Per Eklund

Last updated
Per Eklund
Per Eklund 2015-02-07 001.jpg
Per Eklund in February 2015
Personal information
Nationality Flag of Sweden.svg Swedish
Born (1946-06-21) 21 June 1946 (age 77)
Skönnerud (Koppom), Sweden
World Rally Championship record
Active years1973–1997
Co-driver Flag of Sweden.svg Rolf Carlsson
Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Cederberg
Flag of Sweden.svg Bo Reinicke
Flag of Sweden.svg Hans Sylvan
Flag of Sweden.svg Ragnar Spjuth
Flag of Sweden.svg Jan-Olof Bohlin
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dave Whittock
Flag of Sweden.svg Bruno Berglund
Flag of Sweden.svg Johnny Johansson
Flag of Sweden.svg Anders Olsson
Teams Saab, Toyota, Nissan, Austin Rover, Subaru
Rallies83
Championships 0
Rally wins 1
Podiums13
Stage wins73
Total points270
First rally1973 Swedish Rally
First win1976 Swedish Rally
Last rally1997 RAC Rally
FIA World Rallycross Championship
Years active 20142015
Former teams Eklund Motorsport
Starts2
Wins0
Podiums0
Best finish35th in 2015
FIA ERX Supercar Championship
Years active 2011, 20132014
Former teams Eklund Motorsport
Starts4
Wins0
Podiums0
Best finish22nd in 2011
FIA ERX Division 1 (1997–2010) Championship
Years active 19972010
Former teams Eklund Motorsport
Clarion Team Europe
Starts131
Championships1 (1999)
Wins12
Podiums42
FIA ERX Division 2 (1982–1996) Championship
Years active 19901991, 19931996
Former teams Clarion Team Europe
Starts47
Wins2
Podiums17
Best finish4th in 1995
FIA European Rallycross Cup
Years active 19761978
Former teams Saab
Starts7
Wins0
Podiums1
Best finish10th in 1976

Per Torsten Eklund (born 21 June 1946) is a Swedish Rally and Rallycross driver. His nickname is "Pekka". In rallying he never made it to the very top but he has been very successful in his later rallycross career.

Contents

Biography

Saab works drive

After his education as a driving instructor, together with later teammate Stig Blomqvist at the Kvinnersta Folkhögskola outside of Örebro, Eklund was a Saab factory driver from 1970 till 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

In 1971 Eklund started driving Rallycross at Valkenswaard in The Netherlands, and some months later he won the first ever Swedish Rallycross event at Hedemora, on 17 October 1971. He first drove a Saab 96 V4, in the early years of the Embassy/ERA European Rallycross Championship as teammate to his compatriot Stig Blomqvist. 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 later times. From the early 1990s till 2009, his last full season, he was one of the fastest competitors of the FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers. In 1999 Eklund claimed his first and only European title for Drivers of the Division 1, nowadays known as the SuperCars category.

Per Eklund in a Saab 9-3 in the Netherlands in 2006 Eklund 2006.jpg
Per Eklund in a Saab 9-3 in the Netherlands in 2006

Toyota

Eklund joined Toyota Team Europe in 1980, and gave the 2nd generation Celica's one of its best WRC result by finished second in the 1981 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire. He drove the Group B Celica Twincam Turbo TA64 in selected 1983 and 1984 World Rally Championship events. Eklund also rallied Group A Corolla AE86 and Celica Supra 2800 GT in the British Rally Championship.

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

Best international rally results (top three results only)

1969

1971

1972

1973

1976

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1988

1989

1991

Pikes Peak

Trivia

En får ente ge sej (Värmland dialect for "One must not give up") is Eklund's motto and the title of his biography. By Per Eklund & Anders Tunberg, 210 pages, Sportförlaget 1998, ISBN   91-88540-95-2

Racing record

Complete WRC results

YearEntrantCar1234567891011121314WDCPts
1973 Saab-Scania Saab 96 V4 MON SWE
2
POR KEN MOR GRE POL FIN
Ret
AUT
3
ITA USA GBR
Ret
FRA N/A
1974 Saab-Scania Saab 96 V4 MON
C
SWE
C
POR KEN GRE
C
FIN
Ret
ITA CAN USA GBR
Ret
FRA N/A
1975 Saab-Scania Saab 96 V4 MON SWE
4
KEN GRE MOR POR FIN
4
ITA FRA GBR
Ret
N/A
1976 Saab-Scania Saab 96 V4 MON SWE
1
POR KEN GRE MOR N/A
Saab 99 EMS FIN
Ret
ITA FRA GBR
Ret
1977 Saab-Scania Saab 99 EMS MON SWE
Ret
POR KEN NZL GRE FIN
Ret
CAN ITA FRA GBR
9
NC0
1978 Saab-Scania Saab 99 EMS MON SWE
Ret
KEN POR GRE NC0
Per Eklund Porsche Carrera FIN
4
CAN ITA CIV FRA
Saab-Scania Saab 99 Turbo GBR
Ret
1979 Fiat Alitalia Fiat Ritmo 75 MON
Ret
54th3
Saab-Scania Saab 99 Turbo SWE
Ret
POR KEN GRE NZL
British Leyland Cars Triumph TR7 V8 FIN
8
CAN ITA
Ret
FRA GBR
13
CIV
1980 Pierburg Volkswagen Golf GTi MON
5
11th27
Team Datsun Sweden Datsun 160J SWE
8
British Leyland Cars Triumph TR7 V8 POR
Ret
KEN GRE ARG FIN
3
NZL ITA FRA GBR
7
Premoto Toyota Toyota Celica 2000 GT CIV
Ret
1981 Pierburg Volkswagen Golf GTi MON
Ret
10th29
Publimo Racing / Clarion Porsche 911 SC SWE
9
Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000 GT POR
Ret
KEN FRA
6
GRE
Ret
ARG BRA
Rallysport News Team Porsche 911 SC FIN
Ret
ITA
Premoto Toyota Toyota Celica 2000 GT CIV
2
Toyota Team Great Britain GBR
6
1982 Saab Sport Saab 99 Turbo MON SWE
4
5th57
Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000 GT POR
2
KEN FRA GRE NZL
2
BRA
Rallysport News Team Porsche 911 SC FIN
Ret
Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen Golf GTi 16S ITA
Ret
Premoto Toyota Toyota Celica 2000 GT CIV
2
Toyota Team Great Britain GBR
9
1983 Saab Sport Saab 99 Turbo MON SWE
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG 10th22
Sesab Service Audi Quattro A2 FIN
4
ITA
Premoto Toyota Toyota Celica 2000 GT CIV
3
Toyota Team Great Britain GBR
Ret
1984 Clarion Audi Quattro A2 MON SWE
3
POR FIN
6
ITA CIV 7th30
Westlands Motors Toyota Celica Twincam Turbo KEN
Ret
FRA GRE NZL ARG
Toyota Team Great Britain GBR
3
1985 Clarion Svenska Audi Quattro A2 MON SWE
5
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
6
ITA CIV GBR
4
10th24
1986 Austin Rover WRT MG Metro 6R4 MON SWE
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG GBR
7
USA 34th8
Clarion Team Europe FIN
7
CIV ITA
1987 Subaru Deutschland Subaru RX Turbo MON
10
12th25
Clarion Team Europe Audi Coupé Quattro SWE
7
POR FIN
4
CIV ITA GBR
EX
Fuji Heavy Industries Subaru RX Turbo KEN
5
FRA GRE
Nissan Motorsports International Nissan 200SX USA
9
NZL ARG
1988 Clarion Team Europe Lancia Delta HF 4WD MON SWE
Ret
20th12
Nissan Motorsports International Nissan 200SX KEN
3
FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA
Clarion Team Europe Nissan March Turbo GBR
21
1989 Clarion Team Europe Lancia Delta Integrale SWE
2
FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV GBR
Ret
19th16
Nissan March Turbo MON
Ret
POR GRE
10
NZL ARG
Nissan Motorsports International Nissan 200SX KEN
Ret
FRA
1990 Clarion Team Europe Lancia Delta Integrale 16V MON POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV GBR
12
NC0
1991 Clarion Team Europe Lancia Delta Integrale 16V MON SWE
8
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR
Ret
49th3
1992 Clarion Team Europe Subaru Legacy RS MON SWE
6
POR 32nd8
Noriyuki Koseki Subaru Legacy 4WD Turbo KEN
9
FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP
Per Eklund Subaru Legacy RS GBR
12
1993 Eklund Team Europe Subaru Legacy RS MON SWE
6
POR KEN FRA GRE ARG NZL FIN AUS ITA ESP 31st6
1996 Clarion Team Europe Subaru Legacy RS SWE
17
KEN IDN GRE ARG FIN AUS ITA ESP NC0
1997 Per Eklund Saab 900 Turbo MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN IDN ITA AUS GBR
Ret
NC0

Complete FIA European Rallycross Cup results

YearEntrantCar1234567891011ERCPoints
1976 Saab Saab 96 V4 Turbo AUT1
4
GER1
6
FIN
9
SWE
BEL
6
AUT2
NED
GBR1
GER2
GBR2
10th24
1977 Saab Saab 96 V4 Turbo AUT1
NED1
6
ITA
SWE1
FIN
BEL1
SWE2
NED2
BEL2
GER
AUT2
24th6
1978 Per Eklund Porsche Carrera 3.0 AUT
ITA
SWE
9
FIN
3
BEL
NED
FRA
GBR
GER
27th14

Complete FIA European Rallycross Championship results

Division 2

YearEntrantCar123456789101112ERXPoints
1990 Clarion Team Europe MG Metro 6R4 AUT
SWE
6
FIN
IRE
FRA
BEL
NED
NOR
GER
GBR
21st11
1991 Clarion Team Europe MG Metro 6R4 POR
AUT
FIN
FRA
IRE
SWE
2
BEL
NED
NOR
NC
GBR
GER
20th17
1993 Clarion Team Europe Subaru Legacy Turbo AUT
(6)
POR
4
FRA
4
IRE
(6)
SWE
4
FIN
2
BEL
3
NED
(NC)
NOR
3
GER
1
4th106
1994 Clarion Team Europe Subaru Impreza AUT
2
POR
7
FRA
3
IRE
5
GBR
4
SWE
(NC)
FIN
3
BEL
7
NED
(NC)
NOR
(7)
GER
6
6th93
1995 Clarion Team Europe Subaru Impreza AUT
2
POR
(NC)
FRA
5
SWE
3
GBR
(7)
IRE
(8)
BEL
4
NED
5
NOR
2
FIN
(6)
CZE
2
GER
3
4th118
1996 Clarion Team Europe Subaru Impreza AUT
1
POR
(9)
FRA
4
SWE
(6)
IRE
(7)
GBR
2
BEL
3
NED
5
NOR
(6)
CZE
3
GER
(6)
5th104

Division 1*

YearEntrantCar1234567891011ERXPoints
1997 Clarion Team Europe Saab 900 Turbo AUT
3
FRA
(6)
POR
(6)
GBR
3
SWE
4
FIN
(9)
BEL
5
NOR
4
CZE
2
GER
5
6th97
1998 Clarion Team Europe Saab 900 Turbo AUT
2
POR
1
FRA
(6)
SWE
(4)
GBR
1
FIN
3
BEL
(8)
NOR
2
GER
3
CZE
3
2nd119
1999 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 CZE
1
FRA
3
POR
2
SWE
(3)
FIN
2
BEL
2
NED
2
NOR
1
GER
(NC)
1st123
2000 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 POR
1
FRA
3
CZE
1
SWE
DNS
BEL
3
NED
3
NOR
7
POL
(DSQ)
GER
2
3rd102
2001 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 FRA
(11)
POR
3
AUT
2
CZE
2
SWE
DNS
BEL
4
NED
(9)
NOR
(6)
POL
2
GER
1
3rd99
2002 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 POR
(5)
FRA
4
AUT
1
CZE
4
SWE
4
BEL
1
NED
(7)
NOR
3
POL
5
GER
1
2nd126
2003 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 POR
3
FRA
(5)
AUT
2
CZE
1
SWE
2
BEL
2
NED
7
NOR
5
POL
(7)
GER
2
2nd125
2004 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 POR
6
FRA
1
CZE
5
AUT
4
NOR
(8)
SWE
7
BEL
7
NED
(10)
POL
3
GER
8
5th100
2005 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 FRA
(9)
POR
7
AUT
7
CZE
5
NOR
8
SWE
3
BEL
4
NED
(12)
POL
4
GER
7
6th92
2006 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 POR
8
FRA
(12)
CZE
12
AUT
12
SWE
7
HUN
7
BEL
7
NED
8
NOR
8
POL
11
GER
(NC)
9th73
2007 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 POR
4
FRA
4
HUN
6
AUT
9
SWE
(11)
NOR
(14)
BEL
14
NED
14
POL
4
CZE
6
8th75
2008 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 POR
6
FRA
14
HUN
(15)
AUT
9
NOR
13
SWE
9
BEL
12
NED
(NC)
CZE
10
POL
NC
GER
6
10th57
2009 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 GBR
10
POR
12
FRA
(NC)
HUN
10
AUT
NC
SWE
13
BEL
DNS
GER
12
POL
14
CZE
NC
14th31
2010 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 POR
FRA
GBR
HUN
SWE
14
FIN
15
BEL
GER
POL
10
CZE
15
22nd14

*Division 2 was rebranded as Division 1 in 1997.

Supercar

YearEntrantCar12345678910ERXPoints
2011 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 GBR
POR
FRA
NOR
SWE
24
BEL
NED
AUT
POL
CZE
7
22nd10
2013 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 GBR
POR
HUN
FIN
NOR
SWE
FRA
AUT
GER
22
45th0
2014 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 GBRNORBELGER
22
ITA37th0

Complete FIA World Rallycross Championship results

Supercar

YearEntrantCar12345678910111213WRXPoints
2014 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 POR
GBR
NOR
FIN
SWE
BEL
CAN
FRA
GER
30
ITA
TUR
ARG
57th0
2015 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 POR
HOC
BEL
GBR
GER
SWE
24
CAN
NOR
FRA
ESP
TUR
ITA
ARG
35th0
Sporting positions
Preceded by European Rallycross Division 1 Champion
1999
Succeeded by

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