‘Slim’ Borgudd, who had the distinction of simultaneously being a Formula 1 driver and a touring drummer for the band Abba, has died after a lengthy illness, aged 76.
In between his racing exploits he was an in-demand session drummer and it was in this capacity that he worked with and became close friends with Björn Ulvaeus even before the latter became a founding member of Abba, which went on to worldwide fame and critical acclaim. That band’s success would later come to play a part in Borgudd’s ascent to F1.
When touring Britain with his band in the 1960s, Borgudd befriended British jazz player and amateur racer Chris Barber and bought his Lotus 22 sports racer.
He subsequently raced Formula Fords in his native Sweden but lack of finance curtailed his on-track activities between 1973 and ’78, until he managed to pull together a budget to compete occasionally in Swedish F3, this leading to a campaign in the ‘79 European championship where, despite having to miss a few rounds, he finished in third place to the dominant Alain Prost and Dutchman Michael Bleekemolen.
With Abba at the height of fame and fortune Ulvaeus helped 34-year-old Borgudd to graduate to F1 in 1981, as part of a sponsorship package which he took to the little ATS team, the car carrying big ‘Abba’ identification on its flanks.
Not much was expected of the combination given the modest history of both team and driver but they caused a surprise with sixth place in that year’s British Grand Prix, albeit a lap behind winner John Watson’s McLaren. There was a further top-10 finish in the Netherlands.
Borgudd took his modest backing to the Tyrrell team at the beginning of 1982 but it only stretched for the first three races (alongside Michele Alboreto). He took an official seventh in Brazil (ninth across the line).
That was it for F1, but he made appearances in other major single-seater events, F3000 and Macau GP, later that decade, and raced on for many years in touring cars (winning the 1989 Willhire 24 Hours at Snetterton in a Ford Sierra Cosworth).
He even became a champion in truck racing – winning the 1991 British title and 1995 FIA European crown.
(Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz classic)
