Vibrant Äänekoski at the Neste Rally

Neste Rally Finland 2019 will be held at the beginning of August, 1–4. The Äänekoski special stage will be driven twice, on Friday as special stages 6 and 10. The Äänekoski section is 7.8 kilometers long; Ott Tänak blasted through the section in 2018 in three and a half minutes, so Äänekoski is a fast and punchy stage. Äänekoski is included in the route for the fourth time this year. Along the stage there is also the official Neste Rally Finland side event, Kalle Rovanperä Areena.

I’m an enthusiastic rally fan. The spark was lit when I was a little boy, since on the PlayStation I only liked playing NHL and racing games. Of the racing games, my favorite became WRC on the PlayStation 2. In my view, the appeal and fascination of rallying lie, of course, in the speed and in skirting the edges of the laws of physics. On TV you get the best angles and in-car videos, but you really sense the speed of the cars only when watching from the roadside. Even that doesn’t tell the whole story.

I used to imagine I knew how a rally car moves and what it would be like to drive one, since I had driven a passenger car on a gravel road at about 80 km/h—so just a little more speed. Then came a day in July 2017 when a bachelor party was arranged for me. I got a ride with the Saarijärvi-based rally driver, Jarkko Nikara, for a few kilometers on a gravel section. Every notion of what it’s like to sit in a rally car was shattered. I wondered why the seat belts had to be tightened so much that I couldn’t move. The first corner came practically right from the start, and that’s when it started to feel like the belts were too loose.. It’s incredible how a car can carve through a corner sideways so that all you see out the window is a stack of logs by the roadside.

Bachelor party vibes in rally mode, 2017

Jarkko has driven the Äänekoski stage himself in Neste Rally in previous years. I asked him for an analysis of what this Äänekoski stage is like for a driver.

”Right at the start there’s a very high-speed section where WRC cars reach about 190 km/h. A tighter right, after which more flat-out bends, until a narrower left with trees on the outside. Almost immediately after that, a two-part tight right. Then begins a section with some tightening corners and deceptive places. Continue flat-out through a few short bends, until there’s a deceptive, tightening right with a field behind it. On the open field, a couple of precisely driven corners over crests. At the end, a junction where you come onto Koivistonkyläntie, from which the finish is new compared with last year. The stage’s average speed in WRC cars is about 120 km/h.

Pretty unique in a good way, as it’s quite short and very fast. You have to be alert right away or you’ll get punished. And you still need full concentration even though it’s a short stage. It’s easy for the spectators to come and find the finish or the start. There’s been a great crowd along the route, which drivers always enjoy”

Rallying has always been close to Äänekoski, since the service park and the main venue are at Jyväskylä Paviljonki. At Paviljonki you’ve been able to drop by in the evenings to soak up the atmosphere and see the cars up close. I haven’t yet made it to Äänekoski’s own stage in previous years; I’ve been on shift every time. I have, however, gone along the stage early on race day, hauling supplies from work to the event locations on the stage. This year I’ve already requested that Friday off so I can be there. You too should make some time and come watch as the rally cars blast along Niinivedentie.

The official Rallibussi takes you to the rallies

Timetable available as a PDF download

I’ll write more on the blog about the rally after the competition. I’ll try to find out what all it takes from the organizer to run a single special stage, how the preparations went, and of course I’ll share the feelings from along the stage!