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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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Freddy’s season can be followed on www.freddynordstrom.com
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NORDSTROM FINISHES THE SEASON WITH A POINTS SCORING DRIVE
Freddy’s season can be followed on www.freddynordstrom.com NORDSTROM KNOCKED OFF TRACK IN SPAIN Freddy Nordstrom Is Shunted Out Of The Latest SEAT Leon Supercopa Race
The youngster had set some blistering times in testing in the run up to the fifth event of the season, which filled himself and the Advent Motorsport team with high hopes of a strong finish at the event held in Jerez, Spain. With qualifying disrupted by a long yellow flag period, Freddy’s 18th place on the grid didn’t reflect the speed he knew he had. As the 34 car grid lined up for the first of the weekend’s three races, Freddy was confident his pace would see him work his way up the field. With the first race being a seven lap sprint format, he knew he had no time to spare. Within just 4 laps he had confidently overtaken nine cars to be running in 9th and eagerly on the bumper of 8th place for a strong points finish. This great effort was to be for nought as on the final lap, despite being under yellow flags which signals no overtaking at that point of the circuit, the car behind tried to dive down the inside and in doing so crashed heavily into the front of Freddy. Serious damage was incurred causing Freddy off track but thankfully unhurt. The team worked valiantly through the night but the damage to the steering proved terminal and Freddy was disappointed to have to retire from the rest of the weekend. There is now a quick turn around for Freddy and the team with the final round of the 2009 Championship taking place at Barcelona on 31 October-1 November. Freddy’s season can be followed on www.freddynordstrom.com
TOP SIXES AND A PAIR OF PODIUMS IN A PACKED WEEKEND OF MOTORSPORT
Freddy Nordstrom won admirers in his first SEAT Eurocup race when he competed in the British round of the pan-Europe series at Brands Hatch on 18th-19th July in support of the World Touring Car Championship. The Anglo-Swedish youngster raced into 5th and 6th places in the double header event and proved a comfortable front runner, not to mention two 2nds in a last minute pair of Fiat Arbarth races. Having qualified in 6th position, Freddy was confident his Advent Motorsport prepared SEAT Leon was on the pace for his Eurocup home event. In the first race held on Saturday afternoon, which had a rolling start, he moved up to finish 5th but not before demonstrating his speed with the fastest third lap sector. The second race on Sunday morning saw much cloudier conditions than the previous day. The top eight finishers from Race One lined up on the grid in reverse order, as such Freddy started from 4th on the grid. After making a lightening start, Freddy was up into 2nd place and hot on the tail of the leader for nine laps when he was issued a drive through penalty. The reason for this penalty was given as not being positioned correctly on the start grid – despite having been given the thumbs up by officials at the start! Reasons aside, the drive through lost Freddy valuable time but he came out to battle the remaining five laps and rise to a 6th place finish, and more points. “I was very confident in the pace of the car this weekend” said Freddy. “From the second practice I knew we were competitive. We have made some very positive changes to the set up. I was looking for that podium finish in the second race so was gutted when called in for the penalty especially as I could think of no reason why! Got to chalk that up to ‘that’s motorsport’! That aside it’s been a positive weekend and I’m looking forward to getting back into SEAT Supercopa challenge at Portimao (Portugal) in a fortnight’s time”. The weekend also brought plenty of podium joy for Freddy. A last minute chance came up to race in the Fiat Arbarth series which had two races at the Brands Hatch meeting. Never one to say no to a race, Freddy was straight into the car and despite having never driven it before finished 2nd in both races behind experience British Touring Car racer, Adam Jones. “The Arbarths were a lot of fun and quite challenging to drive, especially after jumping straight out of the SEAT Leon into the Arbarth for a couple of sessions!” said Freddy.
NORDSTROM TAKES TOP 15 SPOTS IN SPAIN Freddy Nordstrom Takes a 15th and 14th in his second weekend of frenetic SEAT Supercopa Racing
Freddy Nordstrom made good progress in the second weekend of his debut SEAT Supercopa season taking a 14th and 15th finish in the triple header event. With a strong field of 34, and the majority well acquainted with the Jarama circuit near Madrid, it was a highly competitive weekend at a new circuit for Freddy. However, he came out in storming fashion for qualifying taking 14th on the grid in a great display. By the start of race one the beautiful blue skies gave way to a sudden downpour. Lining up on the grid with wet tyres, the sun made an equally quick reappearance prompting a raft of changes back to slicks. However, the organisers decided these changes were illegal and as such Freddy and many others were moved back on the grid seeing all the good work of 14th in qualification undone as he now started the sprint race in 25th place! This bump back certainly didn’t dampen his spirits as Freddy scythed through the field in a dramatic race to take 15th place at the finish. The second sprint race takes place immediately after the first and Freddy remained in fine form working up the order. His great progress was scuppered when he was hit from behind putting him into a spin and facing the wrong way with just a couple of laps to go. Back in the right direction, Freddy was back on the pace and worked his way back up to a 14th place finish, a great recovery but a top ten finish surely robbed from his grasp. Sunday’s feature race saw Freddy make great pace and have a great race long battle with Briton Dan Welch. With a top ten on the cards disaster struck when a pair of faster cars joined the fray and a mistake saw Freddy off the circuit and out of the running. The disappointment of a non-finish aside, Freddy left the weekend in good spirits. “We really made a leap forward this weekend” said a positive Freddy afterwards. “We showed we have the pace to run with the top ten runners and the teams who have raced in this series for many seasons. I’m looking forward to continuing the progress for the rest of the season and am now focused on the British round of the Eurocup next month, it will be great to race on home ground this year”. Freddy will competing in the British round of the Eurocup in support of the WTCC Championship at Brands Hatch on 17-19th July.
Freddy Nordstrom made his debut in Valencia, Spain in an eventful SEAT Leon Supercopa Opener Freddy Nordstrom’s first event in the Supercopa SEAT Leon proved to be a dramatic affair. A packed grid of almost 40 cars saw the cool Swede surrounded by some fiery fellow drivers in action and incident packed races. The grid boasted former WTCC, BTCC and current Eurocup drivers as well as returnees to the Supercopa SEAT Leon so it was set to be a fierce battle. After a tough qualifying Freddy started race one at the back of the grid but made an excellent rolling start. Within a few short laps he'd made up over 12 places and was on a flyer. Unfortunately, Freddy was to become a casualty of another duo's misfortune when two cars in front of him made contact, both spun and collected Freddy on their trip to the gravel. As such Freddy was unable to start race two which immediately followed the first race, a grave disappointment after he'd made up such ground. For Sunday's feature race it was another start at the back of the grid, but thankful to be there, Freddy got his head down and again was making up over a dozen places in just a handful of laps. Finishing 16th, it was truly a tough introduction in a series which saw some of the best of the best struggle. Supercopa is certainly for the brave, not the faint hearted, and with that in mind Freddy can't wait for the next race which will be at Jarama on 6-7 June.
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