Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård is the rally driver’s rally driver, and Race4Change lead driver for the 2011 East African Safari Classic Rally.
Born in Sweden in 1943, Bjorn began rallying at home, winning his first Swedish national championship in 1967. His first international rally victory came with a win on the legendary Monte Carlo Rally in 1969. Waldegård won that event in a Porsche 911, repeating the feat the following year.
More Porsche wins followed. When the World Rally Championship was established in 1973, Björn went to Lancia. That relationship ended when unfair team orders were enforced, and Björn then moved to Ford.
Waldegård spent three years at Ford driving the Escort RS1800, winning the inaugural World Rally Drivers’ Championship in 1979.
In 1981, Björn began a long relationship with Toyota. The successful partnership endured until 1992, when Waldegård retired from top level competition after breaking his arm in a crash on the Safari Rally.
Björn Waldegård has won the Safari Rally an incredible FIVE times: four times on the original Safari World Championship event and once on the Safari Classic. Bjorn’s co-driver for this event is his son, Mathias.
Mathias navigated his father to their first Safari Classic win in 2007. They are unquestionably the men to beat on the 2011 event.
