Kimi's crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5B38Fz77rw
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Kimi's crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5B38Fz77rw
First day we did shakedown. We were moving around through almost all length. Really great warm up. The huge jumps are great but frankly I liked one place before them even more because You could see better the difference in drivers and their speed (combination of right, short left over a crest and long right). Here I realized I should watch Mikko Pajunen in the future...Quote:
Originally Posted by OldF
Than we chose SS1 Lankamaa. We walked through for some 3 km to a very nice place where we were almost alone. We were walking counter stage direction from a spectator place with junction left in the last part of stage (Mikko must have gone off close to that cause I saw some child with Fiesta rear wing after the stage ended). Our place was fast left one in a distance, than straight and a difficult left one over a crest, than downhill straight, another crest and tight right one, road was rather narrow there for Finnish standards. For top runners we were on top of the first crest but for last cars we moved down because the top made huge ruts in braking zone. The funny thing was it was hidden behind the crest so almost all last cars had big moments there. From top drivers I liked Rantanen and Tänak most in this place. On the other hand Araujo, Oliveira and Rene Kuipers were very very slow. Nikara looked fastest from gr.N drivers. As we can't see from distance who drives which Academy Fiesta, we supported heavily all black ones (waiting for Černý) and they made some nice action there like Evans, Reeves or Breen taking the crest sideways.
For second day we chose to go only to SS6/9 Hyvaneula. The main reason was that with no real darkness we went to bed too late :D Anyway we again decided to walk in the stage direction from a junction rather close to the finish (from wide to more narrow road with helicopters stationed there). We were in a fast left-right combination completely alone. Close after that in another spectator point we saw a crash of Plangi. Hunt had a minor off there also. This we could see from distance. In our spot Mikko and Tänak looked fastest. From 2WD I was rather impressed by Korhonen and Lappi.
For second run we went back to the junction. It was a spot where You can see a long approach in the fields with wide left corner, than heavy braking from high speed and fast and very wide right junction around a pole. It was because we wanted to leave sooner as it was a long road back. Here definitely the best one was Ogier who was sideways maybe 50 meters before with no correction at all. That was just incredible. Prokop was wide too much and made some photographer to eat the gravel :D The other memorable one was Nikara.
Same problem occurred the other night :D Again we went to bed too late, so we decided to go to SS15 Jukojarvi. Here we chose a small jump in the left corner with heavy braking into the left junction in a spectator point. On top of the crest we could see the whole place including quite a long approach. Here Loeb, Latvala and Hänninen looked fastest to me.
After Tänak we moved to the finish of SS17 Leustu to the two jumps with braking into tightening left one. Here both factory Citroëns were jumping much less than Fords or Petter Solberg who all were flying much further. René Kuipers for some reason went much faster than anyone else into the left one below the jumps and rolled. Meeke was already very slow and it was clear the car had no power. By the way the connection road to this spot was just amazing rollercoaster :)
Than we went back to the same spot of SS20 Jukojarvi. It was even better in second run because now all good rivers were jumping into the corner. The craziest one was Tänak. Than we went back to Jyvaskyla for a finish ramp making a short stop to wave our flags to Juho Hänninen coming shortly after us. I must admit I was completely dead when we were waiting for a plane leaving early morning from Helsinki. I slept like a baby tonight :D
Altogether it was great. I know we could do much more stages but I don't regret the way we did it. We had great fun, some bathing in a lake, barbecue etc. Next year we are definitely back!
Does someone has video/photos from Esapekka Lappi in SS12 Leustu1 half way of the stage?
He had big moment there. Exact place was just before the turn to right small road.. as I heard...he drove a long way with 2 wheels and managed to stay on road.
kimi?Quote:
Originally Posted by HarriK
THX.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarriK
No, I mean number 71 Esapekka Lappi with his citroen C2R2Max. Almost rolled there...Quote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
Can somebody help me with a pic of car #66 Kari Hämäläinen?
K. HÄMÄLÄINEN (FIN)/ A. AHONEN (FIN) FORD Fiesta S2000
Thnx
all WRC actions from ESPN you can find on: www.rallypulse.com
Enjoy!
THX.
Back from the dead. I think the main thing to remember from this year's Rally Finland was long days after short sleeps. I counted over 50 hours on the rally route over three days with around 12 hours of sleep over three nights. At that point it had been around 800 kms on the car and around 30 kms by foot. On Saturday afternoon we had to say enough is enough on Surkee 2 and head home instead of Jukojärvi 2.
Pretty much everything has been said on the rally already. I though it was clear before the rally that Citroens will set the pace and so it pretty much was. Of course Mikko was notably fastest on Day 2 and 3, but was that because he had nothing to lose, we never know.
Positives:
- Hänninen's mature speed over the rally. Ha made no mistakes and could be that with his increased speed on Friday he pushed Tänak to do his mistake.
- Tänak's approach to the rally. On Lankamaa (barnbend) and Hassi (powerlines) he was practically flying.
- Mikko Pajunen's times. He was faster on a 2WD car than many good drivers on 4WD cars.
- Latvala and Hirvonen gaining places at the last loop.
- And even if Loeb is the most boring choice of a winner he definitely deserved it, showing more character and guts than on pre-event interviews.
- Lots of nice people on the rally route. Sometimes we spend hours on the stage waiting for the 1st car (or the last, as it was on Mynnilä stage with Czech fans waiting for Cerny): with nice people time went past faster.
- Must add on the spot we were on at Mynnilä: Most relaxed place to see rally cars ever. View of say 500 metres with braking to tight left-hander, uphill bends and then straight. Not a place to see action, but Most Relaxed :-)
- Seeing lot of classic places that I haven't been to previously: Lankamaa's barnbend, Hassi's powerlines and Leustu's Novikov jump.
- Seeing Carlos Sainz and Markku Alen. Stopping before Urria to chat with Latvala, Hirvonen, P. Solberg and Östberg. Having a chat with Hänninen on Thursday, asking him does he know what it means, that on 2009 he was 3rd in Barum and last year 2nd. He replied in humorous, frustrated tone: "Yes, we know what that means...".
- Weather.
Negatives:
- Tactics. We saw how it ended. What the hell were they thinking?
- Ketomaa, Lindroos and Rantanen all failed miserably. Better not to think about it more.
- Even if the top 3 had tight finish, the fight was not evident on the stages.
- Petter Solberg. A mere shadow of last year's performance.
- Friday's loop so far away from Jyväskylä. Stages themselves were okay, but next year we will heavily reconsider our schedule. From my experience it was also evident that there was lack of spectator's on the southern loop. We were on Koukunmaa, walked in to the stage from the start and it looked like many of the spectator's were there to see their first stage of the rally. I even overheard a teenager asking his father: Who the hell is Loeb? I think you can't forcefeed rallying to the modern youth.
Also must add that on Hassi stage it was first time for me when I started to take step away from the crashing car. Not exactly the nicest feeling. Brynildsen's car changed course about five meters away from us. By the way - has there been any news on Riku Tahko's stolen wallet? It was taken from the crash scene. Such a coward thing to do! On this video you can see Tahko in black overall running away from Saliyuk's car while he was searching for his wallet, I heard.