Per Eklund

WRC driver
Name = Per Eklund


Caption =
Nationality = flagicon|SWE Swedish
Years = 1973–1997
Teams = Saab, Nissan, Austin Rover, Subaru
Races = 83
Championships = 0
Wins = 1
Podiums = 13
Stagewins = 73
Points = 270
First race = 1973 Swedish Rally
First win = 1976 Swedish Rally
Last race = 1997 RAC Rally

Per Eklund, born on June 26 1946 at Skönnerud (Koppom), Eda Municipality of Värmland in Sweden, is a Rally and Rallycross driver who lives at Arvika. His nick-name is "Pekka". In rallying he never made it to the very top but he has been very successful in his later rallycross career.

Biography

Saab works drive

Eklund was a Saab factory driver from 1970 to 1979. In 1982, however, the year after Saab discontinued its official rallying involvement, he achieved the brand's last top position in a World Championship event, finishing fourth in the Swedish Rally driving a privately entered, Clarion-sponsored Saab 99 Turbo. He was always proud of that result, since the competition consisted mostly of four-wheel-drive cars, and the event was run in snow. This signified the end of the rally era at Saab, even though Eklund went on to drive an officially-entered Saab 900 Turbo in the British round of the 1997 World Rally Championship. He was Swedish Champion in 1978, beating his team mate Stig Blomqvist. In 1982 Eklund finished 5th overall of the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers.

Rallycross

Eklund started driving in Rallycross by winning the first ever Swedish Rallycross event at Hedemora, on 17th October 1971. He first drove a Saab 96 V4, then a Saab 99 in its various sporting evolutions. He was always prominent, became 7th overall respectively 4th overall in the first and second European Championship series of 1973 and 1974, but his greatest successes have been in more modern times. Nowadays he is one of the fastest competitors of the FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers.

Accomplishments

*FIA European Rallycross Champion 1999 with Saab 9-3 T16 4x4
*2nd overall in the 1998, 2002 and 2003 FIA European Rallycross Championships
*3rd overall in the 2000 and 2001 FIA European Rallycross Championships
*Swedish Rallycross Champion 2004

__NOTOC__

Best international rally results (top three results only)

1969

* Norwegian Winter Rally (N), 1st, Saab 96 V4, co-driver ?

1971

* Norwegian Winter Rally (N), 1st, Saab 96 V4, co-driver ?

1972

* Firestone Rally (E), 1st, Saab 96 V4, co-driver ?
* Dutch Texaco Rally (NL), 1st, Saab 96 V4, co-driver ?
* Österreichische Alpenfahrt (A), 3rd, Saab 96 V4, co-driver Bo Reinicke

1973

* Swedish Rally (S), 2nd, Saab 96 V4, co-driver Rolf Carlsson
* Österreichische Alpenfahrt (A), 3rd, Saab 96 V4, co-driver Bo Reinicke

1976

* Swedish Rally (S), 1st, Saab 96 V4, co-driver Björn Cederberg

1980

* 1000 Lakes Rally (FIN), 3rd, Triumph TR7 V8, co-driver Hans Sylvan

1981

* Ivory Coast Rally (CI), 2nd, Toyota Celica 2000GT, co-driver Ragnar Spjuth

1982

* Portugal Rally (P), 2nd, Toyota Celica 2000GT, co-driver Ragnar Spjuth
* Rally of New Zealand (NZ), 2nd, Toyota Celica 2000GT, co-driver Ragnar Spjuth
* Ivory Coast Rally (CI), 2nd, Toyota Celica 2000GT, co-driver Ragnar Spjuth

1983

* Ivory Coast Rally (CI), 3rd, Toyota Celica TCT, co-driver Ragnar Spjuth

1984

* Swedish Rally (S), 3rd, Audi quattro A2, co-driver Dave Whittock
* RAC Rally (GB), 3rd, Toyota Celica TCT, co-driver Dave Whittock

1988

* Safari Rally (EAK), 3rd, Nissan 200SX, co-driver Dave Whittock

1989

* Swedish Rally (S), 2nd, Lancia Delta HF integrale, co-driver Dave Whittock

1991

* Hunsrück-Rallye (D), 3rd, Lancia Delta HF integrale 16V, co-driver Jan-Olof Bohlin

Pikes Peak

* Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (USA): In 2000 Per Eklund achieved the still valid record time of 11:21.58 in his Saab 9-3 Viggen 4x4 while racing the Pikes Peak Open category. __NOTOC__

Trivia

"En får ente ge sej" ("One mustn't give up") is Per Eklund's motto and also the title of his biography (co-written by Anders Tunberg) which was published in 1998. ISBN 91-88540-95-2