Part of the Finnish Rally Championship, the Arctic Lapland Rally is one of Finland’s most iconic motorsport events. This year, the event will also feature a round of the Defender Rally Championship. Six Defender crews have been added to the entry list.
The Defender series uses rally cars built from Land Rover Defender SUVs. This single-make off-road series combines the thrill of rally speed with endurance racing, featuring “heavyweight” vehicles.
The Arctic Lapland Rally, held near the Arctic Circle, is renowned for its challenging conditions, pushing both cars and drivers to their limits in icy temperatures. The snowy special stages provide a unique test for the Defender series drivers.
Among the competitors in the Defender Rally Championship class is Finnish driver Jorma Jokela, who has previously achieved success in the series.
Jokela drove a Defender as a course car in the 2024 Arctic Lapland Rally and now returns to the icy roads in a competition-spec off-roader. Jokela is also the founder of Multitude, the parent company of CapitalBox, which serves as the main sponsor of this year’s Arctic Lapland Rally.
Other drivers in the class include Brits David Beecroft and Paul White, as well as Estonian Kristjan Kajakas, all of whom are previous round winners in the series from past seasons.
All competitors in the class drive identical Defender 90 rally cars powered by a 300-horsepower Ingenium petrol engine paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The cars are fitted with FIA-approved roll cages, custom-built damper, and durable all-road tyres.
Team principal Dave Marsh is thrilled to see the Defenders competing in Rovaniemi.
“With our current race programme taking in everything from the Deserts of Morocco to Iceland we are sure Lapland will provide another incredible experience for our competitors,” Marsh says.
The two-day Arctic Lapland Rally begins next week on Friday, 31 January.
