Anton Alén’s inherited expectation

22 year old Anton Alén who is signed up to start Rally Norway in February, has without doubt inherited a burden.

22 year old Anton Alén who is signed up to start Rally Norway in February, has without doubt inherited a burden.

Anton Alén is the son of Markku Alén, one of WRC’s highest scoring winners, although Markku, who is now 54 years old, was never World Champion.

The year before the World Rally Championship came into being, Markku Alén won the so-called FIA-Cup.  After the inauguration of the WRC, he won 19 WRC rounds and in doing so became the driver who has won most WRC events without ever taking the Champion title itself.  Twice second and four times third place runner-up were his consolation prizes.  

By comparison, Marcus Grönholm took his 19th WRC victory when he won Rally Monte Carlo this month, but of course Grönholm has two Championships in the bag.   There are only six drivers who have won more WRC events than Markku Alén.

Markku Alén was most known with a Fiat 131 Abart, and he stayed with the Italian manufacturer for many years, as well as driving a Lancia.

Anton Alén, who will soon come to start Rally Norway, drives a Mitsubishi Lancer in group N, over 2000 ccm, competing against local favourites Martin Stenshorne and Eivind Steffensen. Young Alén has driven several international rallies, but so far has only one WRC start to his name.  He entered Rally Finland in 2005 where he finished 10th in group N. The weekend before Rally Norway he will attempt another WRC event in the Swedish Rally together with co-driver Jussi Aariainen.