Round two of the Finnish Rally Championship, Savonlinna, takes place on March 7-8. One of the most competitive national series in the world, Savonlinna, will produce intense action, just as was from round one, the Kuopio Rally.
RalliSM competitors face an entirely new route
The seven-special stage route is entirely new for the Finnish Championship drivers. The route includes not only fast and spectacular special stages in the beautiful landscapes of South Savo but also a compact 294-kilometre route that is driven in three sections near the city. In total, the drivers have 105 special stage kilometres to contest, located in the city of Savonlinna and the municipalities of Rantasalmi and Enonkoski.
Starlight in South Savo
A strong lineup of top Finnish drivers is expected. Experienced World Championship driver Esapekka Lappi competed in a thrilling battle for split-seconds in the Arctic Lapland Rally, and the brightest Finnish rally prospect, Tuukka Kauppinen, will continue their fight for championship points. Six-time Finnish champion Teemu Asunmaa is also expected in Savonlinna, as is third-generation racing driver Niclas Grönholm.
Those drivers will be tested by Jari-Matti Latvala, who has a total of 211 World Rally Championship (WRC) starts, who will pilot a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car in Savonlinna. Latvala is joined by Juho Hänninen. The duo was last seen together at the wheel of a Rally2 car at last year’s Secto Rally Finland, where they finished second in the challenging class.
The search for the next Flying Finn winner continues
Behind the top-tier SM1 class, we will see promising future drivers gaining experience and pushing their limits, the brightest of which are the candidates selected for the AKK Flying Finn program. There is also plenty to follow among the young drivers in the SM4 class who are taking their first steps in rally racing, as well as in the more traditional Suomi Cup class.
The competition will be held on Thursday, March 6th at 7:00 PM in Olavinlinna. The event will feature both our country’s most experienced rally drivers and the brightest young stars. The event is open to the media and will be broadcast live on FlyingFinn.tv. The competition itself will start on Saturday, March 8th at 10:00 from Savonlinna Harbour/Market Square, where the finish line is also located.