EM Lahti Historic Rally 2011 on special stages of Neste Oil Rally Finland
Legendary rally cars return to nostalgic special stages
Next summer there will be offered twice as much rally entertainment, when beautiful historic rally cars will participate Lahti Historic Rally in Lahti area as well as in Jyväskylä area, together with Finnish WRC event, Neste Oil Rally Finland. This very special event will take place on 28th -30th of July.
Anniversary rally for spectators and competitors
“At the time very received information that Finnish WRC event, Neste Oil Rally Finland, will expand the route towards south to Lahti area, we decided to change a challenge to a great opportunity. Lahti Historic Rally has got an approval from FIA Historic Rally Sub-Commission, to be able to arrange European Championship Historic Rally event simultaneously on the route of Neste Oil Rally Finland. Our event in 2011, is 10th anniversary Lahti Historic Rally, and it is extremely exciting and interesting to be able to arrange that together with the Finnish WRC event, says Jari Hyvärinen, chairman of the organizer, Poppoo Team.
"We are planning to arrange the most memorable event for spectators and for competitors – especially for those, who have been driving in Rally of Jyväskylä in 1960-´80´s. Wish that many of them would be able to participate our historic rally and would get the same nostalgic feeling as long ago, on these challenging gravel surface special stages.”
Lahti Historic Rally has been arranged since 2002, and there are couple of very famous winners through the years. As an example Hannu Mikkola, who won Rally of Jyväskylä for 7 times, also winning a rally world championship once. In 2009 and in 2010 the winner has been a WRC Ford driver, Jari-Matti Latvala.
“New generation WRC rally cars together with very nostalgic historic rally cars from 1960´s, ´70´s and ´80´s in the same event is a thought, which should be very interesting for rally fans of all ages. This combined event feels very exciting, says Tiina Lehmonen, promoter of Neste Oil Rally Finland.
This year we will turn a page to new decade and make new kind of history in rally. We will offer very special rally entertainment for spectators this year. It feels very good, that we have got an opportunity for this”, says Lehmonen.
This combined rally event this summer will offer more for spectators – the historic rally as well as changes in the rally route. This Finnish Grand Prix will take place on Thursday 28.07. and Saturday 30.07. closer to traditional rally centre, Jyväskylä. On Friday 29.07. very nostalgic drive “Around the lake of Päijänne” will take place on the area, where the Finnish WRC event has not visited since 1990´s.
