2017 Rally Sweden entry list - 46 crews ready for the unique WRC snow event

After the 85th Rallye Monte-Carlo opened the 2017 World Rally Championship season, world’s best rally drivers are on their way to another special event on the WRC calendar. It’s Rally Sweden, the only snow event in the world’s premier rally competion for decades, since 1965, when Swedish rally was moved from its original summer date to winter.

For the 65th edition of Rally Sweden 46 crews are on the entry list. Of course, much of the interest is directed towards 2017-spec World Rally Cars which had thrilling premiere in the opening event at Monte-Carlo. Compared to the season’s first rally with ten ’17-spec WRC machines, one more such a car is announced for Sweden.

46 crews are coming to the 2017 Rally Sweden

A new name on the list is Norwegian Mads Ostberg, who will run Ford Fiesta RS WRC for Adapta Motorsport, in cooperation with M-Sport World Rally Team. Other entries will be the same as in Monte-Carlo, with one exception in Citroen’s team.

Craig Breen will took over #8 C3 WRC for his debut with new car, Stephane Lefebvre will drive last year’s #15 DS3 WRC. It’s still unsure which car Henning Solberg will drive, as he’s listed with Ford Fiesta RS WRC, so it’s possible to get one more newest car on the starting line.

Who will have the longest jump at Colin’s Crest

The competition in the WRC 2 championship goes a step further as fourteen crews announced participation, three more than in Monte-Carlo. M-Sport’s Eric Camilli and Teemu Suninen lead the pack with Fiesta R5s. Škoda Motorsport listed only Swedish driver Pontus Tidemand. One more Swedish driver in the WRC 2 category  would be Emil Bergkvist with Citroen DS3 R5.

From the other side of the border three strong Norwegians are coming: Ole Christian Veiby, Anders Grondal and Eyvind Brynildsen. From the Eastern Europe two Russians are coming and one Polish driver, while from the far East are coming two Japanese drivers who will drive Fiesta R5s for Tommi Makinen Racing.

Swedish snow will host world’s best rally drivers

Among other drivers with R5 cars, who are not eligible for WRC 2 points, the most interesting entry is the second-placed driver in the 2016 World Rallycross Championship Johan Kristoffersson. His car would be Škoda Fabia R5. Kristoffersson participated last year at Rally Sweden, finishing 21st overall and 11th in RC2 class with Škoda Fabia S2000.

Rally Sweden will start with a shakedown in the morning hours of Thursday, February 9. In the evening, the real racing will start with SSS1 Karlstad. Rally consists of eighteen stages with total length of 331.74 kilometers.[/show_more]

2017 Rally Sweden entry list

Check the full results

Photos: rallysweden.com,