Martin Schanche
| Martin Schanche | |
|---|---|
 Martin Schanche (left) and his arch-rival Swede Kenneth Hansen | |
| Nationality |
 Norwegian |
| Born |
January 1, 1945 Tana |
| Debut season | 1972 |
| Current team | Retired |
| Previous series | |
| Rallycross, World Endurance Championship | |
| Championship titles | |
| 1978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1991 and 1995. | FIA European Rallycross Championships |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
|---|---|
| Participating years | 1985 - 1988 |
| Teams | Strandell Porsche, Team Lucky Strike Schanche Racing |
| Best finish | 25th (1988 |
Martin Schanche (born 1 January 1945 in Trondheim), a.k.a. "Mister Rallycross", is a former Norwegian motorsport contestant. He started his racing career rather late, only in 1972 when he was already 27 years old. In 1975 he won a silver medal in the Norwegian Ice Racing Championships. Between 1976 and 2001 he competed in Rallycross, and became the FIA European champion of 1978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1991 and 1995. Schanche is still yet the record holder concerning the amount of overall victories in rounds counting towards the FIA European Championships for Rallycross Drivers.
Schanche was born in Trondheim, but grew up at Leirpollskogen in Tana. Today he lives in Drøbak, together with his German-born wife Birgit and their daughter Melissa. Martin Schanche has also two other children from a former marriage, a daughter, Elisabeth, and a son, Martin junior.
Since retiring from motorsport he has embarked on a second career as a municipality politician in Frogn for the Progress Party. In 2003 he was the subject of a lot of nationwide attention after he slapped the chin of his political opponent Torgeir Micaelsen of the Labour Party at the end of a school debate in Drammen because Micaelsen, during the debate and in front of the public, had called him a coward.[1] That attention made him an often imitated character in Norwegian radio. As of 2006, he also have been working as a consultant for Prodrive on the work of Subarus WRC-cars.[2] While active in rallycross, Schanche himself engineered transmissions and differentials for his cars. His company later on manufactured parts and modified parts for rally- and rallycross-cars.[3]
He earlied had a helicopter license and operated his own helicopter. In 2000 he was involved in a crash where his daughter was injured.[4]
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Class | No | Tyres | Car | Team | Co-Drivers | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | C2 | 97 | A | Strandell 85 Porsche Type-934 3.3 L Turbo Flat-6 |
 Strandell Porsche |
Stanley Dickens |
- | DNS | DNS |
| 1986 | C2 | 89 | G | Argo JM19 Zakspeed 1.8L Turbo I4 |
Team Lucky Strike Schanche Racing |
 Martin Birrane Torgjer Kleppe |
1 | DNF | DNF |
| 1987 | C2 | 117 | G | Argo JM19B Zakspeed 1.8L Turbo I4 |
Team Lucky Strike Schanche Racing |
 Will Hoy Robin Smith |
5 | DNF | DNF |
| 1988 | C1 | 117 | G | Argo JM19C Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8 |
Team Lucky Strike Schanche Racing |
Robin Smith Robin Donovan |
278 | 25 | 16 |
References
- ↑ Hanse, Arild A. (26 July 2006). "Risikerer fengsel". Drammens Tidende (in Norwegian). Retrieved 23 March 2010.
- ↑
- ↑ http://www.schanche.com
- ↑ http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2000/01/23/189976.html