14.1.2024 - Mikko Eskelinen collect 4th highest Finnish Rally Championship points from the opening round - He's also leader of the new Masters Cup
Flying Finn Mikko Eskelinen, age of 51, is one of the most experienced rally driver in season 2024 edition of Finnish Rally Championship. In second weekend of January he and his long-term co-driver Arto Kapanen, age of 60,
collect promising result as they finished the event 4th fastest drivers in overall classifications. They also were fastest in new Masters Cup series and therefore heads as leaders in next round which is to be driven in Arctic Circle at first weekend of February.
- Before the event we drove our tests in much slower test stages and therefore first five special stages we tackled with braking points. We constantly brake too early and therefore the times were not as we expect. Then for the final four stages we improved our pace and collect one 3rd fastest special stage time as others were 4th and 5th fastest. It gave us lots of belief for the future, Eskelinen analyzed his race.
- Our strategy was purely just to avoid drama and getting to know our new Skoda Fabia R5 Evo rally car. Therefore we drove directly by the road and didn't touch snow banks. For the first stage to final ninth stage we were steadly in 5th position in overall classifications. However as our fellow rival Niclas Grönholm went out in final stage and was forced to retire after the finish we collect 4th position and 12 highly valuable Championship points, Eskelinen continues.
Winner of the fast-paced rally was reigning WRC3 World Champion Roope Korhonen who drove 9th special stages and 101 special stage kilometres more than a minute faster than reigning Finnish Rally Championship SM2-group Champion Benjamin Korhola. Eskelinen is leading the Masters Cup series which is nice bonus.
- Our goals for the season 2024 is to win medal in Finnish Rally Championship SM1-group and now ofcourse to secure victory in Masters Cup. I'm sure that our dear competitors like Ville Ruokanen, Kees Burner and Pasi Paakari will give us lots of challenge in forthcoming events. It's very nice to drive a rally series after many years of pause, rally-grand-pa Eskelinen thoughts.
Final results FRC Auto Sorsa Riihimäki rally, Sat 13th January 2024: Overall top-5:
1. Roope Korhonen & Anssi Viinikka, Skoda Fabia RS, 58:14,1
2. Benjamin Korhola & Sebastian Virtanen, Hyundai i20 R5, +1:05,7s
3. Anssi Rytkönen & Mikael Korhonen, Skoda Fabia R5, +1:56,1s 4. Mikko Eskelinen & Arto Kapanen, Skoda Fabia R5 EVO, +3:13,1s
5. Henri Hokkala & Kimmo Pahkala, Ford Fiesta Rally3, +3:34,2s
