Go Rally Car with Ramona - Aftonbladet

Are you in Stockholm this week and see a Skoda in pole position in every traffic jam is likely Ramona Karlsson behind the wheel.

year’s winner of the Rally Championship finals are in town to run rally car.

But the point is not to supply customers unusually rapidly without picking up sponsors for the coming season.

coffee thermos between the front seats pops Ramona Karlsson up outside Aftonbladet editorial. She already had driven his first “customer” from Arlanda to Stockholm.

Shutter you to rally now, in favor of rally-cross

– That’s the idea, anyway, my goal is to drive rally-cross World Championships and it requires a budget of 4.5 million roughly, says Ramona Karlsson. And I keep on chasing up the budget now. Would not do that, so I intend to continue the rally.

– Now I have half the budget and the season begins in May, says Ramona Karlsson.

why she sits behind the wheel and act chauffeur for marketing managers in a julstressigt Stockholm.

– I find that when I meet people they’re interested, but you have to get to a meeting. Therefore, I do this thing now, because people are hard to get away now that it’s Christmas and everything. So it’s a way for me to use the time while they go somewhere so I can talk to them.

How does the week look like?

– Today I have three runs, tomorrow I have two so far. Friday is pretty full, where I even had to start thinning a bit, she says.

But if you do not get together the budget?

– When is my plan B to run the EM, the competitions are in Europe, she says. And Plan C is to run the rally, said Ramona Karlsson with a laugh.

What is the difference between rally and rally-cross

– In rally-cross drive towards others while, it’s very extreme cars, short explosive heat, everything happens at the same time and then it’s ready. It is a sport that is tailored to the audience. It is good entertainment while being very tough – you have to be quick starter and venture into närfajter, she says. Rally is more about endurance and longer distances.

How does it feel to meet Sebastian Loeb, Ken Block and Mattias Ekström?

– It’s no bad name I meet, I’m very humble, she says. With a lot of testing before and with a good car so my goal is to be fighting. I would not be doing this if I did not think I have a good chance.

You booms not to tackle Ken Block?

– I’m not afraid of me to give me närfajter says Ramona Karlsson. You become like a bubble when running rally – I become another person, there are almost no limitations.

How does it run in Stockholm without a co-driver?

– Haha, I will miss Miriam (Walfridsson, Ramona’s co-driver in rally. Reds.anm.), I do not have the best sense of direction, maybe it’s because I’m so spoiled to have her all the time. But I have GPS with me, she says.

– But it’s only good if you go wrong, then you get more time with the sponsor. It was my ulterior motive, says Ramona Karlsson with a tax.

What is the speed record on Main Street?

– It’s bad, it usually always go so slow on King Street. I usually additionally stick to the speed of the rules, I’m very scared about the driving license.

And then if they are biting so they get to go with your real rally car next time.

– Exactly, they get a ride in the winter on our test road up there (in Värmland Kil, reds. note.)

But how much is talent and how much money to break through?

– That’s a great question, she says. You have to have a basic talent but no money will be nowhere. One has to be an entrepreneur while being a good driver and be able to have a balance between that. One must be able tokjaga sponsors and then be able to compete and focus on it without thinking ‘I can not go off the road because I can not afford it’. But I think the whole piece is funny, I’m learning a lot.

– should ideally sit in a WRC car (rally car) when you are 18-20 years of age to become world champion. It’s hard to get that opportunity, in Sweden, we have previously been bad at taking up new talent. In Finland it is more the rule than the exception that older drivers take up a younger drivers and help them with contacts, driving techniques.

But you have started something like that?

– Yes, for young girls. It is really good and is funny as hell. We have had three meetings this year and I have contact with them between races. I as a mentor to seven girls between 15 and 20 years from all over the country, says Ramona Karlsson. I myself remember what it was like at that age, you have to have thick skin because there is much prejudice against girls. For me, it was important to have a female role model. Michèle Mouton is an awesome role model. She has become a sounding board for me and sent a very nice e-mail after our victory in Uppsala and now I’ve actually got a scholarship from her.

But hope it goes well for you!

– Thank you, we can be heard at the end of the week and see how it has gone.