Tuukka Kauppinen, 18, was sensationalized to victory in the fell rally in Rovaniemi.
Matti Lehtisaari,
Micke Suopuro
Tuukka Kauppinen Made history by driving as the youngest driver in history to win the fell rally in Rovaniemi. 18-year-old Kauppinen kiri Kalle Rovanperä past the last special stage. Kauppinen, who rushed to Toyota Rally2, was number one in the Finnish Championship Rallys with 11.5 seconds to Rovanperä.
Kauppinen was still 20 seconds from Rovanperä before the last special stage of Lake Sarriojärvi, but was faster than Rovanperä in the end. For Rovanperä, the rally was first and foremost a test competition for the upcoming Swedish World Rally.
– It was a difficult clip and loose. Let’s do your own work, your own style works great. The target is at the top, this is a good start, Kauppinen, a super-skiller for the Finnish Championship Rally, described his mood.
Kalle Rovanperä drove important test kilometers with Rally1 for the World Series. Rovanperä also admitted that the snowy roads in the special stage of the rally were difficult.
– Too bad the last clip got so much snow. Our tires did nothing. There was so little contact with these spikes that it was as if he had been driving summer tires, Rovanperä said.
Esapekka Lapland He bowed third and stayed for 38 seconds of Kauppinen. Lapland fell from the victory as he slipped into the bench on Saturday afternoon.
– I went straight to the bow above the bench. I completely stumbled upon the braking of the intersection. The tire was floating in the ice groove and no more sticked on it. It took a while as we packed off and the bow clogged, Lapland told the events.
Latvala praised Kauppinen’s high -speed development
Head of the Toyota World Rally Stable Jari-Matti Latvala He struck Kauppinen at the Jyväskylä World Rally last year.
– Last year in Jyväskylä I watched when Tuukka drove Ruuhimäki’s second fastest time. In the rally, the pace was not as high yet and there was no experience. But Tuukka has made a really significant steppe in six months, Latvala praised the young shop.
Latvala is impressed with Kauppinen’s talent.
– Tuukka can drive really hard, even though there is still not much experience. He has challenged those who have more experience with this rally. There is quite a bit of talent in the background, Latvala praised the shop.
Latvala himself was in Rovaniemi and finished eighth.
“An exceptional promise”
Sports Expert Henri Haapamäki Glows from the merchant to “exceptional promise”.
-The wheel men at this level are not often seen in the SM series. If you think back, Rovanperä has been a driver who came in and was at the forefront, Haapamäki compared.
– Tuukka is a similar child base. He is still really young, only 18 years old and has been engaged in motor sports from a very little boy. Has been driven with small ATVs and mopeds, Karting has SM medals, Haapamäki listed.
Haapamäki is Vuorenu that Kauppinen’s name is now drawn in the books of the World Championships in the World Rally Bosses.
-World Championship Rally stables are only interested in drivers who hit others on the board. Nice second or third place, when others have problems, are not enough. Tuuka’s name has now been printed big on Jari-Matti Latvala’s book, Haapamäki believed.
1. Tuukka Kauppinen 1.52.16.4 (won SM1 class)
1. Tuukka Kauppinen 1.52.16.4 (won SM1 class)
2. Kalle Rovanperä +11.5 (drove outside the SM series with Rally1)
3. Esapekka Lapland +38.1
4. Roope Korhonen +1.11.0
5. Teemu Asunmaa +1.37,9
6. Niclas Grönholm +3.59.4
7. Mikko Eskelinen +4.41.8 (drove outside the SM series)
8. Jari-Matti Latvala +5.08.6 (drove outside the SM series)
9. Patrick Enok +5.34.2 (won the SM2 class)
10. Ville Vatanen +5.40.6 (SM Class)
In the SM1 class, the World Series is driven by cars similar to the WRC2 class. The SM2 class uses the World Series WRC3 and Junior WRC cars.