Asunmaa recorded a total of five fastest stage times in the eight-stage rally. However, the victory did not come easily, as 18-year-old rally prospect Tuukka Kauppinen put up a fierce fight. Asunmaa narrowly edged out Kauppinen, who hails from the same area as rally legend Juha Kankkunen, by just 6.8 seconds.
Kauppinen was competing in the Finnish Rally Championship’s top Rally2 category for the first time. His debut earned him second place and three fastest stage times.
Hyundai driver Benjamin Korhola finished third in the rally. However, his gap to the leader exceeded a minute, leaving him dissatisfied.
“We made it safely to the finish. On the previous road section, I started hearing some strange noises from the car, so I couldn’t push too hard. I expected more from myself, so in that sense, I’m disappointed. I just need to train hard and try to improve,” Korhola summarised.
Niclas Grönholm, better known for his achievements in the World Rallycross Championship, claimed fourth place in the SM series opener. The son of two-time World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm was disappointed with his performance, finishing nearly a minute and a half behind the leader.
“It wasn’t a great day. The last two stages went through cleanly, though. Now we’ll start preparations for the Arctic Rally. The competition is only getting tougher,” Grönholm remarked.
Anssi Rytkönen took fifth place, ahead of Tommi Jylhä. The SM2 class saw drama on the final stage, as class leader Ville Vatanen was forced to retire. This allowed Takumi Matsushita, part of Toyota’s junior programme, to take the victory.
In SM2, Henri Altomaa secured second place, ahead of veteran Pekka Keski-Korsu, who narrowly defeated Eamonn Kelly by just 1.1 seconds.
The Finnish Rally Championship continues in Rovaniemi with the traditional Arctic Rally at the end of January and the start of February.
Finnish Rally Championship, Kuopio Rally resuts:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Teemu Asunmaa | Skoda | 47:15.1 |
| 2. | Tuukka Kauppinen | Toyota | +6.8 |
| 3. | Benjamin Korhola | Hyundai | +1:01.6 |
| 4. | Niclas Grönholm | Skoda | +1:24.6 |
| 5. | Anssi Rytkönen | Skoda | +1:37.8 |
| 6. | Tommi Jylhä | Skoda | +2:26.8 |
| 7. | Takumi Matsushita | Renault | +3:12.9 |
| 8. | Henri Altomaa | Renault | +3:20.4 |
| 9. | Pekka Keski-Korsu | Renault | +3:25.7 |
| 10. | Eamonn Kelly | Renault | +3:26.8 |
