Riku Tahko won the Finnish Rally Championship bronze
The last race of the Finnish Rally Championship series was run around Seinäjoki on Friday and Saturday. Riku Tahko finished third in the SM2 class and won the Finnish Championship bronze in his class.
Riku Tahko started for the last rally of the season, well prepared. The first day of the competition included first the recce of all six different special stages and finally three demanding special stages in the darkness of Friday. On the night break, Tahko and co-driver Markus Soininen were in fourth place in their class.
On Saturday, in all of the first three special stages, Tahko was third. The position in the SM2 class was still fourth, but Anssi Rytkönen who was third only 0.8 seconds away. Rytkönen eventually had to retire after the sixth special stage and Tahko got up before the last three special stages. The difference to the top was 24.6 seconds
- After the recce, there was little doubt as to how the super-fast roads fit our Rally2kit Mini. To our delight, it was noticed that it did well. The competition was brutal and fierce. Only in the special stages that we had gone perfectly would we have been able to challenge Ville Hautamäki and Jaro Kinnunen, who were leading the way, Riku Tahko described the course of the competition.
In the last three special stages, Tahko was able to cement the third place for the podium with a safe run. At the top, Ville Hautamäki managed to get past Jaro Kinnunen and drive to victory. In the finish, Riku Tahko's difference to the top was 30.3 seconds to Hautamäki.
- In the service and after leaving, we calculated that we can't challenge the top and the third place is enough for the medal. We already decided to pass a bit and secure our position.
After a five-year hiatus, Riku Tahko, who returned to the Finnish Rally Championship, secured the bronze medals in the SM2 class in the 2020 season.
- The brighter medals now went to the right address. Ville Hautamäki and Jaro Kinnunen were both able to be not only fast, but also stable. Through that, congratulations to them. If the 2018 Rallycross Championship Bronze was heavily lost, this Ralli SM Bronze is definitely won.
According to Tahko, returning from rallycross to rally has been a successful decision.
- Participation in the Finnish Rally Championship has clearly increased people's interest in us. At the beginning there was a bit of excitement about how we will adapt to the rally stages, but already in Tunturi it became clear that we are adapting well. With good motivation, we have been involved in the series and there are plans to run the Ralli SM also in the season 2021, Tahko concludes.
