Stig – Stĭg
- a person afflicted by poverty
- someone who does not dress very well, presumably due to lack of finances
- a very popular name in Scandinavian countries
- a bonafide mörkö behind the wheel of a WRC car
- a person with skills of near mythical status
This blog reaches a milestone today, having hit the ripe young age of…two posts.
In other words it’s due season I explained a few of the directions this pile of disorganized text could potentially go in, and what better place to start than the title of this very blog?
With respect to the latter half, what the hell is “Stig” and how does one get there? Before discussing, gentlemen, a short view back to the past…
Sorry, and yes I will try to be less insufferable as we go on.
When I was earlier in my efforts to live every man’s dream, I had the incalculable fortune of crossing paths with a former professional racing driver. In the time since, he’s taken me under his wing and proven to be a valuable piece in a very complicated puzzle. More on him to come, as I introduce you all to the varied cast of supporting characters. The relevant bit to this post, is he previously stated two things which really inoculated me as a racing-cocoon.
One such statement was, “I have no doubt you’ll make it. Otherwise, trust me on this, this conversation wouldn’t be happening right now.”
We can discuss the importance of this statement and its effect on me in posts to come.
The other statement relevant to this post was, “My goal for you is to be fast in anything you might touch. Within 2 or 3 laps in any new scenario, you’re right there in the top 3 of the timesheets.”
Let me introduce you to a bit of a doyen in the world of Rallying. He’s called Stig Blomqvist.
Stig Blomqvist, as many may already know, was champion of the 1984 World Rally Championship. This is a special accolade in its own right, but what makes this so impressive in my eyes? 1984 was still within the era of the venerable GROUP B.
Rallying like most other broad categories of motorsport is dangerous; nineteen brave competitors have paid the greatest price during the history of the WRC. The WRC’s Group B era from 1982-1986 alone claimed the lives of three drivers..
To finish the season with one’s life was impressive, being crowned maestro on top of this sits at another level of greatness from my humble point of view.
While most motorsport fans could easily fire off these statistics from the tips of their tongues, what’s most admirable about Stig Blomqvist from my own perspective was that he’d spent some fifteen plus years exclusively piloting Front Wheel Drive Saabs before winning his World Rally title!
Stig apparently had experienced motorsport’s version of “type-casting” and had earned a reputation as a bit of a specialist. In other words, Stig looked to be a driver who was only capable of slinging FWD rally cars across stages..
Des O’ Dell offered him a drive in a RWD Talbot Lotus when Saab left the series. A string of impressive performance in that Gr. 2 Lotus, especially at the 1981 RAC, was followed by Audi Sport handing him the reigns for their Quattro Beast in 1982. You probably already know the rest of the story, but here’s my point:
Stig Blomqvist proved he was fast in anything he touched – FWD, RWD, 4WD in a series competing on more than one racing surface, during its most dangerous era of all time.
In addition, Stig Blomqvist is an individual who, from all accounts, seemed to be quite quiet. This probably should not be particularly surprising as it seems a common trait amongst the Scandinavian community; easily one of my favorite things about the Scandinavian region, second only to my affinity for their gorgeous blonde girls.
As someone who has always respected the silent professional, this is another quality of Blomqvist’s which spoke to me as a prospective wheelman.
That, my friends, is the meaning of being “Stig” or reaching his level capability – to be fast in any car, in any category, on any surface you might touch. It is about being fast in any set of circumstances which you might get a chance to show what you can do as a driver – and to let that alone do your talking.
To reach Stig then, is the destination. This blog is just a recitation of the journey.
By the way, Stig Blomqvist was 38 years of age when he won his WRC title.
Thanks for being here and if you haven’t already, please check out my first post and subscribe.