Ahvenisto Race Circuit
Encyclopedia
The Ahvenisto Race Circuit is a motorsport
race track
located in Hämeenlinna
, Finland
. The 3040 metres (1.889 mi) long circuit is run clockwise. The track has an elevation change of 32 metres (105 ft), the home straight is 280 metre (0.173984366261946 mi) and the width varies from 9 metres (30 ft) to 17 metres (56 ft).
The track's unofficial lap record, 1:10.000, is held by the 1982
Formula One
World Champion Keke Rosberg
. Rosberg drove the time as a show run with his Williams F1 FW08C
in 1984. The official lap record, 1:13.226, was driven by Marko Nevalainen in a Formula Three
car on September 16, 2000. Two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen
broke the lap record for Carrera Cup class on May 29, 2004, recording a time of 1:19.905 with his Porsche Carrera
.
race was won by Jochen Rindt
in a Brabham BT23 ahead of Jack Brabham
's Brabham BT23C and Jim Clark
's Lotus 48
. The Formula Three
race was a battle between Finnish and Swedish
drivers, with Sweden's Freddy Kottulinsky
taking the win. Other entrants included Leo Kinnunen
, Ronnie Peterson
and Reine Wisell
.
In the 1960s and the 1970s, the track also hosted road racing
events such as the FIM
Formula 750
, and between 1980 and 1999 a total of 18 rallycross
events counting towards the FIA European Rallycross Championship, all organised by the club Helsingin UA. In May 1984, Finland's most severe helicopter accident occurred at the track during a race. The pilot lost control of his helicopter while landing and crashed into the audience area, resulting in five spectators dead and 26 injured. The track reached its crowd record in 1985, when over 40,000 people arrived to watch Tähtien kisat ("The Race of Stars"). Currently, the track mostly hosts races in national and Nordic
championships and cups, including Finnish Touring Car Championship
, NEZ Racing Championship, Nordic Supercar, Finnish Rallycross Championship and Historic Race Finland.
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
located in Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The 3040 metres (1.889 mi) long circuit is run clockwise. The track has an elevation change of 32 metres (105 ft), the home straight is 280 metre (0.173984366261946 mi) and the width varies from 9 metres (30 ft) to 17 metres (56 ft).
The track's unofficial lap record, 1:10.000, is held by the 1982
1982 Formula One season
The 1982 Formula One season was the 33rd FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on January 23, 1982, and ended on September 25 after sixteen races. The World Drivers' Championship was won by Williams driver Keke Rosberg. Rosberg was the first driver since Mike Hawthorn in the 1958...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Champion Keke Rosberg
Keke Rosberg
Keijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...
. Rosberg drove the time as a show run with his Williams F1 FW08C
Williams FW08
The Williams FW08 was a Formula One car designed by Patrick Head which debuted at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix held at the Zolder circuit. An evolution of the FW07 that it replaced, the car was used by Finnish driver Keke Rosberg to win the 1982 World Drivers' Championship.The FW08B was a...
in 1984. The official lap record, 1:13.226, was driven by Marko Nevalainen in a Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
car on September 16, 2000. Two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen
Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
broke the lap record for Carrera Cup class on May 29, 2004, recording a time of 1:19.905 with his Porsche Carrera
Porsche Carrera
Carrera is a trademarked name exclusively used by Porsche for its models to honor the company's success in the Carrera Panamericana race.The following vehicles have been called Carrera:* Porsche 356* Porsche 904* Porsche 911...
.
History
Ahvenisto Race Circuit was finished on July 15, 1967. "I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967" was the first international event competed at the circuit. The Formula TwoFormula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
race was won by Jochen Rindt
Jochen Rindt
Karl Jochen Rindt was a German racing driver who represented Austria during his career. He is the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship , after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix...
in a Brabham BT23 ahead of Jack Brabham
Jack Brabham
Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name....
's Brabham BT23C and Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
's Lotus 48
Lotus 48
The Lotus 48 was a Formula 2 car designed by Colin Chapman, based on a 1600 cc Ford FVA engine that was run around 1967 to 1970 on Formula Two. The 48 is unfortunately notable for being the car in which Jim Clark was killed. Apart from that, it was campaigned fairly successfully in F2, taking...
. The Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
race was a battle between Finnish and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
drivers, with Sweden's Freddy Kottulinsky
Freddy Kottulinsky
Winfried Philippe Adalbert Karl Graf Kottulinsky Freiherr von Kottulin, better known as Freddy Kottulinsky , was a German-Swedish racing and rallying driver who won the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1980. He was born in München....
taking the win. Other entrants included Leo Kinnunen
Leo Kinnunen
Leo Juhani "Leksa" Kinnunen is a Finnish former car racer, the first Formula One driver from his country. He is also remembered for his success in sportscar racing and rallying....
, Ronnie Peterson
Ronnie Peterson
Bengt Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish racing driver. He was a two-time runner-up in the FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship.Peterson began his motor racing career in kart racing, traditionally the discipline where the majority of race drivers begin their careers in open-wheel racing...
and Reine Wisell
Reine Wisell
Reine Wisell is a former racing driver from Sweden. He participated in 23 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on October 4, 1970. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 13 championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races...
.
I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jochen RindtJochen Rindt Karl Jochen Rindt was a German racing driver who represented Austria during his career. He is the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship , after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix... |
Roy Winkelmann Racing | 20 | 27:05.53 |
| 2 |  Jack BrabhamJack Brabham Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name.... |
Motor Racing Developments | 20 | 27:07.71 |
| 3 | Jim Clark Jim Clark James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965.... |
Team Lotus Team Lotus Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing... |
20 | 27:31.14 |
| 4 | Frank Gardner |
Motor Racing Developments | 20 | 27:33.65 |
| 5 | Graham Hill Graham Hill Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to... |
Team Lotus Team Lotus Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing... |
20 | 28.02.27 |
| 6 | Alan Rees Alan Rees Alan Rees is a British former racing driver from Wales. He participated in three World Championship Grands Prix in the 1960s, although two of those appearances were driving Formula 2 cars... |
Roy Winkelmann Racing | 19 | +1 lap |
In the 1960s and the 1970s, the track also hosted road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
events such as the FIM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
Formula 750
Formula 750
Formula 750 was a FIM motorcycle road racing series based on a 750 cubic centimeter engine capacity. The series began in 1973 as a British based series. In 1975 the series was upgraded to European championship status and in 1977, it attained world championship status. The FIM discontinued the class...
, and between 1980 and 1999 a total of 18 rallycross
Rallycross
Rallycross is a form of sprint style automobile racing, held on a closed mixed-surface racing circuit, with modified production or specially built road cars, similar to the World Rally Cars, although usually with about stronger engines, due to e.g. their 45 mm turbo restrictor plates. It is...
events counting towards the FIA European Rallycross Championship, all organised by the club Helsingin UA. In May 1984, Finland's most severe helicopter accident occurred at the track during a race. The pilot lost control of his helicopter while landing and crashed into the audience area, resulting in five spectators dead and 26 injured. The track reached its crowd record in 1985, when over 40,000 people arrived to watch Tähtien kisat ("The Race of Stars"). Currently, the track mostly hosts races in national and Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
championships and cups, including Finnish Touring Car Championship
Finnish Touring Car Championship
The Finnish Touring Car Championship is a domestic saloon car series. As of the 2007 season it became eligible to become part of the FIA European Touring Car Cup.-Champions:-References:**...
, NEZ Racing Championship, Nordic Supercar, Finnish Rallycross Championship and Historic Race Finland.