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Rickard Rydell dissatisfied with season start

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Rickard Rydell scored his first podium for Chevrolet in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship at Knutstorp but the Swede is not pleased with the start of the season.
“Third is okay, but it would have been better with stronger results,” said Rydell.

The 1998 BTCC champion set a blistering pace in qualifying at Knutstorp with second place on the grid, matching the times set by the 55 kilos lighter Volkswagen Scirocco of Fredrik Ekblom.

“Neither Jyllandsringen nor Knutstorp are good tracks for us, but I was really pleased with second place in qualifying. Unfortunately I lost one position in the first corner [of the race], but I felt that I could not match the pace of Rustad and Ekblom in the first part of the race,” said Rydell.

Rydell had to retire from the second race after a clash with Honda driver Tomas Engström after a safety car restart.

“A steering rod was bent and my car just went straight in the following corner,” said Rydell.

Rydell is fifth in the championship after Knutstorp, a position he is not pleased with.

“To score 15 points in one race is okay, but to retire costs too much. With this points scale it is important to score victories and hopefully things will be better for us at Mantorp Park in two weeks,” said Rydell.