Honda confirms two cars for 2009 STCC season
Tomas Engström’s Honda Racing lost Thed Björk to Flash Engineering in the beginning of the year but the team have now confirmed that they will continue as a two car team for 2009. Tomas Engström will occupy one seat and the other is still up for grabs. According to TouringCarTimes they are still considering a couple of options for the second Honda Accord.
“We have six names on the list of which three are from Sweden. We have come a bit further with one of the drivers, the only thing missing is a signature on the contract. If the deal goes through we will have a driver that holds high international standard,” said Engström.
It’s time to speculate, in other words. Perhaps it is time for Italian Roberto Colciago to come back to STCC? He ran three STCC seasons for KMS (Kristoffersson Motorsport) with the Audi A4 between 2000 and 2002 – where he ended his campaign as 2002 Swedish Touring Car Champion. In 2005 he raced a Honda Accord Euro-R in the World Touring Car Championship.
You can’t really talk about touring cars, Honda and international drivers without thinking James Thompson. He raced the Honda in the WTCC for N.Technology last year. James is probably looking for a BTCC seat though, but he did ran in the Danish Touring Car championship last year so he doesn’t seem too bothered with running in Scandinavia.
The third international driver might perhaps be Duncan Huisman. Duncan is a very capable driver and knows the tracks from his 2006 STCC season at West Coast Racing where he ended third in the championship. He also knows the new Gothenburg Street Track as he last year made a surprise guest appearance in the Camaro Cup support races – and won both races. Duncan has always said he would be more than willing to be back in the championship. He is however very much a BMW guy, so perhaps it’s a bit too much to turn his back on the German manufacturer.
As for the local drivers in with a shot it is a bit harder to speculate. The high profile drivers are all signed at the moment. Jens Edman has Honda experience. Alexander Storckenfeldt has been out of a drive since he lost his Volvo seat for the 2008 season. David Björk is a fast young driver. Daniel Haglöf is another fast driver, but with endless budget problems. Edward Sandström is fast and experienced…
