Despite being one of the most dominant drivers in qualifying since the start of the championship, Thomas Eek Murstad has yet to fully translate his pace into results during the final stages of competition.
With three intermediate classification victories and a total of eight fastest times across twelve qualifying heats, the Speedcar driver has paradoxically managed only two appearances in the final along with a single podium finish.
Those results stand in sharp contrast to the outright speed Murstad has displayed since the beginning of the season.
“This year, our main objective has been to maximise qualifying performances, and on that side we’ve managed to be very competitive. Obviously, the goal is also to convert that pace into results in the semi-finals and finals, but so far the circumstances haven’t really gone our way,” admitted Thomas.
At Tierp, Murstad nevertheless looked capable of securing his first victory of the season before a series of incidents derailed his chances.
“At Tierp, we had a problem on the starting grid for the wet final. There was a huge amount of rubber on the surface, which completely caught us out at the start. I found myself almost last within the opening metres and it became very difficult to fight back into the top three.”
The following day, Murstad’s weekend took another turn for the worse during the semi-final as fresh technical issues brought his Swedish campaign to a premature end.
“During the semi-final on the second day, we first experienced a gearshift issue right from the start before the throttle cable came loose after half a lap. At that point, our race was over.”
Despite this run of setbacks, Thomas Eek Murstad refuses to become frustrated. Aware of the potential he has shown since the beginning of the championship, the Speedcar driver is choosing to remain measured heading into the upcoming rounds.
“I stay calm because this is part of motorsport. The last three or four seasons have been very positive for us, so you also have to accept that some periods will be more complicated. The speed is there, now we just need to turn it into results.”
Murstad is now hoping the upcoming events will finally allow him to convert his pace into the results his performances have deserved in recent weeks.
“I hope the finals will go a little more our way this time.”
This weekend at Honkajoki, Murstad already appears to have settled quickly into a circuit that seems better suited to his driving style.
“I was quick in free practice, but we’ll have to see how the others improve as the weekend progresses. The main objective will once again be to put together strong qualifying performances and maintain this level of pace throughout the event.”
Murstad also believes the characteristics of the circuit could play in his favour thanks to a smoother and more flowing driving style than on some of the tracks visited earlier this season.
“I watched a few videos of the circuit on YouTube before arriving here and immediately felt this track could suit me. The driving is much more flowing, with more fast sequences and fewer stop-start corners. That’s exactly the kind of circuit I enjoy the most.”