Built on a marsh in the expanse of central Sweden, Anderstorp came to prominence in the early 1970s during the Swedish motor racing boom inspired by Ronnie Peterson. Ironically, Peterson never won his home Grand Prix, although he came close in the 1973 race before a deflating tyre delayed him in the closing laps. The long backstretch (which is also a runway) and the slightly banked corners made Anderstorp a course requiring set-up compromises and often produced surprising results. The six-wheel Tyrrell and the infamous Brabham “fan-car” scored their only Grand Prix wins here, while Jacques Laffite recorded the first victory for himself and Ligier at Anderstorp in 1977. When both Peterson and his heir apparent, Gunnar Nilsson, died during 1978, the Swedish Grand Prix was lost. The World Touring Championship has been the highest profile series to visit in recent years.
