Swedish rally: Norwegian rally drivers' cream of the crop meet in the forests of Värmland

The best talents of Norwegian rallying are meeting in Karlstad! In the town where the Norwegian/Swedish union was dissolved 100 years ago, the Norwegian Rally Champions of the last eight years are meeting to fight for honour and glory in the Swedish WRC round.

Petter Solberg (31), Henning Solberg (33) and Thomas Schie (30) have between them dominated the Norwegian Rally Championship since 1998.  Henning Solberg is unquestionably king with five Norwegian Championship titles.  Thomas Schie has taken the last two, while Petter Solberg only managed to take one Norwegian Championship crown before he went abroad for a WRC career.  At the weekend they, and six other Norwegian drivers, are here for what could be the Norwegian rally event of all time at WRC level.

Petter Solberg won the Swedish WRC event last year, and is favourite again this year in his Subaru Impreza.

"The goal is to win again, of course.  I have a good feeling before the start," says Petter Solberg who opened the season with misfortune in Monte Carlo.  It doesn't worry the 2003 World Champion.

Henning Solberg finished 5th in the Swedish Rally 2005 and 6th in 2004.  He has his sights set higher with his Peugeot 307 WRC.

"The podium is my target, but I am driving for victory.  If we are going to win a WRC round then I believe it has to be in Sweden," says Henning Solberg who also suffered some Solberg bad luck in Rally Monte Carlo together with co-driver Cato Menkerud.

Thomas Schie is also hungry for international success.  The double Norwegian Champion has continued his form to enter the Swedish Rally, and will take up the battle with the Solberg brothers in his Ford Focus WRC.

"We have every chance of giving Henning and Cato a fight in Sweden," said Thomas Schie ahead of the start of this year's season.  Since Henning Solberg has his sights set on the podium, it means big ambitions for Thomas Schie.  He is a private entrant but with significant backing from Ford's manufacturer team, and with Swedish Göran Bergsten in the co-driver seat.

But the three greats of Norwegian rallying the last few years shouldn't get too comfortable.  Behind them lurk some up-and-coming youngsters Anders Grøndal (21) and Mads Østberg (18). Grøndal is driving the Subaru that Petter Solberg won with in Sweden last year, and Grøndal showed no more respect than when he won the Norwegian Championship opener last month.  Mads Østberg is driving a Subaru Impreza WRC and comes directly from the victory steps of last weekend's Rally Hadeland.

Norway is also well represented in Swedish Rally's Group N, the class for lower spec cars. Norwegian Champion for the last three years, Eivind Steffensen, participates in the Swedish WRC round for the first time in his Subaru.  The same class includes father and son Per Erik and Eyvind Brynildsen each in their Mitsubishi Lancer.  Eyvind Brynildsen is the youngest entrant in the event, turning 18 on 14th January, and the ink is still wet on his driving license!  The final Norwegian is also in Group N (up to 2000 ccm), in Enbdre Granum with his Nissan Almera GTI.

Swedish Rally

Norwegian particpants:

5.  Petter Solberg/Phil Mills, Subaru Impreza WRC
8.  Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud, Peugeot 307 WRC
20. Thomas Schie/Göran Bergsten, Ford Focus WRC
61. Mads Østberg/Ragnar Engen, Subaru Impreza WRC
62. Anders Grøndal/Trond-Inge Østbye, Subaru Impreza WRC
75. Eivind Steffensen/Jan Petter Sigvartsen, Subaru Impreza WRX
78. Per Erik Brynildsen/Roy E. Olsen, Mitsubishi Lancer
84. Eyvind Brynildsen/Arne-Olav Rønning, Mitsubishi Lancer
92. Endre Granum/Ole Johnny Winther, Nissan Almera GTI

More information:

Organiser
Norges Bilsportforbund

Petter Solberg
Henning Solberg
Thomas Schie
Mads Østberg
Anders Grøndal
Eyvind Brynildsen
Per Brynildsen
Endre Granum

Subaru World Rally Team

WRC official site