Now we will lick our wounds and regroup for 2008, there is no time for rest, 2008 starts now. I also would like to take the opportunity to say BIG THANKS for all your support and help during 2007 season, and with hope that you find it off interest to continue too support Malmgren Pro stock racing also in 2008.
The support we are getting from all the US performance parts manufactures involved in our racing program is a key factor to our success at track. Good news is that Lahega Car Chemicals is very happy with our work and what they have seen so far so they have signed a multiyear contract as title sponsor for Malmgren Pro stock racing.
Hope too see you all at PRI!
www.malmgrenracing.com
