Kenneth Eriksson

Background

Eriksson's 1995 Swedish Rally victory came under pressure from his young teammate Tommi Mäkinen, who finished second. That same year, he won directly ahead of Champion-elect Colin McRae in Australia. He switched to Subaru for 1996, driving the Impreza WRC alongside McRae. Eriksson excelled as a second points-scorer on loose-surface rounds, while Italian Piero Liatti handled asphalt events.

By the end of 1997, Eriksson and regular co-driver Staffan Parmander had six WRC wins. One famous victory came in New Zealand in 1997, when he took advantage of an altercation with a sheep that befell long-time leader Carlos Sainz of Ford. After finishing fourth on the 1998 Swedish Rally, Subaru released Eriksson to pursue a kit-car and later a World Rally Car chance with Hyundai. He was joined as a factory driver by Alister McRae.

Sixth on the 2001 Rally Great Britain marked his solitary points finish for Hyundai on his last outing with them. His final season came with Škoda in 2002, alongside navigator Tina Thörner after Parmander's retirement, with teammate Toni Gardemeister in the sister Octavia WRC. Eriksson left the works world rally scene at the end of 2002. He has since competed in the Race to the Sky hillclimb in Cardrona Valley, New Zealand, finishing second in 2005, 2006, and 2007.