Dylan Pereira, guest driver at Mtech Competition, ensured that there was a Scandinavian victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans, the second race of the year in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. On his 26th birthday, the Luxembourger gave himself the best present by winning the support race on French soil before the classic Le Mans 24 Hours. Behind Pereira, Robin Knutsson and Emil Persson responded with very strong performances by finishing sixth and seventh overall in the 63-car starting field. Ola Nilsson, who finished fourth among the Scandinavian drivers, took over the championship lead.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans, organized in collaboration between the Scandinavian and French Carrera Cup championships, warmed up as the last class before the start of the Le Mans 24H, warming up nearly 350,000 spectators. The crowd around the 13.6 km long Circuit de la Sarthe were treated to top class entertainment. Especially the end of the race was dramatic when seasoned Pereira, reigning champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, defended himself against attacks from the Frenchman Marvin Klein, hungry for victory.
”I am happy about the victory, it means a lot to me. I've come close to winning here before. Now I got to succeed, on my birthday too”, said a happy Pereira who, after hugging team manager Magnus Karlsson on the big podium at the start and finish line, stated: ”Many thanks to Mtech who did a really good job this weekend. They gave me a car possible to win with”.

Pereira has primarily been involved as driver coach for Mtech Competition's regular drivers Ola Nilsson and Magnus Karlsson. The jump behind the wheel in the Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans was temporary. Or? “I don't know, we'll see”, he says with a clever smile.

Full points for Knutsson
Behind the experienced Pereira was the young Robin Knutsson who placed himself at the top of the Scandinavian drivers. From eleventh starting position, he advanced to sixth place and thus took his first full points in the championship. As a guest driver in this competition, Pereira cannot be credited with any points.
”My biggest success so far in my career - and the right track to do it on”, said the Gothenburg citizen who got to know the facility in his own special way the day before the start.
As the only one in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, the WCR Pampas Racing driver ran the 13.6 kilometers.

Welcome points
At first, Knutsson was behind Emil Persson, the Värmlander who was then second behind Pereira in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. On the fifth lap, which afterwards became hotly debated due to ambiguities in connection with a so-called "slow zone", there was, however, a change of places between the two Swedes.
Persson, who competes for M3G Motorsport, was reasonably pleased about that.

”I'm a little frustrated, of course, but also happy with the score and to come away from here with a complete car. I needed this after my less than successful start in the premiere in Anderstorp”, said Persson, who saw from the front row how the guest driver of Porsche Experience Racing, the Norwegian Dennis Hauger, braked, went off, got back on the track but was forced to break. “I was close to cutting Hauger”, admitted Persson.

Nilsson at the top
Pereira, Knutsson and Persson got to step on the podium during the award ceremony. Ola Nilsson didn't get it. Fourth place, and points for a third, was still not a shame considering the circumstances. Nilsson started from seventh position, but quickly fell in the field.

What happened?
”Instead, ask what didn't happen, says the Skåne, and then tells how unfortunate circumstances forced him to let one car after another in front of him”. For a while he was actually down to 14th place.

”It was a slow race for me, had no momentum forward on the track or up the list. That's why it feels good to have points for a third place”.
They actually took him to the lead in the championship. The competition in France was not what the premiere's dominants, Hampus Ericsson and Lukas Sundahl, had hoped for.
Kumlason Ericsson was hit, had a puncture and was forced into the pit. After that, his chances for a top position were completely gone. Sundahl in the champion team Micke Kågered Racing started far down the field, taking the checkered flag as 15th driver – and fifth among those who took points in the championship.
Ahead of him in fourth place was Sundahl's northerner Daniel Roos, Fragus Motorsport.

Cool Karlsson
In the Pro Am class for slightly older drivers, the end of the stay in France was a real hit for Mikael Karlsson, Karlskoga and Micke Kågered Racing. In addition to the victory among the Scandinavians, Karlsson was second overall among the Pro Am drivers, which meant that he, just like Dylan Pereira, got to step onto the facility's main podium in front of thousands of spectators.

”That was cool. Lucky that I delivered when, because of this trip, I missed my mother's 70th birthday as well as my son's graduation and my sister's boy's graduation”, Karlsson said.
On the podium in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, the Värmlander was joined by Oscar Löfquist and Kjelle Lejonkrans. All received trophies from prize-distributor Anders Boqvist, brand manager Porsche Sweden.