September 10 in Swedish History
1978: Swedish racing driver Ronnie Peterson is involved in a crash at the Monza race track north of Milan, Italy. He is competing in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, and the race starts badly for him. In practice Peterson damages his Lotus 79 race car beyond immediate repair and bruises his legs in the process. Team Lotus has a spare 79, but it has been built for another driver, Andretti, and the taller Peterson does not fit comfortably inside. The team's only other car is a type 78, the previous year's car, which has been dragged around the F1 circuit during the season with minimal maintenance. The accident proves deadly, and Ronnie Peterson dies the following day, September 11. Peterson, nicknamed “Super Swede” was born in Örebro in 1944, and was a two-time runner-up in the FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship. He left behind his wife Barbro and their young daughter Nina.