Springs vital for racing car's performance

Lesjöfors has since many years a partnership with Öhlins Racing, a leading manufacturer of dampers to racing cars. Martin Öhlin, new driver in the STCC, tells more about the importance of the springs in racing cars.

STCC (Scandinavian Touring Car Championship) is the Scandinavian tour for racing cars. Races run in Sweden and Denmark. One of the new drivers in the STCC of the season is Martin Öhlin. He has previously run JTCC, which are competitions at junior level, and the Porsche Carrera Cup. Martin Öhlin competes for the West Coast Racing Team in a BMW 320 and the weekend April 22 to 23 the first start took place at Jyllandsringen in Denmark. The first race was unfortunately discontinued due to a broken drag link, but the second heat went really well and Martin finished in seventh place.
“I am satisfied with the placing given that it was my first competition. For next week's start, I am better prepared; now I know what to expect," says Martin Öhlin.

Continuous spring development
Martin Öhlin is not only an auto racer, he is also a damping technician in the family business Öhlins Racing, one of the leading suppliers of shock absorbers in Europe.
“The shock absorption and quality of the springs have a very significant impact on the car's ability to exploit the power from the wheels. Therefore, we are working constantly to make improvements by changing the hardness of the springs and test different variations," says Martin.

High quality springs from Lesjöfors
The Lesjöfors springs used by Öhlins are usually from the standard assortment, but sometimes springs with special qualities are developed.
“We work with Lesjöfors because we know that the quality of their springs is always good. In addition, we also always get expert advice and prompt service," says Martin Öhlin.

How the premiere season in STCC will go, Martin doesn´t want to predict; there are many strong names in the starting field. But his goal is clear:
"We aim to win, both individually and as teams."

If Martin Ohlin wins the STCC, he will do it in a car with first-class springs, sponsored by Lesjöfors.

Lesjöfors is one of the leading spring suppliers with internationally well knowned clients. The products are demanded in many markets, in diverse industries. The range of springs (eg. torsion springs and gas springs), stampings and pressings have a unique range, where one of the biggest selection of standard springs are combined with high-tech, customized solutions.
Lesjöfors has both manufacturing and sales offices in several European countries and China.