“Really felt at one with the car”
Elias Adestam continued to close in on the lead in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia during the early part of his debut season in Sweden’s leading racing championship with promising speed in the second race of the year.
Adestam certainly had to settle for two tenth places in the weekend’s two races at Gelleråsen Arena in Karlskoga, but behind the results there was a deeper story where the reigning JSM champion showed clear progress behind the wheel of his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
After a haphazard qualifying in the borderland between rain and dry – every racing team’s nightmare – Adestam had to start both of the weekend’s races from 13th on the starting grid. A tough starting position, especially on the tricky Gelleråsen track where overtaking is documented to be difficult to do.
– The qualification was really a miscalculation, says Elias Adestam. I had never ever driven the car in those kind of conditions, so it was very difficult to judge the grip. It went from wet to a little drier, to more wet again, and I just couldn’t get it. A very concrete example of something I haven’t had the opportunity to practice yet.
The first race was relatively undramatic, with Adestam finishing tenth. However, the lap times spoke volumes during the race: the Nacka son came dangerously close to the lead times and was less than three tenths of a second behind victorious Robin Knutsson on the list of the race’s fastest laps.
That distance then dropped by almost another tenth in Race 2, with Adestam also on course for his best result to date in the Carrera Cup. A blistering start took him all the way from 13th to seventh at the start of the race, before an over-optimistic attack by a competitor (who was also penalized for the manoeuvre) promptly ruined the day for Adestam – who spun off the track.
Adestam was able to continue the race, but now heavily dependent and with no chance of an advanced result. He took the checkered flag, again, as tenth.
– Sad of course, but there was nothing I could do in that situation and I have to focus on my own performance, explains Elias Adestam. I am very happy with the progress I made this weekend. After the incident in Race 2 I was second fastest on the track for several laps at the end. I really felt at one with the car.
– We had a bit of trouble this weekend, absolutely, but I definitely take the positives with me. It’s going in the right direction, and it’s doing it pretty fast right now. We are there and can actually put pressure on the top five in terms of speed already. It is very promising.
Elias Adestam is the reigning Swedish junior racing champion after winning the electric NXT Gen Cup last year. He makes his debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia this season, competing for the Mtech Competition team.
Results
Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia
Rd. 2 – Gelleråsen Arena
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