Czech driver Martin Matzke joins WestCoast Racing for 2012. He will join Fredrik Lestrup and compete for the team in ADAC GT Masters this season, a season that starts in 10 days at Oschersleben in Germany. The 22-year old Czech has been competing in GT-racing since 2007 and has previously won two races and finished sixth overall in GT Masters. He’s also won in FIA GT3 and has competed in the FIA GT1 World Championship. He looks forward to a new challenge with WestCoast Racing driving the BMW Z4 GT3.
”This will be a new and important experience for me to drive for a Swedish team”, Martin says. ”I’ve been received very well and it’s a very friendly and nice atmosphere in the whole team. I also believe me and Fredrik will work well together as team mates. He’s smart, nice and also impressively fast so we will work well together this year.”

Martin has  over 40 race starts in ADAC GT Masters behind him and has also competed in FIA GT3 and FIA GT1 since he joined GT-racing in 2007. He knows what to expect in the highly competitive German GT-championship and looks forward to a season in which rank the teams chances high.
”I expect the BMW to be a strong car and WestCoast Racing is a strong and well equipped team. Both me and Fredrik are good and quick drivers so of course the goal is to be fighting at the top. It will obviously be very tough and the competition is strong but I will do my very best. It’s important to finish all the races and always be there at the end. I look forward to the start of the season.”

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth welcomes Martin to WestCoast Racing and looks forward to the team’s first full season in ADAC GT Masters with Fredrik Lestrup and Martin Matzke driving.
”Despite his age Martin has already a lot of experience driving these types of cars and also a lot of experience from GT Masters which is a benefit to us,” Dick says. ”You can tell he’s been racing in GT before and we have now had a chance to get to know each other after our first test together. Martin and Fredrik will be a strong driver pairing and we welcome Martin Matzke to WestCoast Racing and look forward to a strong season.”

Quick facts, Martin Matzke:

Nationality: Czech
Born: Roudnice nad Labem, March 6th 1990
Occupation: Student, Mechanic, Racing driver
Interests: Motorsport, Kiting, Snowboarding, Wakeboard, Old cars
Result:
Two wins and five podiums, ADAC GT Masters. Sixth overall 2010
One win and three podiums, FIA GT3. Sixth overall 2008

Swedish BMW-team WestCoast Racing increases the GT-programme and will join the ADAC GT Masters field for a full season of the championship in 2012. Fredrik Lestrup is confirmed as one of the two drivers of the BMW Z4 GT3. He drove for WestCoast Racing in 2011 when he drove two races in GT Masters in addition to a full season of the Swedish GT-championship where won the drivers championship. He is now preparing himself for a season in one of the most competitive GT-championships.
”It’s fantastic to get this vote of confidence from the team and now a big challenge in GT Masters awaits us,” Fredrik says. ”It’s one of the toughest GT-championships currently with over 42 cars on the grid and a lot of very good drivers. I’ve never looked forward to the start of a season as much as I do this year. I really enjoy myself with WestCoast Racing and it feels great to be able to take this big step together with them.”

Fredrik Lestrup got a taste of the competition last year when he drove two races for the team in GT Masters as a preparation for this year. He knows what lies ahead and think the team has a good chance to fight.
”The races last year showed we can muster the speed to fight at the top but it also confirmed what we already knew, that the competition here is seriously tough and the margins between first and last place are very small. For this year BMW has spent a lot of time and resources to update and develop the car and it will be needed. We will of course give it all and if the new car is fast I have no doubt about us being up there fighting at the top.”

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth had no hesitation resigning Fredrik Lestrup to the team. He describes it as a straight forward decision for 2012 which will be one of the most intense racing seasons for the team with a total of six cars competing in championships both in Sweden and Germany.
”Already when we started working with Fredrik last year we planned of doinga  full season in GT Masters together in 2012 and it’s great that we are there now,” Dick says. ”Fredrik showed us last year that not only is he quick but he works very well together with the team and was an important part of our development work with the new car. It was an easy decision to continue together. There’s no doubt we will face maybe the toughest GT-competition you currently can race against but we want to race against the best. It’s a new challenge both for Fredrik and WestCoast Racing, a challenge we are looking forward to tackle.”

The ADAC GT Masters programme also means the team’s long cooperation with BMW Sweden and BMW Motorsport further strengthens.
”Not only are we increasing the team, we are also increasing our close cooperation with BMW even more. In 2012 we will represent BMW in three different championships both in Sweden in the newly formed TTA and the Swedish GT championship as well as BMW Motorsport in ADAC GT Masters. It’s very stimulation and a bog honour for us.”

The second driver will be revealed shortly. The ADAC GT Masters season starts the last weekend in March at Oschersleben in Germany and will run over eight weekends with two one-hour long races each race weekend. The season finale is at Hockenheim in September.

Racecalendar ADAC GT Masters 2012:

March 31st – April 1st Oschersleben
May 5th-6th: Zandvoort
June 9th-10th: Sachsenring
July 14th-15th: Nürburgring
August 11th-12th: Red Bull Ring
August 25th-26th: Lausitzring
September 15th-16th: Nürburgring
September 29th-30th: Hockenheim

Fredrik Lestrup:

Born: July 11th 1984
Lives: Stockholm
Occupation: Racing driver, self employed
2011:
Swedish GT-champion BMW Z4 GT3. 4 victories, 2 pole position
Third MINI Challenge Germany, 1victory, 8 podiums

TTA – Racing Elite League is going to race at an all-new racing arena on the 15th of September 2012 in the form of Tierp Stockholm Arena.
“We are incredibly proud and happy to introduce racing at Tierp Stockholm Arena along with TTA. We can at last through the cooperation with TTA reach a wider target group within the motorsport,” said Lars Erik Lindberg, Tierp Stockholm Arena.

Tierp Stockholm Arena has previously only hosted drag racing and has for this season along with the TTA created an all-new racing circuit at about two kilometers in length.
“I was stunned when I visited the arena for the first time. We have created a circuit of absolute top class with Tierp, I can hardly wait for the first race here,” said Jan “Flash” Nilsson, TTA representative.
The two kilometer circuit is being constructed in cooperation with the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation and the track is partly going to use the existing drag racing straight. The cars are going to turn around right ahead of the main stands with a capacity of over 20 000 spectators.
“The track layout uses the potential of the arena to the max. We will get a long and fast straight combined with challenging corners, all within the viewing area of the spectators. We welcome all racing fans to an extremely exciting racing season,” said Lindberg.

Tierp Stockholm Arena re-wrote the European drag racing map as it was launched in May 2011 and has been valued to close to a quarter of a billion Swedish kronor.
“The arena is more or less complete with a gigantic exhibition area, an exciting track and it is located in in one of Sweden’s most populated areas. The TTA does what the ice hockey has done for a couple of years, we are investing in our arenas,” said Jan “Flash” Nilsson, TTA representative.

The circuit is currently being constructed and the final layout is going to be revealed during a press conference at Tierp Stockholm Arena in April. The TTA race at Tierp Stockholm Arena replaces the Mantorp Park race on the 15th of September. Negotiations are ongoing with Mantorp Park for a new date and race number nine of TTA 2012.

Calendar – Racing Elite League 2012
12/05 – Karlskoga
02/06 – Anderstorp – Nationaldagsracet
16/06 – Göteborg – City Race
07/07 – Falkenberg – Västkustloppet
18/08 – Karlskoga – Kanonloppet
01/09 – Anderstorp
15/09 – Tierp Stockholm Arena
29/09 – Göteborg – Grande Finale

Fredrik Larsson joins WestCoast Racing as one of the teams three confirmed drivers in the newly formed TTA championship this season. The former Indy Lights and Carrera Cup driver looks forward to a new challenge.
”I’m very excited and this is something I’ve worked towards the whoel winter to realize,” Fredrik says.”It’s a new challenge where I will face the best racing drivers in Sweden and it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to. I will face it with a high ambition, I will be fighting at the top. There are a lot of very quick drivers in the championship and it will be very important to get everything perfect to be able to fight at the very top.”

TTA has been a goal for Fredrik ever since the championship was formed and formally launched last autumn.
”I wanted to drive a complete championship in Sweden again and if I would do  that I wanted to drive against the best and toughest competition and that competition is in TTA. I raced against Richard Göransson many, many years ago and drivers such as Fredrik Ekblom, Robert Dahlgren and Thed Björk amongst many others I have never raced against before. Now I have the opportunity to race them all and that is a huge motivational factor. TTA has felt like the right choice from the beginning. Everyone will have equal opportunity and it will be up to the team and drivers to get it together and that is very important.”

Fredrik is yet to drive the new TTA-car but his expectations are high.
”From what I’ve seen and heard it’s a very challenging, yet fun, car to drive and it’s a proper race car that respons to changes and what you do and a car you can really push. It will be a lot of fun to start working on the car together with the team to extract everything from it. I will have two very quick and fast team mates in Richard Göransson and Martin Öhlin and a fantastic team behind us in WestCoast Racing. A key to success will be how we all can work together to get to know the car and develop it. I’m really pumped up for this!”

Team manager Dick Jönsson Wigroth is delighted to have Fredrik Larsson join the teams TTA line-up and is proud to already have three drivers confirmed just 1,5 months into the new year.
”It’s fantastic that Fredrik Larsson will be driving our third TTA-car and that we already have been able to confirm Richard, Martin and Fredrik as our three drivers,” Dick says. ”After having know each other for many years Fredrik and I could start working together last year in the Swedish GT-programme and it was natural to continue that cooperation. Now we have yet another of the fastest Swedish drivers confirmed as a driver for WestCoast Racing BMW Dealer Team. Fredrik Larsson really strengthens not only the team but the TTA-grid and this will definitely be a tough and fun season.”

2011 is now officially part of the history and we take this opportunity to look back at the year and summarize WestCoast Racing’s 2011 motorsportseason. A season that in many ways was an eventful season for the team with highs and lows.

WestCoast Racing was once again a two car team in STCC entering two BMW. Here verything is prepared for the very first pre-season test.

Martin Öhlin left Carrera Cup and took the step up to STCC and together with Richard Göransson he prepared for his very first STCC-season. Richard Göransson had to adjust from the rally driving he did in the winter back to racing again. He finished a sensational second overall in PWRC in Rally Sweden.

WestCoast Racing didn’t only do touring cars this year. Besides STCC the team also entered it’s first full GT-season with the BMW Z4 GT3. Fredrik Lestrup joined the team to be the main driver in the GT-programme that included a full season in Swedish GT and selected races in German ADAC GT Masters.

The STCC-season started in Denmark and everything looked great to begin with. Richard Göransson had a commanding lead of 10 seconds in the first race on the penultimate lap. But a rear brake failure entering the last lap led to a huge crash. Richard went off in the barrier and hurt his back badly. A truly shocking start to the season for the whole team.

WestCoast Racing was now back to just one car for the second race weekend two weeks later at Ring Knutstorp. Martin Öhlin was the sole driver in the team and made an heroic effort having third place in the first race when he was turned around by Johan Stureson just two laps before the finish.

The team’s first victory for the season came in the GT-race at Mantorp Park. Fredrik Lestrup together with Lars Stugemo won an exciting one hour long race. Fredrik Lestrup continued to win all the remaning races in the championship together with Fredrik Larsson.

STCC also went to Mantorp. Martin Öhlin was out for revenge after Knutstorp and qualified as the best BMW-driver. But this time he got pushed off in the first corner of the first lap.

Richard Göransson was badly hurt but surprised everyone by returning after just three race weekends off. He made his comeback in Gothenburg City Race and he didn’t wait around and won the race. The final lap in Denmark was now completed.

His comeback was the start of an intensive period with a lot of interest and pressure from media. Richard Göransson relaxes himself and the back between driving and interviews in the pit garage at Falkenberg. He claimed another podium here but more was to come ….
.

The summer was a busy period for the team with races every weekend. STCC, Swedish GT and GT Masters. In July WestCoast Racing entered it’s first race in the competitive GT Masters, Nürburgring was the place for the debut. A lot to learn but Fredrik Lestrup proved the team has the speed by setting the fifth fastest lap in one of the two races. WestCoast Racing entered another three races in the championship after this.

Back home in STCC Richard Göransson returned as the king of STCC. He won everything, both races, during a fantastic race weekend in Karlskoga where he was unbeatable. No. 1 was back and against all odds he was actually an outside candidate for the title now.

WestCoast Racing also had time for more than racing. Together with Champion Watches we also released a WestCoast Racing watch.

STCC returned to Denmark and Jyllandsringen after the summer break. Not the team’s favourite place but after having been close many times Martin Öhlin finally managed to claim his first podium in STCC. The Denmark chapter could finally be closed.

Back home in Sweden WestCoast Racing continued to dominate the Swedish GT Championship. Here is from Falkenberg which was hit with heavy rain all weekend. Fredrik Lestrup and Fredrik Larsson was unstoppable.

After having won all races in the championship Fredrik Lestrup won the drivers championship at the final round at Knutstorp and became the Swedish GT-champion. Together with Fredrik Larsson the pair also secured the team title to the team.

And so it was time to finish the STCC-season. After two weekends with few points in Denmark and Knutstorp WestCoast Racing came to the final round at Mantorp without a shot at the title for the first time in ages. WestCoast Racing proved the pace was there but this was just simply a season when it just didn’t happen.

This was also the last race in the team’s STCC-career. An extraordinary success story which has made WestCoast Racing the most succesful team in the championship’s history with five championship titles, four times in second place overall and third place overall respectively. Ricahrd Göransson is the most succesful driver with four titles, three of which with WestCoast Racing, and 37 race victories of which a majority won with WestCoast Racing. The cars are now up for sale.

The next challenge is TTA. WestCoast Racing is one of the four founding teams of a new Swedish championship. During the summer and autumn the testing of the prototype which will form the basis for the new car started.

Besides a large programme in TTA WestCoast Racing also plans an increased GT-programme with compeition both in Sweden and Germany. 2012 will be another intensive and busy year for WestCoast Racing.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all partners, all guests that have joined us at the races, our fans, colleagues and competitors for support this year. We promise to return with exciting news for 2012 during the next few months.

Pictures:

STCC – Mediaempire.se
GT – Martin Palm, Martin Öberg, Thomas Granbacka, Mikael Teng, Christoffer Ahlin