About Eje Elgh Never a quiet moment! – It is more hectic these days than during my racing career! Eje Elgh is a man of many talents. He is a co-ordinator for Panasonic in the Toyota F1 Team which means travelling to all the Grands Prix and more. At the same time he is fi nding time to be a TV-reporter with F1 as a speciality. Then he is a mentor for a handful of young hopefuls with F1 in their sights! On top of that he is helping his son Alexander who is a moto cross-rider of international repute. Back home in Karlskoga he runs Elgh Motorsport. It is never a quiet moment with close to 200 days a year on the move! As so many before him, Eje started racing karts. His father Janne was one of Mid- Swedens´ best in moto cross, something Eje gave a miss, but his son Alexander has taken up grandpa´s interest and enjoys an international career. Eje started in karts back in 1965 and stayed with them until he was 19. Two Swedish Championship titles for Juniors are ample proof of his ability. After a while Eje looked at ”real racing cars” and aquired the late Gunnar Nilsson´s successful Bonnier- Lola Super Vee. Eje came third in the European Cup 1975 and after that he transferred to Formula Three. 1977 saw Eje as second in the prestigious international British F3 Championship. Derek Daly took the title. In 1978 Eje moved up the ladder to Formula Two and drove for genial American Fred Opert in a Chevron. A second at Pau was the highlight of the year, a year which ended on a tragic note as Eje´s mentor and great friend, John Player Team Lotus driver Ronnie Peterson, died after a crash at Monza in the Italian Grand Prix. 1979 became something of a lean year with drives in Formula Atlantic in the USA, Canada and New Zealand. A few F2-races in Tim Schenken and Howden Ganley´s Tiga Team in a March gave a much needed win at Enna as best. In 1980 Eje unfortunately crashed at a test in England and got his racing season nearly totally spoilt. The year after he was back in Formula Two. Now in a German Team, Maurer, who had taken on ex. Chevron stalwart Paul Owens as designer and team boss. The car was a success and Eje was back amongst the European top-notchers. – 1982 I entered my very first Le Mans 24- Hours, Eje explains. I drove a Japanese Dome together with fellow countryman Stanley Dickens who was destined to win the race in a Sauber-Mercedes 1989. But back then it was no success, regrettably. Eje carried on in F2 and also took part in a few Japanese events. – I was one of the first Europeans racing in Japan, Eje remembers. From the 1983 season I stayed in Nippon – for the next ten years! I drove everything. From touringcars to group C sports racing cars. It was fantastic years where Le Mans in France always was the highlight of the year. My best result at the Sarthe Circuit is a sixth for Toyota in 1993, but I have been in the lead a few times on Sunday mornings only to have some dreadful technical mishap before fi nish. My last Le Mans was 1994. After that I hung up my helmet and did commentaries for TV and a little bit later I formed Elgh Motorsport. Never thought of Formula One? – Well, I was real close once. I was supposed to drive a third McLaren the last races in 1979, courtesy Marlboro. But in the last moment the deal was off! And I was out of F1 as quickly as the chance had appeared. – But nowadays I am at least close to the happenings…     Eje was a member of the Marlboro World Championship Team. Other prominent members Niki Lauda, James Hunt and Patrick Tambay to name a few. Eje taking off at the Nurburgring in F2