Per Eklund

For the Swedish fighter with the same name, see Per Eklund (fighter) and Per Eklund (ice hockey).
Per Torsten Eklund

Per Eklund in 2015
Personal information
Nationality Sweden Swedish
Born (1946-06-21) 21 June 1946
Skönnerud (Koppom), Sweden
World Rally Championship record
Active years 1973–1997
Co-driver Sweden Johnny Johansson
United Kingdom Dave Whittock
Sweden Björn Cederberg
Sweden Hans Sylvan
Sweden Ragnar Spjuth
Sweden Jan-Olof Bohlin
Teams Saab, Toyota, Nissan, Austin Rover, Subaru
Rallies 83
Championships 0
Rally wins 1
Podiums 13
Stage wins 73
Total points 270
First rally 1973 Swedish Rally
First win 1976 Swedish Rally
Last rally 1997 RAC Rally

Per Torsten Eklund, born on 21 June 1946 in Skönnerud (Koppom), Eda Municipality of Värmland in Sweden, is a Rally and Rallycross driver who lives in Arvika. 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.

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

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 (Saab 9-3) 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

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 ("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

Racing record

Complete FIA European Rallycross Cup results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Position Points
1976 Saab Saab 96 V4 Turbo AUT1
4
GER1
6
FIN
9
SWE
BEL
6
AUT2
NED
GBR1
GER2
GBR2
10th 24
1977 Saab Saab 96 V4 Turbo AUT1
NED1
6
ITA
SWE1
FIN
BEL1
SWE2
NED2
BEL2
GER
AUT2
24th 6
1978 Per Eklund Porsche Carrera 3.0 AUT
ITA
SWE
9
FIN
3
BEL
NED
FRA
GBR
GER
27th 14

Complete FIA European Rallycross Championship results

Division 2

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Position Points
1990 Clarion Team Europe MG Metro 6R4 AUT
SWE
6
FIN
IRE
FRA
BEL
NED
NOR
GER
GBR
21st 11
1991 Clarion Team Europe MG Metro 6R4 POR
AUT
FIN
FRA
IRE
SWE
2
BEL
NED
NOR
NC
GBR
GER
20th 17
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
4th 106
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
6th 93
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
4th 118
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)
5th 104

Division 1*

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Position Points
1997 Clarion Team Europe Saab 900 Turbo 4x4 AUT
3
FRA
(6)
POR
(6)
GBR
3
SWE
4
FIN
(9)
BEL
5
NOR
4
CZE
2
GER
5
6th 97
1998 Clarion Team Europe Saab 900 Turbo 4x4 AUT
2
POR
1
FRA
(6)
SWE
(4)
GBR
1
FIN
3
BEL
(8)
NOR
2
GER
3
CZE
3
2nd 119
1999 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 CZE
1
FRA
3
POR
2
SWE
(3)
FIN
2
BEL
2
NED
2
NOR
1
GER
(NC)
1st 123
2000 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
1
FRA
3
CZE
1
SWE
DNS
BEL
3
NED
3
NOR
7
POL
(DSQ)
GER
2
3rd 102
2001 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 FRA
(11)
POR
3
AUT
2
CZE
2
SWE
DNS
BEL
4
NED
(9)
NOR
(6)
POL
2
GER
1
3rd 99
2002 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
(5)
FRA
4
AUT
1
CZE
4
SWE
4
BEL
1
NED
(7)
NOR
3
POL
5
GER
1
2nd 126
2003 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
3
FRA
(5)
AUT
2
CZE
1
SWE
2
BEL
2
NED
7
NOR
5
POL
(7)
GER
2
2nd 125
2004 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
6
FRA
1
CZE
5
AUT
4
NOR
(8)
SWE
7
BEL
7
NED
(10)
POL
3
GER
8
5th 100
2005 Clarion Team Europe Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 FRA
(9)
POR
7
AUT
7
CZE
5
NOR
8
SWE
3
BEL
4
NED
(12)
POL
4
GER
7
6th 92
2006 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
8
FRA
(12)
CZE
12
AUT
12
SWE
7
HUN
7
BEL
7
NED
8
NOR
8
POL
11
GER
(NC)
9th 73
2007 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
4
FRA
4
HUN
6
AUT
9
SWE
(11)
NOR
(14)
BEL
14
NED
14
POL
4
CZE
6
8th 75
2008 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
6
FRA
14
HUN
(15)
AUT
9
NOR
13
SWE
9
BEL
12
NED
(NC)
CZE
10
POL
NC
GER
6
10th 57
2009 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 GBR
10
POR
12
FRA
(NC)
HUN
10
AUT
NC
SWE
13
BEL
DNS
GER
12
POL
14
CZE
NC
14th 31
2010 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 POR
FRA
GBR
HUN
SWE
14
FIN
15
BEL
GER
POL
10
CZE
15
22nd 14

* Division 2 was rebranded as Division 1 in 1997.

Supercar

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Position Points
2011 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 GBR
POR
FRA
NOR
SWE
NC
BEL
NED
AUT
POL
CZE
7
22nd 10
2013 Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 T16 4x4 GBR
POR
HUN
FIN
NOR
SWE
FRA
AUT
GER
NC
45th 0

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Per Eklund.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Kenneth Hansen
European Rallycross Division 1 Champion
1999
Succeeded by
Kenneth Hansen
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