Riding solo against the HM Engineering armada, Carl Jansson has established himself as a front runner in the Apex Racing League Touring Car Championship (ARLTC). Rolling on from a double podium at Silverstone, Jansson hoped for a repeat of his round one rostrums.

Defending champion, Kieran Harrison, mastered a tactical group qualifying session and took pole by three tenths of a second from Carl Jansson. Hesketh Racing’s Mark Johnston furthered his reputation as the paddock giant killer by qualifying in the overall top ten and fastest of the AM class.

Throughout the opening twenty lap dash, Carl Jansson shadowed Harrison’s HM Engineering Audi. Keen to maintain momentum, Jansson opted not to attempt a move on Harrison for the lead. Instead, the Swede deployed cunning NASCAR bump drafting tactics, hurrying Harrison along. Refusing to flinch, Harrison displayed his enviable serenity and maintained the lead until the final lap.

Charging through Kettle Bottoms towards the right-hander of Canada Corner, Harrison covered the inside, forcing his Swedish rival to go the long way around. Exiting the final corner and embarking on the steep incline to the chequered flag, Jansson dragged alongside Harrison as the pair crested the hill. A photo finish at the line declared Harrison the winner. Jansson employed a multitude of tactics, but Harrison had the answers.

Mark Johnston followed his superb qualifying effort with an AM class victory and fifteenth overall.

During the opening encounter, Porsche Tag Heuer Esports Supercup ace Jack Sedgwick started from pit lane. Emerging at the rear of the fifty-car field, Sedgwick faced a mammoth task to reach the top twenty-six places and therefore claiming a favourable reverse grid spot for race two. Sedgwick’s extraordinary charge to twenty-fifth place, yielded a front row start for race two.

Fellow pro class ace, Oliver Ackermann, joined Sedgwick on the front row for race two. Straight from the off, Sedgwick and Ackermann wasted no time in decoupling themselves from the ARLTC express train. By the final lap, the Anglo-German pair stretched nine seconds from the chasing pack, led by Mikel Garcia.

Although Ackermann spent the entire race painstakingly studying Sedgwick’s every move, the T3 Esports driver couldn’t break the Briton’s defences and had to settle for second place. Team MAD’s Mark Woodhouse capitalised on a second row start to finish seventh and top AM class pilot.

Championship leader, Carl Jansson, fell victim to a lap one midfield melee at Hurry Downs. Turfed into the gravel and running wounded, the Swedish ace limped on to finish twenty-fifth. Jansson’s tenacity granted him a fifth place start for race three, following the reverse grid shuffle.

In the final twenty-minute sprint of the meeting, ARLTC fans were treated to a titanic tussle for the win. A leading quartet consisting of Corentin Guinez, Carl Jansson, George Simmons, and Norbert Leitner, collaborated to produce a grandstand finale. A barnstorming final lap from Carl Jansson saw the Swede barge his way through to the front of the pack by the flag. Four podiums from six races solidifies Core Sim Racing’s superstar at the top of the championship.

Continuing the theme of standout AM class performances, Marcel Fritsch completed a trio of class winners at the Road America meeting.

After the race, George Simmons and Carl Jansson joined the Apex Racing TV broadcast team to share their thoughts on a day’s racing at Elkhart lake:

George Simmons: “It was certainly quite busy! I had quite a lot of incident points, so I couldn’t afford any more on the last lap. When the HM Engineering boys came through, I thought I’ll let them go and see what happens. Fortunately, there was a bit of a racing incident ahead and I popped through.”

Carl Jansson: “The first race was really good. I would have liked to have had the win there but it was really close. In race two, I made up some positions but I was involved in the crash. I did my best to get into the top twenty-nine, even though I had so much damage. In the last race, my main problem was to get to George as quick as possible. I got there, but the HM Engineering guys hung on! We had a big battle on the last lap. I was surprised to come out on top there.”

Sonoma raceway in beautiful California wine country hosts round three of the ARLTC championship on the 28^th of January. Tune in to Apex Racing TV at 8pm GMT to catch all the live action.