SUHRT – More photos
July 17, 2011 in News
The guys at SUHRT have had a very good time at the midnightsun rally.
Jörgen has sent me even more photos, enjoy!
Read the rest of this entry →
You are browsing the archive for Midnight Sun.
by TimR
by Swade
Midnight Sun Rally update
July 18, 2010 in Rally Team
The Midnight Sun rally is complete for 2010.
The Saabs United Historic Rally Team did well in that they simply managed to finish the event with both cars running. Remember, these were two brand new cars that were only completed in the days before the event and one of our drivers, Vladimir Antonov, was driving in his first rally event.
And then there’s the blown engine and all the drama of finding and installing a replacement overnight.
To the placings, then….
Our #1 Car, the black 99T, with Jörgen Trued driving and Bo Janzon navigating came in 21st position.
Our #2 car, the white 99T with Vladimir Antonov driving and Denis Giraudet navigating came in 23rd position.
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A message from Jörgen:
The whole team thanks all the supporters around the globe in making it possible for us to pull off this project. The goal was to finish with both cars in Västerås and we did.
I am so relived now an now I will have a 3 week vacation with the family. There is not going to be any mechanical work during that time
Keep looking in on our website for future plans and updates. This was the finish of Midnattssolsrallyt, but it is also the start of many great things to happen…..
Thanks again and I am sure that i speak for the whole team Vladimir, Denis, Bo and myself!
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Saab did well with good connections in other classes, too.
Jörgen’s uncle, Bertil Trued, won his class (Regularity, no tripmeter) in his Saab 96.
Stefan Helin came third in his class (Regularity, with tripmeter) in a Saab 99EMS.
The Historic Class (up to 1000cc) was won by Stefan Segerljung in a Saab 96 850 Monte Carlo
And finally, Kenneth Bäcklund from the Saab Performance Team won his 1600-2000cc D3 category in his Ford Escort RS.
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Congratulations to all the competitors and well done to our guys in the Saabs United Historic Rally Team!
And thanks to Thilo for the image, above!
by Swade
SUHRT update
July 17, 2010 in Rally Team
Today is the start of the final day in the Midnight Sun rally.
I spoke to Jörgen on the phone last night and after the drama of the previous day, he was a very relieved man.
The great news is that both cars – including the #1 car with the transplanted engine – made it through Day 2 unscathed. Well, almost unscathed. There may be a few marks or even indentations here and there where the conservatism of the regularity class was overlooked 
but both cars are running and will start the day looking to finish the event.
I’ll be posting the results to the site as soon as I hear that both cars are over the line.
by Swade
Saab Festival Update #2
July 16, 2010 in Saabology
The best laid plans…….
Yes, that’s the SUHRT Car #1 on a trailer. And yes, it appears to be terminal. The first news I received about this was in a video that I posted to the SUHRT website. There was an oil pressure problem and at that stage, with the car stuck on the side of the road, we were all hoping that the car would come in for repairs overnight and get underway again in the morning.
by Swade
Can you help the SUHRT?
April 26, 2010 in Rally Team
As you know, this website is sponsoring a team competing in the Midnight Sun Rally in Sweden this July. It’s called the Saabs United Historic Rally Team and the two guys behind the team, J
by Swade
Rumour: Saab Festival – July 15-18
April 24, 2010 in News
A poster at Svenska Saabklubben has posted the following on their club forum. It’s short and to the point:
According to reliable source……Saab Festival in Trollhättan, Sweden July 15 to 18!
Those dates coincide with the Midnight Sun rally, which will be running around Trollhattan on the 15th, so the dates make good sense.
The holding of a Festival this year will be a fantastic coup for Saab, who missed out on a Festival last year (the festival is normally held every two years) and will give all those Saab fans who participated in the Saab Support Convoys a chance to come to Saab’s home and celebrate the company’s new found independence.
Of course, we must wait on confirmation of this from Saab themselves, but those Svenska Saabklubben guys have some pretty good contacts.
by Swade
Saabs United Historic Rally Team update – and competition!!
March 30, 2010 in Rally Team
I’ve just been very busy posting some updates to our Saabs United Historic Rally Team home page.
What, you didn’t know that there was a Saabs United Historic Rally Team?! Well, there is, and our two Saab 99 Turbos will be running in the 2010 Rally to the Midnight Sun in just a matter of months from now.
Car #1 is now looking absolutely fantastic with its shiny black paint and rally livery. The guys are finishing off the body work now and soon the engine will be ready to go in.
Here’s some of the recent postings and videos from the SUHRT website:
- A look inside out rally engines…..
- Rally car suspended by Bilstein…..
- Welding our Wishbones…..
- Saab 99Turbo Engine honing…..
- Reproduction rally decals for our Saab 99 Turbo…..
- More engine work for our Saab 99 Turbo rally cars…..
- Visit from Historic Rally Racing Team…..
- New sponsor decals for our rally Saab 99 Turbos……
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And now to our competition!!!!
Watch the video and J
by Swade
More about the Saabs United Historic Rally Team
August 15, 2009 in Saabology
A few days ago, i wrote what I guess you could call the official introduction to the Saabs United Historic Rally Team. It gave you the what, when and who.
I guess you could call this the unoffical introduction – they why.
The decision to play a part in sponsoring this team was pretty instantaneous. Jörgen popped the question and I answered in the affirmative with my next email. I must have been on a good thing because as soon as I mentioned it to my US-based co-pilot here, Eggs n Grits, he responded the same way and my email to him wasn’t any sort of solicitation, it was just to let him know what was going on.
So why are we doing this?
I can’t speak for Eggs, but for me, this sort of thing is the epitome of what this website and my own personal love for Saabs is all about.
The 99Turbo
I loved my Viggen, but my favourite Saab of all time and the car I’ve had the greatest attachment to from my own experience is my old white 99Turbo. I love the 99s lines, it’s simplicity, the funky interior, the snub nose, the hatch – everything.
Most of all I love the place it holds in Saab’s history – as the vehicle that started the whole turbo revolution. My love for Saabs grew in large part because of my love for the Turbo rush. This is the Saab that started it all.
The chance to participate in an historic motorsport event and restore an old 99T to glory is one that I just couldn’t say no to. It’s a story I’m going to love telling.
The Rally to the Midnight Sun.
Second to the car is the event itself.
The Rally to the Midnight Sun was THE Swedish rally back in the day. This is an event that plenty of Saabs won over the years and it’s written large in the Saab history books.
How could you turn down a chance to participate in such a meaningful event that is held in the country that produced this great marque?
The Experience
I’ve made some great friends in the time I’ve been writing this site, but the fact remains that blogging is a fairly solitary road to travel (in human terms). I’m not complaining as I love the medium, but it does involve a LOT of hours in front of the keyboard.
This site has given me a great insight into Saab as a company and Saab as a culture, but occasionally you’ve got to stop tapping the keys, reading the words, thinking the thoughts – you’ve got to get out there and DO SOMETHING.
I can’t imagine a better ‘something’ to be involved in. To be part of a team, doing my small bit to help build up one of my favourite Saab models of all time, for an event in a place that I’ve loved visiting, an event that crystalizes Saab’s glory days – does it get any better than that?
And if you think the chance to meet legends like Stig Blomqvist et al in person isn’t a decent bone for a Saab dog like me, then you’re kidding yourself!
The team
I’ve noted Jörgen’s cars and events for a while now so I knew already, when he emailed me, that he was a real Saab guy at heart. I didn’t know Bo at all before this, but his credentials are incredibly impressive and I can’t wait to meet the both of them in person.
Having Eggs on board with this venture is the icing on the cake. We’ve never met in person. We’ve only spoken on the phone once, but his generosity of spirit and (like Jörgen) Saab-heart have always meant a steady hand at the tiller and a good ear when it’s needed. To share this journey with him and be over there as part of the team together is going to be a highlight of this adventure.
SaabsUnited in action
I guess most of all, this is a chance to do something that’ll be fun, inspirational, and of course, a great story.
This site is about people loving Saab cars. It’s about experiences. The joy of man and Swedish machine.
Playing a part in this team, building that car and doing my little bit in getting it across the line will be like putting flesh on those bones.
Bring it on!
by Swade
Jörgen’s Midnight Sun rally results
July 21, 2009 in Saabology
It’s not that often that you have someone you know – well, kind of – involved in something like the Midnight Sun rally. Not for me, at least.
Jörgen T’s been a reader and bakcground contributor of links and leads to both TS and SU for a few years now, so I’m really pleased to be able to share with you the conclusion of his run at the Midnight Sun rally.
Click here to see Jörgen’s previous photos from the event.
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After finishing the rally in Karlskoga we had to have some service, we had stopped at a gas station and had the wheel removed. There, we found out that something was loose. We had only one small exhibiton stage left so we drove that one.
As seen in the pictures we had some great help from Historic Rally Racing Service Company and Johan Josefsson (who has that nice service-99 Combi Coupe in the bottom photo) – by the way he was running the show for Anna and Nicolina with the Two stroker in Carrera Panamerica a few years ago! Thanks Johan!
It was more rainy then what the pictures say…. Rally to the Midnight sunn???
We ended up in 6th place in our Regularity with trip meter category. We are more than pleased concidering the extremely stiff competition!
by Swade
Tuesday Nights Snippets – things you’ve got to see
July 21, 2009 in Saabology
I apologise for the lack of content today, but I’ve had several obstacles to posting pop up today.
The first was real life, as my real job is catching up with me at the moment and demanding a lot of time. The second is our migration to a new ISP at home, which has gone well thankyou very much.
Hopefully we can all get back to normal soon.
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Welcome back, Eggs!!
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I’ll take this opportunity to once again remind people of the comments policy at the site. Disagreeing with a post or a comment is fine, but trying to bring the writer down a peg or two just discourages people from contributing.
Respect is the key.
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The Dude speak thus:
Today, XXXXX could respond with flexibly to high and lows in sales. “This flexibility can’t exist in a Giga-Corporation like YYYYY,” says Dudenhöffer. Moreover, the entire production at YYYYY is based on modular systems that are standardized and leave no space for individuality. And in this chain should now be incorporated XXXXX says the expert. “In the long run”, says Dudenhöffer “the success of XXXXX will be lost, and their income will fall.”
So who are X and Y?
Saab and GM?
No. But some would see the situation as kinda similar.
It’s Porsche and Volkswagen.
Thanks to Joan!
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Now, something the car enthusiasts amongst you must see: a gallery of many of the cars – not just Saabs – that participated in the Midnight Sun rally last weekend.
It’s huge! Click the images below to enlarge and then view the entire gallery.
That last photo is of our mate Jorgen and his Saab 96.
I must email him straight after this to see how he finished up.
My thanks the Bengt for the gallery above, and the one below as well!
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It seems the rain might have put a dampener on proceedings all last weekend in Trollhattan.
The Saab Days festival carried on, however, and it looks like a great collection of a cars and a good time being had by all.
Thanks to Bengt once again. I wish I could have been there as well to collect some stories. Actually, I just wish I was in Trollhattan, period.
If anyone knows some details about the car below, please fill us in via comments. It was at Saab Days so one would assume there’s a relationship there, but I’m struggling to see it at this point.
Curious.
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I’ve had a full weekend a few days with my Monte Carlo since I did the upgrades last week.
I’ve got to say it: this car is now incredibly pleasurable to drive. The power boost, the increased responsiveness, the increased stability with the improved suspension – it’s just absolutely brilliant.
I wish I’d done these upgrades before buying the MX-5. I don’t regret that purchase at all, but I’m sure I would’ve thought about it a bit longer. The Monte is that good now.
I had around a 40km commute to work this morning through along some beautiful country roads and it was a blast to drive.
To anyone contemplating a similar upgrade: it gets a big double thumbs-up from me.
by Swade
More from Saab Days and the Midnight Sun Rally
July 19, 2009 in Archive
It’s all happening this weekend in Sweden.
We’ve got the Midnight Sun rally going on as well as the Saab Days festival and some SU regulars are involved with both.
Midnight Sun Rally
First to the rally, where our mate Jörgen T is driving his Saab 96 and doing pretty well. He was in 4th place after 2 legs of the rally. One leg to go.
This is the field at the 2nd nightly stopover at Årjäng. As you can see, the weather is not being kind – not much midnight sun going on here…..
This is Jörgen with Elizabeth Nyström, who was an occasional co-driver with Pat Moss (who apparently, did not like green cars – consider yourself a little more educated now)
Jörgen also called into the Saab museum on day 1, and photographed what is apparently a new car to the museum, a replica of Per Eklund’s Saab 96 from 1973, a car in which he nearly killed himself in an accident in Jyväskylö, Finland.
Here’s hoping Jörgen has another great day on the final day of the rally. My thanks to him for keeping us updated and sending in some great photos.
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Saab Days
The Saab Days celebrations are also on in Trollhattan and I’ve received some great photos from Martin F.
You can see more of these here. Thanks Martin!!
A nice Saab 99 in orange…..
And a cutaway Saab, very nicely photographed in the Saab museum….
The number of custom Saabs at these events, and the quality and degree of the work, is always jaw-dropping. We just don’t see Saabs like this outside Sweden.
Or this rather extreme Saab 93 from the 1950s…..
Another shot from the museum.
Another regular who’s at Saab Days is Dippen, and he’s shot some videos, which I’ve embedded after the jump.
Some people have trouble viewing video on this site. If that’s you, or if you’re using Internet Explorer, then click here to see Dippen’s videos.
If video’s OK for you, then click through to watch just a few of them.
by Swade
Snaps from the Midnight Sun Rally
July 17, 2009 in Archive
Once again, Jörgen T has sent in a few snaps from the Midnight Sun Rally, which is just getting underway in Sweden.
After rollicking around the surrounding forests, they’ll be taking a stop in Trollhattan Friday night as part of the rally, and as part of the Saab days celebrations.
He also left the following in comments:
First race day excellent. Lots of tuned 2 strokers and V4 Saabs.
The ambience and the social activities are great. Sat Next to Carl-Magnus Skogh – ex Saab works driver – now 84 years young. He told the most amazing stories. Like when he was trying to kill a 2 stroker engine on public roads…..
All of you who love Saabs must get out in the woods tomorrow or go to Trollhättan. It is going to be a blast. I will do My best to harness My 1850cc V4 montecarlo.
Some more pics with Jörgen’s comments.
The famous Saab driving brothers Skogh at the dinner. Carl Magnus is 84 years young.
Mäster Stig Blomquist after the first run tonight in his Ford. I wish he was in a Saab. There are at least 2 replicas of his 71 RAC car in the rally.
