By Tarek Ramchani
The Audi brand has a very successful history in the Swedish Touring Car Championship or simply STCC.
The Four Rings clinched no less than five outright drivers' titles, five teams' titles and three independent drivers' titles. Audi won in two different eras, first in Super Touring and then in Super 2000.
It all started in 1999 and the golden Super Touring era with the legendary Audi A4 STW, the car that dominated all over Europe and beyond.
The first title came with none other than Mattias Ekström. Eki clinched the overall title in the very last round at Mantorp Park that year driving a factory backed Audi A4 STW from Kristoffersson Motorsport (KMS).
Two years later in 2001 it was the turn of Roberto Colciago. The Italian driver took the championship title driving once again an Audi A4 STW from Kristoffersson Motorsport.
Roberto Colciago was able to defend his title in 2002, driving again for Kristoffersson Motorsport. That was the final year in official competition for the all conquering Audi A4 STW. The Super Touring era ended in the STCC.
New rules and new era in 2003, the Super Touring cars gone, the STCC opted for the new Super 2000 regulation which had a successful launch in the FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC).
Audi was back in the STCC with a brand new car, the Audi A4 S2000 based on the B6 road going model. The cars were entered once again by Kristoffersson Motorsport and proved to be successful right from the start. Fredrik Ekblom gave Audi a fourth title in five years.
In 2005 Audi replaced the Audi A4 S2000 B6 by the new Audi A4 S2000 B7. Audi had a strong season that year but didn't win the title but all was set for a successful 2006 campaign.
Thed Björk driving for Kristoffersson Motorsport gave Audi a fifth drivers' title in the STCC. That was the last title for Audi in the Scandinavian based Touring Car Series.
Photo credit: STCC
