Mattias EkstrÃ¶m

Bengt Mattias Ekström ( * July 14, 1978 in Falun ) is a Swedish racing driver. He is of European fame in the 1990s Rallycross driver Bengt Ekström son.

He was from 1997 to 2000 in the STCC active and give them the league title there in 1999. It starts in the DTM since 2001 and won in 2004 and 2007 the championship there.

3.1 Career stations
3.2 Individual results in the DTM

Career

Beginnings in motorsport (1993-1996)

Ekstrom began his racing career in 1993 in the Swedish Kart Championship. He was until 1994 active in karting. At the same time he made his debut in 1994 in touring car racing and went to the Swedish Renault 5 Turbo Cup. After he became vice-champion in 1995, he decided the championship in 1996 for themselves.

STCC (1997-2000)

In 1997, Ekström in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC ). He drove a Volvo 850 GLT in Troberg - Rydell Junior Team. He won four out of twelve races and was runner-up behind January Nilsson, who decided the remaining races for themselves. Ekström was the best rookie this year. In 1998 he stayed with his team, a Ford Mondeo Ghia started this season. He scored four podium finishes and finished the season starting in eighth place in the drivers' standings.

In 1999, Ekström within the STCC to Kristoffersson Motorsport, that of the ex- Rallycross driver Tommy Kristoffersson team, and received an Audi A4 quattro. He finished four out of sixteen races on the first place and won the championship with 215 to 209 points, ahead of Fredrik Ekblom. In addition, he appeared in this season for his team to two races of the German Super Touring Car Championship. 2000 Ekström denied his fourth season for the STCC Volvo S40 Racing Team Sweden in a Volvo S40. He chose three races for themselves and stood at a total of ten out of sixteen races on the podium. In the Drivers' Championship, he finished the season on top of the third.

DTM ( since 2001)

In 2001, Ekström Abt Sportsline in the DTM and received an Abt- Audi TT -R. He rose for the second race in the championship, finishing six of nine races in the points. He also scored a podium placement with a third place. He finished the season off in eighth place in the championship. Ekström 2002 was a total of six times on the podium in Zandvoort and achieved his first DTM victory. As the second- best Audi driver after the champion Laurent Aiello he graduated from the championship in third place. In his third DTM season Ekstrom scored in each race, which he finished points. For a win it was not enough this season, however. With four podium finishes, he was named best Abt- Audi driver in fourth in the championship.

For factory entry of Audi in the DTM remained Ekström 2004 Abt Sportsline. He won the race in Adria, Velcro joke, Zandvoort and Brno and decided the championship with 74 to 57 points ahead of Mercedes driver Gary Paffett for themselves. In addition, Ekström took part in this season at the 24-hour Nürburgring race and finished eighth. 2005 Ekström had with victories in Brno, Nürburg and Velcro joke until the last race title chances. Finally, he was defeated, however, Paffett with 71 to 84 points and was named best Audi driver runner-up. 2006 failed Ekström, to build on the successes of the previous seasons. His victory at Brands Hatch also stated his only podium placing this season since. In the overall classification, he was eighth in the worst pilot of Abt Sportsline.

Started in 2007 with a victory Ekström on the Hockenheim ring in the season. Although in the rest of the season was not followed by another victory, Ekström decided the championship with six other podium finishes for yourself. He sat down with 50 through to 47 points against Mercedes driver Bruno Spengler. Ekström 2008 again won the season opener at Hockenheim. This was followed by two more victories in the DTM race at Zandvoort and Le Mans. While his team-mate Timo Scheider won the championship title, Ekstrom was third in the drivers' standings. 2009 remained Ekström without a win. With five podium finishes, which he achieved in consecutive races, he finished the season off in fifth place overall. Behind Scheider he was again the second best pilot of his team. In addition, he completed in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR a guest appearance at the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring, where he scored the pole position, but failed in the race. He also appeared in one more time for 24-hour race on the Nürburgring. In an Audi R8 LMS starting his team 23rd in the overall standings was.

2010 denied Ekström his tenth DTM season for Abt Sportsline. He was team internally again by Scheider, who was fourth, beaten and finished the season with a win in Valencia in fifth place in the championship. In addition, debuted Ekström 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup. For the Red Bull Racing team he joined in a Toyota to two races. His best finish here was a 21th Place. He also took part in a race in the NASCAR K & N Pro Series West. 2011 Ekstrom began the DTM season with a second place. After four races without a podium placement at the Nürburgring followed his first win of the season. Two races later at Oschersleben was followed by another victory. In the wet race, he went out a lead of about 40 seconds. At the following race in Valencia he scored his third win of the season. The season he finished as the best Abt- pilot on the second place in the championship behind his fellow Tomczyk. He also competed in the Blancpain Endurance Series at a race in the GT3 Pro- rating and won this.

2012 received Ekström in the DTM with the Audi A5 DTM a new vehicle. He remained at Abt Sportsline. Ekstrom scored three third places, a victory he did not succeed. As the best Abt- pilot, he closed the season as sixth in the drivers' standings. In addition, he won a DTM show race at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. 2013 Ekström completed his 13th DTM season for Dept. During the race at the Norisring he came in first place to the finish. Because water was to him by his father in the parc fermé been poured into the pocket of his racing suit, he was after the race because of breakage of the Parc fermé rules will be disqualified. A race later at the Moscow Raceway, he finished second. At the end of the season Ekström finished in seventh place overall.

Rallying

Parallel to the DTM Ekström is also active sporadically in rallying. In the Swedish Rally and Rally Catalunya 2004, he was the overall winner of the group N.

Race of Champions

In 2005 he won together with Tom Kristensen the "Nations Cup" of the prestigious Race of Champions ( ROC ) at the Stade de France. 2006 ( also at the Stade de France ), 2007 ( at Wembley Stadium, London) and 2009 ( Beijing National Stadium ) Ekström won the RoC title, called "Champion of Champions".

Personal

Ekström's hometown is Krylbo in Sweden, currently he lives in Sale in Stein, Switzerland. Ekström was romantically involved from 1997 to 2007 with the Swedish Rally and Rally -Raid - driver Tina Thorner.

Statistics

Career stations

2001: DTM ( 8th place)
2002: DTM ( 3rd place)
2003: DTM ( 4th place)
2004: DTM ( Master )
2005: DTM ( 2nd place)
2006: DTM ( 8th place)
2007: DTM ( Master )
2008: DTM ( 3rd place)
2009: DTM ( 5th place)

2010: DTM ( 5th place)
2010: NASCAR Sprint Cup ( 58th place )
2010: NASCAR K & N Pro Series West ( 80th place )
2011: DTM ( 2nd place)
2011: Blancpain Endurance Series, GT3 Pro ( 8th place)
2012: DTM ( 6th place)
2013: DTM ( 7th place)

Individual results in the DTM

1 The race in Shanghai did not count for the championship.

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