Race Report: Round 5 – Kinnekulle Ring

Andreas Skatteboe drove home a triple at Kinnekulle Ring in Aquila Formula 1000

The fifth round of the year in Aquila Formula 1000, the Nordic’s premier entry-level series in formula car racing, was run at the classic Kinnekulle Ring during this weekend’s SSK Raceweek.

With three races in two days, the weekend offered close racing and a clear message of strength from Andreas Skatteboe – who secured gold in the Senior Championship with three straight wins and at the same time took over the lead in the overall standings.

Skatteboe started the weekend with third place in qualifying, but showed right away in Race 1 that the speed was there. After hard racing, he drove home the victory, just ahead of Linus Stjernelund and Albin Gustavsson. In Race 2, the pattern was repeated – Skatteboe won again, ahead of Mellstig and Stjernelund, and in Sunday’s final heat the triple was completed, this time with Leonél Skaar in third behind Mellstig.

“Wow, what a weekend, said Skatteboe. It started a bit like that with qualifying, but to win all three races – and secure the senior championship – feels fantastic. Nine wins out of a possible 15 are far beyond my expectations.” says Andreas.

Oscar Mellstig was the weekend’s top points scorer among the juniors and advanced to second place in the Junior-RM, after being fastest overall in qualifying, among other things. Leonél Skaar is now third, while Linus Stjernelund still leads both the Junior-RM and the Rookie Championship and has slipped to second place overall behind Skatteboe.

Christian Lovén came back strongly after a retirement in Race 1, and took a top five position in Race 2. William Eriksson knocked on the door of an overall podium in the opening race, when he finished fourth – just over three seconds behind third place. Eriksson, however, got to step onto the junior podium.

Gustav Berglund had a strong qualifying, with the fifth fastest time. In the first race, however, the rookie driver finished 12th, coming back with two sixth places and securing third place in the Rookie Championship ahead of Enzo Cohlin.

After sorting a season-long mechanical issue, the multiple karting champion, our American Swede Deven Grabko, also had a strong qualifying effort with a sixth place, less than a second behind Mellstig’s pole time.

The next round in Aquila Formula 1000 will be held outside Sweden’s borders – on August 15–17 at the Danish Ring Djursland, when the sixth and penultimate round of this year’s championship will be decided.

Links:

Results
Championship tables

Press photos from the competition weekend at Ring Knutstorp. Photo: Bengt-Åce Gustavsson