Kenneth Hansen stars with new car in Sweden

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Kenneth Hansen stars with new car in Sweden

Thursday, 07. 07. 2011 - 21:13, Daniel Mandzi

In his first appearance as a Rallycross driver since last September and in the first event for his new Citroën DS3 Supercar, Kenneth Hansen climbed onto the podium and finished second in the Swedish round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship at Höljes.

- It feels like a victory, Kenneth Hansen smiles and look at his team. What we did today was unbelievable.

The A-final was a big drama. Sverre Isachsen (N) on pole position with the American Tanner Foust beside him. Kenneth started at the back after winning the B-final. In the first attempt Andreas Eriksson rolled his car badly, causing the final to be red flagged.
Ludvig Hunsbedt (N) couldn't make it for the restart and the Finn Toomas Heikinen had difficulties getting off the start line. Isachsen flew away in the lead followed by Tanner and Hansen. Tanner was on the move and when Sverre had a puncture Tanner was the one leading the race. Kenneth closed the gap to Sverre and in the very last corner he was able to overtake and grab second place. Heikinen did the same and finished third, leavning Isachsen on fourth place.

Hansen's return to the driving seat meant that Kenneth Hansen Motorsport had four cars in the biggest and most competitive event of the championship season. Hansen was the team's most successful driver of the weekend, which was not quite what he expected having arrived at the event with a minimum of testing on his new DS3.
- The concept of the Citroën DS3 is completely different from anything we have done before and with so little experience of the car, I had no great hopes for this weekend, it was really about being here with the new car and using the race as a test, said Hansen.

The team's two Citroën C4 Supercar racers, Liam Doran and Timur Timerzyanov had mixed fortunes, Doran ending the event in tenth place and Timeryanov 16th.
-The first heat was bad so I was under pressure on Sunday,"said Doran
- And I made a bad mistake by forgetting to take the Joker Lap. After that it was all over really, I was third fastest in the third heat but that only got me on the back of the B final. Not doing the Joker Lap was my fault and it was a big mistake; if I'd taken it I'd have been in the A final and that was anyone's race so it could have been a completely different day. The only good thing is that I was fast, the lap times were there all day so I've got that confidence to take to the X Games in a few weeks.
Doran's next event, the next time Hansen Motorsport will be in action, is the X Games in Los Angeles at the end of July.

- X Games is a big deal for me and the team. Colin McRae was the only other British driver ever to do it so it's a huge thing for me and a major world wide event for Monster Energy, Citroën and KHM.
Timerzyanov entered the event leading the championship but also had a tough run, including contact from another competitor that forced him to retire from his third heat. Needing to be in the A final in order to improve his championship score, Timerzyanov pulled out of the C final in the second lap.
- Timur had a problem in the C final and made a good decision to stop, there was no way he could gain anything from that position. It was a difficult event for him, but that's how it goes in racing sometimes, said Hansen.
Hansen Motorsport's representative in the Super1600 class, Johan Larsson had a solid run through the qualifying heats and made it straight into the A final
- I love this track and I was determined to end the first half of the year with a good result, said Larsson.
- I felt that I could have been in the top three but in the last two laps of the race the engine was overheating so I had reduce my speed a little. I think I was careful enough to keep the engine safe and fourth place is equal to my best finish this year (in Portugal) so I'm quite happy with that.

Next event of the FIA European Rallycross Championship is Belgium on August 5-7.

Susann Hansen/ Hansen Motorsport

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