The end of “Hollywood” era for Petter?

Petter Solberg used to be that guy – loud, flamboyant and full of energy, something Ken Block would call stoked, and no wonder some fans even called him a rally clown for his everpresent smile and positive energy.

I was pretty sure that was what got him the (in)famous “Hollywood” nickname – this guy was as close to a movie star as one could hope for in WRC roster at that time and his seemingly laidback approach to rallying reminded many of the leisure of Hollywood.

But, Solberg got his nickname in a rather different way, and while it might have been in a way appropriate for that time, some argue Petter is no longer as careless as he might have been.

After spending few WRC seasons as privateer, Solberg grew more serious and more focused on his job, especially after being given the spot in Ford’s manufacturer WRC team. Few years spent in garage “elbow deep in grease” and on the phone “hassling companies for small bits of sponsorship” enabled Solberg to survive Subaru’s exit and remain in the spotlight and eventually end up in Ford. And he’s doing one heck of a job for them so far.

But, how did Petter Solberg get his famous nickname? And why is he putting all that behind him now and focusing on extremely important task of collecting points for Ford?

To answer that you should click here for very interesting and informative story by MaxRally’s Anthony Peacock – the man (partially) responsible for that Hollywood myth.