Raoul Dahlqvist to make his WRC3 debut in Finland
Finnish rally driver Raoul Dahlqvist will be competing in August’s Secto Rally Finland with Ford Fiesta Rally3. The 19-year-old’s debut in the competitive category marks his career-first WRC event as well.
Finnish rally driver Raoul Dahlqvist makes his WRC debut in his home event, Secto Rally Finland, in early August. Competing in the Finnish Rally Championship with Rally4-category Fiesta, the 19-year-old competes with the higher-performance, four-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta Rally3, prepared by KMS Racing. Co-driving for Dahlqvist is Patric Öhman, who’s been partnering the young talent in FRC this season.
Taking the step into the WRC3 category for Finland’s round of the championship is a dream come true for the young Finn. The four-day event also marks the first step of a career plan spanning next seasons.
-It’s an amazing feeling to be able to drive in WRC Finland, even more so with a four-wheel-drive car. It’s been a dream of mine ever since my spark for rallying lit, Dahlqvist smiled.
Dahlqvist took his first step into Rally3 machinery in early June by competing in national event Rantaralli with KMS Racing, finishing as the fastest second fastest in 4WD class. Dahlqvist, who is completing his military service, uses all his personal time in order to prepare for the debut.
-The conscription takes some time away from preparations, but we are planning to have good pre-event tests before the rally. All my holidays will be used for pacenote training, and during free times I’ll be watching the recce videos, Dahlqvist recapped his preparations.
Secto Rally Finland is held in Jyväskylä from 1st to 4th of August.
Photo: Merita Mäkinen
