Tobias Brink sets record pace to sweep final qualifying session of 2022
Tobias Brink lowered the STCC TCR Scandinavia qualifying record twice at Mantorp Park to seal a brace of pole positions for this weekend’s season-finale.
Brink was in emphatic form aboard his Brink Motorsport Audi, storming first to a 1:18.910 in Q1 to better Andreas Bäckman’s previous qualifying record of 1:19.039 from 2021.
Having thus bagged pole for Race 1, Brink then repeated the feat and went even quicker in the subsequent Q2 segment, where the top eight from Q1 progress to dispute the first four rows for Race 2.
A 1:18.892 allowed Brink to sweep qualifying, completing a pair of pole positions for races one and two of the triple-header weekend. He will share the front row with championship leader Robert Dahlgren in both.
Oliver Söderström and Hugo Nerman ensured three Audis will sandwich Dahlgren’s Cupra at the start of both races one and two, with Calle Bergman making it yet another Audi in the top five for the first encounter while Mattias Andersson will line up fifth in Race 2 with his Lynk & Co.
Bergman’s performance was especially impressive after the Exion Racing driver sat out final practice with gearbox issues.
It was a disappointing qualifying outcome for Dahlgren’s main title rival Bäckman, who could only manage seventh and eighth respectively and now faces a steep task to overhaul Dahlgren’s already-significant points advantage.
The first race of the weekend will start at 10.38 CEST on Saturday.
