Ahvenisto Race Circuit
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Ahvenisto track profile.
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| Location | Hämeenlinna, Finland |
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| Major events | Formula Two, SMP F4 Championship, Formula 750, ERC |
| Length | 2.840 km (1.764 mi) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Lap record | 1.13.226 (Marko Nevalainen, , 2000, F3) |
Ahvenisto Race Circuit (Finnish: Ahveniston moottorirata) is a motorsport race track located in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The 2,840 metres (1.765 mi) long circuit is run clockwise. The track has an elevation change of 32 metres (105 ft), the main straight is 280 metres (0.2 mi) and the width varies from 9 metres (30 ft) to 17 metres (56 ft). It is considered as the most dangerous and hardest track in Finland, due to its elevation changes, short run-off areas, fast straights and sudden tight turns.
The track's unofficial lap record, 1:10.000, is held by the 1982 Formula One World Champion Keke Rosberg. Rosberg drove the time as a show run with his Williams F1 FW08C in 1984. The official lap record, 1:13.226, was driven by Marko Nevalainen in a Formula Three car on September 16, 2000. Two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen broke the lap record for Carrera Cup class on May 29, 2004, recording a time of 1:19.905 with his Porsche Carrera.[1]
History
Ahvenisto Race Circuit was finished on July 15, 1967. "I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967" was the first international event competed at the circuit. The Formula Two race was won by Jochen Rindt in a Brabham BT23 ahead of Jack Brabham's Brabham BT23C and Jim Clark's Lotus 48. The Formula Three race was a battle between Finnish and Swedish drivers, with Sweden's Freddy Kottulinsky taking the win. Other entrants included Leo Kinnunen, Ronnie Peterson and Reine Wisell.[2]
I Hämeenlinnan ajot 1967
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jochen Rindt |
Roy Winkelmann Racing | 20 | 27:05.53 |
| 2 |  Jack Brabham |
Motor Racing Developments | 20 | 27:07.71 |
| 3 |  Jim Clark |
Team Lotus | 20 | 27:31.14 |
| 4 | Frank Gardner |
Motor Racing Developments | 20 | 27:33.65 |
| 5 | Graham Hill |
Team Lotus | 20 | 28.02.27 |
| 6 | Alan Rees |
Roy Winkelmann Racing | 19 | +1 lap |
In the 1960s and the 1970s, the track also hosted road racing events such as the FIM Formula 750, and between 1980 and 1999 a total of 18 rallycross events counting towards the FIA European Rallycross Championship, all organised by the club Helsingin UA. In May 1984, Finland's most severe helicopter accident occurred at the track during a race. The pilot lost control of his helicopter while landing and crashed into the audience area, resulting in five spectators dead and 26 injured.[3] The track reached its crowd record in 1985, when over 40,000 people arrived to watch Tähtien kisat ("The Race of Stars"). Currently, the track mostly hosts races in national and Nordic championships and cups, including Finnish Touring Car Championship, NEZ Racing Championship, Nordic Supercar, Finnish Rallycross Championship and Historic Race Finland.
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ahvenisto Race Circuit. |
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