I could add my "complete report"...
For our group, the rally started with a visit to the service park on Thursday noon. We had calculated prior to the rally that we should skip the shakedown because of a) in Ruuhimäki it's always crowded b) the day would be exessively long. Nothing special in the service park, saw some familiar faces from the internet like Colin Clark, Becsy, Zdenek Hruza, Petr Elias, Atko, Heidi Koppe, etc. Had some small chats with different people and basically just let the rally fever to rise. Only minus was that I couldn't get a hold of those paper/cardboard helmets of Mikko and JM even though I searched the whole service park and waited in front of Ford's service area for a long time. Those helmets were actually really cool. :D
Thursday continued with SS2, Laukaa. We were in the legendary "ferry corner" but as expected, the corner didn't provide any special action, just some wide lines and nice driving by the top guys. Over the years there has formed a strong positive camber and that has made the corner easier. Pretty much spectators, but not too much. It was okay. Two rally sausages and coffee+donut were cheap and tasty. :) After all cars, back to home to get some sleep. Not much, because we were back somewhere around 23:00, got to bed somewhere around 00:30 and next morning wake up at 05:00.
On Friday we started the day with SS4, Hassi. In my spectator recce, I found a "place" on the end's small road. When we arrived there about two hours before the first car, it was already totally full with lots of professional spectators. I had high hopes. Well, many cars (JML, Tänak, Gassner, Wilson, etc.) had veeeery wide lines. Tänak dropped rear wheel in the ditch. Eventually, Sousa was the only one to have a minor off (he saved it by letting it slide wide to a small opening behind the road) before the stage was stopped. We decided to leave at this point.
We headed for SS8, Koivukehä. After a very long liason section we took a small road to the stage to find out only a minimal amount of spectators, which I profiled as people living nearby etc. After a small incursion to the forest (ordered by the marshalls) we took it back to the road and walked about 1,5 kms to a flat out entry to a long crest-> dropping long right with a barn building blocking the view to the exit of the corner and a bale inside. Also, an old barn outside the corner in the exit. This place had caused some moments in historic rally (Thanks Tinke ;) ). Again, very little people, only some locals and 1 to 4 guys which I think were pro-spectators. Loeb with a veeeery wide line. Some cars sliding a bit wide on the exit but no major moments. Ketomaa and Lindroos crashed some 2 kms before and drove past us very slowly. Overall, a nice place and very close to the action.
We decided not to continue to SS11, Mynnilä, because of difficulties reaching home from there (we would have needed to go around whole Lake Päijänne). Instead, we enjoyed the historics and our food. Very serene and relaxing, big fields of gold everywhere, nice historic cars and lot's of bread, coffee, buns, etc. :) Then left the stage, drove home and planned for Saturday. Again, at home somewhere around 23:30, bed at 00:30 and wakeup around 05:00.
On Saturday we went to SS13, Surkee 1 and SS20, Jukojärvi 2. On SS13, we wanted to see some raw speed and went to a loooong uphill left hander over a crest in the end. Top crews really amazed me. The speed is incredible. Not much people on the field. From there, we headed to SS20. There's a place where we have been in many years (first in 2003 or something like that). Pretty tight left, very near to a lake. Many rowboats on the lake with people spectating. Not much people. Very idyllic place and very close to the action. Some action also, for example last year one Abu Dhabi R2 Fiesta went off. No offs this year, but some very wide lines, e.g Nikara was totally incredible. Also a nice feeling, because your basically standing on swamp (dry though) and when the cars pass, sometimes you can feel the ground shaking... In 2009 we started our rally from this place, so now it was nice to end it in there. On the way home, listened to rally radio and the finish of the rally. The 2011 edition of Rally Finland was over.
It was a nice trip, once again. :up: Five stages was pretty okay, although I'll aim for six or seven (SD incl.) next year. Very long days, my father said that it almost felt like he was back in the 70s-80s. But hey, it's only once in a year. For next year, a camper van or a tent is in consideration. It would allow more sleep and possibility to visit more stages.
