Opened in 1968, the 2.5 mile "Scandinavian Raceway" was designed by Sven "Smokey" Åsberg and was soon renamed after the small nearby town of Anderstorp. Built on marshland, the circuit became a popular venue in the 1970's, its emergence coinciding with the blossoming career of Swede Ronnie Peterson. The long straights (one of which doubled as an aircraft runway!) and the presence of several banked corners made setting the car up a tricky compromise. Anderstorp hosted its first F1 Grand Prix in 1973, Peterson delighting the home crowd with a pole in his Lotus. He came close to winning the race too, but suffered tyre wear late on and was passed on the penultimate lap by race winner Denny Hulme. It was as close as any Swede came to a home victory. The circuit became a regular stop for the F1 circus in the 1970's, but its presence on the F1 calendar was to prove short lived. The 1978 race, the last F1 GP to be staged at the circuit, saw the dominant victory of Lauda in the controversial Brabham 'fan car', used to create huge amounts of downforce. Concerns over safety issues at the track, coupled with the sad deaths during the 1978 season of both Peterson and Gunnar Nilsson, led to a significant drop in support for the race and the end of its involvement with F1. It remains a popular venue for touring car and sportscar races.