It is the end of the day for RamonaRX and her team here at the FIA European Rallycross Championships presented by Monster Energy in Mettet, Belgium.Today consisted of warmup and practice in the morning and then two heats for each driver in the afternoon. By the end of the warm up Ramona felt comfortable with both the car and track, ready for the heats that would follow.
It was overcast since dawn with the skies threatening to rain for some time. Sure enough just before the start of Ramona’s race it began to rain: Ramona’s heat 1 would now be a ‘wet race’.
Heat 1 in her words she drove ‘conservatively’: “I think I need to push harder now and build on my strategy for the track, I hope to attack some of the corners with more tenacity for heat 2 to improve my time”
Heat 2 unfortunately did not allow her to accomplish this. After a brilliantly executed start she was in second position. Regrettably, as is common in Rallycross races, particularly on this first very tight corner in Belgium, the was contact from another driver which subsequently damaged the suspension. None the less she persevered and held a good position but by the second lap and the second jump of the race, it proved too much for the damaged steering arm and it broke completely leaving Ramona no choice but to slide into the gravel at the bottom of the slope.
“Of course I’m disappointed with today’s results, any driver would want the best points accumulation going into day 2 but this is RallyRX and you have to be ready for these things. Many drivers have retired from the challenges of today also but you have to keep pushing. I will focus on tomorrow and doing all that I can to get a good result. My team is working hard to help me get there”
Tomorrow’s racing will start at 10:30 with the warm up at 09:00. Keep up to date on Ramona’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ramonakarlsson
Press Release by CooperKinetix/RamonaRX
