The Finnish Junior Rally Championship (RSJM) ended on Saturday in Kitee. The SM Rally, organized by Keski-Karjalan UA, was the sixth race in the series, and the stakes were high with increased points up for grabs in the final race.
In the Youth and Junior series, the four highest scores out of six races count towards the final points, so it was still possible to win a medal even if you were not among the top three. Ten special stages covering a total of 105 kilometers, the winding roads of the region would not make for an easy day.
Ville Vatanen, representing the club that organized the competition, had already secured the championship title in his Toyota Auris. Hannu Lamminen (JoeUA), the co-driver, also represents the cheerful region of Eastern Finland.
Vatanen's team was seen in Lahti and Kitee driving a Renault Clio in the SM2 class. In the coming days, the "Uskalin raketti" (Daredevil Rocket), who will turn 18, will add a bronze medal in the SM2 class to his Youth Championship and SM4 class championship titles. The youngster is set to win another gold medal in the SM Rally Sprint series. As if to emphasize that success is a team effort, the Ouneva team represented by Vatanen also finished in an impressive third place in the SM Rally team points.
"All in all, this season has been absolutely fantastic. I have to give a big thank you to my service crew, my supporters, and the Ouneva team. We knew we could expect a good route here in Kitee, but the victorious pace was a bit of a surprise, Vatanen reflected at the finish line of the final special stage of the race. At the same time, he cryptically left the door open for a possible move abroad next year, in addition to racing in Finland.
Halonen dominated and took silver
The battle for silver and bronze was set to be a really tough one, with no fewer than eight drivers in contention for a medal. Right at the start of the race, the youngest driver in the entire SM series, 14-year-old Lauri Halonen (MhMK), took the lead with his co-driver Niklas Heino (MhMK).
High stakes in the competition took their toll on a few teams. In the fifth special stage, Aaron Holopainen (TTR), who started the race in third place, spectacularly crashed his Ford Fiesta and had to retire. On the sixth stage, Viljami Salminen (SaloUA), who had gotten off to a good start, also crashed. On the seventh special stage, last year's champion Esko Kytömäki (MhMk) suffered a puncture, and his second place in the race and series changed in the blink of an eye to a four-and-a-half-minute time loss, and his honorable battle with his older Ford Fiesta against the newer Toyota Auris cars ended in disappointment.
At the same time, Aatu Hakalehto (AAU) continued his upward trend behind Halonen. Despite engine problems, his car lasted the race and he finished second overall and third in the Junior Finnish Championships. Halonen won the race by just over a minute and also took silver in the Junior Finnish Championship. The podium was completed by a third Toyota Auris, driven by Miska Tuomisto (KeurUA), who switched from a Honda Civic to a Toyota Auris during the season and saw his results improve significantly towards the autumn.
Halonen won his second consecutive race in Kitee, and after a difficult mid-season, he felt relieved.
“Many thanks to my family, team, and supporters who made this possible. Our faith was tested during the summer, but we got through it and were rewarded. The Finnish Championship series was a great experience, the races were well organized, and the stages were fantastic. We will definitely continue with rallying next season,” Halonen says.
Rasmus Tuominen shines in the juniors
Junior points are awarded in all SM classes, as well as in the Suomi Cup for drivers who, based on their experience and success, have not yet accumulated enough points to qualify for a general class license.
The junior championship had already been secured by Henri Altomaa (MäntsMK) and Jussi Kärpijoki (PaiUA), who had competed in the Finland Cup for most of the season. Driving a front-wheel drive Ford Escort RS 2000, the duo sealed their championship victory in the Lahti round, finishing second in the SM2 class with a four-wheel drive Ford Fiesta Rally3.
When leaving for Kitee, the biggest favorite for silver was Rasmus Tuominen (AUK J-äijät) driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 in the SM5 class. Antti Nordström from RiiUA co-drove for Tuominen for most of the season, but in Lahti, Sohvi Petroff (HankUA) successfully filled in. The sunny race day was like a script for Tuominen's victory.
Arttu Lähdeniemi and Pekka Keski-Korsu, who had been leading the class throughout the season, were unable to maintain their pace and ultimately experienced technical problems. Tuominen took his first class victory, crowning his SM5 class bronze and junior SM silver medals. At the finish line of the final special stage, he was visibly moved and happy with his achievement. The day after the race, he was more talkative.
– A big thank you to everyone who made this season possible and to our partners. Originally, I was only supposed to race in Tunturi, but then it all took off from there. A big thank you also to my mom and dad. They always do everything they can to get us to the starting line of the next race.
"The pace was on the rise throughout the season, and what better way to crown it than with a victory. Let's see what we can plan for next season," Tuominen muses.
In addition to rally medals, Tuominen has the opportunity to increase his medal count for the season in the Finnish Rally Sprint Championship. Before the final race of the season, he shares the lead with Tuukka Hallia in the four-wheel drive category.
Junnu SM's third place came as quite a surprise after the race, when the results of the Suomi Cup were changed during the technical inspection after the competition. Joni Kuusela (RaisUA) and Jari Kuusela (RaisUA) were doing well in their BMW M3 and were still leading the Suomi Cup points standings after the eighth special stage. On the penultimate special stage, the throttle cable got stuck, and after quick emergency repairs, they lost minutes of time.
Reijo Muhonen (K-KUA) and Henri Kallioniemi (AUK J-äijät) took the highest points in the class with their BMW M3. Muhonen's car's rear subframe did not comply with the rules, resulting in disqualification. This meant that the highest points in the class went to a new winner, just like in a rollercoaster race.
Timo Korvenheimo (LamUA) and Atte Nieminen (LamUA) took the highest points with their BMW 325i. With the victory points, Korvenheimo's team clinched the bronze medal with a two-point lead over Kuusela.
The leaders in the Finnish Cup standings remained unchanged
Kim "Henkka" Forsgren (MäntsMK) and Arttu Vastamäki (HuiUA) had already secured victory in the Suomi Cup with their BMW M3, and the team did not start in Kitee. Henri Altomaa and Jussi Kärpijoki, who were in second place, were also absent.
Reijo Muhonen and Henri Kalliomäki held third place, and a few extra points would have taken them past Altomaa. However, when the competition ended in a washout, the top three in the points table did not change their positions at the end of the season. The Korvenheimo team, which scored the highest number of points, moved up from 14th to 4th place in the points table.
The fastest team in the Finland Cup in Kitee was Vesa Hirvonen (K-KUA) – Lassi Turunen (K-KUA) in a BMW M3. Despite technical problems and a late start, they secured victory by one minute ahead of Lauri Heikkinen (NilUA) and Esko Lappalainen (NilUA), who also drove a BMW M3.
However, according to the series rules, these two teams did not compete for points because they had not competed for points in any of the previous races of the season.
The Masters Cup remained in Muhonen's possession
The Masters Cup is a series for drivers over 50 years of age, with points awarded in any SM class or in the Suomi Cup. All competitions are taken into account in the final points, so Reijo Muhonen, who started at the top of the Cup in Kitee, was in a strong position. Although Muhonen was disqualified in the final race, he clearly won the Masters Cup.
Second place in the SM1 class went to Kees Burger (RiiUA) in a Skoda Fabia R5 EVO, ahead of Mikko Eskelinen (JyvUA), who had scored points in the same class earlier in the season with a similar car.
Team championship battle for Rautio Motorsport
This season's battle between teams was won by Rautio Motorsport, which faced stiff competition from RTE Motorsport throughout the season. Rautio ultimately scored 317 points, compared to RTE's 297 points. Two teams can compete for team points at a time.
Rautio Motorsport's points throughout the season were earned by Roope Korhonen (SM1), Tuukka Kauppinen (SM4), Arttu Lähdeniemi (SM5), and Leevi Lassila (SM3).
Teemu Asunmaa (SM1), Henri Hokkala (SM2), Lauri Halonen (SM4), and Henri Sääskilahti (SM4) contributed to RTE Motorsport's points tally.
Ouneva Oy took third place in the team standings with 213 points, relying throughout the season on the duo of Ville Vatanen (SM4/SM2) and Matias Nevalainen (SM4).
