Sunday 21 July 2019

Solberg sets new Norges Råeste Bakkeløp record on Farewell Tour.

Petter Solberg victory at the Norges Råeste Bakkeløp Hillclimb
PHOTO CREDIT: Petter Solberg Media
Three-time FIA World Champion Petter Solberg settled a bet made over the breakfast table in Måselv. 

Last year his son Oliver set a new record for the Norges Råeste Bakkeløp, Norway’s most famous Hillclimb. 

Petter said he could beat that time. 

Oliver said he couldn’t.

Guess what? Petter smashed Oliver's record. 

Solberg set the new Hillclimb record in his Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R Supercar (2018 World RX Supercar) completing the 3.75km course in 1m37.99s

After setting a new Hillclimb record, Petter joked: “Oliver needs to wake up earlier each morning if he’s going to win this one back!”

The organizers extended the Hillclimb for 2019, and drivers would race a different course compared to Oliver’s record-breaking run last year, but the organizer allowed Solberg one attempt at the old course before they changed the layout. The Norwegian took that attempt and beat his son’s time by six seconds (albeit in a faster car with more power than the Citroën Xsara WRC Oliver used in 2018).

In addition to the Hillclimb, the Norges Råeste Bakkeløp included a variety of events including gymkhana, a drag race, and autocross. Petter won the gymkhana and autocross but lost out to a 1100bhp drag car in a straight line.

“This is a fantastic event and it’s the sort of thing I began my career competing in. That’s why I wanted to bring back some people who helped me race when I was starting out in the 1990s," said Petter Solberg. "This was a really nice reunion with the mechanics and guys."

“I brought back my Volvo 240. My family and me, we built this car ourselves, completely. I’m still so proud of it – and it’s still one incredible machine. In 1995 I won 19 out of 21 Norwegian rallycross races in that car and it still gave me a real buzz to drive it in the gymkhana event on Wednesday. I didn’t drive that car for 20 years, it’s still on the same tyres it was the last time I drove it and we won!"

The next event on Petter Solberg’s Farewell Tour:
Gymkhana GRiD
Location: Poland
Date: September 7

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