The Finnish Rally Championship series returns from its two-month summer break next Saturday, August 15. The sixth and penultimate round of the season will be held on the mountain-like roads of North Karelia as part of the Fixus SM Rally Kitee.
Kitee is hosting an SM round for the second time in the 2020s. The previous visit to the regional capital of North Karelia took place in the fall of 2024, when the event served as the season finale. The race route consists of three loops, with two service stops during the day. The route has undergone some changes, but for the most part, the special stages are familiar from two years ago, when the event received a lot of praise, especially for its route.
The main venue is the Kitee Race & Event motorsports center, which hosts all of the competition’s key activities. The spectator special stage, familiar from a couple of years ago, will also be set up on the rally sprint track within the motorsports center grounds. Admission to this special stage is free for the public. The first car will start the special stage at 12:12 p.m.; prior to that, a service break is scheduled to begin at 11:37 a.m.
The race will start at the Kitee Market Square at 9 a.m., and the finish-line celebrations will be held at the Kitee Pesäpallo Stadium (Rantakenttä) starting at 6 p.m.
Esapekka Lappi Leads the Series as the Season Enters Its Final Stretch
In the SM1 class, Skoda’sEsapekka Lappi—who has led the series all season—will start the race at the top of the points standings. However, the reigning Finnish champion’s summer season has not gone entirely according to plan. In Imatra, the race was cut short by a crash, ending his eight-race winning streak, while in Jyväskylä, he finished second behind Estonia’sJaspar Vaher. Last weekend, Lappi once again competed in a Hyundai Rally1 car at the Finnish World Rally Championship round, but after a promising start, the race ended with a crash.
Unfortunately, the level of competition in Kitee won’t match that of the Jyväskylä race, since Vaher hasn’t entered the event. Lapland’s strongest contenders will therefore beLauri JoonaandPatrick Enok, who are currently ranked 2nd and 3rd in the standings.
In the SM2 class, the race in Kitee will be led by a Japanese duo. Toyota’s development program drivers,Kanta Yanaguida(98 points) andRio Ogata(74 points), have already managed to open up a slight lead over their domestic rivals.Pekka Keski-Korsu, the top Finnish driver, will start the race in third place, trailing Ogata—who currently holds second place—by 18 points.
In fifth place isHenri Altomaa(43 points), who got off to a spectacular start to his season with a 2nd- and 1st-place finish. In Jyväskylä, however, his car crashed heavily, and the team had to work flat out at the garage during the break to get the car ready for the starting line next weekend.
Leevi Lassila, who isn’t one of the series’ regulars this season, is throwing his hat into the ring. Having finished a strong second in the Junior WRC class at last weekend’s Finnish World Rally Championship, Lassila is sure to serve as a strong challenger to the series’ regular drivers.
In the SM3 class,Roope Hirvonenholds a massive 38-point lead in the standings even before the sixth race of the season.Vili Hakala, who is in second place, must therefore essentially win to keep his championship hopes alive heading into the season finale. Of course, there are still many possible scenarios, as after the Kitee race, each competitor’s worst race score will be removed from the standings.
Miska TuomistoandAaron Holopainenhave been the pace-setters in the SM4 class all season, and the championship battle will likely come down to these two, barring any major upsets. Holopainen, who has won the last two races, has managed to close the gap on Tuomisto to seven points over the summer, so the race is shaping up to be extremely interesting.
Unfortunately, there are only two teams competing in the SM5 class, as only series leaderJuha Saloand second-placeJarkko Hosike had registered for the starting grid by the deadline.
In the team competition, Printsport is in first place, ahead of RTE-Motorsport and KSL Experience. In the Finnish Championship series for tire manufacturers, Pirelli holds the top spot, with Michelin in second and MRF in third.
Competition Schedule
Saturday, August 15, 2026
09:01 START Kitee Market Square
09:40 SS1 Rokkala 1 (11.54 km)
10:18 SS2 Papinniemi 1 (13.93 km)
10:56 SS3 Piimäjärvi (10.38 km)
11:37 SERVICE Kitee Race & Event (32 min)
12:12 SS4 Kitee Race & Event (4.07 km)
13:18 SS5 Rokkala 2 (11.54 km)
13:56 SS6 Papinniemi 2 (13.93 km)
14:34 SERVICE Kitee Race & Event (45 min)
16:04 SS7 Petravaara (16.16 km)
17:06 SS8 Tervavaara (13.99 km)
18:13 FINISH Rantakenttä
Total special stages: 95.54 km
Total route: 363.99 km
Route
Click here to view the race route.
Tickets:
Buy tickets in advanceat Coregoshop.
Text: Finnish Rally Championship Communications
Photo: Taneli Niinimäki / AKK
