Stig Blomqvist

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Stig Blomqvist

Blomqvist in 2010
Personal information
Nationality Sweden Swedish
Born (1946-07-29) 29 July 1946 (age 66)
World Rally Championship record
Active years 1973–2006
Teams Saab, Talbot, Audi, Ford, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Nissan, Škoda
Rallies 122
Championships 1 (1984)
Rally wins 11
Podiums 33
Stage wins 486
Total points 573
First rally 1973 Swedish Rally
First win 1973 Swedish Rally
Last win 1984 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire
Last rally 2006 Swedish Rally

Stig Lennart Blomqvist (born 29 July 1946 in Örebro) is a Swedish rally driver. He made his international breakthrough in 1971. Driving an Audi Quattro for the Audi factory team, Blomqvist won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1984 and finished runner-up in 1985. He won his home event, the Swedish Rally, seven times.

Outside the WRC, he won the British Rally Championship in 1983 and the Swedish Rally Championship several times. At the Race of Champions, Blomqvist took the title "Champion of Champions" in 1989 and 1990.

Contents

Career [edit]

Stig Blomqvist acquired his driving licence at the age of 18, and immediately took second place in a 1964 local rally event near the Swedish town of Karlstad, behind the wheel of a Saab 96. He proceeded to drive with the Saab team, and achieved his first international victories in 1971; first winning the Swedish Rally, then the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and the RAC Rally in Great Britain. These performances helped Saab gain second place behind Alpine-Renault in the International Championship for Manufacturers, the predecessor to the World Rally Championship.

Blomqvist in the Saab 99 Turbo (Hunsrück-Rallye 1980)

Blomqvist went on to win the Swedish Rally again in 1972 (Saab 96 V4), 1973 (Saab 96 V4), which marked his first WRC event and win, 1977 (Saab 99 EMS) and 1979 (Saab 99 Turbo).[1] Outside the WRC, he won the 1973 Cyprus Rally, the 1976 Boucles de Spa and the Swedish Rally Championship several times. His long-time association with Saab ended when the Saab Sport department hung up their spurs in 1981. Driving a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus in 1981, Blomqvist finished eighth in the 1000 Lakes and third at the RAC.[1]

Blomqvist driving a Quattro at the 2007 Race of Champions

For the 1982 season, Audi Sport, Audi's factory team, signed Blomqvist to drive the Quattro in a few events alongside Hannu Mikkola and Michèle Mouton. He won the Swedish Rally, finished second in the 1000 Lakes and then took his first WRC victory outside his home country by winning the Rallye Sanremo.[1] Audi then signed Blomqvist as their third regular driver for the following season. Blomqvist scored seven podiums, including a win in the season-ending RAC Rally, and finished fourth in the drivers' world championship.[1] In the British Rally Championship, he captured the title by winning four of the six events.

An ex-Blomqvist Ford RS200

In the 1984 season, Blomqvist drove the Quattro A2 and the Sport Quattro evolutions to five victories, and finished second at the Monte Carlo Rally.[1] Beating Mikkola to the title, he became the second Swedish world rally champion after Björn Waldegård. His first place in the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire would remain his career-last victory in the WRC. The 1985 season saw him finish runner-up to Timo Salonen of the new Peugeot Talbot Sport team headed by Jean Todt. His best result was second; at the Swedish Rally, the 1000 Lakes and the Acropolis Rally.[1] In the last Group B season in 1986, Blomqvist competed for Ford in an RS200 and for Peugeot in a 205 Turbo 16 E2, recording his only podium at the Rally Argentina.[1]

During the first two Group A years, Blomqvist continued with Ford and drove a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, finishing on the podium three times.[1] The 1990 WRC season was the series' first without Blomqvist in action. In 1991 and 1992, he drove a Nissan Sunny GTI-R for Nissan Motorsports Europe, Nissan's factory team. At the 1992 Swedish Rally, Blomqvist took third place, which would remain his last podium spot in the WRC.[1]

Later in the 1990s, he used his experience of two-wheel drive cars and helped Škoda Motorsport to develop the Škoda Felicia Kit Car. During a guest appearance at the 1996 RAC Rally, when the event was not on the WRC schedule, the 50-year-old veteran finished third overall with the car.[1] That same year, he finished seventh in the Safari Rally in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. This would remain his last points-finish in the World Rally Championship.[1]

After only three events in four years, Blomqvist returned to the role of a regular WRC competitor. Together with co-driver Ana Goñi, he drove a Group N category David Sutton Cars Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 in twelve events in 2001, finishing fifth overall in the Production World Rally Championship (PWRC).[1] In 2003, he finished third in the PWRC championship in a Subaru Impreza WRX STI.[1] In his last world rally, the 2006 Swedish Rally, Blomqvist drove the Impreza to 24th place overall and was fourth fastest in Group N.[2]

In September 2008, Blomqvist took part in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, a round of the Scottish Rally Championship centred in Perth in Scotland. He was one of a number of ex-world champions to take part in the event in memory of McRae, who died in 2007. He was co-driven by Goñi in a Ford Escort RS1600.

According to a rumour, Blomqvist was intended as the first test driver for the 2002 relaunched version of the BBC series Top Gear, but when he declined the anonymous driver The Stig was created. Blomqvist has denied this story.

He has lived in the UK for many years, based in Saffron Walden, Essex. His son, Tom Blomqvist, has followed in his motorsports footsteps, becoming the youngest ever Formula Renault UK champion in 2010, at the age of 16.[3]

Track record [edit]

1967 [edit]

1968 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 9th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver B Reinicke

1969 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 8th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver B Moreus

1970 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Bo Reinicke

1971 [edit]

  • RAC Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • Hankiralli, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • 1000 Lakes Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • Safari Rally, 13th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • Double Swedish Rally Champion, class R and class T gr 2.

1972 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • RAC Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz

1973 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • Cyprus Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
  • Swedish Rally Champion.

1974 [edit]

  • Arctic Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • RAC Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • 1000 Lakes, 4th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • Swedish Rally Champion

1975 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • Arctic Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • Swedish Rally Champion

1976 [edit]

  • Boucles de Spa Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 EMS, co-driver Hans Sylvan
  • Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • RAC Rally, 2nd, Saab 99 EMS, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • Swedish Rally Champion

1977 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 EMS, co-driver Hans Sylván
  • Finnish Hankiralli, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván

1978 [edit]

1979 [edit]

1980 [edit]

1981 [edit]

  • South Swedish Rally, 2nd, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
  • RAC Rally, 3rd, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Swedish Rally, 5th, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 1000 Lakes, 8th, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, co-driver Björn Cederberg

1982 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • San Remo Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • South Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo
  • 1000 Lakes, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • RAC Rally, 8th, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 4th place in WRC
  • Swedish Rally Champion
  • Swedish HillClimb Champion.

1983 [edit]

  • RAC Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Scottish Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Ulster Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Swedish Rally, 2nd, Audi 80 Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Argentina, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 1000 Lakes, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Monte Carlo, 3rd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Acropolis, 3rd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 4th place in WRC
  • Swedish Rallycross Champion, Audi Quattro
  • Swedish HillClimb Champion, Audi Quattro
  • British Rally Champion

1984 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Acropolis, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • New Zealand Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Argentina, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Ivory Coast, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Monte Carlo, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 1000 Lakes, 4th, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Corsica, 5th, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 1st place in WRC - World Rally Champion

1985 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 2nd, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Acropolis, 2nd, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 1000 Lakes, 2nd, Audi Sport Quattro S1, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Monte Carlo, 4th, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • Rally Portugal, 4th, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • New Zealand Rally, 4th, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
  • 2nd place in WRC

1986 [edit]

1987 [edit]

  • RAC Rally, 2nd, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Bruno Berglund
  • 1000 Lakes, 3rd, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Bruno Berglund
  • Swedish Rally, 6th, Ford Sierra XR 4x4, co-driver Bruno Berglund
  • 7th place in WRC
  • Swedish HillClimb Champion, Ford RS200

1988 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 2nd, Ford Sierra XR 4x4, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Rally Mille Miglia, 2nd, Ford Sierra Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Rally Portugal, 5th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • 1000 Lakes, 5th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • RAC Rally, 6th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • San Remo Rally, 7th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • 4th place in WRC
  • Swedish HillClimb Champion, Ford RS200.

1989 [edit]

1990 [edit]

1991 [edit]

  • Safari Rally, 5th, Nissan Sunny GTI-R 4WD, co-driver Benny Melander
  • 1000 Lakes, 8th, Nissan Sunny GTI-R 4WD, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Swedish Touring Car Championship, 1st Anderstorp, Ford Sierra RS500

1992 [edit]

1993 [edit]

  • Historic RAC Rally, 7th, Porsche 911
  • Swedish HillClimb Champion

1994 [edit]

  • South Swedish Rally, 2nd, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Race of Champions, Gran Canaria, 2nd
  • Swedish Rally, 3rd, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • RAC Rally, 4th, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Swedish Rally Champion, Ford Escort RS Cosworth

1995 [edit]

  • South Swedish Rally, 3rd, Ford Escort Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Swedish Rally, 7th, Ford Escort Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • RAC Rally, 21st, Škoda Felicia Kit Car, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Rally Bohemia, 2nd, 1st in F2, Škoda Felicia Kit Car, co-driver Benny Melander

1996 [edit]

  • RAC Rally, 3rd, 1st in F2, Škoda Felicia Kit Car 1.6, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Safari Rally, 7th, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
  • Swedish Rally, 8th, Ford Escort Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander

1997 [edit]

1998 [edit]

  • Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC), 13th, Ford Mondeo WSR

1999 [edit]

2000 [edit]

2001 [edit]

  • RAC Rally, 16th, 4th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Swedish Rally, 18th, 3rd grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Catalunya, 21st, 3rd grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • New Zealand, 21st, 4th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • 1000 Lakes, 22nd, Škoda Octavia WRC E2, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Australia, 23rd, 7th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • San Remo Rally, 30th, 4th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Co, USA, 2nd unlimited, Ford RS200 [4]

2002 [edit]

  • Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Co, USA, 4th overall, 2nd unlimited, Ford RS200
  • Swedish Rally, 15th, Škoda Octavia WRC Evo 2, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Acropolis, 17th, Škoda Octavia WRC Evo 2, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • New Zealand Rally, 19th, 6th grN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Australia, 22nd, 12th grN, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, co-driver Ana Goñi

2003 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 26th, 1st in PWRC, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • New Zealand Rally, 24th, 8th in PWRC, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Cyprus Rally, 11th, 3rd in PWRC, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Deutschland, 29th, 5th in PWRC, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Australia, 19th, 4th in PWRC, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Corsica, 20th, 5th in PWRC, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi

2004 [edit]

  • Roger Albert Clark Rally, UK. This rally inaugurated in 2004 is intended to be a recreation of the R.A.C. Rally of old - 4 days of rallying over some of the most famous stages in northern England and Scotland. Stig Blomqvist with co-driver Ana Goñi won this event in their Ford Escort Mk II RS
  • Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Co, USA, 1st unlimited (unofficial results)[5]
  • Swedish Rally, 21st, 8th grN, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi
  • Rally Acropolis, 14th, 1st grN, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi

2005 [edit]

  • Oregon Trail Rally, 1st, 2003 Subaru STi WRX, co-driver Ana Goñi[6]
  • Susquehannock Trail ProRally, 3rd, 1st grN, 2003 Subaru Impreza, co-driver Pauline Gullick[7]
  • Ojibwe Forest Rally 1st, 2003 Subaru STi WRX, co-driver Ana Goñi[8]
  • Roger Albert Clark Rally, 2nd, Escort Mk II RS[9]
  • Swedish Rally, 20th, 3rd grN, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ragnar Spjuth

2007 [edit]

  • East African Safari Classic Rally. Blomqvist has been entered in a Ford Escort Mark 1, with co-driver Ana Goñi.[10]

2006 [edit]

  • Swedish Rally, 24th, 4th grN, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, co-driver Ana Goñi

2007 [edit]

  • Rally Costa Brava, 25th, 1st grH, Ford Escort RS, co-driver Ana Goñi

2008 [edit]

2009 [edit]

  • La Carrera Panamericana 1st overall in a Studebaker Starliner 1953 with co-driver Ana Goni
  • Janner Rally, 5th, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, co-driver Ragnar Spjuth

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Stig Blomqvist". RallyBase. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
  2. ^ "55th Uddeholm Swedish Rally". RallyBase. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
  3. ^ Åhman, Michael (2009-01-20). "Han är "The Stig"!". Auto, Motor & Sport. Retrieved 2009-02-20. 
  4. ^ http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/17760
  5. ^ http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=158061&FS=HILLCLIMB
  6. ^ http://rallyracingnews.com/ra/ot05-natres.html
  7. ^ http://www.stpr.org/stpr05/press2.html#SunMorning
  8. ^ http://www.christianedstrom.com/news.htm
  9. ^ http://www.thisisull.com/sports/mattrally10a.html
  10. ^ http://www.eastafricansafarirally.com/index.htm

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stig Blomqvist
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Michèle Mouton		 Autosport
International Rally Driver Award
1983		 Succeeded by
Ari Vatanen
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Hannu Mikkola		 World Rally Champion
1984		 Succeeded by
Timo Salonen
Preceded by
Juha Kankkunen		 Race of Champions
Champion of Champions
1989–1990		 Succeeded by
Juha Kankkunen
Preceded by
Flavio Alonso		 Race of Champions
Rally Master
1993		 Succeeded by
Timo Salonen
Records
Preceded by
Jean-Claude Andruet
30 years, 169 days
(1973 Monte Carlo Rally)		 Youngest Rally
Winner
26 years, 203 days
(1973 Swedish Rally)		 Succeeded by
Markku Alén
24 years, 156 days
(1975 Rallye de Portugal)
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