© Edited by Sport Content
The Finnish Rallycross Championship series and all five of its races were canceled this year as a result of the corona pandemic, but the people of the sport in Finland were replaced by three national races. The first of them will be driven next weekend in Oulu and Henri Haapamäki and his team will also be seen at the starting line.
As for Haapamäki, four seasons in the Finnish Rallycross Championship and two Finnish championships in the SRC class changed to new challenges this season. The hard work done during the winter break brought the Supercar class equipment to the Haapamäki team “Moksun pajä” in Sastamala and the intention was to run a full Finnish Championship series in the royal class of the sport this summer. However, the corona pandemic canceled the entire SM series, so something had to be developed to replace it.
– I offered the partners an alternative package that included these national competitions and good tests, as well as visibility through other than the Finnish Championship series and it was given the green light. So we don’t wrinkle our foreheads, but we look to Oulu. I don’t mean to stay in his pants when the long-term dream is true: the Supercar is behind the bus ready for the race, Haapamäki laughs in his press release.
The national competitions mentioned by Haapamäki were added to the competition calendar quite quickly after the information about the cancellation of the Finnish Championship series had been received from AKK within the sport. The first of the races will be run next weekend in Oulu, after which the rallycross crowd will gather in Pori on the 22nd and 23rd. August and Hyvinkää Vauhtipuisto will compete on August 12-13. September.
According to the Supercar category of the OuluZone Power Race, six drivers entered. The hardest merits among them can be found in Mikko Ikonen, the class’s two-year-old Finnish Championship silver medalist, who drove good results in the European Championship series last year, rising in the Norwegian race all the way to the final.
– Of course, it’s a bit annoying that the same cars are always included in the departure and driven by the same group. But especially according to Ikonen, coming in with the European Championship car a couple of years ago is a tough thing. He has experience in a Supercar and has driven good results. Great to drive against such a guy, Haapamäki says.
OuluZone’s track is 1,245 meters long and as much as 70 percent of it is asphalt. Saturday’s program includes rehearsals and preliminary rounds, while Sunday’s final finals will be decided. The race ahead for Haapamäki is the first in rallycross since September last year, and that race in Honkajoki was also Haapamäki’s Supercar debut.
– As far as cars and experience are concerned, whatever the difference, yes, I send greetings to Ikonen that no return is given without a fight. We are humble, but not humble. On the long asphalt starting line, you can see the difference in acceleration first, when the price of a guy’s car is many times higher than our car. Now you can see how much difference there is in cunning and how much difference there is in men. That’s the first thing that interests me, Haapamäki says.
Haapamäki says that the team made a decision already in the spring that the intention is to try to drive as much as possible this summer. The truth when, however, still remains that the Supercar class is entirely its own world in rallycross compared to the lower classes, and there is no previous experience in this class from either the driver or the team.
– If you had to be away from home for a year and start training next season, then the whole project would stretch by a year. There is enough to learn! Although I have been driving test three days, so driving is still in its infancy. It is still at the training level, Haapamäki admits.
In addition to the races in Oulu, Pori and Hyvinkää, the Haapamäki race calendar would have more races in the autumn and there would be great interest to go abroad, especially.
– It is always being decided where there would be a suitable race abroad. Let’s follow the situation of the corona with one eye and with the other eye look at online calendars to see where and when there would be some sensible competition. There would be interest and a strong desire for that, Haapamäki says.
So it is now at least certain that the almost year-long competition break for the Haapamäki team will end next weekend and the feeling will of course be excellent.
– We are going to live the dream we had to live by driving the Finnish Championships this year. The car is taped and shiny and the partners are involved in the activities, so let’s enjoy with the group. At this point, I would definitely like to thank our service team and partners that no matter what the situation is, they are still involved. I accept it as an extremely great show of confidence, Haapamäki thanks.
Photo: Haapamäki RX