Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3  proves its pace against the established manufacturer-run Global Rallycross Championship teams.

North Carolina – Saturday, May 26, 2012; Scott-Eklund Racing

Taking the wheel of the Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3 with ENEOS Motor Oil for the first time, X Games bronze medallist Samuel Hubinette quickly mastered both car and course to seed eighth, just three tenths of a second adrift of multiple X Games gold medallist and four-time Rally America Champion, Travis Pastrana.

Andy Scott also impressed during his three official practice runs, cementing his form from Tuesday’s inaugural shakedown test on the .77 mile custom-built GRC course in which the Scott Trawlers-backed entry ran as one of the fastest of the field.  The team founder, however, was denied the chance to truly battle for a top seed place when an issue with the Saab 9-3’s turbo charger prevented him from posting any flying laps during the 10-minute qualifying run.

Scott-Eklund Racing’s driver duo will now line-up side-by-side in the same first round Heat, alongside Toomas Heikkinen’s Bluebeam Ford Fiesta, Rhys Millen in the Hyundai Rallycross Veloster and Bucky Lasek’s Subaru Puma Rallycross WRX STi, as the privateer team tackles it’s very first GRC challenge amid its debut season.

GRC race day action follows the HISTORY 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race on Saturday, with the first stage heats kicking off from 18.45 and the main race taking place at 20.25 EDT (all timings are provisional and subject to change).
The opening GRC round staged within the Charlotte Motor Speedway promises Coca-Cola 600 race weekend fans an adrenalin-fuelled close-up view of tyre screeching action from the world’s best rallycross stars blasting their 600bhp all-wheel drive cars from 0-60mph in two seconds through multi-car heats and an eight-car final.

Tickets for the HISTORY 300 and Global Rallycross double-header start at $25. Children 13 and under are admitted free. To purchase tickets, call the Charlotte Motor Speedway Ticket Office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Race fans can catch the action live on ESPN 2 from 20.00.

Andy Scott – Scott-Eklund Racing Team Principal & driver, Car #26:
“I was very confident of setting a top time in my first GRC seeding session, so I’m obviously greatly disappointed that the car encountered a problem. But I know that we can still salvage something from the first rounds of the season.

“The Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3 was feeling good in practice. We deliberately didn’t go hard in the first session because we were scrubbing in tyres. By the second run we were pushing it a little more but the third session was cut short, so I didn’t really get any chance to get in the groove – if I had, the turbo charger issue may have happened then.
“I’m not relishing starting at the back of the grid but I’m not giving up yet and know that the team will do a great job of getting the car back on form to get back in the game.”

Samuel Hubinette – Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3 with ENEOS Motor Oil, Car #77:
“What an experience, coming out here to Charlotte Motor Speedway with Scott-Eklund Racing and ENEOS Motor Oil. Doing a last minute deal has been quite crazy and I was so tired before I even got to drive the car for the first time. We’ve done so well today that it’s been tremendously encouraging, qualifying eighth out of 17 cars. I have to be happy with that, running just a few tenths of a second behind some of the top names in the industry.

“The Scott-Eklund Racing team, together with the local ASD guys, did a great job and to think that we put together all these skills so quickly is awesome. I’m coming into a proven team founded on Per Eklund’s experience and that has been helpful to me today. But now I know where I can improve a bit for race day and it’s going to be an exciting battle with eight cars racing at the same time. It will be another game tomorrow.”
Per Eklund – Scott-Eklund Racing Technical Director:

“It was an OK day, but it was a pity that the turbo broke for Andy. That wasn’t in the plan, but sometimes this happens. I was surprised that Samuel was so quick on his first time in the car, he hadn’t touched the car before and he was immediately up to speed. In the last timed practice he was very close to [Travis] Pastrana.

“Andy will take the start tomorrow, there’s no problem there, it’s not a catastrophe. We will change the turbo tonight and see why there was a problem. In Andy’s heat there will be five cars, in all the others four, so he must finish in the top four. He needs to go quick, but not too quick, so he can go through to the next round and hopefully get to the final. I know he can do it. Tomorrow is another day.”

Photo caption: Scott-Eklund Racing Saab shows promise © Hazel PR/ERC24