Valimaki: Finnish ‘Champion of Champions’
By Bruce • Oct 10th, 2007 • Category: Season 2007Source: www.jussivalimaki.com
Rally Drivers Team of Finland organised a special ‘Champions’ event, run in southern Finland over the final weekend of September. The competition pitted the three Finnish 2007 rally champions; Group-A winner Jussi Välimäki, and Group-N champs Jari Ketomaa and Joonas Lindroos.
The event was contested on a single stage, driven first in a Group-N Opel Astra and then in a Group-A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III.
Lindroos grabbed the early lead after the three completed their first run in the Astra. But Valimaki put his APRC experience to good use when the trio tackled the course in the more powerful, turbo-charged, Lancer.
Three-tenths of a second slower than Lindroos after the first pass, Valimaki edged out Ketomaa the second time around, making him the overall winner the event and claiming the title of Finnish ‘Champion of the Champions’.
Overall results:
Jussi Valimaki: 3:25.10
Joonas Lindroos: 3:26.22
Jari Ketomaa: 3:26.40
Bruce is The host and producer of the APRC Live podcast and web site
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