The Finnish Rally Champioship season culminates on Saturday in Kitee, where the Finnish Championship in the SM1 class will be decided. Among the participants is Lauri Joona, who last competed in an SM rally in the Arctic Rally in February.
Skoda driver Joona has primarily focused on the WRC2 category in the World Rally Championship. He completed his final WRC rally of the season in early September in Greece, and now he returns to the domestic scene.
Joona started the season with co-driver Janni Hussi, who announced her departure after Rally Finland. In the Acropolis Rally in Greece, Ville Mannisenmäki read the notes for the Joona. In Kitee, Joona will be joined by a familiar face from previous seasons, Tuukka Shemeikka.
“It’s nice to be racing again in Finland and in the Finnish Rally Championship. We finished our points chase in the WRC, so there was enough time left for this autumn,” Joona says.
“We thought that since we need to keep up our driving rhythm, and the roads in Kitee are sure to be good, why not? Especially since there’s still something at stake in the SM1 class, it’s fun to go and tease the championship contenders,” Joona jokes.
Roope Korhonen is firmly in the lead for this season’s SM1 title. His only challenger is Teemu Asunmaa, who is 20 points behind.
Joona is aiming for a top result in Eastern Finland.
“Since we’re not competing in the series, we have nothing to lose, and no points objectives, so we’re going to Kitee to win the rally. First place is our clear goal. The level is bound to be high, with many wanting to succeed. That’s only a good thing, as it ensures plenty of speed,” Joona says.
The Rally in Kitee will feature a total of ten special stages on Saturday.
