The World Rally Championship Mailing List is brought to you by:
Digital Rally - 'get virtually sideways'
http://www.worldrallychampionship.com
Please also support the World Rally Discussion List: http://www.arnal.es/wr
50th International Rally of Sweden
http://www.swerally.se
Round 2 of the FIA World Rally Championship
10-13 February 2000
Final Report
FIA Press Release
Lastest Championship Points
Congratulations to Peugeot! The French team returned to the Swedish Rally for the first time since it won here in 1986 and recorded the first victory for the 206WRC. The result also marked the first FIA World Rally Championship victory for driver Marcus Gronholm. At last the Swedish Rally produced some snow! For the final day there was up to 3cm of snow on the opening pair of stages and the final stage took place with fresh snow still falling.
Peugeot
The final day could have begun disastrously for Peugeot as both its drivers hit a rock on the opening stage. Indeed no less than five of the leading crews also encountered the rock. Gronholm escaped with nothing more than a slightly damaged wheel but the impact caused Francois Delecour's diff to stop working properly. In the end everything worked perfectly and the team celebrated first wins for both the 206WRC and Marcus Gronholm. On the last stage I kept asking my co-driver if I could slow down yet but he kept telling me to 'go go go'! It's too soon to talk about championships but I'm sure I can win in Finland and maybe Portugal."
Mitsubishi
Tommi Makinen began today determined to put overnight leader Marcus Gronholm under pressure. While he closed the gap, his progress was hampered by hitting the same rock as his rival on the opening stage. "We didn't do any damage but we lost time because my foot jumped off the pedal," he explained. Team mate Freddy Loix found the overnight snow had affected grip levels but quickly adjusted to new driving techniques, despite spinning on SS18. "The last stage was tougher tan it was a year ago," he said. "I found a good rhythm and so I'm very happy, but there's still some work to do."
Ford
Colin McRae found himself locked in a battle for third place with Thomas Radstrom over the final few stages today but the Scot was more concerned with finishing his first event since Portugal last year. "After what happened on the final stage of Monte Carlo I can hardly relax. You don't forget that kind of thing in a hurry and I wasn't going to risk everything chasing third place," he admitted. "Nevertheless we took everything out of the car for SS20, including the sun-visors, and went flat out. Thomas knows these stages very well so we knew we had to be quick to get past him."
Subaru
Richard Burns managed to gain a second fastest time of the event on SS17 but the English driver couldn't understand why. "I've been driving flat out all day and so there was nothing special on the stage. I guess the tyres were just working better," he said. "As far as the championship is concerned this could seem to be a disaster but you mustn't forget that we had a worse start last year and didn't start scoring well until Argentina."
SEAT
Didier Auriol's engine again caused trouble and denied the Frenchman the chance to finish in the top eight. "It's been getting worse and worse today," he said after finishing tenth. "At times we had a red light flashing on the dashboard and on some sixth gear corners I had to change down to fifth. Despite this the handling of the car has been good. I really tried my best to beat Mr Loix!"
Hyundai
Sweden has seen a fine debut for the newest team in the Championship with both Accent WRCs reaching the finish, Kenneth Eriksson 13th and Alister McRae one place further back. "I'm really happy at this stage of the car's development," said Eriksson. "We thought we'd lose a lot more time but things have been much better than we expected. There's still some engine work to be done but overall we are in very good shape. This is a very friendly car - it really tries to help you."
Other Teams
Thomas Radstrom's hopes of winning his home event came to nothing as he was unable to match the speed of his rivals over the final day but he still battled hard for third place. He hit a rock on the opening stage and wasn't sure if he had punctured a tyre. "I didn't think I had but at 190kph you can never entirely trust that the anti-deflation mousse will work completely, as it luckily did!" he said. Markko Martin (on only his second ever snow rally) was locked in a tense battle for eighth place which went against him when he spun onto a snow bank on SS18 and lost two places. Group N was again the domain of Mitsubishi who took the top 10 places.
The next event is the Sameer Safari Rally, Round 3 of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship (Feb 25-27)
------------------------------------------------------------
Provisional Final Results
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 3:20:33,3
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 3:20:40,1
3 C.McRae Ford Focus 3:20:47,0
4 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 3:20:48,2
5 Burns Subaru Impreza 3:21:08,3
6 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 3:23:20,9
7 Delecour Peugeot 206 3:24:05,2
8 Loix Mitsu Carisma 3:25:41,6
9 Martin Toyota Corolla 3:25:47,3
10 Auriol Seat Cordoba 3:25:49,2
Group N
1 Paasonen Mitsu Lancer 3:36:02,1
2 Pykalisto Mitsu Lancer 3:36:33,5
3 Walfridsson Mitsu Lancer 3:37:22,1
2-Litre
1 Jansson Peugeot 106 Max 3:41:03,1
2 Kruse Renault Megane 3:44:55,0
3 Rindeby Ford Puma 3:55:16,9
Teams Cup
1 Holowczyc Subaru Impreza 3:34:46,0
2 Bakhashab Toyota Corolla 3:42:05,0
-----------------------------------------------------------
Provisional Championship Standings
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers
Makinen (FIN) 16
Gronholm (FIN) 10
Sainz (E) 6
Kankkunen (FIN) 5
McRae (GB) 4
Gardemeister (FIN) 3
Radstrom (S) 3
Thiry (B) 2
Burns (GB) 2
Loix(B) 1
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers
Mitsubishi 18
Peugeot 11
Ford 10
Subaru 9
SEAT 3
Skoda 1
Hyundai 0
FIA Cup for Drivers of Production Cars
Stohl (A) 13
Paasonen (FIN) 10
Trelles (ROU) 6
Pykalisto (FIN) 6
Galli (I) 4
Walfridsson (S) 4
FIA Teams' Cup
Wizja TV Turning Point Rally Team (PL) 10
Toyota Team Saudi Arabia (SA) 6
------------------------------------------------------------
Stage Winners
SS16 - Radstrom, SS17 - Burns, SS18 - Radstrom, SS19 - Radstrom, SS20 - C.McRae
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 16, Malta 11.88 km
1st car: 08:56
Notes:
- Mäkinen: "I made a mistake in here. I hit a rock"
- Grönholm: "I hit a rock with the right front wheel. We have to check the car!"
- Rådström: "Go! Now we're going for it!"
- Burns: "I'm not pleased, still hunting."
- Delecour: "The car is going better. We fixed the differential at Grängesberg last night."
- Märtin: "I tried to hunt Didier. But the times are very tight."
- Loix: "The car is exactly the same as on friday. But I can't follow Marco Märyin, He's driving quick now."
- Hagström: "We have to safety our position now."
- Rovanperä: "Starting is ok. But we need more power."
- Eriksson: "We will change gearbox after next stage. But I can tell that this will be great in the future."
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 5:44,3
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 5:46,7
3 C.McRae Ford Focus 5:50,4
4 Burns Subaru Impreza 5:50,8
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 5:50,9
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 17, Ullen 24.89 km
1st car: 09:42
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Burns Subaru Impreza 12:05,4
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 12:10,3
3 C.McRae Ford Focus 12:12,8
4 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 12:14,7
5 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 12:16,3
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 18, Sagen 2 14.76 km
1st car: 11:24
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 7:45,9
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 7:47,4
3 C.McRae Ford Focus 7:47,9
3 Gronholm Peugeot 206 7:47,9
5 Burns Subaru Impreza 7:49,7
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 19, Rammen 2 23.44 km
1st car: 12:17
Notes:
- Grönholm: "Everything is fine. The heavy snow is no problem. It is the same for everybody."
- Mäkinen: "We are still going absolutely flat-out. We have no reverse gear. It broke at the start of Stage 19, but we should be able fix it at this service. Snow on top of ice will make the last stage very difficult. It can be easy to make a spin in that stage."
- C.McRae: Jimmy McRae: "It is incredible the speed of these drivers. There is absolutely nothing left!" Nicky Grist: "No changes to the car. We are leavingit exactly as it is for the next stage." Colin McRae: "We will keep going the way we are for the last stage."
- Rådström: He is confident he can hold on to third place. "The snow has come too late. We hit a post in stage 19. I think it may have put the front wheel out of line. I will ask the Toyota engineers if they can find me anymore speed!"
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 11:52,8
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 11:53,3
3 C.McRae Ford Focus 11:53,5
4 Burns Subaru Impreza 11:56,0
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 11:56,7
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 20, Hagfors 21.17 km
1st car: 14:00
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 C.McRae Ford Focus 11:22,9
2 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 11:24,5
3 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 11:27,9
4 Burns Subaru Impreza 11:35,5
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 11:37,0
End of Leg 2
FIA Press Release
With today's stages to the north east of Karlstad close to Borlange came drama with two of the leading crews, Sainz and Gardemeister, forced out of the contest by mechanical problems. Marcus Gronholm continues to lead, however, although the battle for second could hardly have been closer at times today with just half a second covering positions 2-4. Although there was more snow on today's stages, morning rain made conditions treacherous and in the afternoon crews suffered with stud retention problems for the first time.
Peugeot
Marcus Gronholm was wide awake at 4am and so was ready for action immediately! The overnight leader extended his lead with two fastest times on the first stages and was able to rest a little easier as his rivals hit trouble. "I can go even quicker tomorrow because I know those stages much better," he explained. Francois Delecour continues to drive steadily because of his lack of detailed stage knowledge but still managed to overshoot a junction and suffered a diff problem near the start of SS13. Team director Corrado Provera dismissed any suggestion of team orders by saying: "We've got both cars in the points at the moment so anything else is a gift. Marcus has gained 50% of the fastest times so far and so I can't ask a driver to slow down."
Mitsubishi
Tommi Makinen was not especially happy with his performance this morning but could not attribute it to any specific reason. He did finally, however, get rid of the annoying transmission noise that affected him yesterday when the mechanics swapped the gearbox last night. The World Champion lost the chance to retake second place from McRae on the Jutbo stage when he went off twice and broke three wheel rims. Low hydraulic pressure has given Freddy Loix a rear or centre diff worry but it was not expected to develop into anything major during the day and the team was confident it could be fully rectified at the final service in Grangesberg.
Ford
Colin McRae was on a charge this morning and stormed into second place over the first two stages before consolidating his position with a record-breaking drive over SS13 Jutbo, 65s faster than the previous best time despite ending the stage with two punctures. "I was quite surprised because it didn't feel that quick," admitted McRae. However fortune was not with Ford as Carlos Sainz retired before SS11 when part of the car's oil pump system sheared on th road section and caused both the oil pump and alternator to stop working. McRae was delighted that the weather conditions had been the way they were. "If it had frozen overnight then I'd have been worried about keeping the studs in the tyres on the gravel sections but instead it has been quite muddy and we've not lost a single stud. We have been able to make a full attack all the way." Both cars were fitted with new engines after possible internal damage was spotted after the pre-rally shakedown.
Subaru
Both Richard Burns and Juha Kankkunen were strangely subdued during the morning, unable to find a perfect tyre solution to the melting ice that greeted them on the stages. Kankkunen's car also suffered from a combination of front shock absorber damage and a misjudged tyre choice on the opening stage and both drivers began to slip out of contention as the day progressed. "Everyone's driving at much the same pace so it's difficult to break the pattern," said Burns. "The fastest way is to stay off the snow banks."
SEAT
The Spanish team suffered a bitter blow when Toni Gardemeister stopped 8kms into SS11 with failed oil pressure. "We stopped in the stage to see what the problem was and found oil leaking from the oil pump. We tried to block it and drove another 4kms but it was still leaking and so we stopped to save further damage," he said. Didier Auriol was much happier with his car's set up today although his tyre choice for SS11 and SS12 proved not to be perfect for the car. Harri Rovanpera has been suffering in the same way that Thomas Radstrom was yesterday, finding no grip at all in the braking areas because of the damage caused by earlier cars which began to tear studs from his tyres.
Hyundai
Power steering failure was the reason why Kenneth Eriksson's service crew swapped the gearbox this morning and the Hyundai driver gained some time penalties for leaving the Grangesberg service parc late. Rectifying the problem is a complex process involving changing the centre diff and gearbox. Unfortunately the replacement gearbox then lost fifth gear and ensured a fraught day for the Swede. Nevertheless he was upbeat about the new Accent WRC. "Normally to come to an event and lose time would be annoying but I can see the car has lots of potential. It will just take a few more events to get everything sorted out.
Other Teams
Thomas Radstrom's challenge continued throughout the day but a surprising lack of grip at times saw him fall back from the heels of rally leader Gronholm.
Markko Martin began to climb the leaderboard after fixing yesterday's turbo pipe problem.
Sunday 13 February
The third and final leg starts from Karlstad at 07h20 (GMT +1) and covers 425.47km, including 96.18km on 5 special stages. The first car is expected on the finish podium in Karlstad main square at 16h01.
Weather forecast
Cloudy. Temperature between 0 and +5 degrees.
------------------------------------------------------------
Provisional Results after Leg 2
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 2:31:08,0
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 2:31:34,5
3 C.McRae Ford Focus 2:31:37,6
4 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 2:31:44,4
5 Burns Subaru Impreza 2:31:50,9
6 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 2:33:17,2
7 Delecour Peugeot 206 2:33:38,4
8 Auriol Seat Cordoba 2:35:11,8
9 Martin Toyota Corolla 2:35:18,5
10 Loix Mitsu Carisma 2:35:19,7
Group N
1 Paasonen Mitsu Lancer 2:42:39,0
2 Pykalisto Mitsu Lancer 2:43:10,4
3 Walfridsson Mitsu Lancer 2:43:57,5
2-Litre
1 Jansson Peugeot 106 Max 2:45:06,5
2 Kruse Renault Megane 2:50:40,2
3 Rindeby Ford Puma 2:56:47,4
Teams Cup
1 Holowczyc Subaru Impreza 2:41:57,2
2 Bakhashab Toyota Corolla 2:48:04,3
------------------------------------------------------------
Stage Winners
SS10 - Gronholm, SS11 - Gronholm, SS12 - C.McRae, SS13 - C.McRae, SS14 - Gronholm, SS15 - Makinen
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 10, Fredriksberg 27.83 km
1st car: 08:09
Notes:
- Grönholm: The car was heavy to drive. The studs are working fine. It is a new day and we continues as we started
- Rådström: We missed a breakingpoint and lost too many seconds, It went to fast.
- Mäkinen: It's a very good today. No noise in the gearbox now
- Gardemeister: It's very slippery and i lost a lot of time
- Auriol: The time is good. But it's difficult with the tires now.
- Loix: No problems, I'm sastisfied it's not easy.
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 15:43,0
2 C.McRae Ford Focus 15:47,8
3 Delecour Peugeot 206 15:53,0
4 Burns Subaru Impreza 15:53,3
5 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 15:55,7
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 11, Nyhammar 27.79 km
1st car: 10:15
Notes:
- Grönholm: "That was a real winterstage. we're putting a lot of effort. My time at SS10 was fantastic."
- Rådström: Are you surprised at the speed of Grönholm? "No, I'm not surprised at this his speed, I know him."
- Mäkinen: "I'm trying this morning to change my driving style. The conditions here are very different to previous years so I'm trying to make some changes to find some more speed."
- C.McRae: "I was pleased with my time on the first stage this morning, but it's still way behind Grönholm. The car is going fine, no problems at all."
- Burns: "That was one of my favourite stages. It's a beautifull stage and with the snowbanks it provided a bit more safety and we drove flatout all the way."
- Auriol: "We're trying a different type of tyre. Gardemeister has stopped about halfway through the stage. It looked like engine problems."
- A.McRae: "We're still making a lot of adjustments to the car to improve the handling. There have been no transmission problems this morning.
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 14:34,7
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 14:37,1
3 Burns Subaru Impreza 14:37,9
4 C.McRae Ford Focus 14:38,3
5 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 14:39,5
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 12, Skog 1 24.19 km
1st car: 11:26
Notes:
- Grönholm: The roads are beginning to melt. What i said this morning about the car being heavy to drive, was just something I thought.
- Rådström: We think we're doing ok. Finally we were faster than Grönholm. The Toyota is running like a clockwork.
- Mäkinen: It was good. Of course it was slippery.
- Burns: No problems. But the road are quite soft.
- Auriol: It's quite ok.
- Eriksson: Now i lost the 5th gear.
- Rovanperä: Everything is working. The last three kms in here are nice.
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 C.McRae Ford Focus 12:49,6
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 12:50,5
3 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 12:52,6
4 Burns Subaru Impreza 12:53,0
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 12:54,4
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 13, Jutbo 47.65 km
1st car: 13:23
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 C.McRae Ford Focus 26:30,9
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 26:35,6
3 Burns Subaru Impreza 26:37,0
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 26:39,1
5 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 26:39,6
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 14, Skog 2 24.19 km
1st car: 15:29
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 12:53,7 2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 12:56,5
3 Burns Subaru Impreza 12:57,8
4 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 12:59,1
5 C.McRae Ford Focus 13:06,8
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 15, Lugnet 2.00 km
1st car: 16:28
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 1:53,8
2 C.McRae Ford Focus 1:55,1
3 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 1:55,3
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 1:55,9
5 Burns Subaru Impreza 1:56,3
End of Leg 1
FIA Press Release
At the end of the first leg, Finland's Marcus Gronholm leads the Swedish Rally for Peugeot. The last time the French team competed here it was victorious so there is plenty of pressure on Gronholm to stay at the head of the leaderboard. Before the event there were fears that the lack of snow and a combination of ice and gravel would cause major problems for everyone but this has not been a factor so far. Even the tyre companies have been delighted that the studs - crucial for grip on the ice - have stayed in place over the gravel. On the subject of the lack of snow, Clerk of the Course Bertil Klarin told TV reporters this morning: "The spectators aren't worried about the lack of snow providing they are watching tough competition." With less than one minute covering the top seven cars, that is exactly what the fans are getting. One stage had to be cancelled and others shortened (including the frozen lake at Torsby) because of the conditions.
Peugeot
Marcus Gronholm was told by his team to make sure he finished this event but the Finn was not too happy about this. "I want to drive flat out to try and win," he said. "We'll see what happens tomorrow but I guess that Tommi will try to be very fast. I will also have to watch both Thomas and Richard - but mainly Tomas." He suffered an early problem when an instrument warning light suggested his rear and centre differential was not working and this proved a distraction in the cockpit. It seems that some for of hydraulic failure was at the root of the problem. Team mate François Delecour is suffering from his lack of current knowledge of this event. His last appearance in Sweden was in 1996. "I've only seen these stages twice," he said.
Mitsubishi
Tommi Makinen had an early scare when he heard an odd noise from his transmission but this was attributed to it not having been fully 'run in' and he changed a diff after SS2 to cure the problem although some transmission noise remained. Team mate Freddy Loix said, "I have a good feeling about the car and the tyres but I am still learning about this rally. I am only driving to about 90% of my pace notes' capability. I was too cautious on SS3 to try and save my tyres. I should have just gone for it." Makinen was clearly driving more than 100% and came close to disaster in SS3 when he went off after the famous big jump. "We were lucky not to hit anything," he confessed.
Ford
Sainz: After all the pre-event worries about tyres it was a relief to find that the studs had stayed intact." McRae had an initial problem with a turbo valve that meant the car was easy to stall. It was fixed at the first service at Hagfors. When asked if he thought he could win this event McRae commented: "I'd first like to think I could finish it!" With nine consecutive non-finishes behind him, McRae is eager to get to the end of a rally for the first time since Portugal 1999. However it was nearly all over on SS5 when McRae had a huge moment that saw the Focus bouncing from one side of the road to another. "The colour has only just come back to my cheeks," said co-driver Nicky Grist at the Arvika service halt.
Subaru
Richard Burns said: The tyres and studs are working much better than a year ago but I'm not 100% just yet." He adjusted his seating position after SS1+2 and was promptly fastest on SS3 despite hitting a mail box. "We don't know if the letters in the box were important - we haven't had time to read them yet!" he joked. Of his performance on the opening stages he said: "I'm glad to be at the right end of the battle for the lead but Marcus seems to have everything under control at the moment." His team mate Juha Kankkunen has had a fairly cautious day but has moved up and down the leaderboard as the battle for supremacy has been so tight. The slightest error has been enough to see drivers move several places at a time and so while Kankkunen is currently not quite in the Championship points it is not through any major problem.
SEAT
Didier Auriol had his engine cut out 3km after the finish of SS2 and was 1 minute late into the Hagfors service area. This cost him a 10 seconds penalty although it did not dramatically affect his overall position. Toni Gardemeister was also unhappy with his engine, complaining that he had a maximum speed of 140kph and that the unit was noisy. "At times it is like driving a Group N car," he said. Harri Rovanpera in the third (unregistered) SEAT Cordoba suspected he had the same problem. Tracking down the actual cause of the problem has not been easy but it seems that the throttle sensors may be at fault, given that Gardemeister's problems occurred as much on high speed sections as on slower parts of the stages.
Hyundai
It was a day of mixed fortunes for the new team to the FIA World Rally Championship. Kenneth Eriksson had to change a turbo after limping through the first two stages in 40th place. It appears that a pipe worked loose. After it had been replaced Eriksson was able to rapidly climb the leaderboard from 40th to inside the top 20 and set times that showed good promise for the future. "I calculated that we would probably lose one second per kilometre but it's been less than that. I'm pleased to be able to beat the SEATs as I've got a new car and they've had three years to reach this level." Alister McRae was much happier and delighted to find the new Accent was running at a similar pace to the SEATs. "I'm not 100% confident in the car's handling but we're here to learn and to find ways to improve the car," he said. A loose prop-shaft caused a worrying vibration but otherwise his car ran without drama until an oil leak near the turbo needed attention and led to him leaving service late and incurring a time penalty.
Other Teams
Thomas Radstrom was clearly out to show what he could do in a car he feels happy with. "I'm not at all surprised at the way I have started this rally," he said. "It's the kind of result I expected. Marcus is goingreally well but it will be better for me tomorrow. Where I'm running today there is no grip at all in the braking area."
Mats Jonsson's hopes of success on his home event were dashed when his engine blew on SS2.
The Group N competition was predictably an all-Mitsubishi affair although it was Finland's Juuso Pykalisto who set the early pace from countryman Jani Paasonen. Top Swede was Kenneth Backlund from Stig-Olov Walfridsson with Championship chasing Manfred Stohl fifth. The performances were attributed to the different tyres being used. The Finns' cars were already set up for familiar Lappi tyres while the Swedes have had to abandon their usual nationally approved Michelin rubber for different sized Avon tyres which they are not fully used to. Manfred Stohl is running Pirelli but finding them less suitable than either of the other options. Of the FIA
Teams Cup entrants, Krzystof Holowczyc was easily ahead of Abdullah Bakhashab over the early stages.
Leg 2 starts from Karlstad at 06h15 and covers 732.66km, including 153.21km on 6 special stages.
The first car is expected in Karlstad at 21h08.
Weather forecast
Possibility of snow, between 0 and +5 degrees
------------------------------------------------------------
Provisional Results after Leg 1
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 1:06:27,2
2 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 1:06:42,2
3 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 1:06:45,3
4 C.McRae Ford Focus 1:06:51,5
5 Burns Subaru Impreza 1:06:55,6
6 Sainz Ford Focus 1:07:04,2
7 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 1:07:10,1
8 Delecour Peugeot 206 1:07:34,2
9 Gardemeister Seat Cordoba 1:07:48,5
10 Auriol Seat Cordoba 1:08:30,6
Group N
1 Pykalisto Mitsu Lancer 1:11:36,7
2 Walfridsson Mitsu Lancer 1:11:45,3
3 Backlund Mitsu Lancer 1:11:50,0
2-Litre
1 Jansson Peugeot 106 Max 1:11:53,4
2 Svan Opel Astra 1:13:27,7
3 Kruse Renault Megane 1:16:03,0
Teams Cup
1 Holowczyc Subaru Impreza 1:15:06,6
2 Bakhashab Toyota Corolla 1:12:13,2
------------------------------------------------------------
Stage Winners
SS1 - Radstrom, SS2 - Gronholm, SS3 - Burns, SS4 - Makinen, SS5 - Gronholm, SS6 - Gronholm, SS7 - cancelled, SS8 - Gronholm, SS9 - C.McRae
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 1: Sagen 1, 14.76 km
1st car: 08:16
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 7:57,7
2 Sainz Ford Focus 7:58,8
3 Gronholm Peugeot 206 7:59,7
4 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 8:00,2
5 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 8:02,4
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 2: Rammen 1, 23.44 km
1st car: 09:09
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 12:10,3
2 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 12:16,6
3 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 12:18,4
4 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 12:18,8
5 McRae Ford Focus 12:20,1
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 3: Hamra, 4.73 km
1st car: 10:47
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Burns Subaru Impreza 15:03,1
2 McRae Ford Focus 15:04,4
3 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 15:05,6
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 15:07,1
5 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 15:11,6
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 4: Torsby 2.79 km
1st car: 10:47
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 2:05,9
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 2:06,1
3 Sainz Ford Focus 2:06,6
4 McRae Ford Focus 2:06,8
5 Burns Subaru Impreza 2:07,2
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 5: Bjalverud, 21.58 km
1st car: 12:53
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 10:43,1
2 Burns Subaru Impreza 10:43,2
3 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 10:44,4
4 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 10:45,4
5 Sainz Ford Focus 10:45,8
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 6: Mangen, 8.76 km
1st car: 13:35
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 6:51,8
2 Burns Subaru Impreza 6:52,7
3 McRae Ford Focus 6:52,7
4 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 6:53,0
5 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 6:55,0
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 7: Arvika
1st car: 14:30
- Cancelled
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 8: Langjohanstorp, 19.44 km
1st car: 16:01
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 9:29,3
2 Makinen Mitsu Lancer 9:30,0
3 McRae Ford Focus 9:33,5
4 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 9:35,2
5 Sainz Ford Focus 9:36,6
------------------------------------------------------------
SS 9: I2, 5.97 km
1st car: 17:10
Stage Pos/ Driver /Car /Stage Time
1 McRae Ford Focus 1:55,9
2 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 1:57,4
3 Gardemeister Seat Cordoba 1:57,5
4 Sainz Ford Focus 1:57,6
5 Radstrom Toyota Corolla 1:58,1
The Swedish Rally started tonight in Karlstad. There were no competitive stages, but it was the official public start with the cars parading though Karlstad and returning to Parc Ferme. The first competitive stages begin tomorrow (Friday) - unfortunately, several stages have been shortened and one cancelled due to the lack of snow.
ITINERARY
1st LEG - Karlstad - Karlstad (560.16 km)
Friday 11 February
06:00 Start from Karlstad
08.16 SS 1 Sagen 1 14.76 km
09:09 SS 2 Rammen 1 23.44 km
10:47 SS 3 Hamra 4.73 km
11:45 SS 4 Torsby 2.79 km
12:53 SS 5 Bjalverud 21.58 km
13:35 SS 6 Mangen 8.76 km
14:30 SS 7 Arvika - Cancelled
16:01 SS 8 Langjohanstorp 19.44 km
17:10 SS 9 I2 5.97 km
18:45 End of leg 1 in Karlstad
**Due to the lack of snow, Stages 3,4,6,9 have been shortened and stage 7 has been cancelled
2nd LEG - Karlstad - Karlstad (733.51 km)
Saturday 12 February
06:15 Start from Karlstad
08:09 SS 10 Fredriksberg 27.83 km
10:15 SS 11 Nyhammar 27.79 km
11:26 SS 12 Skog 1 24.19 km
13:23 SS 13 Jutbo 47.65 km
15:29 SS 14 Skog 2 24.19 km
16:28 SS 15 Lugnet 2.00 km
21:05 End of leg 2 in Karlstad
3rd LEG - Karlstad - Karlstad (425.43 km)
Sunday 13 February
07:20 Start from Karlstad
08:56 SS 16 Malta 11.88 km
09:42 SS 17 Ullen 24.89 km
11:24 SS 18 Sagen 2 14.76 km
12:17 SS 19 Rammen 2 23.44 km
14:00 SS 20 Hagfors 21.17 km
15:54 Finish of the rally in Karlstad
----------------------------------------------------
FULL ENTRY LIST
1 Mäkinen Tommi/Mannisenmäki R. FIN/FIN MitsubishiLanser Evo VI A8
2 Loix Freddy/Smeets Sven B/B Mitsubishi Carisma GT A8
3 Burns Richard/Reid Robert GB/GB Subaru Impreza WRC A8
4 Kankkunen Juha/Repo Juha FIN/FIN Subaru Impreza WRC A8
5 McRae Colin/Grist Nicky GB/GB Ford Focus WRC A8
6 Sainz Carlos/Moya Luis E/E Ford Focus WRC A8
7 Auriol Didier/Giraudet Denis F/F Seat Cordoba WRC E2 A8
8 Gardemeister Toni/Lukander P. FIN/FIN Seat Cordoba WRC E2 A8
9 Delecour Francois/Gratalour D. F/F Peugeot 206 WRC A8
10 Grönholm Marcus/Rautiainen T FIN/FIN Peugeot 206 WRC A8
14 Eriksson Kenneth/Parmander S. S/S Hyundai Accent WRC A8
15 McRae Alistair/Senior David GB/GB Hyundai Accent WRC A8
16 Rovanperä H./Pietiläinen R. FIN/FIN Seat Cordoba WRC E2 A8
17 Rådström Thomas/Gallagher Fred S/GB Toyota Corolla WRC A8
18 Märtin Markko/Park Michael EE/GB Toyota Corolla WRC A8
19 Hagström Pasi/Gardemeister T FIN/FIN Toyota Corolla WRC A8
20 Jonsson Mats/Johansson Johnny S/S Ford Escort WRC A8
21 Solberg Henning/Pedersen Runar N/N Ford Escort WRC A8
22 Holowczyc Krzysztof/Fortin J. PL/B Subaru Impreza WRC A8
23 Tuohino Janne/Anttila Miikka FIN/FIN Toyota Corolla WRC A8
24 Puhakka Jouko/Kapanen Arto FIN/FIN Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V N4
25 Walfridsson Stig-Olov/Bäckman L. S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N4
26 Bäcklund Kenneth/Andersson Tord S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N4
27 Paasonen Jani/Honkanen Jakke FIN/FIN Mitsubishi Carisma GT N4
28 Pykälistö Juuso/Mertsalmi E. FIN/FIN Mitsubishi Carisma GT N4
29 Nittel Uwe/Ruf Detlef D/D Mitsubishi Carisma GT N4
30 Stohl Manfred/Müller Peter A/A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N4
31 Bakhashab Abdullah/Willis B. SA/GB Toyota Corolla WRC A8
32 Kruse Jonas/Schlegel Per S/S Renault Maxi Megane A7
33 Svan Per/Olsson Johan S/S Opel Astra Kit Car A7
34 Walfridsson Pernilla/Mattsson U. S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N4
35 Johansson Per/Carlsson Tony S/S Saab 9-3 Kit Car A7
36 Gundersen Birger/Menkerud Cato N/N Seat Ibiza GTI A7
37 Carlsson Daniel/Melander Benny S/S Toyota Corolla WRC A8
38 Kuchar Tomasz/Maciej S. PL/PL Toyota Celica GT 4 A8
39 Karlsson Mats/Martinsson Anders S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III N4
40 Nilsson Kristoffer/Andersson Per S/S Subaru Impreza N4
41 Stenshorne Martin/Flöene Ola N/N Subaru Impreza N4
42 Ekström Mattias/Bergman Stefan S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
43 Rousselot Benoit/TBA F/ Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V N4
44 Popovic Boris/Vene Miro SLO/SLO Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
45 Galli Gianluigi/D`amore Guido I/I Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V N4
46 Johansson Kenneth/Barth Gunnar S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III A8
47 Gustafsson Björn/Pettersson Jan S/S Toyota Celica GT 4 A8
48 Papadimitriou John/Petropoulos N. GR Subaru Impreza A8
49 Hotanen Hannu/Jyrkiäinen J FIN/FIN Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N4
50 Välimäki Jussi/Kalliolepo J FIN/FIN Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
51 Hideg Krisztián/Tajnaföi Pèter H/H Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V N4
52 Jansson Tomas/Jacobsen Sven S/DK Peugeot 106 Maxi A6
53 Blomqvist Gert/Lindberg Lena S/S Peugeot 106 Maxi A6
54 Tuthill Rickard/TBA GB / Subaru Impreza N4
55 Gryazine Stanislav/Ereueer D. RUS Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
56 Menegatto Marco/Vittori Roberto MC/I Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N4
57 Sanfilippo Ignacio/Medina López E/E Mitsubishi Carisma GT N4
58 Boxoen Joost/Bourgeois Bram B/B Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V N4
59 Colsoul Bob/Colsoul Tom B/B Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
60 Olofsson Ove/Eriksson Hans S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III N4
61 Roman Joakim/Fredriksson Tomas S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V N4
62 Åhlin Jerry/Simonsson Stefan S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
63 Smith Geoff/Jones Chris GB/GB Ford Escort WRC A8
64 Rindeby Magnus/Olsson Stefan S/S Ford Puma Kit Car A6
65 Andersson Roger/Fredriksson Leif S/S VW Polo 16V A5
66 Blomberg Peter/Törnberg Christer S/S Opel Corsa A6
67 Vikman Lars/Pullander Lennart S/S Opel Astra GSI N3
68 Johansson Matti/Darius Henrik S/S Peugeot 306 S16 N3
69 Nilsson Joachim/Olofsson M. S/S Opel Astra GSI N3
70 Stattin Mikael/Dybeck Patrik S/S Seat Ibiza GTI N3
71 Jonsson Johan/Persson Mikael S/S Citroèn Xsara N3
72 Loeb Sebastien/TBA F / Nissan Almera GTI N3
73 Wänn Anders/Eriksson Mikael S/S Peugeot 306 S16 N3
74 Grundström Anders/Nordqvist L. S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V A8
75 Jansson Magnus/Fredriksson T. S/S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
76 Reynolds Julian/Bull Andy GB/GB Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV N4
77 Barratt Natalie/TBA GB / Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI N4
78 De Dominiris Alfredo/Mari A. I/I MitsubishiLancer Evo V N4
79 Bristow Vincent/TBA GB/ Mazda 323 GTX N4
80 Marty Olivier/TBA F / Peugeot 106 S16 A6
81 Mansfeld Andreas/De Jong Marc D/NL Honda Integra Type R N3
82 Hillebjörk Peter/Hillebjörk R. S/S Renault Megan E N3
83 Johansson Lars/Lörd Magnus S/S Opel Astra GSI N3
84 Palola Johan/Erikson Helena S/S Seat Ibiza GTI N3
85 Floren Anders/Rosen Curt S/S VW Golf GTI 16V N3
86 Tronrud Nils K/Hvaal Gunhild N/N Nissan Almera GTI N3
87 Dickens Stanley/Rosèn L. S/S Seat Ibiza GTI N3
88 Karlsson Bengt/Puumala Tony S/S Seat Ibiza GTI N3
89 Frantz Max-Jean/Camille Heintz L/L Opel Astra GSI N3
90 Legros Patrick/Agnelli Frederic F/F Honda Integra Type-R N3
91 Storm Lars/Storm Ulf S/S Citròen AX GTi N1
92 Rådström Arne/Nilsson Thomas S/S Suzuki GTI N1
93 Berglind Kristian/Berglind Jan S/S Suzuki GTI N1
94 Gleizes Jacques/Gleizes Jeanine F/F Citròen AX GTI N1
95 Dos Santos Antònio/Amaral Bento P/P Renault 4 GTL N1
- FIA Press Release Excerpt
- Facts about Sweden
- Current Championship Points
- Previous Winners
- Winners from 1999
From Monte Carlo the FIA World Rally Championship has moved to Sweden where what would normally be the only true snow rally of the Championship is celebrating 50 years since the first event. However, once again the weather has denied the event the snow it wanted and so, at best, this will be an ice rally. The 1990 rally had to be cancelled because the weather was too warm but this means the organisers have an excuse for another 50th birthday party next year! It is also the only event yet to be conquered by a driver outside of Scandinavia and so the challenge is on for the visitors. FIA World Champion Tommi Makinen is chasing a hat-trick of wins to add to his first success in 1996 while the man who broke Makinen's winning streak, Kenneth Eriksson, debuts Hyundai's new Accent WRC and brings the total number of registered teams (listed below) in the Championship to seven.
Mitsubishi (12points)
Last year Tommi Makinen's Swedish Rally win, coming close after victory in Monte Carlo, set him up to lead the FIA World Rally Championship from start to finish. Makinen again comes to Sweden following a Monte Carlo win and must be considered favourite for a repeat performance, at least in terms of a third successive Swedish Rally win. "We did some good testing and our car is always competitive in these conditions," he said. "It's also nice for a Finn to have a chance of beating the Swedes!" By contrast his Belgian team mate Freddy Loix will have a tough three days, despite having undertaken extra pre-rally testing in Lapland. "This is the toughest event of the year for me," he said. "However it's always fun to drive on snow and I'll be happy if we can score points again."
Ford (6 points)
If anyone is going to break the Scandinavian stranglehold on this event then it ought to be Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard has finished second in Sweden on each of the past four years and he feels it's time he moved up a place. "We've been close to winning four times," he said. "Last year I was only 20 seconds behind the winner. It will happen one day and I hope it will be this year." For Sainz's Ford team mate, Colin McRae, simply getting to the finish will be an achievement as the Scot has so far failed to complete the last nine FIA World Championship rallies. He is hoping for lots of snow in the forests this week. "If there's not much snow it's not ideal because it rips the studs from the tyres and they are the only real point of contact with the ground on this event. If there's plenty of snow you can drive flat out because the snow banks bounce the car back onto the road if you get too far out of line."
Subaru (4 points)
Subaru drivers Juha Kankkunen and Richard Burns both believe that confidence and experience is the key to success in Sweden. "To be able to drive fast on snow, nothing helps as much as experience," says the Finn. He's not short of it either and confesses, "I grew up driving on snow and ice. In fact, I was practically born on it!" Burns was cruelly denied even a finish in Monte Carlo when his car refused to start on the second morning while the Englishman was challenging for the lead. He believes he can regain the lost ground this week. "I'd like more snow to make the stages consistent but it's certainly possible to win here," he said. "Studded tyres make a real difference to your driving style. You have to be on the power a lot more than usual to keep the studs digging into the ice."
SEAT (3 points)
SEAT's 1999 Swedish Rally was spoiled by fuel injection problems and the team comes to this year's event with relatively little experience compared to some of its rivals. Didier Auriol's best result was fourth last year, when he was driving for Toyota, and Toni Gardemeister's three previous attempts have been in two-wheel drive cars. Auriol said before the event: "Sweden is a hard and fast rally but I usually seem to go well here. It is a unique event with soft snow, ice and broken gravel all making tyre choice extremely difficult." His young Finnish team mate is more excited about the rally. "It's one of my favourite events," he said. "The stages are great and I enjoy driving flat out on full snow and sheet ice!" For this event SEAT has entered a third Cordoba WRC for Harri Rovanpera although it is only Auriol and Gardemeister who are registered for Manufacturers' Championship points. Rovanpera is the only one of the trio who has driven the Cordoba in Sweden before. "It's like coming home," he said. "I won't get to test the car until the eve of the rally but I hope that I can do well anyway."
Hyundai (first participation)
The newest team to join the main FIA World Rally Championship begins its campaign here in Sweden. Hyundai has retained its drivers from last year's FIA 2-litre Cup challenge and will rely heavily on Kenneth Eriksson's vast knowledge of his home event to set the target for team mate Alister McRae to target. "I'm incredibly excited about getting back in to a World Rally Car," said three-time Swedish winner Eriksson whose last experience of four-wheel drive was with Subaru, here in 1998. "As with any new car the other teams will have an advantage but we know there is more to come from the Accent WRC during the year." McRae admits, "Hopefully I can learn from Kenneth, have a trouble-free event and set some good times." Eriksson's equally experienced co-driver Staffan Parmander sounded a warning note about the effect of the warm weather. "The stages around Hagfors will be critical. If the surface is mixed ice and gravel then things could be very tricky. If the weather stays warm then the event will be decided on tyre choice."
Peugeot (0 points)
After the embarrassment of having all three cars fail to start the second day of the Monte Carlo Rally, Peugeot is hoping for better fortune in Sweden. The last time the team competed here was in 1986 and it marked victory for Juha Kankkunen. "We missed a big opportunity to score points on the first round," admitted team director Corrado Provera. "We go to Karlstad feeling confident but humble." The team will expect great things from its Finnish driver Marcus Gronholm on an event he knows well. "I adore this rally," he said. "The speeds are high but we Nordic drivers are accustomed to racing on snow and ice. One day a so-called Latin driver will win this rally but I hope it's not this year!" Team mate Francois Delecour has tackled the rally only twice before, the last time in 1996. "I enjoy this rally the most, along with New Zealand," he said. "When the conditions are perfect driving in Sweden can be an unbelievably fantastic experience."
Skoda (not competing, 1 point)
Skoda is not competing on this rally. Instead the Czech team will embark on an eight-day test in Kenya to prepare for the Sameer Safari Rally, round three of the FIA World Rally Championship, at the end of the month.
Other Teams
Outside the factory teams, Thomas Radstrom has returned from two years at Ford to the Toyota Sweden camp and could be considered a possible winner of the event. "After just two corners I felt at home again," he said after a recent test session. He subsequently went on to win the opening round of the FIA European Championship, the Arctic Rally, with ease. By contrast his team mate, Daniel Carlsson, is making his debut in a WRC car. The Swedish Rally sees the first entries of 2000 for the FIA Teams Cup. Two teams will be at the start, one for former FIA European Champion Krzysztof Holwczyc (PL) in a Subaru Impreza WRC and the other for Abdullah Bakhashab (SA) in a Toyota Corolla WRC. Traditionally the Group N competition in Sweden is as intense as that for overall honours. Mitsubishi has won the category every year since 1991 and Kenneth Backlund took five successive wins between '93-'97. There is every reason to suspect a classic contest again between Backlund and Stig-Olov Walfridsson. Joukko Puhakka (last year's winner) was a late withdrawal as his sponsor, the Tire Research Institute, couldn't supply sufficient tyres in time!
-----------------------------------------------------------
NEW FIA REGULATION
The Swedish is the first rally in which the new 'only two tread' regulations applies. Aime Chatard (competition department, Michelin) said: "This is no problem for the Swedish as the tyre companies normally only need two types of tread on this event. For events where we will want to use new products or events where we would normally prepare alternative mud tyres, we will have to change our tactics." Fiorenzo Brivio (competition department, Pirelli): "Probably the rally where we regret the rule will be in China, because of the wide variety of possible conditions. The rule is a good way to reduce the number of tyres which must be brought to events."
-----------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL FACTS
Attention to the unusual event format. The rally starts on Thursday evening only for the journey from the ceremonial downtown start to the overnight (underground) parc ferme. The competitive event begins on Friday morning.
Rallying's greatest unbeaten record - no non-Nordic driver has yet won - still remains. Who is the favourite to break the record? Well, Carlos Sainz has finished this event in second place for the last four years and was the first non-Scandinavian to win the 1000 Lakes Rally.
The rally will hold special celebrations to commemorate the first Swedish Rally, held in the summer months, in 1950! Because of the oil crisis the 1974 event was never run. And then because of the inclement weather, the 1990 event had been planned but could not be held, so this will only be the 49th event in the series.
For the second world rally running, a Le Mans 24 hours race winner competes in a world championship rally, and again it will be in a SEAT! This time the driver will be the Swedish driver Stanley Dickens.
The main category in the Swedish national championship is for two-litre normally-aspirated cars, but as the Swedish Rally does not qualify this year for the series few top cars in this category have therefore entered the event.
There is a major problem for Group N drivers concerning availability of tyres in required sizes. The latest Mitsubishi models in Group N cannot, for homologation reasons, use the 16 inch wheels in which the latest tyre development have taken place. Many Swedish drivers who use the Michelin tyres on national championship rallies will fit Avon tyres for this event.
The last time Peugeot competed in Sweden with official team cars was 1986, when they won. Also present that year and achieving their best result of their programme were Citroen. Citroen plan to compete here in future years, and have sent team drivers Philippe Bugalski and Jesus Puras to make official reconnaissance of this year's stages.
-----------------------------------------------------------
CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers
Makinen (FIN) 10
Sainz (E) 6
Kankkunen (FIN) 4
Gardemeister (FIN) 3
Thiry (B) 2
Loix (B) 1
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers
Mitsubishi 12
Ford 6
Subaru 4
SEAT 3
Skoda 1
-----------------------------------------------------------
PREVIOUS WINNERS
1999 Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
1998 Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV)
1997 Kenneth Eriksson (Subaru WRC)
1996 Tommi Mäkinen (Mitsubishi Lancer RS)
1995 Kenneth Eriksson (Mitsubishi Lancer RS)
1994 Thomas Rådström (Toyota Celica GT4)
1993 Mats Jonsson (Toyota Celica Turbo 4wd)
1992 Mats Jonsson (Toyota Celica GT4)
1991 Kenneth Eriksson (Mitsubishi Galant VR4)
1990 The rally was cancelled due to weather conditions
1989 Ingvar Carlsson (Mazda 323 4wd Turbo)
1988 Markku Alén (Lancia Delta HF 4wd)
1987 Timo Salonen (Mazda 323 4 wd Turbo)
1986 Juha Kankkunen (Peugeot 205 T16)
1985 Ari Vatanen (Peugeot 205 T16)
1984 Stig Blomqvist (Audi Quattro)
1983 Hannu Mikkola (Audi Quattro)
1982 Stig Blomqvist (Audi Quattro)
1981 Hannu Mikkola (Audi Quattro)
1980 Anders Kulläng (Opel Ascona 400)
-----------------------------------------------------------
FINAL RESULTS FROM THE 1999 RALLY OF SWEDEN
1 Makinen Mit Lancer Evo VI 3:29:15,6
2 Sainz Toyota Corolla 3:29:33,7
3 Radstrom Ford Focus 3:29:53,4
4 Auriol Toyota Corolla 3:29:55,9
5 Burns Subaru Impreza 3:35:04,9
6 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza 3:35:10,0
7 Hagstrom Toyota Corolla 3:37:39,6
8 Martin Ford Escort WRC 3:38:57,6
9 Loix Mit Carisma GT 3:39:21,8
10 Solbery Ford Escort WRC 3:39:48,9
Formula 2:
1 Svan Opel Astra Kit Car 3:48:20,8
2 Joki VW Golf Kit Car 3:51:20,1
3 Nilsson Opel Astra Kit Car 3:52:10,0
1 Puhakka Mit Lancer Evo IV 3:44:48,5
2 Walfridsson Mit Lancer Evo IV 3:44:49,9
3 Paasonen Mit Carisma GT 3:46:58,7
The World Rally Championship Mailing List is brought to you by:
Digital Rally - 'get virtually sideways'
http://www.worldrallychampionship.com
Please also support the World Rally Discussion List: http://www.arnal.es/wr
wrc
www.motorsportivarmland.nu