As many times before the Swedish Rally Championship season opens with Bergslagsrallyt with the start and finish in Hällefors in the region Bergslagen about 300 km from Stockholm. The conditions were perfect with snowy and icy roads in the deep forests and about 5-10 degrees below.
From the first stage to the last Mats Thorszelius (Toyota Corolla WRC) had the rally in his hand. But he was in fact hunted by the veteran Mats Jonsson in a Ford Escort WRC throughout the rally and at the start of the last stage there were only a few seconds between him and the leader Thorszelius.
"We really have to give the pedal" Thorszelius said to his co-driver, and so they did.
Six seconds separated the two combatants at the finish.
Another veteran and many times Swedish Champion took the third place, Kenneth Bäcklund, in a Production Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII. He was last years winner of the Production class in the Uddeholm Swedish Rally. Bäcklund did not have an easy trip at the end - he had Stig-Olov Walfridsson getting closer and closer during the last day. But some technical trouble made Walfridsson slow a little bit, finishing second in the Production class.
Young P-G Andersson, member of the Swedish Junior Rally Team, took his Suzuki Ignis into the top twn. He advanced to an impressing ninth place, very promising for him - his next rally will be the Monte Carlo - he is entered in a full JWRC season by Suzuki in an Ignis, and will drive a full Swedish Championship season as well.
Next round of the championship will be the Snow Rally in Östersund February 13-15 2004.
Results from Bergslagsrallyt, round 1 of the Swedish Rally Championship, January 3-4:
1) Mats Thorszelius, Toyota Corolla WRC, 1.15.10,5 2) Mats Jonsson, Ford Escort WRC, +0.06 3) Kenneth Bäcklund, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, +1.12,6 4) Eddie Hörbing, Toyota Corolla WRC, +1.14,9 5) Jari Saarinen, Ford Escort WRC, +1.17,5 6) Stig-Olov Walfridsson, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, +1.24,7 7) Oscar Svedlund, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, +1.38,4 8) Dick Wicksell, Subaru WRC, +2.51,1 9) P-G Andersson, Suzuki Ignis, +3.59,1 10) Torbjörn Pahlin, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI.
