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Daily Life of Johan, a Blog from a Driver's point of view
Rallycross driver Johan Kristoffersson tells us with his own words about the life behind the scenes. – Here you will find praise and critisism, gossips and deep thoughts...
Do not take this blog too seriously!
The Daily Life of Johan
Johan has a speech day, believes in a hazardous race and eats this year's herring.
"I was at my former upper secondary school, Stjerneskolan in Torsby, last week to hold a speech at their graduation. It felt like about 1 000 people attending the arena. I didn't expect that but it was fun. It wasn't exactly like standing in the parliament trying to convince people about a budget or something. I talked about what I'm doing today and that we have four mechanics who have all studied at that school and that are now with us in the World Championship. It was nice coming back there, a bit of nostalgia. And I had a soft ice cream as well. Ice cream is great!"
At home work has progressed preparing the cars for Buxtehude.
"We had a shakedown at the airport before we left, just to make sure everything works. Something we have really learnt is the importance of shakedowns with cars like this. There are always one thing or another to take care of and you feel better prepared if everything is sorted out."
On Thursday you arrived at Estering in Buxtehude, a track where you raced last year.
"A nice trip. We only had 130 km left when we got off the ferry. I have noticed there is new asphalt in the paddock but the track seems to be the same even though I haven't been out there yet. To be honest it's not a circuit I like very much. The first corner is hazardous and can turn out to be fatal. That one is difficult no matter how you do, and in the other parts it's difficult to attack. The joker is very narrow. It's hard to play safe here, but I will do my very best to secure as many points as possible. The weather forecasts differ so it's hard to tell how it's going to be but I hope for classical Swedish midsummer weather: rain that is...
Yes, celebrating the Swedish midsummer tradition in a paddock in Germany, where habits are a bit different.
"At least we have bought some herring, I think. That's not my favourite, but once a year it works. The 'nubbe', a spiritous drink, however, I have to skip this time. Friday is a day in the paddock. Even though our tent is up, there are several small things to take care of.
And your mechanics wearing traditional crowns of flowers?
"They should! Of course, they are optimizing the cars every minute the have. Myself, I'm planning to do some running, maybe around the track."
Johans vecka speglad av Morgan Carlsson
Johan går på skolavslutning, tror på chansartad tävling och äter årets sill.
"Jag var på min gamla gymnasieskola, Stjerneskolan i Torsby, och höll skolavslutningstal förra veckan. Det kändes som det var nästan 1 000 personer i hallen. Det hade jag kanske inte räknat med, men det var roligt. Det var ju inte direkt så att jag stod i riksdagen och skulle övertyga någon om en budget utan jag pratade om vad jag håller på med idag och berättade att vi har fyra mekaniker i vårt VM-team som har gått på den skolan. Det var en kul grej att komma tillbaka dit. Känslan var lite nostalgisk. Och så tog jag mig en mjukglass. Glass är gôtt."
På hemmaplan har arbetet fortsatt med att plocka ihop de nyservade bilarna inför Buxtehude.
"Vi körde en shakedown på flygfältet innan avresa, bara för att se så att allt fungerar. Om det är något vi har lärt oss så är det att det alltid är bra att göra en shakedown på en sån bil. Det finns hela tiden något som ska fixas till och man känner sig lite mer förberedd om man gör en uppstart."
Och under torsdagen anlände ni till Estering i Buxtehude, en bana som du ju körde på redan förra året.
"En fin resa hit. Det är bara 13 mil kvar när man kommer i land med färjan. Här kan jag konstatera att det är nyasfalterat i depån, men banan ser ut att vara som vanligt, även om jag inte har varit ute på den än. Egentligen är det inte någon bana jag gillar särskilt mycket. Det är en chansartad första sväng som kan bli ödesdiger. Den är tuff hur man än gör och ute på banan är det svårt att göra så mycket. Jokern är väldigt trång. Det är svårt att spela safe här men jag ska försöka säkra så många poäng som möjligt. Det har spåtts varierande väder så det går inte att utläsa än hur det kommer att bli, men jag hoppas förstås att det blir som svenskt midsommarväder, regn alltså."
Midsommarfirandet ja, det blir i en depå i Tyskland, där man inte har samma traditioner.
"Vi har i alla fall köpt med sill, tror jag. Det är ingen personlig favorit, men en gång om året funkar det. Nubben däremot får jag stå över. Under fredagen är vi på plats här i depån. Även om tältet är uppe och det mesta i ordning så finns det en del att pyssla med.
Med blomsterkrans i håret på mekanikerna?
Det borde de ha. Pojkarna skruvar förstås på bilarna in i det sista. Själv funderar jag på att ta en löprunda, kanske ute på banan."
The Daily Life of Johan
Johan offers a ride, watches his mechanics having fun and is worried about his son.
"We had two days at Malmby airport this week, where the local managers for the Bauhaus stores and their biggest clients were offered a ride. Volkswagen was there with their wide range of cars and I drove people in a Porsche GT3. Our guests circulated and one of the acitivities was to drive a track around cones with a Golf R. Anyone who would be faster than me was offered to challenge me in the rallycross car. Luckily no one was able to beat me. The fastest one, though, got a ride in the Polo RX."
That was some kind of adventure, I guess.
"One of my passengers planned to film with his phone during the trip but I told him to concentrate on holding firm instead. Afterwards he got my point, ha-ha. We had a long quick turn that we took at 180 km/h. There they had to hold tight. Not many understand how fast a GT3 with standard tyres can be."
This was your biggest sponsor event during the season.
"It was a big operation with both our big tents and a lot of guests during two days. Really good. Another positive thing was that our mechanics also got the chance to drive some of the cars. They are always there for us, self-sacrificing, but now they were given the opportunity to have some fun."
But before that you had a weekend at home, spending more time at home than you have done for a long time.
"Two days off for the first time in six weeks. I did absolutely nothing."
Except spending time with your family and especially your little son Colin.
"Yes, he's developing every day, small steps that is, but still new things. He got a very nice toy car from Volkswagen, but he's not driving yet. Need I be worried, ha-ha..?"
It'll be alright probably. You should also have had some time to do physical exercise.
"Not much actually. Too bad really. But I hope to make up for that now, especially as the weather looks nice for the coming days. I might bring out my racer bike. I've had my aunt doing some service on it."
Johans vecka speglad av Morgan Carlsson
Johan bjuder på skjuts, ser mekanikerna roa sig och oroar sig för sonen.
"Vi gjorde två dagar på Malmby flygfält i början på veckan, där platscheferna på Bauhaus-varuhusen och deras storkunder bjöds på skjuts. Volkswagen var där och visade upp sitt breda modellprogram och jag körde runt folk i en Porsche GT3. Gästerna fick gå runt på olika stationer, där en av dem var att köra genom en konbana med en Golf R. Om nån skulle vara snabbare än mig där så skulle den få utmana mig i rallycrossbilen. Som tur var lyckades ingen med det, ha-ha... De som var snabbast fick en åktur med mig i rallycross-Polon."
Det blev nog en rejäl upplevelse kan man tänka sig.
"Ja, det var en av mina passagerare som hade tänkt sig att filma med telefonen, men jag sa att det nog var bäst att han koncentrerade sig på att hålla sig i istället. Efteråt förstod han vad jag menade, he-he... Det var en snabb långsväng vi tog i 180 blås med Porschen. Där fick de hålla i rejält. Jag tror att det är många som inte förstår att en GT3 med standarddäck kan gå så fort."
Det här var väl ert största sponsorevent den här säsongen.
"Det var ett rejält pådrag med båda tälten uppställda och fullt med gäster i två dagar. Riktigt bra. Det var också kul att våra mekaniker fick chansen att testa en del av bilarna. De är alltid uppoffrande och servar alla andra hela tiden, men nu fick de också ha lite skoj."
Men innan det där jobbet så hade du en helg på hemmaplan och har fått vara mer hemma än på väldigt länge.
"Det var de första två lediga dagarna på raken på sex veckor. Jag gjorde absolut ingenting."
Förutom att umgås med familjen och särskilt lille Colin då...
"Ja, han gör framsteg varje dag, små visserligen, men ändå. Han har fått en väldigt fin leksakbil i present från Volkswagen, men han kör inte själv än, trots att han är flera veckor gammal. Ska jag vara orolig, ha-ha?
Det kommer nog. Du bör också ha hunnit med en del fysisk träning på sistone.
"Det har varit dåligt faktiskt. Alldeles för dåligt. Men nu ska det kunna bli ordning på det där, särskilt som det ser ut att bli bra väder i några dagar. Jag kanske ska ta fram racercykeln. Den har varit på service hos faster."
The Daily Life of Johan
Johan is just gazing, finds new paths around Höljes and stretches his braking spots.
"I haven't had much parental leave yet, and just changed one napkin this week, but I stay at home when I can and go to the garage when I need to. I just long to go home and meet the little one. It's not that you can play with him yet, but I just sit there watching him sleep. I have never felt like that before, a strange feeling. We have decided on his name now. He will be called Colin - from McRae of course. Colin Björn Kristoffersson, Björn after Zandra's dad."
You had to make do without Colin this Tuesday when you had a test day in Höljes.
"We tested motor developments with Tord's and Ole Christian's cars. Some new things needed trying and you could say that we have to make more adjustments. In that sense it was more of a test for the long-term than something that gives immediate effect. We also tested different springs, something I have talked about. Overall it was a good test. Every time you're out there you gain experience. The Höljes track is always in good shape och this time I was able to try new ideas, due to the behaviour of our new car. By the way, there were more drivers up there, Petter, Robin and Ramona."
Despite all your exciting driving in the World RX you still reached some kind of highlight of your career in Carrera Cup at Anderstorp last weekend.
"That was a real 'overtaking party', a total of 30 overtakings in the two races."
A double victory from the end of the line, incredible.
"But still going off during qualification is what annoys me. We had the information about oil on the track, so I knew it was there, but I didn't see it. On the first lap I went behind Mangs, without any problem, but then I left him a gap to be able to drive the way I want to. There were two different types of asphalt and I didn't see the oil spot on the dark part. Right front locked and that was it. Towing took time so I knew qualifying was over.
So what was the plan from your position at the back.
"Taking the car to the finish line without any big damages on the car and to reach as high a position as possible. The sight was limited in the rain so I didn't want to put my nose into the corners without being sure about the others having noticed me. But you also want to advance so that's a difficult balance. Still I reached the lead with four laps to go. I think me being more comfortable on wet surface made it possible.
In the second race you needed more time.
"That's how I felt as well, so I thought it would be difficult. I knew I forced my tyres and that it might be difficult in the end. But the ones complaining about bad tyres in the end were those who had been least cautious about their tyres. I tried to cool mine as much as possible and I think it went well. Still it was an achievement that took 100 % of my capacity. I really needed to stretch my braking spots as much as possible. I was too hard on the brakes once but that was because the gear shift paddle stuck. It took about a second to get it going again. That's a lot of time in a situation like that. To summarize I think four factors were vital for my two victories: 1) a perfect set-up to my car, 2) Anderstorp is a wide track where it's difficult to drive defensively, 3) the rain, which I like, 4) the driver has to be quick as well.
Two ambitious efforts giving you two victories.
"I usually have what I call a 'racing hang-over' the day after a race, but now I was very off, both Sunday and Monday. And after Höljes I fell asleep on my sofa at eight o'clock in the evening."
No racing this weekend will be fine then?
"First weekend for six weeks at home. I will do just nothing. On Tuesday and Wednesday it's time to meet our partners and dealers at Malmby."
