A record breaking number of entries in the Fiesta SportTrophy International (FSTi) series will travel to Scandinavia next week for the 60th edition of the iconic Neste Oil Rally Finland. Eleven Fiesta R2 and three GpN Fiesta ST entries will prepare for one of the most hotly anticipated events on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar.
The Neste Oil Rally Finland is the eighth round of the WRC and the third round of the FSTi. One of the oldest events on the calendar, Rally Finland is also a firm favourite with drivers and fans alike as it lives up to its fearsome reputation as the fastest rally of the year. The event, which will kick off on Thursday 29 July and will feature a total distance of 1,307 km, will comprise of 19 special stages covering 310 km.
In addition to competing for FSTi honours, each day of Neste Oil Rally Finland will count as one round of the FST Finland championship. Vaunula Motorsport, the organiser of FST Finland, has opened the national championship to all FSTi registered competitors, making everyone eligible for points and prizes, so there will be even more worth fighting for.
With so many entries in the FSTi field, competition is set to be fierce but Harry Hunt (21) and co-driver Sebastian Marshall (22) will be fighting hard to hold onto their eleven point championship lead.
104 – Harry Hunt (21) & Sebastian Marshall (22) – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 1
The British duo currently lead the FSTi class after seizing victory on their FSTi debut in Turkey and then finishing fifth at the recent Vodafone Rally de Portugal. Since Portugal, the pair have won the IRC 2WD Cup at Rally d’Italia Sardenga, but were less fortunate at WRC Rally Bulgaria last month when they retired on the final day of competition. Hunt currently lies in joint seventh position in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship (J-WRC) and leads the J-WRC Rookie Trophy. The 21-year-old will be looking to gain a third consecutive points finish in the FSTi class as he tackles the Neste Oil Rally Finland for the first time.
Harry Hunt said: “I’m really looking forward to my first Rally Finland, as I’ve heard there is a fantastic atmosphere in Jyväskylä and I’ve heard that every stage is fast and exhilarating. It will be tough with so many entries for this round – especially as I’m one of the few drivers in the FSTi class never to have competed on Finnish soil – but it will be interesting to see how we fare against the competition. We’re hoping for a smooth, successful rally with a solid haul of points to build our championship campaign.”
100 – Victor Henriksson (22) & Håkan Palm – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 2
Victor Henriksson made a huge impression at the Wales Rally GB in 2007 when he sailed to victory at his first FSTi event. After a year’s break, Henriksson impressed with a series of fast stage times during the opening day of Rally Turkey, but failed to classify after the Swede rolled his Fiesta R2 on the penultimate stage. Henriksson finished a creditable third at Vodafone Rally de Portugal, despite the tough conditions. The Swedish duo are quite capable of a win on Scandinavian soil and they will be trying their best to keep the local drivers off the top spot.
110 – Majed Al Shamsi & Alan Harryman – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 3
Majed Al Shamsi and Alan Harryman finished a creditable sixth overall in 2009’s FSTi championship, but got off to a flying start this year as the duo took victory in the FSTi class on their 2010 debut in the Vodafone Rally de Portugal. The Team Abu Dhabi crew are just one point off third position in the championship standings and are looking to produce a strong performance in Finland to move up into the top three.
111 – Bader Al Jabri (25) & Stephen McAuley – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 4
Team Abu Dhabi members, Bader Al Jabri and co-driver Stephen McAuley had a fantastic season in 2009, finishing on the podium in Al Jabri’s debut FSTi year. This year, he has contested two Middle East Rally Championship events (MERC), where he won the N3 class at Qatar International Rally and came fifth on Jordan Rally. On their first FSTi outing this year at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, the duo finished second overall. The duo are will be aiming for a second consecutive points finish in the FSTi class.
103 – Christian Riedemann (22) & Josefine Beinke (18) – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 5
After pulling out a significant lead on his first gravel WRC event in Portugal, Christian Riedemann was disappointed when the tough conditions proved too much and he was forced to retire on the final day. However, the young German duo quickly bounced back and went on to take a class win and a stunning fourth place overall at the Rallye Niedersachsen. The two youngsters, supported by the ADAC Stiftung Sport, are looking forward to one of the most spectacular rallies in the WRC calendar and are hoping for better luck on their second gravel event. Along with Hunt, Henriksson and Al Ameri, Riedemann is only one of four drivers with no experience of the fast Finnish stages, so his main goal is to gain experience in the Fiesta R2 and to finish the rally.
112 – Sultan Al Ameri (25) & Killian Duffy (27) – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 6
Sultan Al Ameri started rallying in 2007 and has competed in various Middle Eastern rallies. In 2008, Al Ameri contested the MERC in a GpN Fiesta ST, taking a break from rallying the following year. Al Ameri made his FSTi debut in Portugal last month under the Team Abu Dhabi banner, but was unclassified after rolling his Fiesta R2 on the opening day. The young Emirate will be looking to get to the end of the Neste Oil Rally Finland without any problems to score his first points of the championship.
99 – Jussi Kumpumäki & Jani Laaksonen – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 7=
Current FST Finland leaders Jussi Kumpumäki and Jani Laaksonen are amongst the favourites for this event, following Kumpumäki’s battle royale with 2010 FSTi champion Craig Breen at this event last year. The young Finn eventually lost out by 20 seconds, so will be fired up to seize victory on his second attempt. The young Finn’s knowledge of Finnish roads and several of the stages from the rally will give Kumpumäki a distinct advantage over other competitors in the same field. Kumpumäki has won the two previous FST rounds in Finland this year so will be hungry for another good result at the Neste Oil Rally Finland.
109 – Raimo Kaisanlahti & Tero Rönnemaa – Fiesta R2
FSTi position: 7=
Currently standing second in second position in FST Finland, Raimo Kaisanlahti and Tero Rönnemaa will look to take advantage of their knowledge of the Finnish roads as they make their debut in the FSTi class at this year’s Neste Oil Rally Finland. Earlier this year, Kaisanlahti finished third in the Fiesta R2 class at the Joensuu Rally, the first round of FST Finland. The Finnish driver went on to finish third in the same class at the Kouvola Rally in June. The Finn will be looking to impress on this rally in order to consolidate his position – he could even take the FST Finland lead if Kumpumäki retires on Days 1 and 2.
101 – Atte Alanen (22) & Pasi Hedman (29) – Fiesta R2
FST Finland position: 1
Atte Alanen began his rallying career in 2007 and took class victory in an Opel Astra at the 2007 Vammala Rally. The 22-year-old Finn switched back to his trusty Ford Fiesta R2 to contest the Kuovola Rally earlier this year and showed competitive speed throughout the rally, producing three fastest stage times and finishing second overall in the Fiesta class. Alanen has previously contested two events in the FSTi series with his last outing at Rally Great Britain last year when the Finn retired on the second day. In 2008, Alanen finished eighth in the FSTi class at Rally Great Britain. Alanen is currently eighth in the Finnish National Championship and currently lies third in the FST Finland Championship standings. The Finn will be aiming to put in a strong performance in order to close the ten point gap on Kaisanlahti in second position.
106 – Christoffer Dahlström (30) & Kari Kemppinen – Fiesta ST
FST Finland position: 2
Christoffer Dahlström and Kari Kemppinen have shown consistency this year and finished the opening FST Finland round, the Joensuu Rally, fourth in his Fiesta ST. Dahlström also finished the Kuovola Rally fourth, which consolidated his overall fourth position in the FST Finland championship standings. The Finnish duo are just two points from snatching third position in the FST Finland championship from Alanen, so will be looking for a good result at Neste Oil Rally Finland in order to move into the top three.
102 – Joose Kojo & Sami Taskinen – Fiesta R2
Jose Kojo and Sami Taskinen have been competing for three years together and have a wealth of experience in a rally car. Kojo took class victory in the Arctic Lapland Rally in both 2006 and 2010 and in 2007’s Neste Oil Rally Finland, Kojo finished third in the A5 class. The Finnish duo have not contested any FST Finland rounds in 2010 so far, but are looking to put in a strong performance in Finland in order to produce their first points of the season so far.
105 – Ilkka Kariste & Mikael Lindberg – Fiesta ST
The Helsinki born duo have contested numerous rallies in the A5 class over the last decade and their vast experience will stand them in good stead against such tough competition. Ilkka Kariste contested the 2009 Neste Oil Rally Finland in a Volkswagen Polo, but retired on the opening day. This year, Kariste and Lindberg have swapped to a Fiesta ST to contest the event and their main aim is to gain experience of the car on gravel and to finish the rally with a good end result.
107 – Kari Hytönen & Heidi Koppe (26) – Fiesta R2
Finn Kari Hytönen and German Heidi Koppe have contested numerous international and national rallies including both the German Suzuki Cup and the Finnish Championship. Hytönen finished first in the A5 class in the 2005 Neste Oil Rally Finland. In 2009, the Finn achieved first in the N2 class at the Neste Oil Rally Finland and was also the winner of the Standard 1600 class in the Finnish National Championship. The Finnish crew’s past experience will hold them in good stead for contesting this year’s rally.
108 – Toni Harsia & Jari Tarvainen – Fiesta ST
Toni Harsia contested his first rally in a Ford Escort in 1997. In 2008 and 2009, Harsia competed in the Finnish Championship in the A5 class in a Volkswagen Polo 16V. In the 2009 Neste Oil Rally Finland, Harsia successfully clinched fifth place in the A5 class. Harsia and Tarvainen are aiming to gain more experience in their Fiesta ST at this event and to improve on their fifth place class finish from last year’s event.
FSTi drivers will be competing for an all-expenses-paid test in M-Sport’s Ford Fiesta S2000 with BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver and 2009 World Championship runner-up Mikko Hirvonen, with the chance to discuss the test with the flying Finn and M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson OBE. A prize fund is also available from which the winner of each rally will receive a €1,500 M-Sport voucher.
As in previous years, the series winner plus one ‘wildcard’ will be put forward to the FST International Shootout to compete against drivers from other FST championships around the world in order to win a year’s contract to work at M-Sport with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.
Of the seven counting rounds, the best points from five rounds will count towards the championship standings. This will allow those drivers who have completed the full season to drop any low scores, but will also assist those drivers who are only able to compete on an event-by-event basis to score highly overall if they achieve good results on an occasional basis. Scoring for 2010 will be as per FIA scoring, but with one point awarded for each stage win in order to reward drivers for demonstrations of outright pace.
– Credit: M-Sport