Today 50 years ago, Anderstorp hosted the first Swedish F1 Grand Prix!

🏎️🏁 50 years ago today, my neighbor Sven “Smokey” Åsberg dropped the flag to start the inaugural Swedish Grand Prix in Formula 1. 50,000 people invaded Anderstorp on race day, a village with 4,000+ inhabitants at the time. 

PULLING IT OFF: The track was built after convincing businesses about the value of an airstrip in town and selling shares to people with a vision of Formula 1. The inaugural race occurred five years earlier, and the first Motorcycle World Championship happened in 1971. 🏍️

🏎️ F1 LAP ONE: Ronnie Peterson, the Super Swede runner-up in the 1971 F1 world championship, drove the first lap in a formula one car with a March 721X in the summer of 1972. I was there that day and instantly became a Formula One fan for life—an easy decision for a young boy. The car is still in perfect shape and drivable. 

GROWING UP IN THE PADDOCK CLUB: My “Drive to Survive” moments came from joining my dad and my uncle, and his brother to the track. They were in charge of timekeeping and the secretary of the meeting. I enjoyed full access to the paddock, and my first English words were, “May I have some stickers?”. 

🖥️ COMPUTERIZED TIME KEEPING: @Hego was a company with three people back then, and they developed and brought a computerized timekeeping system. Extremely advanced at the time, with three photocells to turn two sets of wheels and one car into one time. The timekeeping office became my home, from the first F1 race to the last MotoGP race in 1990.

🍊 MCLAREN FAN FOR LIFE: Ronnie Peterson was my hero, and the iconic John Player Special sponsored black, and gold Lotus was my team until 1976. During that Grand Prix, I was recruited for a photo session by a Swedish Newspaper to take some pictures with James Hunt in a McLaren. I have kept a copy of that page with me in life. Imagine the feeling three years ago when some previously unknown pictures came to my mailbox from Jan Wärnelöw, with my favorite photo below. 

👑 A ROYAL PROGRAM: By the 1978 race, I read everything about Formula 1 I could get hold of. I got my first camera for 35mm 🎞️ and could start taking pictures in color. I typed a 13-page program on my grandfather's typewriter, with half a page of analysis on each team, their cars, and their drivers! I got to show it to the Swedish Prince Bertil, who was passionate about racing and visited the VIP section by our timekeeping house. Dad was not happy when he learned I had charged 2SEK for the program. 

🤪 MORE THAN F1 CRAZY: I have been fortunate to see 28 F1 races live. 6 Anderstorp, 3 in Monaco, 8 in Montreal, 10 in Austin (all so far), 1 in Miami, plus numerous preseason tests in Barcelona. Each time feels like walking down memory lane, taking in the atmosphere, and moving into a bubble. The combination of advanced technology, breathtaking speed, and atmosphere makes F1 unique. 

🍾🍾 DUAL CELEBRATIONS: A big toast to all who made it happen in Anderstorp 50 years ago and to those who bring the traditions forward. I wish I were at the celebrations at the racing hotel tonight, but I am sure my sister will be there for two as the chairwoman of the racing club. I also wish @MclarenF1 a happy 60th birthday season and good luck in Canada. Your history is as inspiring as ever with papaya racing in #F1 and #indycar. 

📒 THE POST-RACE PARTY: My father attended the post-race party on Sunday 50 years ago. He brought an autograph book and collected driver autographs. A book a guard as part of my crown jewels of racing memorabilia. 

Now you know why I get excited when F1 comes up in a conversation.