{{Short description|Horse racing track in Stockholm, Sweden}} {{About|Solvalla horse racing track|the Touring car race venue|Solvalla Stockholm}} {{Infobox racecourse | name = Solvalla | image = File:Solvalla skylt 2013.jpg | caption = | website = http://www.solvalla.se/ | location = Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden | owner = | opened = 1927 | closed = | channel = | racetype = Harness | coursetype = | notableraces = Elitloppet, Swedish Trotting Criterium, Swedish Trotting Oaks, Jubileumspokalen | coordinates = {{coord|59|22|03|N|17|56|23|E|region:SE_type:landmark_source:dewiki}} }}

'''Solvalla''' is a horse racing track located in Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.solvalla.se/travbana/karta-solvalla.asp|title=Här finns vi|work=solvalla.se|language=Swedish|access-date=2009-03-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228175732/http://www.solvalla.se/travbana/karta-solvalla.asp|archive-date=2009-02-28|df=}}</ref> It opened in 1927 and is the largest harness racing venue in the Nordic countries.<ref name="Solvalla - Solvallas historia">{{cite web|url=http://www.solvalla.se/travbana/historia.asp|title=Solvallas historia|work=solvalla.se|language=Swedish|access-date=2009-03-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222120143/http://www.solvalla.se/travbana/historia.asp|archive-date=2009-02-22|df=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.solvalla.se/travbana/besoka-solvalla.asp| title=Besök Solvalla| work=solvalla.se| language=Swedish| access-date=2009-03-31| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412060001/http://www.solvalla.se/travbana/besoka-solvalla.asp| archive-date=2009-04-12| df=}}</ref> The racecourse has a capacity of 35,000 spectators. The last Sunday in May, Solvalla annually hosts Elitloppet, one of the most prestigious international trotting events in the world.<ref name="DN">{{cite web|url=https://www.dn.se/sport/fransk-smygare-vann-elitloppet/|title=Fransk smygare vann Elitloppet| last=Berg |first=Leif|date=2007-05-27|work=Dagens Nyheter|publisher=Dagens Nyheter|language=Swedish|access-date=2009-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=63810|title='Elitlopp' most prestigious race in the World|last=Kentell|first=Mark|date=2008-05-24|work=harnesslink.com|accessdate=2009-03-31}}</ref>

==Major events==

===Elitloppet=== * International Group I race.<ref name="Grupplöpningar 2009">{{cite web|url=http://www.travsport.se/appImage/grupplopningar_2009.pdf|title=Grupplöpningar 2009|work=travsport.se|publisher=STC|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-03-31}}</ref> * Setup: Sixteen invited horses are divided into two elimination heats. Four horses from each heat progress to the final, raced later the same day. All races are of 1,609 meters, i.e. one mile. * Date: Is always raced on the last Sunday of May.<ref name="DN" /><ref name="Resultat Elitloppet 2009">{{cite web|url=http://www.travsport.se/sresultat?kommando=tevlingsdagVisa&tevdagId=498921&loppId=678349|title=Travsport - Resultat|work=travsport.se|publisher=STC|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-06-05}}</ref> * Purse (2009, the final and the elimination heats included): ≈US$803,000 (SEK 6,100,000).<ref name="Resultat Elitloppet 2009"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travsport.se/sresultat?kommando=tevlingsdagVisa&tevdagId=498921&loppId=678347|title=Resultat - Elitloppet, försök 1|work=travsport.se|publisher=STC|language=Swedish| accessdate=2009-06-05}}</ref><ref>In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2009-05-31, the date of the 2009 Elitloppet, have been used.</ref>

Elitloppet is always in the last Sunday in may. During the same weekend there are also the Group II races Sweden Cup and the stayer race Harper Hanovers Race, as well as Elitkampen for coldblood trotters.

===Swedish Trotting Criterium=== * National Group I stakes race for Swedish three-year-olds.<ref name="Grupplöpningar 2009" /> * Setup (2008): Six elimination races from which the first two horses progressed to the final eleven days later. All races 2,640 meters long.<ref name="120 treåringar jagar plats i Kriteriet och Oaks">{{cite web|url=http://www.travsidan.nu/trav/senaste/travnytt/120.pdf|title=120 treåringar jagar plats i Kriteriet och Oaks|last=Lindberg|first=Johan|work=travsidan.nu|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-03-31}}</ref><ref name="Resultat - Svenskt Travkriterium 2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.travsport.se/sresultat?kommando=tevlingsdagVisa&tevdagId=492394&loppId=661845|title=Resultat - Svenskt Travkriterium 2008|work=travsport.se|publisher=STC|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-03-31}}</ref> * Date (2008, the final): 5 October.<ref name="Resultat - Svenskt Travkriterium 2008" /> * Purse (2008, the final only): ≈US$458,000 (SEK 3,200,000).<ref name="Resultat - Svenskt Travkriterium 2008" /><ref name="ReferenceA">In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2008-10-05, the date of the 2008 final, have been used.</ref>

===Swedish Trotting Oaks=== * National Group I stakes race for Swedish three-year-old fillies.<ref name="Grupplöpningar 2009" /> * Setup (2008): Six elimination races from which the first two horses progressed to the final eleven days later. All races 2,140 meters long.<ref name="120 treåringar jagar plats i Kriteriet och Oaks" /><ref name="Resultat - Svenskt Trav-Oaks 2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.travsport.se/sresultat?kommando=tevlingsdagVisa&tevdagId=492394&loppId=661841|title=Resultat - Svenskt Trav-Oaks 2008|work=travsport.se|publisher=STC|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-03-31}}</ref> * Date (2008, the final): 5 October.<ref name="Resultat - Svenskt Trav-Oaks 2008" /> * Purse (2008, the final only): ≈US$286,000 (SEK 2,000,000).<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="Resultat - Svenskt Trav-Oaks 2008" />

===Jubileumspokalen=== * International Group I race.<ref name="Grupplöpningar 2009" /> * Setup (2008): 2,140 meters. Ten horses competed in the event. Some were invited, some qualified through qualification races. * Date (2008): 9 August.<ref name="Resultat - Jublieumspokalen 2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.travsport.se/sresultat?kommando=tevlingsdagVisa&tevdagId=492380&loppId=656851|title=Resultat - Jublieumspokalen |work=travsport.se|publisher=STC|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-03-31}}</ref> * Purse (2008): ≈US$281,000 (SEK 1,750,000).<ref name="Resultat - Jublieumspokalen 2008" /><ref>In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2008-08-09, the date of the 2008 race, have been used.</ref>

===Scandinavian Touring Cars=== {{main|Solvalla Stockholm}} Since 2012 the venue has been used as a motor racing venue and hosts a round of the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.

==Driver champions== Since the track's opening in 1927, there have been only 14 different driver champions at Solvalla. From 1934 until 1976, one of the three Nordin brothers won every year, with the exception of 1949 and 1975. Oldest brother Gösta won ten times, as did middle brother Gunnar. Youngest brother Sören Nordin was track champion 21 times. Their father Ernst J. Nordin was champion 1928 and 1929. After the dominance of the Nordins, Stig H. Johansson took over and claimed the champion title no less than 29 times between 1975 and 2005, his last year as a driver. 27 these titles were consecutive, from 1979 to 2005. Jorma Kontio is the reigning driver champion.<ref name="Solvalla champions genom tiderna">{{cite web|url=http://www.solvalla.se/trav/solvallachampions.asp|title=Solvalla champions genom tiderna|work=solvalla.se|language=Swedish|access-date=2014-07-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714172950/http://www.solvalla.se/trav/solvallachampions.asp|archive-date=2014-07-14|df=}}</ref>

===Driver champions ranked by number of titles=== {| class="wikitable" |----- align="center" ! align="left" style="background:#efefef;" | Rank<ref name="Solvalla champions genom tiderna"/> ! align="left" style="background:#efefef;" | Driver ! align="center" style="background:#efefef;" | Number of titles ! align="left" style="background:#efefef;" | Years |----- | 1 || Stig H. Johansson || 29 || 1975, 1977, 1979–2005 |----- | 2 || Sören Nordin || 21 || 1942, 1944–1946, 1948, 1954, 1956–1959, 1961, 1963–1964, 1966, 1969–1974, 1976 |----- | 3 || Gunnar Nordin || 10 || 1947, 1950–1951, 1953, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1967–1968 |----- | || Gösta Nordin || 10 || 1934–1941, 1943, 1952 |----- | 5 || Sixten Lundgren || 3 || 1931–1933 |----- | || Björn Goop || 3 || 2007–2009 |----- | 7 || Ernst J. Nordin || 2 || 1928–1929 |----- | || Erik Adielsson || 2 || 2006, 2011 |----- | || Jorma Kontio || 2 || 2012, 2013 |----- | 10 || Alfred Johansson || 1 || 1927 |----- | || Carl A. Schoug || 1 || 1930 |----- | || Erik Larsson || 1 || 1949 |----- | || Berndt Lindstedt || 1 || 1978 |----- | || Örjan Kihlström || 1 || 2010 |}

===Most wins in one year=== * Stig H. Johansson - 194 (in 1992)<ref name="Solvalla champions genom tiderna"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Solvalla}} *{{in lang|sv}} [http://solvalla.se/ Official website] * [http://www.worldstadiums.com/europe/countries/sweden.shtml Venue information]

Category:Sports venues in Stockholm Category:Harness racing venues in Sweden Category:Harness racing Category:Harness races in Sweden Category:1920s establishments in Stockholm Category:1927 establishments in Sweden