60th Rally Sweden Preview
author: FIA media
Special stages run in the Värmland and Dalarna regions and, for the second time, the route will venture into neighbouring Norway, this time for most of the competitive action on Friday’s opening day of action.
As the only true winter rally on the calendar - where temperatures can drop as low as -25oC - spectacular action is guaranteed against the backdrop of a white wonderland. Tungsten-tipped steel studs protrude from winter tyres, providing amazing grip as they bite through the snow and ice. Paradoxically, Rally Sweden is one of the fastest events in the series.
As the first loose-surface rally of the 2012 season, Rally Sweden also marks the introduction of the new qualifying system, whereby P1 and P2 drivers will choose their start positions for the first full day of the rally. Following the free practice session and Qualifying Stage on Thursday morning, the drivers will choose their start positions according to the results of the Qualifying Stage with the fastest driver selecting first. This start order selection will take place at the opening ceremony that evening. Rally Sweden is also the second round of the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship.
CHANGES TO THE ROUTE SINCE 2011
Rally Sweden kicks off on Thursday evening with its popular Super Special Stage at Karlstad’s trotting track. Friday presents a totally new prospect however, with seven of the day’s nine stages running in Norway. Each of these is new to the competitors and the day is rounded off with a more familiar stage in Torsby before another run around the Super Special Stage.
Saturday’s stages are all familiar with the exception of the short 1.87 kilometre stage near Hagfors which will be run twice, and on Sunday the route includes another short stage in Hagfors (4.66 kilometres) as the only partly new stage that day. In total, 37.2% of the route is new this year.
RALLY DATA
Total distance: 1,842.60 km
Stage distance: 349.16 km
Number of stages: 24
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