From semi-lukewarm table of four to hot title contender in two days. Ola Nilsson made that trip in Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia at Rudskogen Motorsenter. In the season finale at Mantorp Park on October 1, he promises to chase both Lukas Sundahl as well as the Cup title and the Swedish Championship gold. "As things stand, there's nothing for me and the team other than going for it," he says.

Ola Nilsson from Löddeköpinge had a somewhat tentative start to his comeback season in Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. After a four-year hiatus from racing, he had to settle for fifth- and a seventh-place finish in the, for so many, accident-prone premiere in Anderstorp. The Mtech Competition driver thus left Småland as table seven.
Surprising? No. Before the season, Nilsson replied like this when asked if he would be a bird, fish or in between in the top tier of the championship:
"In terms of the whole season, it is bird, but in the premiere in Anderstorp it may be in between. I am excited and know that the potential and opportunity to be at the top is in this venture. We're aiming high and working on it."

Fun to challenge
Today, the 35-year-old is at bird level. He lifted there with the impressive triple victory at Rudskogen where he took in 28 points on Sundahl.
"That we would be in this situation before the final at Mantorp Park was not something we really believed in before Rudskogen, although we felt that the speed had come and been there to really be able to challenge at the top. But the qualifiers have been a little too weak to take the top places, says Nilsson who, together with the technical team in Mtech Competition, has still taken points continuously and worked on calmly, systematically and methodically.
"My attitude has been that as long as we do that, I know that the opportunity to win races will come sooner or later.
At Rudskogen Motorsenter, Nilsson and the team got a real super hit.
"And it changed the table a lot, and it just feels great to be able to be involved and challenge for it for real.

Going for it
With a title chance ahead of the final, neither Nilsson nor the others in the team have any thoughts of settling for a podium finish.
”There's nothing but going for it. We have to invest and try to do what we can. Then I know that there are an incredible number of parameters that must be in line to make it work.
However, the fact remains. Gold is the goal”.
"I'm too much of a competitive person to be happy with anything else," Nilsson says.

No easy path
But to clinch the Cup title and Swedish Championship gold in front of the eyes of four-time champion Sundahl is, by all accounts, required another top effort in the final.
”There is no easy way to take in 13 points on Lukas Sundahl in a carrera cup weekend with two races. That's obviously the case, but I'm going to go to Mantorp and focus on my own driving and get the most out of it. Then we'll see what qualifying and the conditions for the races land," says Nilsson, adding:
"But of course it's about getting ahead of Lukas at the finish. Being ahead of him in both heats feels like a must.

Pictures.
Photo: Armin Hadzic, Jakke Röntynen, Richard Ström