Solvalla is a horse
racing track
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...
located in
Bromma
Bromma () is a borough (''stadsdelsområde'') in the western part of Stockholm, Sweden, forming part of the Stockholm Municipality. Bromma is primarily made up of Bromma Parish and Västerled Parish. The fourth largest airport in Sweden and the t ...
,
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropolita ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. It opened in 1927 and is the largest
harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Austral ...
venue in the
Nordic countries.
The last Sunday in May, Solvalla annually hosts
Elitloppet
Elitloppet (literally: "The Elite Race") or Solvallas Internationella Elitlopp is an annual, invitational Group One harness event that has taken place at Solvalla Racetrack in Stockholm, Sweden, since 1952. The competition is regarded as one of ...
, one of the most prestigious international trotting events in the world.
Major events
Elitloppet
Elitloppet (literally: "The Elite Race") or Solvallas Internationella Elitlopp is an annual, invitational Group One harness event that has taken place at Solvalla Racetrack in Stockholm, Sweden, since 1952. The competition is regarded as one of ...
* International Group I race.
* Setup: Sixteen invited horses are divided into two elimination heats. Four horses from each heat progress to the final, raced later the same day. All races are of 1,609 meters, i.e. one mile.
* Date: Is always raced on the last Sunday of May.
* Purse (2009, the final and the elimination heats included): ≈US$803,000 (SEK 6,100,000).
Elitloppet is always in the last Sunday in may. During the same weekend there are also the Group II races
Sweden Cup and the stayer race
Harper Hanovers Race, as well as
Elitkampen for
coldblood trotters.
Swedish Trotting Criterium
* National Group I stakes race for Swedish three-year-olds.
* Setup (2008): Six elimination races from which the first two horses progressed to the final eleven days later. All races 2,640 meters long.
* Date (2008, the final): 5 October.
* Purse (2008, the final only): ≈US$458,000 (SEK 3,200,000).
[In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2008-10-05, the date of the 2008 final, have been used.]
Swedish Trotting Oaks
* National Group I stakes race for Swedish three-year-old fillies.
* Setup (2008): Six elimination races from which the first two horses progressed to the final eleven days later. All races 2,140 meters long.
* Date (2008, the final): 5 October.
* Purse (2008, the final only): ≈US$286,000 (SEK 2,000,000).
Jubileumspokalen
* International Group I race.
* Setup (2008): 2,140 meters. Ten horses competed in the event. Some were invited, some qualified through qualification races.
* Date (2008): 9 August.
* Purse (2008): ≈US$281,000 (SEK 1,750,000).
[In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2008-08-09, the date of the 2008 race, have been used.]
Scandinavian Touring Cars
Since 2012 the venue has been used as a motor racing venue and hosts a round of the
Scandinavian Touring Car Championship
The Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC) is a touring car racing series based in Scandinavia. The series took over from the Danish Touringcar Championship and Swedish Touring Car Championship
Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) w ...
.
Driver champions
Since the track's opening in 1927, there have been only 14 different driver champions at Solvalla. From 1934 until 1976, one of the three Nordin brothers won every year, with the exception of 1949 and 1975. Oldest brother Gösta won ten times, as did middle brother Gunnar. Youngest brother
Sören Nordin was track champion 21 times. Their father Ernst J. Nordin was champion 1928 and 1929. After the dominance of the Nordins,
Stig H. Johansson took over and claimed the champion title no less than 29 times between 1975 and 2005, his last year as a driver. 27 these titles were consecutive, from 1979 to 2005.
Jorma Kontio is the reigning driver champion.
Driver champions ranked by number of titles
Most wins in one year
*
Stig H. Johansson - 194 (in 1992)
References
External links
*{{in lang, sv}
Official websiteVenue information
Sports venues in Stockholm
Harness racing venues in Sweden
Harness racing
Harness races in Sweden