Sweden Rally 2006: Red Bull Skoda Team - Preview
Just two weeks after Monte Carlo, the points hunt for Red Bull Skoda continues in the Extreme North of Sweden. The second WRC event, a genuine winter rally, poses one of the season`s toughest challenges to the entire crew. Nonetheless the team is looking to repeat or even improve upon the results of Monte Carlo, where both cars were able to finish and score points.
If anyone is able to achieve that goal, it has to be Mattias Ekstrom. The 2004 DTM champion is a huge fan of rallying and has already shown in the past that he is very proficient at his snowy home event. He won the production class in 2004 and finished tenth overall in 2005 driving a Skoda Fabia WRC: "I am very motivated for this year`s event, I know the car and the stages as well. Consequently it should be possible to improve last year`s result and finish in the points."

Andreas Aigner has to break completely new ground in Sweden after his first assignment in Monte Carlo (P13): "This means starting all over, I am an absolute beginner in Sweden, and I will have to try an approach similar to Monte Carlo. It is most important not to make any serious mistake and stay in the rally. I am particularly happy that Timo Gottschalk will be back after his ailment. I would like to take the opportunity and thank Klaus Wicha for filling in for Timo in Monte Carlo."

Both team bosses, Armin Schwarz and Raimund Baumschlager, are expecting another strong performance from the entire team in Sweden: "At the beginning of the week we want to successfully complete a test run using special Sweden studs. It is also important to note that we will not have to modify the car we are testing with, since both Mattias and Andreas will compete in the 2005 version of the Skoda Fabia WRC according to FIA regulations. Our primary goal is to have both cars finish the rally. Everything else will follow."

349 competitive kilometres over 19 special stages
The 55th Uddeholm Swedish Rally gets under way on Thursday, February 2nd with a ceremonial start in the centre of Karlstad at 5 p.m. before the crews travel 85 kilometres up north to Hagfors and Uddeholm. From Friday through Sunday (February 3rd to 5th), 19 special stages over a competitive distance of 349.2 kilometres are scheduled. The overall length of the rally amounts to 1,441.16 kilometres, with the finish on Sunday expected at 3.02 p.m., again in the centre of Karlstad.

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