He belongs to the same cohort as Yannick Tregaro and Christian Olsson.

Once upon a time, Christian Skaar was both Norwegian, Swedish and Nordic three-step champion.

But now he has changed direction completely.

At the age of 44, he started his own stable and debuted in a motorsport context - in the STCC itself.

- The first time I sat in a racing car was in December.

I've barely driven a go-kart.

Someone persuaded me to try it and I was not at all keen.

After that I got a bloody tooth.

Then I got the chance to drive here which is also kind of crazy because it's a huge level.

Suddenly you were on the track and wondering what kind of situation you were in, says Skaar.

"Thresholds to cross"

After five races, Skaar has scored 47 points out of a possible 325 in his debut season.

For this weekend's competition in Anderstorp, he qualified as eighth.

- There are a lot of thresholds to cross.

Now you are up to the level where you start qualifying in the middle.

I have achieved so many goals now so I am extremely happy and I did not expect that given the level that is here.

But after the first heat, Skaar was relegated five places after driving too hard.

- I sadly experience some obvious mistakes.

That's the kind of thing I can take.

You have to learn the hard way and take the punishment.

There are an awful lot of rules and I have to take it step by step.

"Been a bit of an outcast"

What reactions have you had from people in the motoring world?

- Friends and acquaintances do not understand how it is possible that I ended up here.

My fellow drivers are a bit wait-and-see and questioning what I have to do here.

I've had to experience that from some sides anyway, and it's not entirely cool.

We are involved in creating breadth in a series and we do it seriously.

It would have been a different matter if we had just clapped.

It sounds like you've been told quite a bit?

- Yes, it has been a trick and you have to accept it.

Especially if I make a mistake.

There are people here who have made rookie mistakes once upon a time and I think people should be understanding about that, but it just makes me more excited.