Raitanen is remembered as the co-driver for Eerik Pietarinen both in the Finnish Championship and the World Rally Championship. The duo’s best success was the dominant victory in the Finnish Championship in 2018.
Raitanen is no novice in the driver’s seat either. Among his achievements are a victory in the Vetomies race in 2017 and well over 20 starts on Finnish gravel roads. This year, he started with a third place in the SM3 class at the Arctic Lapland Rally. Additionally, in early summer, Raitanen took a class victory at the Ikaalinen Spa Rally.
However, now he faces even bigger stages. Raitanen will participate in Rally Finland with TGS Motorsport’s Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car. His co-driver will be Samu Vaaleri, who has previously read notes for Mikko Heikkilä and Niclas Grönholm.
“I am really happy about this opportunity to compete in Jyväskylä. It is surely every driver’s dream to drive their home country’s WRC rally with such a competitive car. We are going to have fun and gain experience for the future,” Raitanen says.
Investor Jyri Wirtanen has joined Raitanen’s support team, invited to help Raitanen advance to the next level in motorsport.
“Raitanen is a multi-talented individual who deserves a place behind the wheel of a Rally2-class Toyota and, in the future, in the WRC,” Wirtanen asserts.
High expectations are set for Raitanen. The special stages of the WRC are already in sight for the near future.
“When the driver knows his job, the manager takes care of the partnerships, funding, and communications in the background. The aim is to have fun and enjoy the joy of motorsport. We are still looking for partners for Raitanen’s competitions for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The goal is to compete in several WRC2 events in Europe and beyond next year.”
At the same time, the Johnny R. product concept will be launched at Rally Finland, helping Finnish talents finance their motorsport careers. A tiger, which will also appear in other motorsport series, will be displayed on the bonnet and sides of Raitanen’s Toyota.
“The big players from large countries, like Red Bull, will dominate if we don’t find new ways and people in our country to fund young talents’ motorsport careers. We have been exceptionally successful in motorsport in recent decades. There are many success stories, and the achieved success obliges us. Finnish driving talents are a national treasure that must be nurtured and cherished for the future. Let’s take care of our export product,” Wirtanen summarises.