7 November 2006
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Patrik made the perfect start to the season when he was victorious in his first outing in the car at round one, Bergslags Rally. The early lead in the championship was extended when Patrik took Group N honours in the South Swedish Rally, and he clinched the title with a victory in the Ostgota Rally.
Patrik's rallying in the IMPREZA was not just confined to his domestic championship, taking the opportunity to broaden his experience he also participated in a number of high profile events throughout the course of the 2006 season. In February Patrik took part in Rally Norway, an event which will appear on the 2007 WRC calendar, the Impreza driver shone amongst the competition to finish first in Group N.
The following month the Monitor team (who sponsor Patrik) travelled to another WRC candidate round, Rally Portugal. The entry was restricted to just Group N cars, competition was tough with a number of experienced drivers in the field, including Markko Martin, Daniel Carlson, Janne Tuohino and Miguel Campos all driving Imprezas. The rally took place in demanding conditions with heavy rain throughout the weekend, despite this Patrik put in a mature performance to finish on the podium in third position.
Perhaps the most impressive performance of the season came in the Finnish round of the WRC, where Patrik had a titanic battle with fellow Prodrive SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI spec C Gr.N 2006 driver Anton Alen. The two dominated Group N and exchanged fastest stage times throughout the weekend, in the end Anton Alen came out on top but the two drivers had shown not only their potential as stars of the future but also the performance of the IMPREZA, finishing above several World Rally Cars.
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