Tommy Rustad

Tommy Rustad is a Norwegian racing driver and a multiple champion in different racing disciplines.

Earlier in a career, he was Scandinavian Formula Opel Lotus champion, European Renault Spider champion, BTCC independent champion and touring car champion in Norway and Sweden.

Most lately, he won the 2015 European Rallycross championship in Marklund Motorsports's Volkswagen Polo Supercar.

Tommy Rustad

Racer's son started a career in a rallycross

As a son of former racer Ola Rustad, Tommy started his racing career early, driving karts and then entering the Norwegian Rallycross Championship in the late 1980s. He was extremely successful in his early rallycross years, winning the Supernasjonal title six times in a row between 1987 and 1992.

In 1992, he also debuted in the European Rallycross Championship, winning the Irish round in a Ford RS200 Group B car. In the same year, Rustad competed also in the Renault Clio Cup Scandinavia and Formula Opel Lotus Scandinavia.

Focusing on open-wheel racing since 1993

Despite having great results in rallycross, Rustad left a sport to focus on single-seater racing. In 1993, he became the Scandinavian Formula Opel Lotus champion, winning five of nine races during the season.

Next year, he expanded his commitments to the Formula Opel Euroseries, finishing fifth in points. In 1995, he was sixth in the Formula Renault Eurocup.

Tommy Rustad at 1996 Formula 3 Monaco Grand Prix

Renault Spider champion in 1997

In 1996, Rustad competed in two different series - the Italian Formula 3 Championship and Renault Spider Eurocup. Driving a Dallara-Fiat, he finished ninth in the F3 championship.

He had more success in the Renault Spider championship, finishing second in 1996 (behind Franck Lagorce) and then winning a championship in 1997. He won seven times in that season, dominantly taking a title.

Independent champion in the 1988 BTCC season

In 1998, Rustad decided to try something completely different and he entered British Touring Car Championship.  He was driving the #21 Renault Laguna for the DC Cook Motorsport in the Michelin Independents Cup. With five wins, he won independents' championship title.

In the last round of the championship at Silverstone, he was driving for factory-backed team Blend 37 Williams Renault. He finished 16th in the overall standings of the championship.

Rustad had short but successful BTCC career

Double touring car champion in 2000

It was Rustad's only BTCC season, as he continued touring car career in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. He joined Elgh Motorsport to drive Nissan Primera GT, scoring seven wins in fifteen races to finish third in the points, behind Audi's Mattias Ekstrom and BMW's Fredrik Ekblom.

In 2000, Rustad was a champion both in the Swedish Touring Car Championship and Norwegian Touring Car Championship, driving a factory-entered Nissan Primera.

Two European seasons with Nissan

He continued to drive for Nissan in the 2001 European Superproduction Championship, finishing third in the points, behind Peter Kox and Duncan Huisman.

In the 2002 European Touring Car Championship, he was driving Nissan Primera for RJN Motorsport but without notable results. He finished 15th in the final standings.

Tommy Rustad spent successful years with Nissan

Three STCC seasons with Opel Astra

In 2003, Rustad returned to the Swedish Touring Car Championship, joining Opel Team Sweden. Driving an Opel Astra Coupe, he won one race to finish fourth in the points.

Next year, he was the race winner two times with Opel Astra Coupe, finishing again fourth in the points. In his third and last season with Opel, he finished 8th in the STCC classification.

Third place in the 2006 European Rallycross Championship

Rustad returned to rallycross track in a one-off appearance in the Norwegian round of the European Rallycross Championship in 2004, driving a Ford Focus T16. He finished the event in the sixth place.

With that car, he returned full time to the ERX in 2006, scoring five podiums to finish third in the championship. In 2007, he participated in just one ERX round, taking second place in his home event.

2009 STCC champion

2009 - STCC champion and WTCC debut with Volvo

In 2007, he returned full time to touring car racing, rejoining Opel Team Sweden in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. He was driving an Opel Astra GTC, winning one race to finish 11th in the points. For the 2008 STCC season, he moved to Volvo factory team, driving a bio-ethanol-powered Volvo C30. He finished ninth in the points.

In 2009, Rustad has won his second STCC title, winning five races in a Volvo C30 and beating BMW's Thed Bjork in a tie-up finish. In July 2009, he was a guest entrant in the British WTCC round at Brands Hatch, driving a Volvo C30 for Volvo Oslbergs Green Racing. He retired from both races.

Tommy Rustad in 2012

Three more touring car seasons with Volvo

Rustad spent three more touring car seasons with Volvo. In 2010, he finished 7th in the Swedish Touring Car Championship, winning three times in a Volvo C30.

In 2011, the series was renamed to Scandinavian Touring Car Championship. Driving a Volvo C30 for Polestar Racing, Rustad was the race winner two times to finish third in the final standings, behind Chevrolet's Rickard Rydell and Volkswagen's Fredrik Ekblom.

Rustad spent his last season in a touring car racing in the TTA Racing Elite League, driving a Volvo S60 Solution F. He finished ninth in the points.

Tommy Rustad in 2014

Full-time return to rallycross in 2013

In 2013, Rustad returned full time to rallycross, driving a Volvo S40 in the Norwegian Rallycross Championship and participating in two rounds of the European Rallycross Championship in a Volvo C30 Supercar.

In 2014, he had a double program with HTB Racing's Volvo C30 Supercar, participating in six rounds of the inaugural World Rallycross Championship season and five rounds of the European Rallycross Championship.

2015 European Rallycross champion

Winning the European Rallycross Championship in 2015

For the 2015 ERX season, Rustad's HTB Racing joined forces with Marklund Motorsport and he was driving a Volkswagen Polo Supercar. He won three championship rounds (Germany, Norway, Italy) to became the European champion.

In the same year, he appeared in two World RX events. In Sweden, he was driving VW Polo, finishing 12th. In Canada, he finished fourth in Münnich Motorsport's Audi S3. It remained his best World RX result to date. In 2016, he contested in two World RX rounds.

Rustad raced with Peugeot 208 Supercar in 2016 and 2017

ERX entry with Peugeot 208 Supercar

For the 2016 ERX season, Rustad switched to Peugeot 208 Supercar, run by British Albatec Racing. He scored podiums in two events before winning the season's final round in Latvia. He finished fourth in the final ERX classification. Rustad stayed in the same car for the 2017 European Rallycross season, not scoring wins or podiums and finishing fifth in the points.

In 2018, Rustad slowed down his racing activites, participating in just two World RX rounds (UK, Norway) with Marklund Motorsport's Volkswagen Polo.

Photos: Tommy Rustad FB,