Kauppinen’s strategy clear for Seinäjoki – “We’re going for the win”
Rautio Motorsport’s Tuukka Kauppinen and his co-driver Sebastian Virtanen will compete in the final Finnish Rally Championship round of the season in Seinäjoki this coming weekend. Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in the SM1 class, the pair currently sit second in the championship standings, 31 points behind series leader Esapekka Lappi. The title fight is all but decided, but Kauppinen still has a theoretical chance of taking the crown if he wins the rally and Lappi runs into trouble.
The season has been a busy one for Kauppinen, with rallies in several different series across Europe. He led the Finnish Championship after the winter rounds, but during the summer the experienced Lappi has pulled away, beating Kauppinen in every summer event.
– The winter season started off well and we were on the pace right from Kuopio. In Rovaniemi everything clicked perfectly and we took the win. The summer has unfortunately been a bit fragmented: while the speed has often been good and we’ve set some fastest stage times, there’s always been some extra hassle along the way, Kauppinen reflects on his season.
The SM Seinäjoki Ralli features a total of nine special stages covering 116 competitive kilometres. The rally begins on Friday evening with three stages driven in the dark, and continues on Saturday with six more stages. The final stage will run in ”Power Stage” format, complete with side events, in the Routakallio area.
– Of course, we’re going for the win and we’ll give our best. Even though the chance of winning the title is paper-thin, anything can happen in rallying. Our aim is to finish the season on a high note and build momentum for next year, Kauppinen says.
– Driving in the dark shouldn’t be a problem if conditions stay dry. But if we get a proper autumn rainstorm, that will add an extra challenge. Whatever the conditions, we’ll do our best, hope luck is on our side, and aim for victory, Kauppinen concludes.
The SM Seinäjoki Ralli gets underway on Friday at 19:29 and finishes on Saturday at 17:00 with the final celebrations at Routakallio.
Photo: Merita Mäkinen
