With over 1,000 games in the NHL, Tomas Holmström has grown into something of a legend in Swedish hockey.
But his new venture is not about ice or pucks.
“Homer” is to enter the world of motor racing.
Tomas Holmström may have been in the shadow of some other Swedish players in the NHL when it started, but with over 1000 NHL games for the Detroit Red Wings where there were a total of four Stanley Cup titles, the Piteå son deserves all the respect.
The new venture
As is well known, the 49-year-old’s career as a hockey player has ended 10 years ago, but now it is time for Holmström to enter the world of sports again. However, not in hockey. Namely, he will compete in the “Race of Champions”, a rally competition that is run at Pite Havsbad in Piteå.
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Tomas Holmström will compete in a so-called celebrity race, where among others Ingemar Stenmark and Anja Pärson will also be included in the start bar.
– It feels great, I like to drive fast. So I guess I haven’t really understood what I’ve gotten myself into. When the day of the competition comes, I probably think: “Oh, my God!” It’s been a long time since I drove on ice rinks, he says according to NSD.
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“Becomes the tile in the carpet”
He continues:
– I have tried to drive in a single folk race, but that was also a long time ago. The thing is, you think you’re driving really fast when you’re driving a folk race, but it’s not really that fast.
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In the hockey rink, Tomas Holmström was known for his physique and his hard work rather than fair play, and we can expect something similar when he gets behind the wheel.
– What strengths do I have? Yes, it is probably the tile in the carpet and with as little thought and as much heart as possible, which will apply, he says and laughs.
– The closest I’ve been to a real race was probably when I was a map reader for Svante Blomqvist and we were going to drive from Moskosel to Piteå along dirt roads in a Subaru. It wasn’t all four wheels in the ground once, so I’ll have to aim for something similar, he says about the competition that takes place on January 28-29.
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