Other notable runners include Brit’s Guy Wilks and Gareth Jones, both in Ford Focus’, as well as Andreas Mikkelsen, Skoda privateer, Jan Kopecky and Mads Ostberg, who will use an Adapta-run
Subaru Impreza WRC.
Other than that, in addition to the 21 drivers’ competing in the Junior RC category, over 30 runners will battle it out for the Group N honours including Anton Alén, Patrik Flodin and Aki Teiskonen.
Route:
The route remains centred on Jyväskylä but 46 percent of the roads are new from last year. Eight stages are new, three comprising roads never used in the rally, and only five of the 23 tests are the same as 2006.
The action begins on Thursday evening with a super special stage at Killeri trotting track. It continues on Friday with nine tests west of Jyväskylä before a second pass through Killeri. The second leg contains more than half the event's distance and is regarded as the classic day of the season. Based on wide, flowing roads near Jämsä, which also hosts a mid-afternoon remote service, it includes some of the sport's great stages. The highlight is two runs over the awesome Ouninpohja, a roller-coaster stretch of road full of blind crests and jumps and viewed as rallying's ultimate test of skill. This year it has been restored to its full 33km length. Sunday's short final leg covers three tests north and east of Jyväskylä. Drivers face 360.34km of competition in a route of 1375.15km.
Last year:
Marcus Gronholm won the Rally Finland in 2006 - to take his sixth win in seven years on his home event. He led practically from the off and eventually finished 1mins 06.7secs up on
Sebastien Loeb.
Mikko Hirvonen took the final place on the podium to give Ford a 1-3, while
Henning Solberg,
Gigi Galli and Janne Tuohino rounded out the top six. Jussi Valimaki and Jan Kopecky came in seventh and eighth, while Guy Wilks took the Junior win for
Suzuki.
A number of drivers’ had problems during the event, most noticeably
Petter Solberg, Dani Sordo and Xavier Pons - all three went off the road on the second day.
