In 2007, the Uddeholm Swedish Rally was paired with Rally Norway to provide a double dose of snow action, but in 2008 it was back as the only true winter rally in the WRC.
Based from the city of Karlstad in central Sweden, the rally takes place on wintry gravel roads in the forests of the Varmland region and includes remote services in the towns of Sunne and Hagfors. Temperatures can drop well below -25 degrees Celsius and if there is a wind the weather can be treacherous. But the special challenge of the frozen roads means the event is one of the most popular among drivers.
As with the fast gravel roads of Finland and the asphalt of Corsica and Spain, local talent prevails here, and the winners' list looks like a Scandinavian phone book. To succeed in Sweden, you need a sublime combination of commitment, fingertip feel and lightning reactions. If you can win here, you're halfway to becoming a true rallying great.
Despite the lack of traction on the ice and snow-covered stages, speeds are still frighteningly quick thanks to skinny studded tyres which penetrate the snow in search of grip below, as well as snow banks, which drivers use as a soft barrier on which to 'lean' their cars. There are plenty of hazards, though. Hit a snow bank at the wrong speed, and it sucks the car into the snow, resulting in drivers reaching for the snow shovels, as well as potential radiator and consequent engine damage. Exposed patches of bare gravel road can also rip studs from the tyres, leading to a lack of grip on icy sections.
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