When the third day of the World Driving Championship was decided at Fornaboda, the Swedish star driver Ulf Ohlsson took over the overall lead. This despite Ohlssons tough day, as he placed at best in third during today’s five races.
Canadian Doug McNair became Driver of the day after taking two victories. This was McNair’s first time driving a cold-blood, but he proved to have good driving hands. After a tough neck-and-neck finish, he brought Klocksve Sprinten up ahead of Franck Nivard at the stretch. This was the first of the four cold-blood races included in this years’ WDC program.
– I think the trick is to hold the cold-blood a little more relaxed. I probably didn’t breathe for the last 30 seconds, but I could feel it on the stretch that I would win if I held him in trot, Doug McNair said in the victory interview.
Doug McNair’s second win in the evening came with You To Net, who he pulled behind the leader despite post eight in the start. On the stretch, he saw an opportunity to take the win at the right time and took it.
McNair had same amount of points today as Norwegian Eirik Höitomt, who won with Timo Nurmos Deede Star, and did not place lower than sixth in the other races of today. His performance pushed him up to second place in the World Driving Championship.
The third race proved to be the toughest battle of today, when Matthew Williamson (Ior Tooma) and Yannick Gingras (Saphir d’Inverne) were still neck-and-neck as they crossed the finish line and they ended up sharing the victory.
– I am glad that I can drive so much here in Sweden, I see this as training because I really want to come back and win the Elitloppet. It’s one of my big goals, Yannick Gingras said.
Maltese Rodney Gatt also won a race during the day when he picked up the lead early in the race with Anne and still held it over the stretch.
Finnish driver Mika Forss, who was in the lead after the first four races of the WDC at Solvalla, was not as fortunate today. Forss is currently in fifth place in the overall summary. Nine out of the competitions 24 races have now been decided, and the next five races will take place tomorrow at Sundbyholm racetrack in Eskilstuna.
Top 3 after day 3
1. Ulf Ohlsson (Sweden) – 76.5 points
2. Eirik Höitomt (Norway) – 74
3. Matthew Williamson – 72.5