The 47th International Swedish Rally was held between 6-8 February 1998.

Report

WRC: Round 2

It was the first World Rally Championship victory of the season for defending champion

Tommi Mäkinen Tommi Antero Mäkinen (; born 26 June 1964) is a Finnish racing executive and former driver. Mäkinen is one of the most successful WRC drivers of all time, ranking fifth in rally wins (24) and third in championships (4), tied with Juha Kankkune ...

. He beat the Toyota Corolla of

Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz may refer to: People * Carlos Sainz Sr. (born 1962), Spanish rally driver world champion, father of Jr. * Carlos Sainz Jr. (born 1994), Spanish Formula One driver, son of Sr. Other uses * '' Carlos Sainz: World Rally Championship'', 1 ...

and the Ford Escort WRC of

Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen (; born 2 April 1959) is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which we ...

, ensuring that current and former World Rally Champions swept the podium. The home driver

Thomas Rådström Thomas Rådström (born 22 January 1966), nicknamed "''Rådis''", is a rally and rallycross driver from Sweden. Career Rådström was one of the leading drivers of the National Swedish Rallycross Championship series during the second half of t ...

led for most of the event, but crashed on stage 12, allowing Mäkinen to snatch victory. The Scotsman

Colin McRae Colin Steele McRae, (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007) was a Scottish rally driver. He was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion, and in 1995 became the first British driver and the youngest person to win the World Rally Championship ...

also went out on stage 12, when electrical gremlins struck his Subaru Impreza WRC.

PWRC: Round 2

The PWRC was also won by Stig-Olov Walfridson. He and fellow Swede Kenneth Bäcklund were the main contenders for overall victory; whilst the Uruguayan defending champion

Gustavo Trelles Gustavo Trelles (born 15 November 1955 in Minas) is a Uruguayan former rally driver. He competed actively in the World Rally Championship from 1988 to 1993, mainly with a Lancia Delta Integrale, and from 1996 to 2002, mainly with a Mitsubishi L ...

came to grief once again, after being struck by a terminal engine failure on Special Stage 2 which meant he had retired from the second rally in a row. Finishing in third place was Juha Kangas.

Results

References

{{Rally Sweden Swedish Rally 1998 World Rally Championship season 1998 in Swedish motorsport